NOTES for Joh 7:25-26
Messianic ideas in Gospel times were sufficiently developed; there was even a distinctive "messianic" theology describing everything connected with the Messiah, with His ministry, His appearance, and how and from where He was to come. All the events that, according to the corresponding concepts, were to happen before the appearance of the Messiah and immediately after His appearance were also described and explained, including the signs and miracles that the Messiah was to demonstrate publicly or privately to those who were supposed to see them, as proof of His messiahship. Such signs were considered necessary: without them it was impossible to recognize the true Messiah, impossible to distinguish Him from false messiahs who constantly appeared in Judea at that time.
At the same time, one of the signs of the true Messiah was His acceptance in that capacity, in particular, by the Temple leadership headed by the high priest and by the authoritative spiritual leaders of the Synagogue. Such acceptance was considered necessary because the Messiah was then viewed first of all as an earthly King after all, though not an ordinary one. His reign would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and miracles connected with such a measure of God's presence as the world had not known before, but the Kingdom itself, as people thought, would still exist on earth, though according to the laws of the Torah given by God. To build such a Kingdom without the participation of the Temple and the priesthood was impossible, just as it was impossible to build it without the participation of the believing people. Therefore the Messiah would surely need the support of both the high priest and the leaders of the Synagogue.
And now the people look: how do the priesthood and the authoritative people in the Synagogue, whom the people call "rulers," regard this unusual Man? If they do not hinder Him, perhaps He really is the very Messiah everyone is waiting for? The assembled people did not think that both the higher priesthood and the elders of the Synagogue were simply confused, not knowing what to do, and they mistook confusion for readiness to recognize Jesus' messiahship. Very soon it will become clear that those who thought this way were mistaken, but for the moment the silence of the Temple and synagogue leadership could be understood in two ways.