NOTES for Joh 7:25-26
Messianic ideas in Gospel times were quite developed; there was even a distinctive "messianic" theology describing everything connected with the Messiah, His ministry, His appearance, and how and from where He was to come. All the events that, according to the corresponding concepts, were to take place before the Messiah's appearance 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 appointed 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 the false messiahs who constantly appeared in Judea at that time.
At the same time one of the marks of the true Messiah was His acceptance in that capacity, in particular, by the temple leadership headed by the high priest and by authoritative spiritual leaders of the Synagogue. Such acceptance was considered necessary because the Messiah was then regarded first of all as an earthly King after all, although not an entirely ordinary one. His reign would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and miracles connected with a measure of God's presence that the world had not known before, but the Kingdom itself, it was thought, would still exist on earth, though according to the laws of the Torah given by God. It is impossible to build such a Kingdom without the participation of the Temple and the priesthood, just as it is impossible to build it without the participation of the believing people, and that means the Messiah would certainly need the support of both the high priest and the leaders of the Synagogue.
So now the people are watching: how do the priesthood and the people authoritative in the Synagogue, whom the people call the "rulers," relate to this unusual Man? If they are not hindering Him, perhaps He really is the very Messiah everyone is waiting for? The gathered 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 took confusion for readiness to recognize Jesus' messiahship. Very soon it will become clear that those who thought this were mistaken, but for now the silence of the temple and synagogue leadership could still be understood in two ways.