NOTES for Joh 7:25-26
Messianic ideas in Gospel times were quite developed. There even existed a kind of "messianic" theology that described everything connected with the Messiah: His ministry, His appearance, how and from where He was to come. All the events that, according to the corresponding concepts, were to happen before the Messiah's appearance and immediately after His appearance were also described and explained, including those signs and miracles that the Messiah had to demonstrate publicly or privately to those who were supposed to see them, as proof of His messiahship. Such signs, it was assumed, were necessary: without them it would be impossible to recognize the true Messiah, impossible to distinguish Him from the false messiahs who were constantly appearing then in Judea.
At the same time, one of the marks of the true Messiah was His acceptance as such, 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 people then looked at the Messiah first of all as a King who was still earthly, although not entirely ordinary. His reign would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and miracles connected with such a measure of God's presence as the world had never 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. This means the Messiah would certainly need the support of both the high priest and the leaders of the Synagogue.
And now the people are watching: how do the priesthood and the people authoritative in the Synagogue, whom the people call "the rulers," treat this unusual Man? If they do not hinder 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 took this confusion for readiness to recognize Jesus' messiahship. Very soon it will become clear that those who thought so were mistaken, but for now the silence of the temple and synagogue leadership could still be understood in two ways.