John 7:20

John 7:20, in plain English

The crowd pushes back hard, accusing Jesus of having a demon. They deny that anyone is trying to kill Him. But Jesus knows the truth they are hiding.

Why it's here

When truth makes people uncomfortable, the easiest response is to attack the person saying it. That is exactly what happens here.

Who's speaking

The crowd responds defensively to Jesus' confrontation.

Where it sits in the story

Name-calling is always easier than self-examination. The crowd would rather call Jesus demon-possessed than deal with the uncomfortable truth He just laid out.

The scholarly reading

The crowd's response, daimonion echeis (You have a demon), is a dismissive attempt to discredit Jesus' claim by attributing His knowledge to demonic influence, while denying the murder plot exists.

Language and setting

The accusation of demon possession was a standard way of dismissing prophetic challenges in the ancient world. The crowd may genuinely be unaware of the leaders' plot, or they may be deflecting.

Voice

The crowd responds to Jesus' accusation with a counter-accusation of demon possession and denial of any murder conspiracy.

Significance

Instead of addressing Jesus' point about their lawlessness, the crowd attacks His sanity. It is easier to call someone crazy than to face the truth they are speaking.

18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.

19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”

20“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”

21Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.

22But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)

Read all of John 7 — Jesus appears at the Festival of Tabernacles and divides the crowd. Some say he's a prophet, some say he's the Messiah, and some want him arrested.