Does Our Law Judge Before Hearing a Man? - John 7:51

The apostle John wrote concerning Jesus how, “then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have you not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spoke like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knows not the law are cursed. Nicodemus said unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)”, and in chapter seven and verse fifty-one of his book, John shared how Nicodemus asked, “does our law judge any man, before it hear him?”, where we read:

Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?

The verse reads, “Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, ...” John began with the words, “does our law” which means “do the religious leaders rules producing a state approved of God” “judge any man” which means “put asunder, produce an opinion concerning right or wrong , resolve or decree that a certain or particular person whether male or female is subject to censure”, “before it hear him” or “in advance of being endowed with the faculty of hearing, attending to or considering that person”. John shared how Nicodemus wanted to know if their “rule of law” “produced an opinion” about a person in advance of that person being “heard”.

The verse continues, “... and know what he does?” John added the words, “and know” which means “and understand, perceive and discern” “what he does” or “that which the person has made ready, produced or performed”? John continued Nicodemus' question as to whether they would “judge” a person before they knew what they “did”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how “Nicodemus” asked whether their “law” would allow someone to be “condemned” in advance of knowing what that person did. His implication was that these “religious leaders” were doing this to Jesus. Though Jesus came to be the “Savior” of the world, not everyone believed in Him, and some people were ready to “condemn” Jesus before they even knew what He did. God knew this in advance, and He sent His Son Jesus to the earth anyway. Every person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and inherit everlasting life with God, but those who reject and refuse Him will find they have “judged” themselves for their eternal destination apart from God.

Next time John shares how the Pharisees ask Nicodemus, “are you also of Galilee? And say … “out of Galilee arises no prophet”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".