Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”
“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
“You mean He has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. Have any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed in Him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law-there is a curse on them.”
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing Him to find out what He has been doing?”
They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
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Even the guards were impressed by Jesus’ teaching. For them to go back to the leaders empty-handed meant that Jesus had really done a number on them. We may think of individuals who we would consider it impossible for them to change. We would consider them stubborn and unwilling to listen to anything we had to say about Jesus. But if this passage proves anything, it’s that the message of the Gospel can penetrate any heart. These guards could lose their jobs for not following through with their orders. What Jesus wants from us is to plant the seed…and He will do the rest. Have enough faith in the Gospel message to put in the work of planting the seed. You never know what might end up growing from it.
A Journey With Jesus 