John 7 36

John 7:36 kjv

What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

John 7:36 nkjv

What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"

John 7:36 niv

What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"

John 7:36 esv

What does he mean by saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?"

John 7:36 nlt

What does he mean when he says, 'You will search for me but not find me,' and 'You cannot go where I am going'?"

John 7 verses

John 7 36 Meaning

John 7:36 records the bewildered question of the Jewish people, reacting to Jesus’ enigmatic statement from earlier in the chapter. It directly quotes Jesus, "You will seek Me and not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." This pronouncement signifies Jesus’ impending departure to a place inaccessible to those who reject Him, alluding to His ascension to the Father or His spiritual realm, and underscores the spiritual separation between Him and His unbelieving adversaries. Their pursuit of Him on their own terms or too late would prove futile, marking an eternal divide.

John 7 36 Context

John 7:36 is part of Jesus’ controversial presence at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Jesus arrives secretly but later teaches openly in the Temple courts. His words stir up considerable debate, misunderstanding, and division among the crowds and religious leaders. The specific context leading to this verse is Jesus' declaration in John 7:33-34: "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." This verse, 7:36, captures the Jews' perplexed and cynical reaction to Jesus’ previous statements, expressing their utter bewilderment and perhaps mockery regarding His mysterious departure and their inability to follow. They don't grasp the spiritual depth of His words, resorting to worldly interpretations and assumptions about His destination, failing to comprehend His divine origin and impending return to the Father. Historically, the Jewish leaders and many people expected a political Messiah, not one who spoke of leaving and inaccessible destinations. Their resistance to Jesus' claims led them to actively seek to arrest Him (Jn 7:32), while some were confused or convinced by Him.

John 7 36 Word analysis

• What kind of statement is this:
  • (Greek: τίς ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος, tis estin ho logos houtos)
  • τίς (tis): Interrogative pronoun, "What kind?", indicating genuine perplexity, confusion, or even disdain/dismissal. It conveys their utter lack of comprehension.
  • λόγος (logos): More than just "word"; it refers to a full utterance, statement, or discourse. Here, it signifies the entire mysterious teaching of Jesus regarding His departure and their inability to follow. The Jews see it as an unusual, perhaps absurd, declaration.
• that He said:
  • The structure points directly to Jesus as the speaker of the baffling λόγος. It is His authority and person that make the statement so challenging for them.
• You will seek Me:
  • (Greek: Ζητήσετέ με, Zētēsete me)
  • Ζητήσετέ (Zētēsete): Future active indicative of ζητέω (zēteō), "to seek" or "to look for." The future tense indicates an inevitable, coming reality. This "seeking" is not necessarily sincere, spiritual seeking, but could be a later, desperate, or merely physical/political search for the Messiah they rejected, perhaps after suffering Roman oppression.
  • με (me): Accusative pronoun, "Me," emphasizing Jesus Himself.
• and not find Me:
  • (Greek: καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσετέ με, kai ouch heurēsete me)
  • οὐχ (ouch): Strong negation, "not."
  • εὑρήσετέ (heurēsete): Future active indicative of εὑρίσκω (heuriskō), "to find," "to discover."
  • This directly declares the futility and ultimate failure of their future search. Despite their "seeking," the outcome is negative because they refuse to recognize Him now.
• and where I am:
  • (Greek: καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ, kai hopou eimi egō)
  • ὅπου (hopou): "where," indicating location, but here likely a spiritual or heavenly state, not a geographical place on earth. It points to His divine dwelling place.
  • εἰμὶ (eimi): Present active indicative of εἰμί (eimi), "I am." Connects to Jesus’ divine "I Am" claims, signifying His eternal being and origin with God.
  • ἐγώ (egō): Emphatic "I," stressing Jesus' unique divine identity and destination.
• you cannot come:
  • (Greek: ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν, hymeis ou dynasthe elthein)
  • ὑμεῖς (hymeis): Emphatic "you" (plural), directly addressing the Jewish rejecters. It highlights their specific spiritual incapacity.
  • οὐ δύνασθε (ou dynasthe): Strong negation (οὐ) with δύνασθε (dynamai), "you are not able," "you cannot," "you do not have the power/ability." This is an absolute spiritual inability due to their unbelief.
  • ἐλθεῖν (elthein): Aorist infinitive of ἔρχομαι (erchomai), "to come."
  • This phrase unequivocally states their utter lack of spiritual capacity or authorization to enter His divine realm because they remain in their sins, unwilling to believe in Him as the Son of God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "What kind of statement is this... that He said": This collective phrase highlights the profound bewilderment and critical questioning from the Jewish audience. They find Jesus’ words entirely foreign to their expectations of the Messiah and Jewish theology. Their confusion indicates a failure to understand Jesus’ spiritual nature and kingdom.
• "You will seek Me and not find Me": This pair of future tense verbs emphasizes a coming judgment or a definitive end to opportunity. The seeking could be a longing for the Messiah in times of distress after Jesus’ departure, but their earlier rejection prevents any later true discernment or acceptance. This foretells a spiritual blindness and a missed season of grace.
• "and where I am, you cannot come": This phrase draws a clear, absolute boundary between Jesus’ divine destiny/state and their own sinful, earth-bound condition. The spiritual separation is unbridgeable for those who persist in unbelief. "Where I am" alludes to heaven and the presence of the Father, which is accessible only through Jesus (Jn 14:6), making their inability to come a consequence of rejecting the only path.

John 7 36 Bonus section

The dramatic irony in John 7:36 is potent. The Jewish audience's perplexed question about Jesus' mysterious destination inadvertently sets up the core tension of the Gospel: Jesus is from God, will return to God, and the way to God is through Him. Their intellectual curiosity ("What kind of statement?") lacks spiritual discernment, preventing them from seeing the profound theological truth in Jesus’ words. The statement, "where I am, you cannot come," when applied to unbelievers, encapsulates the tragic truth that their self-imposed spiritual blindness seals their fate. This contrasts sharply with the eventual promise to believers in John 14:1-3, where Jesus promises, "I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also," highlighting the different outcomes based on one's response to Jesus. This verse also foreshadows a future time of distress for the Jewish nation (like the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 or subsequent persecutions) where they might long for the Messiah, but it would be too late to truly find the One they had rejected.

John 7 36 Commentary

John 7:36 reflects the Jewish crowd's struggle to comprehend Jesus' profound, spiritually charged statements. Their question exposes a complete failure to grasp His true identity and mission, reducing His prophetic words to a mere logistical riddle. Jesus' initial statement (quoted in v. 36) points directly to His impending crucifixion and resurrection, followed by His ascension to the Father—events that would physically remove Him from their immediate access. The "seeking" then becomes a desperate, belated quest for a national deliverer they had spurned, a quest rendered futile because they sought Him on their own terms, rejecting Him as God's Messiah. "Where I am" refers to His divine abode with the Father, a spiritual realm unattainable for those spiritually dead in their sins. The crucial distinction from similar statements to His disciples (Jn 13:33) is that for unbelievers, "you cannot come" is an absolute spiritual impossibility due to their persistent unbelief and refusal of His offer of salvation, leading to a definitive and eternal separation. It's a stark warning about the consequences of rejecting God's ultimate revelation in Christ.