Effect of this address upon the multitude.
It made a great impression.
I. IT DEVELOPED DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. "Many then of the multitude, who had heard this discourse, said, Truly this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ."
1. A section of the multitude was favorable to Christ's Messianic claims—
2. A section—perhaps the larger part—held that he could not be the Messiah, because he was born in Galilee. "Doth the Christ, then, come out of Galilee?"
(a) that they did not take pains to inquire concerning the real birthplace of Jesus;
(b) that divisions of opinion concerning Christ began at a very early period, and still continue. "What think ye of Christ?" is still the question which tests the Christian attitude of men and Churches.
II. THE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION PREVENTED THE IMMEDIATE ARREST OF JESUS, "And some of them desired to take him; but no man laid hands on him."
1. The unbelieving Jews would have gladly arrested Jesus, and brought him before the Sanhedrin on a charge of blasphemy.
2. Their hands were restrained by Divine Providence, mainly through the risks of a collision with those Jews who were inclined to favour Christ's claims.