5 The people were divided in their views concerning him. Some said, This man is prophet of the living God.
6 And others said, He is Messiah whom our prophets said would come.
7 And others said, He cannot be the Christ, for he came down from Galilee; the Christ must come from Bethlehem where David lived.
8 Again the priests and Pharisees sent officers to bring him into court to answer for his life; but when the officers returned and brought him not,
9 The rulers were enraged and said, Why did you not arrest this man and hale him into court?
10 The officers replied, We never heard a man speak like this man speaks.
11 In rage the Pharisees stood forth and said, Have you gone mad? Have you been led astray? Are you disciples of this man?
12 Have any of the rulers, or the Pharisees believed on him? The common people! yes, they may believe; they are accursed; they know not anything.
13 But Nicodemus came before the rulers and he said, Can Jewish judges judge a man and sentence him until they hear his plea? Let Jesus stand before this bar and testify himself.
14 The rulers said, This Jesus is a wily man, and if we suffer him to speak, he will rebuke us face to face, and then the multitudes will laugh and stand in his defense.