John 10:20

My Notes

What Does John 10:20 Mean?

"And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?" The crowd dismisses Jesus with a dual accusation: demon-possessed and insane. This was the go-to explanation for anyone whose teaching couldn't be refuted on its merits — if you can't argue with the content, discredit the messenger. The suggestion "why hear ye him?" is an attempt to shut down engagement entirely. Don't listen. Don't consider. Don't investigate. Just dismiss.

John includes this alongside others who responded differently (v. 21: "These are not the words of him that hath a devil"), showing the division Jesus consistently creates. The same teaching produces opposite responses in the same crowd — not because the words change, but because the hearts hearing them differ.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Have you ever dismissed someone's words by attacking their character instead of engaging their message?
• 2.When have you been labeled 'crazy' or 'extreme' for speaking truth?
• 3.Why is disqualification easier than engagement when confronted with uncomfortable truth?
• 4.How do you develop the habit of evaluating what people say rather than just how others perceive them?

Devotional

He has a devil. He's crazy. Why are you even listening to him? This was the crowd's way of avoiding the one thing they couldn't do: refute what Jesus actually said.

Notice the strategy. They don't engage with his teaching. They don't argue his points. They don't bring counter-evidence. They attack his sanity and his spiritual state. If you can convince people the messenger is crazy, you never have to deal with the message.

This tactic is as old as the Garden and as current as social media. When someone speaks truth that makes you uncomfortable, the easiest response is disqualification. They're extreme. They're unstable. They're possessed. Anything to avoid actually wrestling with what they said.

Jesus received this from the religious establishment of his day. If you ever speak truth that disrupts people's comfort — if you call out injustice, challenge hypocrisy, or simply live in a way that makes conventional religion uncomfortable — expect the same treatment. Not because you're Jesus. But because the pattern is the same: people who can't refute truth will try to disqualify the person speaking it.

And if you find yourself dismissing someone — labeling them crazy, extreme, or dangerous without engaging their actual words — it's worth asking: am I avoiding the message because I can't handle it?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture