John 8:20

John concluded his narrative of this encounter by identifying its setting (cf. John 6:59). The Jews apparently also called the court of the women the treasury because it contained 13 shophar (ram’s horn) shaped receptacles for the Jews’ monetary offerings (cf. Mark 12:41-42). [Note: Mishnah Shekalim 2:1; 6:1, 5.] Each one bore an inscription showing how the priests would use the gifts deposited therein.

The last part of John 8:20 makes the point that if they could these leaders would have arrested and executed Jesus immediately. However it was not yet God’s time for His Son to die (cf. John 2:4; John 7:6; John 7:30). Thus John stressed the Father’s sovereign control over the events that shaped Jesus’ ministry.

The main point of this section is the increasing animosity that the Jewish leaders felt toward Jesus.