John 7:52

They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

Religious error must defend itself; and, even if no honest defense exists, a shouted lie will serve well enough for the hardened heart. Those bigots demanded that Nicodemus search the Scriptures; and such a demand sounded like they knew what they were talking about; but this whole ploy was a bold unqualified lie, an unscrupulous bluff, the same being one of Satan's favorite disguises, that of a "roaring lion." If Nicodemus knew the answer to their lie, he did not have the courage to reply.

Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet ... The first of the prophets was Jonah; and he had come out of Galilee, having come from Gath-Hepher which was only three and one-half miles from Nazareth! But that is not all. The one prophet whom God made a type of the Messiah was this same Jonah. Christ himself had spoken to the multitudes regarding the "sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matthew 12:38-41), making it absolutely certain that Jesus appealed to Jonah as a type of himself. It continues to be an amazement that religious literature gives so little space to the typical importance of Jonah. Note the following:

Both Jesus and Jonah were asleep in a ship at sea in a storm.

Both were awakened, Jesus by the disciples, Jonah by the captain.

Both were involved in the ship's security, Jesus for safety, and Jonah for peril.

Both freely gave themselves to save others, Jesus to save all men, Jonah to save the sailors.

Both produced a great calm, Jesus by fiat, Jonah by being cast into the sea.

Both passed through that "three days and three nights" experience mentioned by Christ (Matthew 12:38-41).

Both converted Gentiles, Jesus through the apostles, Jonah by his preaching at Nineveh.

Both were from Galilee (2 Kings 14:25).

Despite all this, they shouted Nicodemus down with the lie that no prophet ariseth out of Galilee. No prophet? Well, only the Messiah(!), that great prophet like unto Moses, whose coming out of Galilee was typified by Jonah, the first of all the prophets and a type of Christ!