What does John 7:33 mean?

Verses 33 and 34 contain a statement by Jesus which the people struggle to understand. It's possible that confusion over this remark is one reason that the men sent to arrest Him (John 7:32) will ultimately choose not to, despite the orders of the Pharisees (John 7:45). The comments in these two verses are similar to remarks Christ will make at the Last Supper (John 13:31—14:7). They are especially poignant, since Jesus is nearing the end of His public ministry. Those people listening to Him have only a limited time left to make the right choice.

Before long, Jesus will be successfully arrested, killed, and then rise from the dead. Afterwards, as promised, He will then ascend into Heaven (Acts 1:6–11), preparing for His eventual return. This statement re-emphasizes the claim that Jesus has been sent by God.

Not everyone listening believes Jesus is sent by God. However, they fully understand that Jesus claims to have been sent by God. One possible misinterpretation of this comment, for those who do not believe, is that Jesus intends to die—perhaps by suicide—to "go to him who sent me." This was not an uncommon act for ancient philosophers, and would not have shocked the crowd. If that were the case, the problems Jesus has been causing for the religious leaders would be over. This might have contributed to the failure of the Pharisees' men to arrest Jesus here (John 7:45-46).