What does John 7:44 mean?

There are several instances in the Gospels where Jesus is targeted for arrest, but manages to escape. Some of those events have a supernatural feel to them. For example, when Jesus is cornered on a tall, narrow, walkway but still manages to evade capture (John 10:23–24; 10:39). Others seem fairly mundane. Here, for instance, Jesus is in the midst of a deeply divided, highly emotional crowd. Those looking to arrest Him might be enraged, but that does not make them stupid—angry commoners taking Jesus by force is liable to start an all-out riot (John 7:30).

The wording of this passage suggests that it is the crowd, not necessarily the authorities, who are intimidated by the crowd. Separately, there is a group of officials, sent by the Pharisees, who are on their way to arrest Jesus (John 7:32). These men will not follow through on that mission, but their reasoning has more to do with Jesus' words than the prospect of a riot (John 7:45–46).