What does John 7:45 mean?

Earlier in this account, religious authorities from Jerusalem sent officers—the religious equivalent of police—to arrest Jesus (John 7:32). Jesus' words have generated significant controversy, from gossip (John 7:12–13) to debate (John 7:32) to a full-blown schism (John 7:43) among the people. This particular incident occurs during one of the most important festivals of the Jewish year: the Feast of Booths (Deuteronomy 16:16). The crowds in and around Jerusalem would have been enormous, adding the risk of a mob or large-scale riot to the mix (John 7:30). For that reason, those in the crowd who want to see Jesus arrested will, for now, leave Him be.

The officials sent to arrest Jesus, on the other hand, have the weight of local law and government on their side. Just as private citizens might fear backlash, while police are empowered to act, these officials had the ability to simply march through the crowd, if need be, and take Jesus by force. And yet, they are among those who fail to "lay hands on" Jesus, per the prior verse. Rather than being intimidated, these officials seem impressed, as the next verse explains. Hearing Jesus in person leads them to believe that there's a better response than arrest.