And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself publicly to the world.” For not even His brothers were believing in Him. So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I bear witness about it, that its deeds are evil. Go up to the feast yourselves; I am not yet going up to this feast because My time has not yet been fulfilled.” Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
John 7:1-13
But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as in secret. So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and saying, “Where is He?” And there was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the crowd astray.” Yet no one was speaking openly about Him for fear of the Jews.
Introduction
It is a difficult thing to consider that the home life of our Lord was not “picture-perfect.” We know from the scriptures that His mother Mary had faith from the beginning (Luke 1:28), and that Joseph Mary’s husband believed (Matthew 1:19-21). But His own brothers questioned His unwillingness to join them in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Booths, wishing He would perform signs and wonders. They, like those who were fed in Tiberias, were less interested in the mission the Father send Him for, and were more concerned with the fame and power He might accrue.
The scripture here is even explicit in stating, “not even His brothers were believing in Him.” They did not hear and believe the words He spoke which contained eternal life. They went so far as to mock Him, saying His ministry was secret and therefore somehow shameful.
All in the timing
But He did not hide Himself in Galilee out of shame. He stayed away from Jerusalem because it was not His time to die just yet. Even though the Feast of the Booths was one of the three pilgrimage festivals where men were expected to travel to Jerusalem, the Lord was not willing to make a spectacle of His entrance. He knew, “the Jews were seeking to kill Him” because of what He had been teaching in the region of Galilee. He knew they hated Him for cleansing the Temple at Passover. And He knew that His mission was to come and die by their hands.
Even though He would go south to Jerusalem and even preach in the Temple, He would not do so for the reasons His brothers wanted. They wished for a worldly victory, which is something everyone born into the world desires. It is natural to want to win in this life. Whether that is by fame, fortune, or political finesse; the default hope of those who belong to the world is in the world.
His time would come. And in that time, He would face those who wished to kill Him. He would present Himself as a willing sacrifice for the sins of the world, but the Feast of the Booths was not that time. This was a time to celebrate the Tabernacle, the Temple, and the dwelling of God with man. Jesus, being the fulfillment of that great festival, would make Himself present and even known, but not how His brothers hoped.
The great controversy of Christ
Because their hope was still in worldly things, Jesus told His brothers in that moment that “the world cannot hate you.” They were invested in the deeds of the world; deeds which are oriented toward temporary gain rather than eternal freedom can only deliver perishing goods. Continual investment in the things of this world seems good to those who are of this world, but for those with an eternal perspective, it is more like the purchase of a new car. It loses 10% of its value simply driving off the dealer’s lot. And every moment that passes after that is continual depreciation.
When Jesus did go to Jerusalem, John records what the people were saying about Him. They expected Him to be there, considering this feast required a pilgrimage, but He remained secretive at first. There a controversy arose: some said He was good, some that He was more, and some that He was a menace. Yet none of them would speak openly and plainly, because the topic of Jesus was controversial among the elite of Jerusalem.
How hard is it to speak of Jesus truthfully even today? Some think He will bring them worldly prosperity if they just give to the right ministry. Some think He was a good teacher but nothing more. And others think He did not even exist. But what about you? Do you tell those people He is God in the flesh? How willing are you to talk openly about the Savior of the World? Let us be bold in speaking His Name to all those who are lost and seeking the ever depreciating and deteriorating treasures of the world. Because it is in Him we have the key to eternal life.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
Leave a Reply