John 7:1-9

ADVICE OF HIS UNBELIEVING BRETHREN

Text 7:1-9

1

And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2

Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3

His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest

4

For no man doeth anything in secret and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world.

5

For even his brethren did not believe on him.

6

Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready.

7

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil.

8

Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up unto this feast: because my time is not yet fulfilled.

9

And having said these things unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

Queries

a.

What is the Feast of Tabernacles?

b.

His brethren admit His miracleswhy do they not believe Him?

c.

What does Jesus mean, my time is not yet come?

Paraphrase

After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus taught His disciples semi-privately for about six months in Galilee. He would not travel in Judea, because the Jewish rulers sought to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles was at hand. So His brothers said to Him, This is hardly the place for you. Why don-'t you leave here and go into Judea, where all your disciples are and there your disciples may see the miracles you are doing. As everyone knows, a person does not do something secretly if he is eager to be known publicly. Since you are doing these miracles, show yourself to the world. This was the advice of His brothers because they did not believe in His spiritual kingdom. Jesus said to them, This is not the opportune time for Me, but for you any time is suitable. The world does not hate you but it does hate me, because I proclaim that the world is evil, You go up to the Feast yourselves, I am not yet going to the Feast because my time has not yet been fulfilled, Having said these things to them, He stayed behind in Galilee.

Summary

The Lord's brethren give Him some worldly advice on how to carry out His divine mission. Jesus answers their advice by informing them that He is acting in accord with the eternal purposes of the Heavenly Father.

Comment

After the miraculous feeding of the multitudes (John 6:1-71) the crowds would all depart toward Jerusalem, for the Passover was at hand (John 6:4). But why would Jesus refuse to go to Jerusalem and avail Himself of the opportunity to teach the great throngs of Jews gathered there for the Passover? Was He afraid? Yes and no. He was no coward, but He was fearful that the Jews might force the issue of His death before the divinely appointed time. When that time should come He would courageously and stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. No one could take His life from Him, He would lay it down willinglybut at the appointed time within the Father's Will. Another reason He might wish to remain in Galilee is privacy. When these great throngs of people left Galilee to go to the Passover, their absence would give Jesus much more privacy and freedom of movement to teach not only His disciples, but people in the borders of Gentile territory (the Syro-Phoenician woman).

During the six-month ministry in Galilee the open hostility of the Jews in Jerusalem might lose some of its fervor; especially if Jesus should make His ministry as private as possible. He recognized this and charged his disciples to refrain from spreading abroad the news of the miracles and teachings of this six-month Galilean ministry (cf. Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36).

Please notice that the plain inference of John 7:1 of this seventh chapter is that Jesus did not attend the Passover mentioned in John 6:4. It is not wise to dogmatically assert that Jesus must of necessity keep every ritual and attend every feast commanded in the Law of Moses. After all, He is the Law-Giver, He taught Peter the same lesson in regard to the Temple tax (cf. Matthew 17:24-27).

The Feast of Tabernacles was to be celebrated by every grown Israelite male in Jerusalem on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (our October). The feast was to last eight days and the people were to dwell in tabernacles (booths) made entirely of fresh branches of fruit and palm trees. This was to commemorate their fathers dwelling in booths (tents, temporary dwelling places) after their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. It was to be a joyful festival, reminding them of the fatherly care and protection of Jehovah in the wilderness journeys of their forefathers. It was also the festival at which they celebrated the ingathering of the labor of the field. It is called The Feast of Tabernacles, The Feast of Tents, The Feast of Ingathering, The Festival of Jehovah, or simply the festival (cf. Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29:1-40). There was much expression of joy in the ritual of the Feast. The trumpets were blown each day of the feast; there was the ceremony of the outpouring of water drawn from the pool of Siloam to commemorate the miraculous water from the rock at Meribah and to look forward to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by Jehovah; the great candelabras (four of them so large that ladders were used to light them) were lighted and the light from these lamps illuminated the whole city at night. It is probable that Jesus referred to some of these rituals as He taught during the feast concerning the Holy Spirit, the Water of Life and the Light of the World. What a sight it must have been to enter the city at this period of the year and see over a million Jews living in these booths. They would be crowded into the courts, streets, public squares and on housetops. Then to see the smoke from the great altar in the Temple as hundreds of animals were sacrificed in burnt offerings. There would be the trumpets, harps, psalteries, cymbals and other musical instruments, the singing of the Great Hallel and the dancing before the Lord to behold.

In view of the tremendous throngs of people and the holiday excitement about to ensue in Jerusalem, the brothers of the Lord, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (the Mother of Jesus had other children (cf. Matthew 13:55-56; Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19; John 2:12; Acts 1:14), advise Jesus to go to the Feast and do His miraculous works there in public. Our text says of these brethren that they did not believe on him. How, then, do they admit His miracles and disbelieve? They did not believe or place their trust in Him as a spiritual King over their wills and hearts (see Expository Sermons Seven and Eight).

The time for Him to drink His bitter cup was not yet come and this was His answer in John 7:6. He knew the moment the proper time had come (cf. John 17:1). Jesus-' answer also has some definite inferences as to the attitudes of His half-brothers. Their godly witness was weak, They were friends of the world for the world did not hate them (cf. James 4:4).

The world hated Jesus for testifying of its evil works just as it hated and killed the prophets of the Old Testament. John the Baptist and the Apostles of the New Testament, and all the righteous saints of God in all subsequent ages (cf. John 15:18-24; John 3:19; John 18:37).

Then Jesus dismisses His caviling brothers to go up to the feast. He will not yet go up to Jerusalem. The K.J.V. supplies yet which seems to be the best reading. The statement I go not yet up to the feast agrees with the context and is further substantiated by the Bodmer Papyrus (P66) which places the Greek word hupo in place of ouk in John 7:8. Because of the apparent contradiction between Jesus-' statement, I go not up to the feast, (A.S.V.) and His subsequent action of actually going up to the feast, one German liberal is quoted as saying Jesus Christ did of set purpose utter a falsehood. But now the ancient manuscripts verify what the context demands.

Therefore, having vindicated His actions to His doubting brethren, He remains behind in Galilee until the proper time affords itself and then He takes His disciples and goes to the feast.

Quiz

1.

How much time transpires between Chapter s 6 and 7 of John's Gospel?

2.

Why did Jesus not go to the Passover which was nigh in John 6:1-71?

3.

Was it necessary for Jesus to go to every Feast? Why?

4.

Describe as nearly as you can the festivities and rites of the Feast of Tabernacles.

5.

How could the Lord's brethren admit that He worked miracles and still disbelieve in Him?

6.

What is inferred about His brothers in that the world did not hate them?

7.

How may we reconcile Jesus-' statement I go not up to the feast and His subsequent appearance at the feast?