John 7:1–13

Read the passage.

The last time Jesus went to Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders sought to kill Him because He said He was equal in authority to God, having healed a man on the Sabbath. Now He no longer has masses of people around Him who would deter a public arrest. He continued to teach in Galilee, moving about freely because the leaders in Jerusalem had no civil authority there. However, Jewish men were required to travel to Jerusalem a few times each year for the various festivals appointed in the Law of Moses. Jesus’s brothers advise Him to go up to Judea so that He can do more miracles before the people and regain His following.

Verse 5 tells us that Jesus’s brothers didn’t actually believe in Him, so why would they tell Him to do this? Even if they don’t believe in His ministry, do they have no concern for His safety? Perhaps John is saying they had the same kind of excitement as all the people who had chased Jesus to see signs and wonders but didn’t truly believe what He was telling them. In that case, they want their brother to fulfill His obligation to the Law and also be safe from the authorities, and this is the way they have figured out how to do all that. It’s also possible they don’t realize the danger Jesus is in, and they are being sarcastic because they really don’t believe in what Jesus is doing at all.

Whatever their motivations, Jesus rejects their advice. He tells them to go on up to Jerusalem without Him, because the world does not hate them the way it hates Him. Jesus exposes the evil in people’s hearts and deeds, and no one likes it when that happens to them. Additionally, Jesus also hints that He will be going up to Jerusalem some day in order to be arrested and executed, but this needs to happen according to God’s timetable, not the Pharisees’ or Jesus’s disciples’ or anyone else’s.

After telling His brothers He would not go to the feast (with “yet” and “with them” being implied), Jesus goes to Jerusalem in secret to participate in the feast. The Jewish leaders expect Him to be there, but they cannot find Him. It seems that their search causes many people to discuss Jesus amongst themselves, and so His fame grows without Him doing anything publicly. Of course, not everyone believes correct things about Jesus, but that would be the case no matter what Jesus had done.

Let us be content with Your plans and Your schedule, because it is perfect in all its ways.