Wisdom to Wait for the Right Time

John 7:1-14 [1]

Christ’s Brothers Do Not Believe

7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. ² Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. ³ His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. ⁴ For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” ⁵ For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. ⁸ You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” ⁹ When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

Christ Secretly Goes to the Feast

¹⁰ But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. ¹¹ Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” ¹² And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” ¹³ However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴ Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

(Message)

Jesus faced the hatred of the world He came to save and the unbelief of His own brothers. God stood on His side to provide Him the right time to make the next steps.

I. Unbelief of Christ’s Own Brothers

See v1.

¹ After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

The fact the Jews sought to kill Jesus (1^b) shows they belonged to the darkness and so hated Him without a reason (Psalm 69:4, John 15:25. See John 15:18-24). Their degree of hatred toward Him shows how much they opposed God and His will (See John 3:19, 20).

See v2-4.

² Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. ³ His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. ⁴ For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

His brothers asked Him to go into Judea because they thought Jesus was seeking to be known openly. But their suggestion was not good or wise for Him and not from God.

See v5.

⁵ For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

Even His own brothers didn’t believe Him. This didn’t make Jesus alone because His Father was with Him. We have to know there can be times when even our own brothers do not believe what we claim. But God is on our side to help us walk through such a situation.

See v6-7.

⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

His time has not yet come (6^a). due to the hatred of the world (7^b). The world hates Jesus because He testifies of it that its works are evil (7^b). When one does not stand for the truth, the world may seem in peace with him/her. But when one does the will of God, one faces the disturbance because the devil opposes fiercely the fulfillment of God’s will.

See v8.

⁸ You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

Jesus was waiting for the right time before taking His next steps (moves) in the midst of the fierce spiritual war between good and evil.

II. Christ Secretly Goes to the Feast in God’s Time

See v9-14.

⁹ When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

¹⁰ But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. ¹¹ Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” ¹² And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” ¹³ However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴ Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

We learn the wisdom not simply following others but waiting for the opportunity, that God will open up, that we may call ‘the right time’. Jesus remained in Galilee (9^b) until the right time (midway through the festival (14)) came for Him to go to Judea in the right way (secretly) (10, 14).

References

1. The New King James Version. 1982, Nashville: Thomas Nelson.