John 7:1-13 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
Proceeding after nearly all those following Jesus turn away from Him, He makes His way through Galilee. An important note is made that He did not go through Judea because those Jewish leaders were seeking to kill Him. Being in Galilee meant that He would be accompanied by His family, and among those, His brothers are named. Another thing that is noted is that it was the time for the Feast of Tabernacles (Levi. 23; Deut. 16; Neh. 8). This meant the Jews would get together in Judea to celebrate this feast.
Jesus' brothers insist upon Jesus going with them. Aww. How sweet! Not really. Jesus' brothers were mocking Him through it. They invited Him, insisting in nearly the same ways as those in the previous chapter, that Jesus go and make the proclamation that He really is who He claims to be. These demands they were making were hardly from a place of faith. Scripture specifically tells us that they said these out of unbelief.
Rather than being beaten down by them, He simply tells them His time had not yet come. Now, they would have understood that as His time not to go the feast, but the readers of John would've understood a deeper meaning. It was not His time yet to die. Jesus emphasized to His brothers that it was not time for Him to depart to the feast, so they left anyways.
A lot of readers have struggled with this passage because of what happens after. Jesus ends up going up to the feast. Some have suggested that Jesus lied. If you read carefully, we see what really happened. Jesus told them He wasn't going yet, and then He stayed in Galilee a little longer before departing. This gave Him the opportunity to avoid capture and death by the Jewish leaders that were looking for Him. It was true that His time was not yet.
What observations are you making?
Jesus' brothers insist upon Jesus going with them. Aww. How sweet! Not really. Jesus' brothers were mocking Him through it. They invited Him, insisting in nearly the same ways as those in the previous chapter, that Jesus go and make the proclamation that He really is who He claims to be. These demands they were making were hardly from a place of faith. Scripture specifically tells us that they said these out of unbelief.
Rather than being beaten down by them, He simply tells them His time had not yet come. Now, they would have understood that as His time not to go the feast, but the readers of John would've understood a deeper meaning. It was not His time yet to die. Jesus emphasized to His brothers that it was not time for Him to depart to the feast, so they left anyways.
A lot of readers have struggled with this passage because of what happens after. Jesus ends up going up to the feast. Some have suggested that Jesus lied. If you read carefully, we see what really happened. Jesus told them He wasn't going yet, and then He stayed in Galilee a little longer before departing. This gave Him the opportunity to avoid capture and death by the Jewish leaders that were looking for Him. It was true that His time was not yet.
What observations are you making?
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2026
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John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
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