Jesus’ words and actions in this passage demonstrate God’s carefully planned and orchestrated agenda concerning revealing the mystery of Jesus’ sacrificial ministry. We observe a contrast between mystery and secrecy and open disclosure. Jesus revealed this great mystery literally one step at a time throughout his earthly life.
Paul explained it more than once in his letters.
“the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:25-27).
This passage, then, might be considered the beginning of the great revealing. 
John included the words looking, see, public/publicly, and show, with deeper nuances of meaning than a surface reading indicates.
Read John 7:1-9.
- The Jewish leaders sought Jesus, with a desire to find him for a specific reason.1
- At this point, Jesus is two and a half years into his ministry,2 so it’s no surprise the Jews plotted to kill Jesus. This also explains in part why Jesus’ brothers were with him; perhaps they kept tabs on him off and on throughout his travels.
- John commented Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him, as evidenced by their purely human advice:
*make something of yourself
*do something to convince people to follow you as a leader
- Not only did they not believe, they didn’t understand God’s plan. Their words demonstrated a human agenda.
- Jesus’ brothers encouraged him to go to Judea so people could behold his works.
- They assumed he wanted to become a public figure, one whose works are done in the open, not concealed or done only in private.3
- Jesus said his time had not yet come to make himself fully known.
- The present moment was not yet the specific opportunity for his salvation offer to everyone, including Gentiles.4
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5).
- In this passage, the specific and opportune moment in time had not yet arrived—kairos.
- However, since Jesus was actively ministering on earth, the fullness and completion of time5 had come—chrónos—the time measured by events.
- Previously in John’s account we’ve read how God sent his Son from
- The world hated Jesus because he pointed out their evil deeds and spoke truth.
- They had an active ill will in words and action, a persecuting spirit against Jesus.6
- Their evil deeds included moral, spiritual, wicked, and malicious unrighteousness.7
- The world would not hate his brothers because they were aligned with the world.
“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them” (1 John 4:5).
- To be Jesus’ true followers, we must be willing to identify the world’s evil and stand up for truth.
*What do you think about how Jesus’ brothers responded to him?
*What is the significance of the contrast between secrecy and being in the open in this passage?
*How often do we have an agenda for God?
*How does God give us the gift of “time”?
Read John 7:10-13
- Jesus later traveled to the feast in secret.
- He knew the Jews wanted to find him.
- People disagreed in their opinions about Jesus.
- Some said he was a good person of virtuous character.
- Others said he deceived people, “seducing [them] into rebellion.”8
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
- John emphasized Jesus as the Truth, one who is Truth embodied.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
- Isaiah spoke about a time when the Jews would be blind, with hardened hearts, unable to see God present and at work among them.
“‛Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isaiah 6:9-10).
- Even the Jews were afraid of their leaders.
- The people were afraid to speak freely exactly what they thought or wanted to say.9
*Why did Jesus go to celebrate the feast if he went secretly?
*Where are we on this path toward God’s full revelation of his great mystery? With blind eyes and closed hearts, aligned with the world, afraid to speak the truth about Jesus, clear in our minds who he is, or completely convinced he is the Son of the living God?
- Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study New Testament, King James Version (AMG Publishers, 1991), 700,701.
- F. LaGard Smith, The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order, (Harvest House Publishers, 1984), 1365, 1416.
- Zodhiates, 650, 894, 1124.
- Zodhiates, 805.
- Zodhiates, 1178.
- Zodhiates, 987.
- Zodhiates, 1198.
- Zodhiates, 1165.
- Zodhiates, 1124.