John 7 tells of Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles. Throughout his time spent there he preached among the crowds despite the Jewish leaders wanting to kill him. He was asked questions and was talked about by everyone he encountered. Some chose to believe and some kept their opinions a secret, whispering in the crowds, but Jesus warned while encouraging them through his teachings.
The temple guards did not arrest him, as they were amazed and did not know what to think of Jesus’ teachings. While John 7 has fantastic hidden messages throughout its 52 verses, I want to place emphasis on verses 2-5. Jesus would not have had his word made known if it wasn’t for his brothers that urged him to go to Judea. The scripture reads “But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe him.”
If it were not for Jesus’ brothers encouraging him to spread his word, many might not have believed what he says to be true. They reminded him of the power he holds and urged him to share, just what God put him on this earth to do. Jesus’ brothers were aware of the peoples’ need for him to share and made a change to pursue that.
My main takeaway from this passage comes from verse 4. We should not act in secret. We have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, and we are called to share it. By making small changes in our every day lives, we can become more like Jesus’ brothers, urging the ones we love to continue sharing of his good works, while also being pushed like Jesus to share ourselves. With an awareness of our need for God, we can make changes to exemplify the Holy Spirit, urging others to do the same.
Additional Resources:
Reading Along with the Gospel of John 7 RightNow Media.
Emma, I so love your words about sharing with and encouraging others! Thank you!
Thank you for your good thoughts, Emma! I've always loved the part where the temple soldiers were so amazed by Jesus that they just ignored their orders to arrest him.