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Jesus' Brothers
1Jesus decided to leave Judea and to start going through Galilee because the leaders of the people wanted to kill him. 2 It was almost time for the Festival of Shelters, 3and Jesus' brothers said to him, “Why don't you go to Judea? Then your disciples can see what you are doing. 4No one does anything in secret, if they want others to know about them. So let the world know what you are doing!” 5Even Jesus' own brothers had not yet become his followers.
6Jesus answered, “My time hasn't yet come, but your time is always here. 7The people of this world cannot hate you. They hate me, because I tell them that they do evil things. 8Go on to the festival. My time hasn't yet come, and I am not going.” 9Jesus said this and stayed on in Galilee.
Jesus
10After Jesus' brothers had gone to the festival, he went secretly, without telling anyone.
11During the festival the leaders of the people looked for Jesus and asked, “Where is he?” 12The crowds even got into an argument about him. Some were saying, “Jesus is a good man,” while others were saying, “He is lying to everyone.” 13But the people were afraid of their leaders, and none of them talked in public about him.
14When the festival was about half over, Jesus went into the temple and started teaching. 15The leaders were surprised and said, “How does this man know so much? He has never been taught!”
16Jesus replied:
I am not teaching something I thought up. What I teach comes from the one who sent me. 17If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me. 18If I wanted to bring honor to myself, I would speak for myself. But I want to honor the one who sent me. This is why I tell the truth and not a lie. 19Didn't Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you obey it! So why do you want to kill me?
20The crowd replied, “You're crazy! What makes you think someone wants to kill you?”
21Jesus answered:
I worked one miracle, and it amazed you. 22 Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons 23 in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? 24Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
Reflect
Jesus tells his brothers that he is not going to the festival but a few verses later we read “he went secretly, without telling anyone.” Jesus lied! This was the only conclusion I could see. Early in my Christianity this passage almost caused the undoing of my faith. Jesus had told a lie and if he had, than he had sinned and if he had sinned his death could not atone for my sin! It was a very emotional struggle. It was a wiser believer who finally brought clarity to my dilemma.
The festival was a week long and his brothers had asked him to come on the first day, to which he said I’m not going, not today, not yet (vv 6, 8). But later he went secretly, in his own time.
What is ironic, as I reflect now upon the angst I had then, was that I was so ready to abandon my faith because I did not understand . . . yet. This three letter word trips up many believers. God doesn’t answer our prayer . . . yet. We haven’t got victory over sin . . . yet. We do not feel close to God . . . yet.
Just as I had wrongly assumed an ethical failing on Jesus part, so too we wrongly assume an ethical failing on God’s part. Why else wouldn’t we have what we have prayed, hoped and longed for yet? There is a clue in the story itself. Jesus replies to His unbelieving brothers, “your time is always here.” For those without faith in Jesus, there is only life on this earth; the here and the now. But for us who believe, there is another time that is yet to come.
Jesus brothers did not understand the timing of God because “Jesus’ own brothers had not yet become his followers.”
Respond
Eternal God,
Your timing is not always ours. Help us to trust even when what we long for and hope for has not yet arrived. Grant us the grace we need to patiently wait so that your fruit is born in our lives. I ask in Jesus name, Amen.
Merv Budd
Merv Budd is Sr. Minister at North Burlington Baptist church and the National Director of the Equipping Evangelists (E²). Merv has served as a missionary with Operation Mobilization in India and Nepal and he holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Regent College. He is presently working on his Doctor of Practical Theology Degree from McMaster Divinity College. He has a passion to see all people given an opportunity to put their trust in Jesus Christ. He is married to Lisa and is the father of Josiah and Danielle.