The story told in The Gospel of John about Jesus going or not going to the Feast of Booths has always made me a little nervous. At first glance it appears to present Jesus as lying to his brothers about his intention to go up to Jerusalem so as to participate in the festival. The passage reads as follows:
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. (John 7:1–10 ESV)
They suggested he go; he said he was not going.
Then later he went.
What in the world is going on here?
D.A. Carson provides some helpful clarity. He says about verse 9:
“His ‘not’ turns down his brothers’ request; it does not promise he will not go to the Feast when the Father sanctions the trip.”[1]
He goes on to say about verse 10:
“The assumption in this verse is that the Father has signalled Jesus in some way, so Jesus goes to Jerusalem, leaving Galilee for the last time before the cross. Even so, his journey is marked by maximum discretion, exactly the opposite of what the brothers had in mind.”[2]
Jesus is telling his brothers that he does not need a campaign manager. He is not working a plan or running for office, he is responding to the commands of the Father. He will go when and where he is told and not until then. Jesus was very clear about his operative command structure throughout the entirety of his earthly ministry. In chapter 5 he said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. (John 5:19 ESV)
In chapter 12 he said: “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49 ESV)
Jesus consistently stated that he only said and did what he was told to say and do by the Father. He didn’t march to the beat of his own drum; he didn’t drift upon the shifting sands of the culture; he didn’t check to see which way the political winds were blowing. His itinerary was dictated to him from on high and thus, he would go to the feast if and when the Father told him to go and, as of verse 3 he hadn’t been told to go and so, as of that moment, he had no plans to go.
But then later on he was told to go, for reasons entirely unrelated to the advice and counsel given to him by his brothers – and so he went and he fulfilled the Father’s will and purpose entirely – thanks be to God!
SDG,
Pastor Paul Carter
To listen to the most recent episodes of Pastor Paul’s Into The Word devotional podcast on the TGC Canada website see here. To access the entire library of available episodes see here. You can find his personal blog, Semper Reformanda, by clicking here.
[1] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, Pillar New Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 309.
[2] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, Pillar New Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 309.