Tuesday after Jubilate

Scripture: St. John 7:1-13 (NKJV)

7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

Devotion

It was about six months before the great Passover of Holy Week, the time for the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to travel south to Judea for the Feast, but not to keep the Feast, not to preach the Gospel that He had been sent from God to save sinners from sin, death, and the power of the devil. They wanted Him to increase His following, to impress the crowds with His miracles, to be a good politician, or rabbi, or revolutionary leader. Even His own brothers regarded Jesus according to the flesh (cf. 2 Cor. 5:16). They didn’t believe in Him as the Son of God.

As a result, Jesus’ brothers were able to avoid the hatred of the world for a while longer. Only those who openly confess Christ before the world can truly be hated by the world, as countless Christians would experience in the brutal tortures, imprisonments, and executions that would follow those who followed Christ. By God’s grace, Jesus’ brothers were brought to believe in Him after His resurrection and joined that number of those who were gladly hated for Jesus’ sake.

Any number of “Christian” churches still behave as Jesus’ brothers did in today’s reading. They seek popularity with the world, while downplaying the doctrine of Holy Scripture and the truth that Jesus is the true God, who condemns the world’s works as evil, even as He calls the wicked to repent and believe in Him for forgiveness. As for you, be counted among those who stand for Jesus as His Word reveals Him, not as the world wants to see Him.

Prayer: Father, help us to know Your beloved Son rightly, to confess Him openly, and to suffer the world’s hatred with peace, love, and joy. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.