vv. .6-7 – My time has not yet come. Jesus knew that if He went to the feast of the Jews (also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles) His life would be in danger. Jesus’ response “reveals the first reason he would not go to the feast: it was not in God’s perfect timing” (John MacArthur). Jesus told his brothers, but your time is always ready. They did not need to fear persecution at the feast, his brothers did not believe in him (John 7:5). To His brothers Jesus said: The world cannothate you. “The world (the present condition of human affairs – the separation from an opposition to God) hates Jesus because He testifies that its deeds are evil” (The Moody Bible Commentary). Only the presence of Jesus and His message to awaken the sin of unbelievers could provoke their hatred.
vv. 8-9 – I am not yet going up to the feast, because my time is not fulfilled. The second reason Jesus did not go with His brothers was that He knew the Jewish authorities would kill Him. Jesus was not going to Jerusalem until “The Father had given the sign” (Stauffer).
vv. 10-11 – in secret. It is assumed the Father directed His Son Jesus to go to Jerusalem. “Jesus’ secrecy is a prelude to the final drama which leads to the Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion”
(F. F. Bruce). The Jews… sought Him at the feast. The Jews authorized the hostile Jewish authorities in Judea who were headquartered in Jerusalem.
vv. 12-13 – There was a lot of murmuring among the multitudes… Unbelief divided the crowd (Read John 6:41,61).Some said, “He is a good man (in a moral sense Jesus is), absolutely (completely or unconditionally) and consummately (perfectly good).” “The character of Christ, his personality, the use he made of life, His unselfish goodness, have made an immense (tremendous) impression on innumerable (many) minds: a goodness and unselfishness, be it noted, lived out where we have to live, and when immersed (occupied) in the tasks we have to do” (The Interpreter’s Bible). Others said, “Not so, but he leads the crowd astray (off the right path).” People still do. “Holding that any and every type of religion, and especially Christianity, is largely (unrelated to), turning men aside from what ought to be their main interest, upon
which they should be concentrating their attention and their powers. This concern about one’s soul, this unhappiness over one’s moral and spiritual state, this absorbed (intent) effort to improve them, is, so they tell us pathological (unhealthy), is a disease, is simply selfishness and rank stupidity as well” (The Interpreter’s Bible). “The Jewish Talmud (the authoritarian body of tradition in the Jewish religion) reveals that the latter view of deception became the prominent opinion of many Jews” (John MacArthur). To lead someone astray was punishable by death (Read Deuteronomy 13:10).No one spoke openly of him out of fear of the Jews. Any approving comments said openly about Jesus could bring retaliation. “Fear can keep a man from making a clarion call (a clear and loud testimony) of his faith and turn it into indistinct, semi-audible murmur… The Christian is never afraid to tell the world in ringing tones that he believes in Christ” (William Barclay).
-All passages of Scripture are based on the World Bible in English (WEB
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