Feast Frenzy (John 7:1-10)

The Feast of Tabernacles remembered how Israel traveled through the desert and looked forward to the kingdom of the Messiah. For almost forty years, the Jews lived in booths made of branches to remember how God cared for their nation (Lev. 23:33–44).
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After the Feast of Trumpets and the solemn Day of Atonement, the people had a festive time during Tabernacles. Big candlesticks illuminated the temple area, evoking memories of the guiding pillar of fire. Every day, the priests would bring water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out of a golden vessel, which reminded the Jews of how God gave them water from the rock.

The feast may have been a happy time for the people, but it was a challenging time for Jesus because it marked the start of open and violent opposition to Him and His work. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus ever since He healed the paralyzed man on the Sabbath (John 7:1, 19–20, 25, 30, 32, 44; and note 8:37, 40). He stayed in Galilee, where it was safer, but He couldn't stay there and also celebrate the feast.

There are three parts to John 7: before the feast (vv. 1–10), during the feast (vv. 11–36), and on the last day of the feast (vv. 37–52). People reacted in three ways during each of those times: disbelief, debate, and division.

Disbelief Before the Feast (7:1-10)

Mary had more children, and Joseph was their real father (Matt. 13:55–56; Mark 6:1–6). This means that Jesus was their half-brother. It seems hard to believe that His brothers lived with Him for so long and were unaware of how special He was. They must have known about His miracles (see John 7:3–4) because everyone else did. They had the best opportunity to watch and test Him because they were so close to Him, but they still didn't believe.

People were going to a religious feast, but they were also rejecting their Messiah. It's so easy to follow tradition and miss the truth that lasts forever. The publicans and sinners were pleased about what He said, but His own half-brothers were making fun of Him.

Many hoped He would do something amazing to inspire people to follow Him. There would be many pilgrims in Jerusalem, which would be the perfect place for Jesus to show Himself and obtain followers. There is no doubt that the brothers knew that many of Jesus' followers had left him (John 6:66). This was His opportunity to get back what He had lost. Three years earlier, Satan had made a similar suggestion (Matt. 4:1ff.).

Jesus had already said no to the crowd's offer to make Him king (John 6:15), and He wasn't going to succumb to them in any way. Renown people may become rich and famous by getting applause from fans, but God's servants know better. If Jesus chose, He could gather a crowd, demonstrate that He was the Messiah, and defeat the enemy by performing miracles during the feast in the "official city." The idea came from people who didn't believe. Psalm 69:8 says, "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children." This fate was inevitable. (Since Jesus wasn't Joseph's real son, He couldn't say "My father's children.")

Jesus did not show Himself to the world at this time (John 14:22ff.). He will come back one day, and "every eye shall see Him" (Rev. 1:7). We have observed that our Lord operated on a "divine timetable" established by the Father (John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1).

Jesus was being careful because He knew that the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him. Even though they were "religious" leaders, they were part of "the world" that hated Jesus because He showed them how evil their actions were. He showed how shallow and empty their useless religious system was through His character and His ministry. He called people back to the truth of life in God. History shows that the "religious system" often hurts the prophets of God who are sent to save it!

Jesus was not lying or trying to avoid the truth; He was being smart and careful. What if He told His brothers what He was going to do and they told someone else? Is there a chance that the leaders will obtain the information? He said, "I will go to the feast when the time is right." After His family left, Jesus went to Jerusalem "under cover" so that no one would notice Him.

In what our Lord did, we see a beautiful example of God's sovereignty and our responsibility. The Father had a plan for His Son, and nothing could stand in the way of it. Jesus didn't rush to the feast to test the Father, nor did He lag behind when the proper time had come for Him to attend the feast. To know when God wants you to do something, you need spiritual discernment.