John 7 a: Jesus and his brothers

Jesus at the Feast of Booths
1 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.

Hello everyone, I am kiki. Chinese name of our second phase of the program is “读经大讲堂”. The English name is “Bible study”.
We will adopt a relaxed also enjoyable learning mode to take you into a new learning world. Each time I will make a personal summary and analysis from the perspective of a learner, and then Sister Ingrid will help me conduct in-depth learning and problem discussions with everybody.
I hope that such an interesting and interactive process can bring new knowledge experience to you all. The following is my interview with my sister on related issues. Today is the eleventh lecture on the Gospel of John 。Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment area for discussion!

2.My summary of John eleventh time study:
Hello everyone, the following is a summary of my study this time.
Once upon a time in Galilee, Jesus was doing amazing things that made people wonder and talk.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Jesus because some people were very angry at him and wanted to hurt him. The Jews were particularly upset with Jesus and were trying to find him to cause trouble.
Around that time, there was this big celebration called the Feast of Booths that was approaching. Jesus’ brothers, who were skeptical about his powers, told him to go to Judea where more people could see what he was capable of.
They thought if Jesus wanted everyone to know about his miracles, he should show himself to the world.
But Jesus, being the wise man he was, knew that the timing wasn’t right yet. He told his brothers that his time hadn’t come to reveal himself fully to everyone. He explained to them that the world might not like him because he spoke out against the bad things happening around him.
Despite his reservations, Jesus decided to attend the Feast of Booths, but he chose to go quietly and not attract too much attention. He didn’t want to stir up more trouble than there already was. So, while his brothers went ahead to the feast, Jesus followed them later, keeping a low profile.
In the end, Jesus knew that his journey was a challenging one, with people both supporting and opposing him.
I think this event at the Feast of Booths was just one step in his path to fulfilling his mission and spreading his message of love and kindness to the world.
Now let my sister Ingrid help me with additional explanations.

3.Sister’s comment from my studying summary:
The most important detail in this text is, that the brothers of Jesus thought that Jesus intention was to become a famous person or an religions leader. They did not understand, that he came to serve and to give his life for us on the cross.

Another detail is, that Jesus mentions the difference between the world and him. I will later explain what it means, that there are two kingdoms and why the kingdom of evil hates Jesus.

The third detail is, that Jesus goes like the commandment says to the feast, but in a very wise manner for not to be killed there.

4. Q list part: base on John 11th items: Okay.Base on above bible study content, now let me ask sister some related questions. We hope the following questions can be helpful to our brothers and sisters who have just become Christians.
   1. Sister,why did Jesus avoid going to Judea during the Feast of Booths?

He knew, that he has two enemies there: The first one where the jewish leaders who wanted to kill him, the other ones where the people who would like to make a king out of him.

2. How did Jesus respond to his brothers' suggestion to go to Judea and reveal his works openly?

He refused to go openly to Judea and he explained his brothers, that the world hates him, therefore he will not show hisself to the world there.

3. What was significant about Jesus' statement, "My time has not yet come"?

Jesus had three times: The time to die on the cross, the time to stand up from the death and the time to come back from heaven as a king and jugde.
When we would have gone to the feast, it was dangerous for him, that they may kill him at once before the day that he should die.

Before his death, he had to instruct his disiples and God has for every thing that happenes a specific time.

4. Why did Jesus mention that the world hated him because he testified about its evil works?

Jesus said to his brothers, that the world hates him, they did not understand that there are two kingdoms, the kingdom of evil and darkness and sin, which hast taken control over the earth and the kingdom of God and light, which Jesus represented, while he was here on earth.

You can t mix these two kingdoms, when you love the world and the darkness, you will hate the light and when you love the light, you will begin to hate all kind of sin and earthly distraction.

5. What did Jesus mean when he said, "Your time is always here" to his brothers?

His brothers are part of this earthly system. They are not hated by the world, so they can go and do what they want.

6. Why did Jesus ultimately decide to go to the Feast of Booths, despite initially saying he wouldn't go?

Jesus was Jewish and it was law, that all jewish men had to go there. Jesus did not come to break the law but to fullfill it and so he acomplished with the commandment, that he as a Jewish had to go there.

7. How did Jesus attend the Feast of Booths, as mentioned in the passage?

He attended the feast in privat, later he will go to the temple and teach.

8. What does the passage reveal about Jesus' relationship with his brothers and their beliefs in him?

His brothers did not believe in him. They see Jesus with earthly eyes and think, a person with supernatural powers has to be someone famous. They could not understand that Jesus had not that intention.

9. How did Jesus navigate the challenges and threats he faced from those seeking to harm him？

Jesus is the life and nobody could take his life from him if he would not had given his life at the end.

He conversed with the religious leaders in a very wise manner and answered all the questions they put for to catch him with heavenly wisdom.

Most of the people were amazed about him, so it was difficult for the High Priests and pharasees to catch him in public. At least there was Judas Iscariot who helped them.

10.What lessons can we learn from Jesus’ actions and responses in this passage, especially regarding timing and purpose?

Everything on earth has its time and its purpose. We often have to keep patience and not getting the things at once. We have to seek the will of God, too.

When Jesus had not gone in privat to the feast, they would have celebrated him as they did later on the sunday before he was crucified. But this day still did not come. In the book of Daniel it was predicted which day it will be, and Jesus waited on this day, when they will put him on a donkey and he enters Jerusalem as a king for to be crucified five days later.

Our life has a purpose, too, and we go with wishes in our heart. When we are wise, we wait until God will fullfill them or show us what he has planed for us in our life.