Thoughts on the Gospel of John (38) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

When his brothers had gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast and said, Where is he? 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. However, no-one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.
John 7:10-13.

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (38)
Hadn't Jesus told His brothers, "I am not yet going up to this feast", when they suggested that He should go to Jerusalem? Indeed He had. And He went nevertheless. We should not, however, think that His action contradicted His intention. There are two explanations:

His brothers had gone without Jesus. Later He received an instruction from His Father that the time had come.

Jesus did not go up to Jerusalem as His brothers had imagined. Instead of making a triumphal entry, He went "in secret".

Two things interested all Jerusalem: who and where is Jesus? This shows that people had heard of Him. The Jewish leaders sought Him feverishly, presumably more through the desire to catch Him than to witness a sensation. General opinion classified Him as a deceiver. He was later crucified on this pretext (cf. Matthew 27:63). At any rate it appeared to be dangerous to express support for the Man from Nazareth, hence the whispering reported by the evangelist John.

Who today would confirm what "some" said about Jesus Christ: "He is good"? He is the Son of God, for "no-one is good but one, that is, God" (Mark 10:18). What is important is not merely to speak well of Jesus, but to acknowledge Him as Saviour and Lord.

(to be continued on Sunday, 24th April)

Today's reading: Genesis 4:17-26 · 1 Peter 2:9-12