John 7:10-13 – But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as though in secret. 11 So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and saying, “Where is He?” 12 And there was a great deal of talk about Him in secret among the crowds: some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He is misleading the people.” 13 However, no one was speaking openly about Him, for fear of the Jews.
“But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as though in secret.” In V6 Jesus had told them that it was not yet His time to go to the Feast of Booths. Jesus was always awaiting guidance from The Father. It is how He lived His life. It involves complete faith built upon sure knowledge of Him. If one lives their life waiting on God to lead and then obeying, this is this is not a difficult thing to do. (Habakkuk 2:1-3, Psalm 62:5, Ezekiel 13:25) It is merely walking on a familiar path. People whose life does not include living every day by the guidance of God, like the brothers of Jesus, do not understand what Jesus was saying. And Jesus knew that they would not. Let us not only know the words, but also have within our hearts and minds the words of David in Psalm 62:5-6 “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” This came from David because He knew God, and one who knows God follows and trusts Him This comes from not only reading about our Lord in His Word, but from walking in intimate communion with Him every day.
“So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and saying, “Where is He?” The Jewish authorities wanted to find Him, to arrest Him, and to kill Him. Their intentions were evil and Jesus was well aware of their “secret” plans. In pride they loved the authority and the power they had more then they loved God or the people they were supposed to guide toward God. In fact the power they wielded was more important than their own very lives. These men were intelligent men who, unfortunately, were hard hearted men who could have understood if they had wanted to, but they refused to understand. (John 3:19-20) These were men who blocked people from the light. (Matthew 23:13) Their plight, if unchanged, is an eternal horror.
“And there was a great deal of talk about Him in secret among the crowds: some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He is misleading the people.” The crowds knew about Jesus. They had seen, or at least heard about what He taught and the miraculous signs He had done. These, the common people, were divided in what to believe about Him. This was exactly as Jesus said it would be. (Luke 12:51-53) We should not be surprised that a separation can come between us and those who do not believe, that is as Jesus said would happen.
“However, no one was speaking openly about Him, for fear of the Jews.” The Jewish authorities not only did not believe in Jesus, they also did not want anyone else to. They did not want anyone to speak of Jesus lest His fame and popularity continue to grow. So the common Jew was very careful in talking about Jesus, and if they did, they spoke in hushed tones so as not to draw the ire of the authorities.
It is those who were in power who loved their position and power who strived to create an atmosphere of worshipping God and sharing Him, if we must, only after heeding what they say. Even today they want us to be obedient to the Lord, as long it is not in disagreement with what they dictate. They want Jesus’s church to bow to them…first. They want the abomination of desolation to occur now as they force people to allow them to put an idol of them in our churches. They would “allow” us to worship God is we bow and kiss their image. These are the signs of the times. Jesus spoke directly to us who are alive now in Revelation 2:7 “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.” The one “who overcomes” is the one who lives his or her life for Jesus, till the very end, always obeying and following in faith. That person will live forever in the Paradise of God prepared for us. Family and friends, we live in evil times, but we must not fear. God is in control. Let us daily seek our path from God and let us never vary from it. He will keep us. Praise the Lord! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.