After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
After these things He remained and walked in Galilee and would not walk openly in Judea and Jerusalem because the Jews, especially the priests, rulers and religious leaders, sought to kill Him. This was just before the Feast of Tabernacles, when people came to Jerusalem for seven days with thanksgiving, and by this time He had confined His work to Galilee and had missed several national gatherings there because of the enmity against Him. To preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time and the finishing of His work, He avoided needless conflict and public attention, staying in more obscure places and traveling privately and alone rather than joining the feast-bound caravans. The hostility came because prejudice and hatred had been stirred up against Him, His teaching and compassionate works were opposed, His words were misrepresented and His motives attacked, and many were afraid to speak openly in His favor. His course teaches those who serve others for Him not to put themselves in danger without being called to do so, but when life is threatened to leave for other places and continue their work from city to city, and not to answer injustice and false accusation with anger or harsh words.
Context and Stay in Galilee
After these things Jesus walked and remained in Galilee and would not walk openly in Judea and Jerusalem, because the Jews, especially the priests, rulers and religious leaders, sought to kill Him. He did not go into danger needlessly but left Judea to preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time. This withdrawal followed the healing at Bethesda and His teaching in the synagogue that He was the bread of life. After that teaching many followers abandoned Him, and others joined the Pharisees in watching and spying on His movements to find grounds to condemn Him to death.
The verse stands just before the Feast of Tabernacles, when people from Palestine and other lands left their homes and came to Jerusalem for seven days with gifts of thanksgiving. By this time Jesus had confined His work to Galilee and had missed several national religious gatherings in Jerusalem because of the enmity against Him. To avoid being recognized, seized, or killed, He avoided needless conflict, attention, and public arrival. He stayed in more obscure places and went from city to city, traveling privately and alone by an unfrequented route rather than joining the feast-bound caravans, and later going up to the feast secretly, so that no popular demonstration would provoke the authorities or raise a mob.
The hostility arose because prejudice and hatred had been stirred up against Him, and those who should have received Him rejected Him. The leaders opposed His teaching and compassionate works and rejected the evidence, while false accusations, misrepresented words, attacks on His motives, and reports spread by those turned against Him stirred unbelief. Many people were afraid to speak openly in His favor. He withdrew in this way to preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time and until His work was finished, not going into danger needlessly and without abandoning His mission.
Example for Believers
Jesus remained in Galilee instead of moving about in Judea because the people there were seeking to kill Him, and in refusing to retaliate under false accusation He left an example that His followers must not meet injustice and accusation with anger or harsh words. His staying in Galilee rather than going into Judea shows that He would not enter danger needlessly, and His leaving His own region and Jerusalem to protect His life teaches that those who serve others for Christ should not place themselves in danger without being called to do so. When His life was threatened He left for other places rather than remaining where He would be killed, going from city to city to keep safe and preserve His life and liberty until His work was finished and His earthly work completed.
His disciples urged Him to go to Jerusalem and display Himself to the world, yet He was already making Himself known in a way they did not recognize, by speaking to people and healing the sick, works that stood at the center of His mission and stirred the awareness of the people. The hostility that made it dangerous for Him to travel in Judea had been stirred by those turned against Him spreading reports, misrepresenting His words, and attacking His motives to produce hatred and unbelief, and even His relatives shared this prejudice, but their disbelief did not prove that His mission or teaching had failed. His withdrawal when the priests and rulers sought to kill Him and His departure for other places did not mean that He withheld truth, for when necessary He spoke words that forcefully laid open the conscience, even though doing so provoked repeated attempts to take His life.
After these things He remained and walked in Galilee and would not walk openly in Judea and Jerusalem because the Jews, especially the priests, rulers and religious leaders, sought to kill Him. This was just before the Feast of Tabernacles, when people came to Jerusalem for seven days with thanksgiving, and by this time He had confined His work to Galilee and had missed several national gatherings there because of the enmity against Him. To preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time and the finishing of His work, He avoided needless conflict and public attention, staying in more obscure places and traveling privately and alone rather than joining the feast-bound caravans. The hostility came because prejudice and hatred had been stirred up against Him, His teaching and compassionate works were opposed, His words were misrepresented and His motives attacked, and many were afraid to speak openly in His favor. His course teaches those who serve others for Him not to put themselves in danger without being called to do so, but when life is threatened to leave for other places and continue their work from city to city, and not to answer injustice and false accusation with anger or harsh words.
Context and Stay in Galilee
After these things Jesus walked and remained in Galilee and would not walk openly in Judea and Jerusalem, because the Jews, especially the priests, rulers and religious leaders, sought to kill Him. He did not go into danger needlessly but left Judea to preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time. This withdrawal followed the healing at Bethesda and His teaching in the synagogue that He was the bread of life. After that teaching many followers abandoned Him, and others joined the Pharisees in watching and spying on His movements to find grounds to condemn Him to death.
The verse stands just before the Feast of Tabernacles, when people from Palestine and other lands left their homes and came to Jerusalem for seven days with gifts of thanksgiving. By this time Jesus had confined His work to Galilee and had missed several national religious gatherings in Jerusalem because of the enmity against Him. To avoid being recognized, seized, or killed, He avoided needless conflict, attention, and public arrival. He stayed in more obscure places and went from city to city, traveling privately and alone by an unfrequented route rather than joining the feast-bound caravans, and later going up to the feast secretly, so that no popular demonstration would provoke the authorities or raise a mob.
The hostility arose because prejudice and hatred had been stirred up against Him, and those who should have received Him rejected Him. The leaders opposed His teaching and compassionate works and rejected the evidence, while false accusations, misrepresented words, attacks on His motives, and reports spread by those turned against Him stirred unbelief. Many people were afraid to speak openly in His favor. He withdrew in this way to preserve His life and liberty until the appointed time and until His work was finished, not going into danger needlessly and without abandoning His mission.
Example for Believers
Jesus remained in Galilee instead of moving about in Judea because the people there were seeking to kill Him, and in refusing to retaliate under false accusation He left an example that His followers must not meet injustice and accusation with anger or harsh words. His staying in Galilee rather than going into Judea shows that He would not enter danger needlessly, and His leaving His own region and Jerusalem to protect His life teaches that those who serve others for Christ should not place themselves in danger without being called to do so. When His life was threatened He left for other places rather than remaining where He would be killed, going from city to city to keep safe and preserve His life and liberty until His work was finished and His earthly work completed.
His disciples urged Him to go to Jerusalem and display Himself to the world, yet He was already making Himself known in a way they did not recognize, by speaking to people and healing the sick, works that stood at the center of His mission and stirred the awareness of the people. The hostility that made it dangerous for Him to travel in Judea had been stirred by those turned against Him spreading reports, misrepresenting His words, and attacking His motives to produce hatred and unbelief, and even His relatives shared this prejudice, but their disbelief did not prove that His mission or teaching had failed. His withdrawal when the priests and rulers sought to kill Him and His departure for other places did not mean that He withheld truth, for when necessary He spoke words that forcefully laid open the conscience, even though doing so provoked repeated attempts to take His life.