Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
Jesus told His brothers to go up to the Feast of Tabernacles while He Himself would not go up yet, remaining for the time in Galilee rather than going with them or following their urging. The feast was the year's closing seven-day gathering at Jerusalem, drawing people from near and far in rejoicing and thanksgiving for God's goodness and the blessings of the harvest. His brothers could go without danger because they were like the world, while His testimony against its evil brought its hatred, and it was unsafe for Him to go openly at that time because of hostility in Judea that threatened His liberty and life. His reason that His time was not yet full come means every event in His work had its appointed hour under His Father's will, so knowing the hatred of the leaders could bring His death, He would not hasten it by exposing Himself prematurely or rushing presumptuously into danger. The work thus timed was the mission His Father gave Him for the fallen race to bring life to the world, and He guarded especially the appointed time for that work to end, withdrawing at times to less prominent places when outbreak threatened so hostility would not cut it short. In this He warns never to imperil God's cause and one's own influence by perverted ideas, but to follow God and heed His counsel so He will work with the believer.
Words and Setting
Jesus told His brothers to go up to the feast while He Himself would not go up yet, remaining for the time being in Galilee rather than going with His family. He refused to follow their urging and prescribed course for when and how He should appear. The setting was the Feast of Tabernacles, the year's closing gathering in Jerusalem. It was a seven-day celebration attended by people from near and far, marked by rejoicing and thanksgiving to turn thoughts to God's goodness and mercy and to the blessings of the harvest.
His brothers could go up without facing hostility because they were like the world. By contrast, His testimony against the world's evil brought the world's hatred. He knew that hatred would lead to His death. It was unsafe to go openly at the urged time because of hostility in Judea and Jerusalem, where going openly among opposers threatened His liberty and life. He therefore went later secretly, avoiding notice and passing unnoticed among the crowd so He could teach the people.
Appointed Time and Mission
His refusal meant that every event in His work had its appointed hour and followed an appointed schedule according to His Father's will and the timing of His mission. For the time being He stayed in Galilee rather than going with His family or following the course His brothers urged, because His time was not yet full come. He would not rush into danger or bring the crisis forward before the time set for Him.
He knew the hatred of the Jewish leaders and opposers and the hostility in Jerusalem would lead to His death, and He would not hasten that event by exposing Himself prematurely to His enemies. He was to wait patiently for the time appointed for Him, rather than presumptuously rushing into danger or bringing on the crisis before its appointed time. The work so timed was the mission His Father had given Him for the fallen race, to bring life to the world through the plan of redemption.
The appointed time He awaited was especially the time for His work to end. When danger of an outbreak threatened His work, He withdrew, sometimes going privately to less prominent places, so that hostility would not bring His work to an end before its appointed time. His choice of timing served His work, which He continued despite rejection and danger, going later when He could pass unnoticed among the crowd and teach the people. During His three years of ministry He prepared His disciples to carry on the work by teaching them the words they would need after He was gone, even while going openly among those who opposed Him could lead to the loss of His liberty or His life.
In no case is the cause of God and one's own influence to be imperiled by perverted ideas, but God is to be followed and His counsel heeded so that He will work with the believer.
Jesus told His brothers to go up to the Feast of Tabernacles while He Himself would not go up yet, remaining for the time in Galilee rather than going with them or following their urging. The feast was the year's closing seven-day gathering at Jerusalem, drawing people from near and far in rejoicing and thanksgiving for God's goodness and the blessings of the harvest. His brothers could go without danger because they were like the world, while His testimony against its evil brought its hatred, and it was unsafe for Him to go openly at that time because of hostility in Judea that threatened His liberty and life. His reason that His time was not yet full come means every event in His work had its appointed hour under His Father's will, so knowing the hatred of the leaders could bring His death, He would not hasten it by exposing Himself prematurely or rushing presumptuously into danger. The work thus timed was the mission His Father gave Him for the fallen race to bring life to the world, and He guarded especially the appointed time for that work to end, withdrawing at times to less prominent places when outbreak threatened so hostility would not cut it short. In this He warns never to imperil God's cause and one's own influence by perverted ideas, but to follow God and heed His counsel so He will work with the believer.
Words and Setting
Jesus told His brothers to go up to the feast while He Himself would not go up yet, remaining for the time being in Galilee rather than going with His family. He refused to follow their urging and prescribed course for when and how He should appear. The setting was the Feast of Tabernacles, the year's closing gathering in Jerusalem. It was a seven-day celebration attended by people from near and far, marked by rejoicing and thanksgiving to turn thoughts to God's goodness and mercy and to the blessings of the harvest.
His brothers could go up without facing hostility because they were like the world. By contrast, His testimony against the world's evil brought the world's hatred. He knew that hatred would lead to His death. It was unsafe to go openly at the urged time because of hostility in Judea and Jerusalem, where going openly among opposers threatened His liberty and life. He therefore went later secretly, avoiding notice and passing unnoticed among the crowd so He could teach the people.
Appointed Time and Mission
His refusal meant that every event in His work had its appointed hour and followed an appointed schedule according to His Father's will and the timing of His mission. For the time being He stayed in Galilee rather than going with His family or following the course His brothers urged, because His time was not yet full come. He would not rush into danger or bring the crisis forward before the time set for Him.
He knew the hatred of the Jewish leaders and opposers and the hostility in Jerusalem would lead to His death, and He would not hasten that event by exposing Himself prematurely to His enemies. He was to wait patiently for the time appointed for Him, rather than presumptuously rushing into danger or bringing on the crisis before its appointed time. The work so timed was the mission His Father had given Him for the fallen race, to bring life to the world through the plan of redemption.
The appointed time He awaited was especially the time for His work to end. When danger of an outbreak threatened His work, He withdrew, sometimes going privately to less prominent places, so that hostility would not bring His work to an end before its appointed time. His choice of timing served His work, which He continued despite rejection and danger, going later when He could pass unnoticed among the crowd and teach the people. During His three years of ministry He prepared His disciples to carry on the work by teaching them the words they would need after He was gone, even while going openly among those who opposed Him could lead to the loss of His liberty or His life.
In no case is the cause of God and one's own influence to be imperiled by perverted ideas, but God is to be followed and His counsel heeded so that He will work with the believer.