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"Therefore Jesus told them, `The right time for Me has not yet come; for you any
time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that what it
does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for Me the
right time has not yet come'. Having said this, He stayed in Galilee. However, after His
brothers had left for the Feast, He went also, not publicly, but in secret" (7: 6-10).
Christ had testified to His mother that His hour had not yet come (2: 4) and He gives a
similar reply to His brothers. The time of His public showing as Messiah and King was
decided by the Father and it was certainly coming, but not until the right moment arrived.
Until then He would remain as He was. Six months later it would be proper for Him to
make His public entry into Jerusalem. Now He bids farewell to Galilee, never to see it
again before His death, and makes a secret journey to Judaea.
"Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for Him and asking, `Where is that man?'."
(7: 11).
The scene now moves to Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders were watching for Him,
hoping they might have an opportunity to arrest Him. He had been in Galilee for a year,
but Galilee was ruled by the tetrarch Herod Antipas and was not under the jurisdiction of
the religious leaders. However, in Jerusalem they held chief executive power in Jewish
affairs, subject to the authority of the Roman governor. Now perhaps was their
opportunity.
"Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about Him. Some said, `He is a
good man'. Others replied, `No, He deceives the people'. But no one would say
anything publicly about Him for fear of the Jews" (7: 12, 13).
Among the people there were varying opinions about Christ. Some, remembering His
acts of mercy, said He was a good man. Others thought the opposite, but whatever their
views, they did not talk about them too publicly, lest the leaders should be displeased.
"Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the Temple courts and begin
to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, `How did this man get such learning without
having studied?'." (7: 14, 15).
The Lord Jesus arrived quietly halfway through the Festival and began to teach in the
outer court of the Temple. As the people listened they were amazed at His powerful
exposition of the Scriptures. Where did He get His knowledge from, seeing that He had
not been trained in any of the great rabbinical schools? The Sanhedrin later had the same
problem with Peter and John (Acts 4: 13). The scribes and Pharisees usually based their
teaching on and quoted from some past teacher of repute, but this was not so with regard
to Christ. He spoke with authority without reference to anyone. Where did He get this
authority from?
The Lord's reply to them was:
"My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him Who sent Me. If anyone chooses to
do God's will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak
on My own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who
works for the honour of the One Who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false
about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why
are you trying to kill Me?" (7: 16-19).