The Right Time to Go, the Right Time to Stay

John 7:1-13

So far we've read how Jesus turned water into wine, healed an official's son and a paralyzed man, fed over 5,000 people with food to spare, and walked on the sea. Following Him and watching these miracles must have been awesome!

The religious leaders didn't find Jesus quite so awesome; to them He was a threat. The words He spoke, the miracles, threatened thier authority. Rather than embracing the teaching of their Messiah and learning His ways, they plotted and planned to murder Him. With Jesus out of the way, their words would once again be the final authority on what God expected from His people. Their status would be restored.

Is Jesus aware of thier hatred? John 7:1 tells us, "After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take His life."

"You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles You do." , His brothers tell Him, "Since You are doing these things show Yourself to the world." Imagine having a big brother that can walk on the waves of the sea. Every where you went people would ask you about your brother, and you in your own way would become famous also. But if the big brother decides to hang out around home, and no one sees him walk on water anymore, well, there goes your ticket to fame! Maybe Jesus' brothers weren't quite as self-serving as I imagine, but I also know they didn't believe in Him yet - it tells us this in John 7:5.

Jesus tells His brothers, "The right time for Me has not yet come...". It wasn't time for His life to be taken, He knows the religious leaders are waiting. Jesus was on His Father's schedule, not His brother's or His own.

This hits me hard, because I am a list person! If it's written down to do, it must be done - and much of it has nothing to do with the Father's schedule! In fact it's kind of upsetting when He imposes His plans into that carefully written list. This, however, is the God that states in Psalm 46:10 that we are to "Be still, and know that I am God..."

Jesus knew when to be still.

The right time for Jesus to go to the feast was in secret, after the brothers had left.

Which makes me think that perhaps the lists should be thrown away. That this year I should look to my Father for the right time to be still, and the right time to go...