It is the Spirit who constantly directed the timing of Jesus' ministry. Even His family would try to provoke Him. Those of you who had brothers probably know the best ways to provoke your brothers and they probably know the best ways to provoke you. Fortunately, our Savior was and is perfect. Because of His perfection, even in His humanity, He could not be provoked into acting outside the will of God.
John 7:1-9
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
As it turns out, it is just after the Feast of Booths right now. This year it runs from September 23rd to October 1st. It is a time of worship in which you are supposed to go up to Jerusalem. Jesus' siblings (brothers may include sisters here) wanted Him to make a big entrance. They didn't believe at this point but Jesus wouldn't move until it was His time. This was also a harvest festival, a remembrance of the Exodus, and a time of joy. You were required to build and live in a hut to keep the remembrance. The agricultural roots meant that you celebrated harvest and God's provision and it was a command to be happy and joyful. Worship and Scripture were central parts of the celebration.
You were expected to wave 4 plants as you worshiped; 1) the fronds of a date palm, 2) the branchs of a myrtle tree, 3) the branches of a willow, and 4) the fruit of a citron tree. This is to be obedient to Scripture (Leviticus instructions for Sukkot) while reciting Psalms 113 through Psalm 118. These plants reflected both fruit and water. One fruit tree (date palm), one fruit (citron), and two tree branches (willow and myrtle) were used. The fragrance would likely have been the most striking thing about the practice. You can speculate on why those particular plants were chosen, but at least the citron and myrtle would have had an aroma and with everyone carrying them and waving them it must have been a very pleasant smell. We don't worry about smell so much in worship and maybe we should.
John 7:10-13
But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, "Where is he?" And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray." Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
This was not yet Jesus time for sacrifice but He did attend privately. He did not make an entrance because he had until spring before the Cross.
John 7:14-24
About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
We don't know exactly what portion of Scripture was in view during this discussion but if Scripture was influencing the discussion then it was likely Psalm 113 to Psalm 118. Here are some excerpts from the portions of Scripture typically read during Sukkot or the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles).
Psalm 116:8-11
For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars."
Psalm 118:5-9
Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
Psalm 118:22-24
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
I think in the entire Hallel (these praise verses) you can see a teaching in which Jesus would ask, like He did in other places, who is the Psalmist talking about? Is it himself or someone else? It makes sense to think that Jesus was teaching the full Hallel (Psalm 113 to 118) and His authoritative teaching was striking to those who heard what He said. He knows what the authorities are thinking as well as the people of Jerusalem and they are angry with His healing on the Sabbath. He was being judged for violating the Sabbath by healing. So it makes perfect sense to show that circumcision would break the Sabbath because it had to be on the 8th day after the birth of a boy and contrast it with their objection to healing on the Sabbath.
His command is "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" and this people as a whole will not obey that command.
We are much less oriented toward religious festivals than the 1st century Jews were. However, I'd challenge to you at least incorporate the spiritual aspects of Sukkot with Thanksgiving this year. The Festival of Booths celebrates the Exodus. So you can, in this Thanksgiving year focus on God's redeeming love in separating you from bondage to darkness, His faithfulness in guiding and keeping you as a shepherd, and thank Him for the hope of heaven. See how that parallels the Exodus. We seem to have holidays that are not holy days and we can at least pull some back and Thanksgiving is a great opportunity.
John 7:25-31
Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?"
Word of the authorities' plans to kill Jesus had leaked out. A general ignorance and presumed familiarity with the facts had led the people astray. They thought it was authoritative that the Messiah would just appear. Of course the fundamental problem with that line of reasoning is that you'd lose your imputed righteousness. Jesus couldn't just appear and die. He lived a perfect life that for the believers is imputed to them. The false conception of Jesus' origin is corrected by Jesus. He didn't come as an infant because that was the only way to come to earth. He came as an infant, grew up, ministered to His mother and brothers in the absence of His father, and lived a life of perfection in action and thought for your salvation.
Jesus hour had not yet come. He still had the winter to minister before the Cross.
John 7:32-36
The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come." The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?"
There was no general understanding of the incarnation. They didn't understand where He came from or why He came or where He was going. It was truly a mystery to them. In Scripture a mystery is something that God has revealed. You have the privilege, as a result of God's blessing, of being able to know where Jesus came from, why He came, and where He went. The Holy Spirit in His power and purpose has done that in your life. You aren't smarter than a 1st Century Jew but you are more blessed that a 1st Century Jew. It is easy to think about sitting in the grass and listening to Jesus and eating bread and fish but I wouldn't trade what God has caused me to see for a chance to listen to the Sermon on the Mount because I'm a natural born sinner saved by Grace and I'm not giving that up for any great experience. Right now, today, I know God's forgiveness for my sinful nature and the righteousness of Christ imputed to me. I wouldn't trade the grace in which I stand for any other time or place.
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