Did Jesus lie to His brothers in John 7:8-10?

138 John 7:8. — The reading "not yet" seems to have arisen from a desire to meet Porphyry's imputation to Jesus of inconstancy. But the Lord's not going up then was but an illustration of what this Evangelist speaks of elsewhere — His dependence on the Father, by whose direction He was governed day by day, in respect both of speech (verse 16) and action (v. 19). Any real difficulty is removed by the natural explanation of Westcott and Plummer — that the Lord meant, not to keep the feast.

24 Blessed, very blessed is it, then, for the world, for the saints, and for those who are yet to be gathered in, that the Lord did not shew Himself openly at the feast, "because his time was not yet come." He went up however, but secretly. His very discourse - "I go not up yet to this feast" - shewed that it was to have a positive fulfilment, when there would be a consciousness of having been in the wilderness, but now rejoicing in being out of it. "Shew thyself to the world" was the request of His brethren. This He refused; but He went up secretly, and taught at the feast, inviting all to come and partake of His mercy, before He should disclose Himself openly.

96 In this there are two points: His going to Judaea, the manifestation of His presence, then "in public," that His disciples might see His works; the other, if He did these things, to show Himself to the world, and the expectation of this as showing the unbelief of His natural brethren (the Jews). Our Lord's answer to this was not that He would not do so, but that His time (for manifestation to the world) was not yet full come. Their time for passing through and putting themselves forward in it was always ready. The world could not hate them, for they were of it. It hated Him because He testified of it that its works were evil. "Go ye up." He would not go up to the feast, for His time was not yet fulfilled, and He abode in Galilee.

His brethren gained nothing by their speech. They went up to the feast, as we should read in verse 10. Christ was nothing to them. The Lord and His disciples remained still behind in Galilee. The proper punctuation of verse 10, connecting His brethren with "the feast," is in perfect character with the better reading of verse 8, attention to which is called in a previous note. His brethren went without Him. Would Peter, James, and John and the rest have gone up without Him? They had found in Him, Judas excepted, that which met their hearts' desire. But the Lord would now display His desire to satisfy the heart of every creature. So He went up, not openly, i.e. publicly, but as it were in secret, and only appeared in the middle of it. The details of this visit will now commence (7:14), and extend over a long portion of the Gospel, even to 10:21.

The significance of this is the more marked by His action in contradistinction from theirs, and, as read above all, in the light of His subsequent testimony on the great day of the feast." Having said these things to them,† He abode in Galilee. But when His brethren had gone up, then He Himself also went up, not manifestly, but as in secret. The Jews therefore sought Him at the feast, and said, Where is He? And there was much murmuring about Him among the crowds. Some said, He is good;139 others said, No; but He deceiveth the crowd. No one, however, spoke openly about Him because of the fear of the Jews" (verses 9-13). The seventh chapter of John has this point of view, for the truth taught is based on the sixth; it supposes the Lord not only in death, but in ascension. There is a manifest break with the world, and flesh is treated as proved no longer capable of association or communion. It really never was; but now it takes its own way, and the Lord withdraws. His brethren go up to the feast of Tabernacles without Him; He does not go up, but abides in Galilee. Only after they had gone does He go, and then not manifestly, as they desired, but as in secret — more so than ever before. He is content to be, as it were, hidden: type of that which He really is now, and we with Him, as far as our life is concerned, hid in God. δὲ is added in many uncials. † For αὐτὸς ℵDKLXΠ, etc., excellent authority gives αὐτοῖς, "to them" [So W. H. and Weiss; but Blass accepts neither.]

John 7:6-9. The Lord's reply shows that, if He has been rejected, the time for his public manifestation to the world or taking public part in its affairs had not come. When the Lord publicly intervenes it will be by judgment. Had He at that moment taken any public part in the nation, as His brethren wished, it would have meant judgment for the nation.

In chapter 7, we see His unbelieving brethren would have Him show Himself to the world. Apart from His death and resurrection this could only be judgment to all, and nothing could have been saved out of the judgment to which all men were liable because of their guilty condition. If He gives His flesh for the life of the world then the time for His showing Himself to the world had not come. His brethren, impatient in their unbelief with His humiliation and self-renunciation, desire Him to bring to an end His path of comparative retirement. Man’s time is always ready, but His time was not yet come. Therefore He says: “I go not up yet unto this feast.” Afterwards, when His brethren had gone up, He also went up, not openly, but as it were in secret. When He has received the kingdom He will show Himself at the feast of tabernacles, but until then He does not publicly take a place at this feast.

These facts remembered by the reader, he will better understand the point of the Lord's brethren in saying, "Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest. For there is no man that does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If Thou doest these things, show Thyself to the world" (John 7:3-4). The approaching festival of Tabernacles they considered, unbelievers as they were, would afford a fitting opportunity for Him, if really the Messiah, to show Himself as such to the world. To be working where and how He had been lately working did not seem in their eyes a fitting theatre for Him. Let the world behold Him, and see what He could do. Displays of power were all that they thought of, mere natural men (1 Cor. 2:14) as they were. The Lord's answer was decided: "My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but Me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up to the feast: I go not up to this [rather, the] feast; for My time is not yet fully come [or, fulfilled]" (John 7:6-8).

Of course His brethren did not understand the bearing of His words. Manifestation to the world they suggested, and that only in this life was all that they dreamt of. Manifestation of the Lord to the world will take place. Then, however, as now, that was future. He will be seen as the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). Whom they were addressing none of them really knew. Of natural ties they could speak. Of Him as Son of God they were ignorant. From Galilee to Jerusalem they suggested He should go. Out of heaven, however, will He come for His public manifestation. Daniel in prophetic vision had seen this (Dan. 7:13). The world will behold that manifestation in reality, and will mourn. To display Himself to the world will involve for all on earth consequences never to be forgotten. Which of His opposing brethren were ready for it? For judgment on the ungodly will then in order follow, whilst all His heavenly saints will come with Him, attendants in His train (Rev. 19). To have manifested Himself then to the world would have involved the final perdition of the whole human race, for as yet atonement by His blood had not been effected. There is a time for that display of Himself. Of this Malachi long ago wrote (3:2), saying, "Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appears?" An awfully solemn event will it be. Thankful we must ever be that He did not do what was asked.

However, after His brothers had gone to the feast, He later went also, yet in no way as drawing attention to Himself, but “as it were in secret.” This was the Father's leading, of course, for the truth must be proclaimed at the feast to those were thirsty, but with no fanfare.

That the Lord had a deeper purpose in view was soon apparent. He had refused to go with His brethren; He had affirmed that the fit moment for displaying Himself to the world was not come. But God had a present mission for His Son, and He goes to Jerusalem to fulfil it.