Welcome Valley Bible Studies

Lesson 27 John 7:1-9

John 7:1-9
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

Background Information
Keep in mind that John sometimes uses the word “Jew” to refer to those Jewish people who lived in or near Jerusalem. These people would have been the religious and social elite, including those who held political power. The section of Israel where they lived was called Judea. North of Judea was Samaria, a region in which most of the people were of mixed race and only partly Jewish. These Samaritans practiced a corrupted form of Judaism and were looked down upon by Jews from Judea and Galilee. Jesus lived and did much of his teaching in Galilee, the region north of Samaria. The Galileans were full-blooded Jews but less educated than the Jews of Judea. They lacked social and religious status and were looked down upon by the higher class of Jews in Judea. Some of them seem to have been more open to Jesus and His teachings than were the Judeans.

As we see here, Jesus brothers didn’t believe He was the Son of God, but thought he was a child of Joseph and Mary as they were. (Technically, we would call them half-brothers today.) Bible students believe that the man referred to as James the Lord’s brother later in the New Testament is one of Jesus’ brothers who came to believe in him, perhaps after his death and resurrection. [For example, see the entry under “James” in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.] Acts 1:14 in the Related Scriptures would also seem to indicate that Jesus’ brothers came to believe in Him after He rose from the dead.

Questions

1. Why did Jesus spend this time in Galilee?
2. Were Jesus’ brothers supportive of His ministry at this time?
3. Jesus told his brothers that He wasn’t going up to the feast “yet”. How is this different than if He had said He wasn’t going up to the feast at all?
4. Jesus also mentioned that His time had not yet come. The related Scriptures also indicate that timing was an important part of Jesus’ time on earth. a. Did Jesus come to earth randomly? b. Which Scripture would suggest God carefully selected the time Jesus would be born on this earth and live here? c. Could have Jesus’ enemies killed Him before the right time?
5. Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in Him at first. Later they seem to have come to trust in Him. What would this say about your hopes for loved ones who have not yet come to believe in Jesus? 

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