John 7:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.

NIV: However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

NASB: But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as though in secret.

CSB: After his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but secretly.

NLT: But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.

KJV: But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

NKJV: But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Jesus' brothers—other children of His mother Mary—do not believe in His ministry at this point (John 7:5). Instead, they have teased Jesus by suggesting He go to the festival to draw a crowd (John 7:3–4). Jesus responds by pointing out that He is working from a divine schedule, which they are not a part of (John 7:6). He also notes that their attendance won't be met with as much resistance as His will (John 7:7–8). So, Jesus tells His brothers to go ahead without Him, while He remains in Galilee (John 7:9). Later, as shown in this verse, Jesus will make a quiet, private entrance. The Feast of Booths covers an entire week, so Jesus' eventual preaching in the temple does not happen until several days later (John 7:14).

These few days of anonymity would have given Jesus a chance to see and hear, first-hand, the rumors swirling through Jerusalem. The people are curious about Jesus and what He will do at the festival (John 7:11–13). However, the gossip is spread with some sense of fear. "The Jews," as the phrase is most often used in the gospel of John, refers to the religious leaders of Jerusalem. These men have already marked Jesus as a blasphemer (John 5:18; 7:1).

John 7:1–13 describes Jesus' surprisingly quiet entry to a major Jewish festival. Jesus' brothers—other biological sons of Mary—tease Him about seeking publicity. Instead, Jesus attends alone, and does not teach or preach publicly until the middle of the week-long festival. In the meantime, the people of Jerusalem are ''muttering'' about Jesus, wondering when or if He will appear.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.