John 7:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.

NIV: Jesus’ brothers said to him, "Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.

NASB: So His brothers said to Him, 'Move on from here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.

CSB: So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples can see your works that you are doing.

NLT: and Jesus’ brothers said to him, 'Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!

KJV: His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

NKJV: His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.

Verses 3–5 present a sad commentary and produce controversy. The men in question are called Jesus' "brothers." This conflicts with the traditional myth that Mary, Jesus' mother, was a perpetual virgin. The Greek term is adelphoi, which can be used to refer to countrymen—meaning fellow Jews—as well as biological siblings. However, this same phrasing is used in verses such as Matthew 12:46 and Mark 6:3. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus' brothers are even named. Psalm 69:8 refers to "mother's sons," rather than "father's sons." This is the same passage which came to mind when Jesus cleansed the temple in John 2:13–17 (Psalm 69:9). In short, the only reasonable interpretation is that these were Jesus' physical, biological half-brothers and fellow children of His mother, Mary.

Their suggestion is that Jesus should go put on a show in Jerusalem. The feeding of thousands, from chapter 6, attracted a great deal of attention. These family members don't yet believe that Jesus is the Messiah (John 7:5). This is probably a sarcastic response to the many followers who abandoned Jesus after His preaching in Capernaum (John 6:66).

Tradition suggests that one of these brothers, James, would become a believer and write the New Testament book of James. Another brother is believed to have drafted the book of Jude. At least some of their disrespect might have been due to familiarity. Jewish tradition suggested that the Messiah would be relatively unknown (John 7:27), so merely knowing Jesus was enough for some to dismiss Him as the Promised One. As seen in the life of men like Judas Iscariot, simply knowing "about" Jesus, or being exposed to Him, is not enough to make a person a believer.

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.