John 7:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”

NIV: No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.'

NASB: For no one does anything in secret when he himself is striving to be known publicly. If You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.'

CSB: For no one does anything in secret while he's seeking public recognition. If you do these things, show yourself to the world."

NLT: You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

This verse continues the sarcastic, mocking tone of Jesus' brothers. Based on passages such as Matthew 12:46, Mark 6:3, and allusions to prophecies such as Psalm 69, there is every reason to think these were Jesus' actual half-siblings. That is, these were other sons of His mother, Mary. When Jesus fed thousands, it attracted a significant level of attention (John 6:14). However, when Jesus explained the real meaning of His ministry, most of those followers turned away (John 6:66). Perhaps this is the motivation for His brothers' mocking: "go make a scene if you want to be such a big deal!"

Jesus, on the other hand, is only interested in following God the Father's timetable (John 7:6). Much of what Jesus does will attract controversy, but this is not the real purpose of His actions. In order to avoid needless scandal, and to make a more subtle entrance, Jesus will let His brothers go ahead of Him so He can enter the festival alone, and quietly (John 7:9–10). Notably, Jesus will perform no miracles at this particular festival.

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 (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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/27/2024 9:04:20 AM