Slices
Prepare
Do you feel fully present to meet with God in scripture and prayer? Spend 60 seconds in silence before reading today’s passage.
Bible passage
Jesus goes to the Festival of Tabernacles
7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, ‘My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.’ 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, ‘Where is he?’
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, ‘He is a good man.’
Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people.’ 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.
Explore
In the modern world people use social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to project themselves and their opinions to a wider audience. In Jesus’ time the best way to make a big splash was to be seen and heard at one of the big festivals in Jerusalem.
The Festival of Tabernacles was one of the biggest of the Jewish feasts, when the Jews remembered living in temporary shelters in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:33–43). Jesus’ brothers advise him that if he is going to seize the moment and create a mass following, now would be the time to do it. After all, Galilee was a backwater. Jerusalem was where you needed to be if you wanted to make it big.
However, John makes it clear that Jesus’ brothers don’t have his best interests at heart (v 5). Jesus has a very different agenda from their worldly ambitions, and he is aware of the need to act within God’s time rather than the world’s. There will come a time when Jesus will openly make the journey into Jerusalem, but not yet (v 8). Jesus is not interested in public acclaim: he listens only to the voice of his Father. Can we hear God’s voice above the noise of those around us?
Respond
What might it mean for you to live and act in God’s time rather than be pushed around by the world’s priorities?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 3–5; Galatians 5
Pray for Scripture Union
We are coming towards the end of a lengthy programme to update all our technology. Pray that the final stages of upgrading our finance system will go smoothly and for the development of the database that the Development Hub use to manage the scheduling, costing and specification of Revealing Jesus resources and Bible Reading Guides.
Summer, a great opportunity to reach the 95!
Need some fresh inspiration for Summer? Download your copy of A Community Summer. Inside you'll find interviews from our mission experts alongside session plans and activities designed to help reach out to children and young people throughout the summer holidays and beyond.
With content suitable and adaptable for ages 5-18 there's a lot to unpack to help you get set for the Summer.
