Last updated on October 23, 2024
One of the most important beliefs in Christianity is that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Most of the posts I’ve written have focused on Jesus’ divinity. Today I want to take a look at a story that very much stresses his humanity.
There were three primary festivals each year in which people throughout all of Israel would travel to Jerusalem. They were Pesah (Passover/the Festival of Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Pentecost/the Festival of Weeks), and Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles/Booths).
This story picks up with Jesus and his brothers getting ready to travel to Jerusalem for Sukkot. This was something that they did every year together. During the week there most people would camp in tents, as it commemorated Israel’s time wandering in the wilderness. I can imagine that this would have been something that Jesus and his siblings looked forward to when they were kids.
We know from Mark 6 that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters. His brothers were James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. We unfortunately don’t know the names of his sisters.
We’re not totally sure of all of the context here, but I wonder if Jesus was looking forward to once again going with his brothers to Jerusalem for this festival. He’s been traveling non-stop. He’s been loved by some but equally hated by others. And everyone has wanted something from him every step of the way. Perhaps it’s time to get away with his brothers.
The problem is, they are not sure about the man that he has become over the last couple of years. Many people are saying that perhaps their brother is the long-awaited Messiah. “How can this be?”, they must be thinking. Others think he’s demon-possessed (out of his mind?). Perhaps that seems more likely of the two options.
So they take this opportunity to mess with their older brother. They say, somewhat teasingly “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world” (John 7:3-4).
John then makes the following note: “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5).
He told his brothers that they could go without him. So they left.
I think it’s important to pause here. How difficult it is when those closest to you think you’ve lost your mind. If Jesus was fully human, and I believe that he was, then this hurt him deeply. A time that was supposed to be a special time of bonding and reconnecting was lost. So he chose to be alone.
Jesus would decide to go ahead to Jerusalem by himself.
The brothers of Jesus would continue to doubt him throughout his life. It wasn’t until he was resurrected that his brothers believed that he was the Messiah. James would go on to lead the church in Jerusalem and write an epistle. Judas (Jude) also wrote an epistle.
Another theme throughout the New Testament, and one that I’m very grateful for, is that God continues to write our story if we will allow him to.