Did Jesus really lie to his brothers?
In this episode of Focused on Christ Mike and Nathan examine John 7, where Jesus navigates family pressure, public scrutiny, and religious opposition during a major Jewish festival. Discover how Jesus responded when His own brothers didn’t believe in Him and challenged Him to prove Himself publicly. Learn why Jesus chose to follow God’s perfect timing rather than human expectations, and how this applies to your life today.
Discussion Questions:
- Jesus’ brothers urged him to publicly display his works, but he refused. How do you handle pressure from others to prove yourself or your faith in ways that don’t align with God’s timing?
- In verse 7, Jesus tells his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it.” What does this reveal about why the world often rejects Jesus and his followers?
- The religious leaders were amazed at Jesus’ teaching despite his lack of formal education. How does this challenge our assumptions about where wisdom and spiritual authority come from?
- Jesus prioritized teaching God’s Word over performing miracles to draw people. How might this shape our approach to evangelism and ministry today?
- The people were divided in their opinions about Jesus. Some called him good, others said he was deceiving people. How do you see similar divisions in how people view Jesus today?
- Jesus states in verse 17, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God.” How does our willingness to obey affect our ability to discern truth?
- The people couldn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah despite him fulfilling all the prophetic markers. What spiritual blindspots might we have that prevent us from seeing God’s work clearly?
- Verse 30 shows God’s providence in protecting Jesus until “his hour had come.” How have you experienced God’s perfect timing in your own life?