Sharper Iron — The Word Made Flesh: When Will Jesus’ Time Come?

Rev. Dr. Christopher Jackson, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Algoma, WI and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 7:1-13.

After the Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus continues His ministry in Galilee because the Jews in Judea were ready to kill Him. When the time for the Feast of Booths arrives, Jesus’ brothers show their misunderstanding and their unbelief when they urge Him to go to Judea and make a name for Himself. Jesus replies by telling them that His time has not yet come; the hour is not yet at hand for Him to go to His death and resurrection. Yet Jesus does still go privately to the Feast, where questions about His identity swirl among the people. Such questions continue today, even as Jesus has given the answer through His death and resurrection.

“The Word Made Flesh” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. John. The disciple whom Jesus loved wrote his Gospel account as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life and ministry. As we read the Word of God recorded by St. John, the Holy Spirit works in us so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so have life by faith in His name.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

John 7:1-13

Jesus at the Feast of Booths

7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews^[a] were seeking to kill him. ²Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. ³So his brothers^[b] said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵For not even his brothers believed in him. ⁶Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸You go up to the feast. I am not^[c] going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

¹⁰But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. ¹¹The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” ¹²And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” ¹³Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

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Footnotes

John 7:1 Or Judeans; Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time
John 7:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10
John 7:8 Some manuscripts add yet

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).