FACING FEAR

(John 7:1-13)

Christians rarely consider that Jesus Christ, when He walked this earth, was ever afraid of anything. It is quite difficult to think that our Lord had experienced FEAR. It is more reassuring to think of the divine qualities of Jesus rather than accept that our Lord possessed human frailties as a man. In fact many sects consider it a sacrilege to delve into the human characteristics of Jesus. Such sects would ostracize anyone who would even suggest that Jesus had experienced any form of human weakness such as being afraid. Jesus had a human body that had all the usual human qualities. These included all the ordinary weaknesses that everyone had. The Book of Hebrews says the same thing (2:14-18 and 4:14-15). It is written that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, took on a human body to sacrifice His human life in order to save humans. It was a mortal body, subject to the same weaknesses and temptations that all of mankind regularly experience. The only difference was that Jesus our Lord did not commit any sin.

Let’s READ John 7:1. After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take His life.(NIV)

Jesus stayed in the area of Galilee for a while. He avoided going to Judea where the religious leaders of the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Jesus was experiencing fear in the same manner as anyone whose life was being threatened. The fear of dying is undoubtedly a part of being human. It was natural for the mortal Jesus to have this fear of death. In fact, on the eve of His arrest, Jesus underwent such a great agony over His impending death that He went into a bloody sweat (Luke 22:43-44).

Let us continue with today’s verses John 7:2-13. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to Him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples may see the miracles 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." For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for Me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for Me the right time has not yet come." Having said this, He stayed in Galilee. However, after His brothers had left for the Feast, He went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for Him and asking, "Where is that man?" Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about Him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, He deceives the people." But no one would say anything publicly about Him for fear of the Jews. (NIV)

The time for the Feast of Tabernacles had come. It was a grand festival that lasted for eight days. During the joyous festivities, the Jews would offer many sacrifices —— much more than at any other occasion. Thus, this was celebrated in the areas near the temple which was in Jerusalem, the capital of Judea.

The brothers of Jesus were cajoling Jesus to go to Judea for the festivities. They were making fun of Him in much the same way that brothers ridicule each other. They could not see any divine purpose in the works of Jesus; nor did they believe in the things that He taught. No prophet is accepted in his own hometown, much less in his own family. It is then easy to understand that Jesus was not believed by His own brothers while He was still alive. It was only after the resurrection of Jesus that His brothers started believing. They became true followers as a result of seeing the risen Lord. Nevertheless that happened later; meanwhile they joked about Him.

As His brothers were making fun of Him, Jesus told them to go on ahead to Judea for the feast. He told them that He was not ready yet. But after they had gone without Jesus, He secretly went to the feast by Himself. Obviously, Jesus did not want to travel with His brothers on that long journey to Jerusalem because of the threat on His life. Travelling with His brothers would make Him more conspicuous and easily identifiable. It could endanger His brothers also. Thus Jesus traveled alone and incognito. Yet, eventhough He felt threatened, He did not allow fear to deter Him from divine destiny. It was with a heavy heart that Jesus secretly journeyed for more than a hundred kilometers to Judea.

The people who were already at the feast noticed the absence of the popular Jesus. Our Lord had often observed the feasts of the Jewish calendar by going to the temple to teach. People had become accustomed to seeing Him in the temple during any celebration. So because Jesus was not around on the first few days of the feast, people began wondering about Him. Apparently those who believed in Jesus had good things to say about Him; those who did not believe in Him spoke of Him as a deceiver, a liar. But no matter how opinionated they were about Jesus, the verses say that no one spoke openly about Jesus. Everyone was so afraid of the religious leaders who hated Jesus bitterly, even to the point of plotting to kill Him. Rumors of that plot had started to circulate. Understandably, the people avoided any risk of incurring the ire of those leaders if they got caught speaking about Jesus. Any talk about Him was done in secret. Because of FEAR.

How about us? What are the things that we FEAR? How do our fears affect our actions? It is normal to fear. It is natural for our survival instincts to trigger our fears. When we sense danger, fear sets in to warn us to seek safety. Actually fear can do us good if we react correctly; but fear can be bad for us if we react wrongly.

Spiritually, fear can lead us to do good things for God as well as for others. For example, fear can lead us to work for the salvation and well-being of our fellowmen. In the Book of Esther, the Jewish queen was overwhelmed by fear for her life and for the lives of the other Jews. As a result, she called for fasting and prayer. Then she risked her own life to plead to the Persian king in order to save the lives of her fellow Jews.

On the other hand, fear can also be spiritually bad if we resort to doing ungodly things. In that case, fear can consume us and tear up our faith in God. This happened to King Saul who became afraid of David (1 Sam.18:6-25). The loyal and God-fearing David had never gone against King Saul. But because of the king’s ungodly ways, Saul developed a growing suspicion towards the young David. This brought a great fear in the heart of King Saul which resulted in his numerous attempts to murder David, the innocent worshipper of God. Fear can likewise prevent an unfaithful person from doing what is good and just in the eyes of God. In the Parable of the Talents (Mattehew 25:24-30), the servant who received one talent was unfaithful and had no trust for his benevolent master. He had the wrong notion that his master was unjust and cruel; thus he was afraid of his master. His fear led him to hide the one talent which was entrusted to him instead of using it productively. For that, he was punished. People like him fail to benefit from God’s good gifts.

Yes, Jesus also experienced what it was to be afraid as we see in today’s verses. However, Jesus never allowed fear to be victorious. He did not allow fear to prevent Him from doing what was good and just in the eyes of God. First, He used His fear to make sure that the lives of His brothers were not jeopardized. He sent them to go without Him to Judea for the feast. And then, He did not allow His fear to prevent Him from doing what He was sent to do —— to teach about the will of God. He dealt with His fear by going to the feast in Judea at a time when the religious leaders were determined to kill Him. Such was the way of our Lord Jesus in the face of FEAR. A shining example for all who follow Him. May He give us the grace to walk in His footsteps.