John 7:1-9  (NLT)

Jesus and His Brothers

7 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8 You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.

Jesus had a devoted inner circle who could see He was more than just another rabbi. But the people who struggled the most to understand Jesus was His own family (John 7:5). 

James was Jesus’ half-brother, born to Joseph and Mary (Matthew 13:55). While James and Jesus grew up together, it wasn’t until after Jesus’ death and resurrection that James understood exactly who his brother was. When Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection, James saw that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God (1 Corinthians 15:7). 

Those closest to us are sometimes the hardest to reach. Jesus knew how His family felt, but He never let their disbelief discourage Him from His mission (Mark 6:4). After all, reaching skeptics like His brothers was the mission (John 3:16). Imagine how Jesus felt when His little brother, James, finally came to faith. 

James went on to become a pillar of the early Christian church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9) because of his encounter with the risen Christ. 

Likewise, don’t let the skeptics in your family discourage you. They see you reading your Bible, being kind when others aren’t, and experiencing peace in the midst of chaos. You are influencing others as you allow Jesus to change you. 

You may be the only believer in your family. The people you’re closest to might mock or dismiss your faith. But don’t hide who you are in Christ. Instead, keep living out what you believe. One day, your steadfast love and obedience to God just might be what changes their mind. 

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