John 7:5

5 (Not even his brothers believed in him.)

John 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

John 7:5

For neither did his brethren believe in him.
] At first they might take to him, and embrace him as the Messiah, and expect he would set up a temporal kingdom; in which they might hope, on account of their relation to him, according to the flesh to enjoy great honours and privileges; but finding that he was not inclined to anything of that nature, and talked in a quite different way, they grew sick of him, and rejected him, as the Messiah; so, little regard is to be had, or confidence placed, in carnal descent from, or alliance to the best of men; as to Abraham, or any other true believer, if they have not the same grace, or the same faith as such have; and which comes not by blood, or natural generation, but by the free favour of God; for it matters not, if men have known Christ, or have been allied to him after the flesh, unless they are new creatures in him; they may be the one, and not the other; even the carnal brethren of Christ, and yet not believers in him; and it is only such who are so in a spiritual sense, that are regarded by him, ( Matthew 12:49 Matthew 12:50 ) .

John 7:5 In-Context

3 so Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave this place and go to Judea, so that your followers will see the things that you are doing.

4 People don't hide what they are doing if they want to be well known. Since you are doing these things, let the whole world know about you!

5 (Not even his brothers believed in him.)

6 Jesus said to them, "The right time for me has not yet come. Any time is right for you.

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I keep telling it that its ways are bad.