Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus highlights a crucial difference: his journey is dictated by a divine timetable, while his brothers' travels are unconstrained. Their "time is always ready" because they are aligned with the world's rhythms, but Jesus operates on God's appointed "time" for his mission, which the world opposes.
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' brothers are pushing him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, urging him to make his miracles known to the world. They don't believe in him themselves and want him to gain fame. Jesus, however, points out that his public ministry is different from theirs; while they can go anywhere without fear, he is constantly in danger from a world that hates his message of truth.
Why did Jesus wait to go to the feast when his brothers urged him to go immediately? It all comes down to timing.
Jesus understood that His life and ministry operated on a divine timetable, not one dictated by human urgency or the world's schedule.
A Different Urgency
His brothers, perhaps driven by ambition or a desire for recognition, wanted Jesus to make a public display at the feast. They operated on the 'world's clock,' where immediate action and visible results are paramount. They could travel at any time because their agenda was to be seen and to gain followers.
A Divinely Appointed Season
Jesus, however, spoke of 'my time.' This wasn't just about when He would arrive at the feast, but about the divinely appointed season for His public ministry, His suffering, and His glorification. He knew that going at that particular moment, with the intense hatred already brewing against Him, would be premature. He had to wait for the Father's precise timing, a time that would ultimately lead to His crucifixion and exaltation as the Passover Lamb.
Jesus' brothers were puzzled by His caution, but Jesus knew a truth they didn't: the world hated Him for a specific reason.
Jesus' brothers didn't understand why He was being so secretive and cautious. They operated with the assumption that the world would be receptive to Jesus' works. Jesus, however, knew the deep, inherent antagonism between Himself and the world.
The World's Sympathy vs. Jesus' Opposition
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Jesus explained that His brothers could associate with the world without fear because they were 'of the world.' Their values and actions aligned with the world's, so the world didn't perceive them as a threat. They could go to the feast anytime without attracting negative attention.
Revealing Evil
But Jesus was different. He was in 'essential antagonism' to the world. His very presence and message testified against the world's evil deeds. He exposed its sinfulness, and for that reason, the world hated Him. His mission required navigating this hatred, and His timing was deliberately calculated to fulfill His purpose, not to appease the world's expectations or avoid its immediate wrath.
Understand the original words
kairos · Greek Noun
A specific, divinely appointed moment or season in God’s redemptive timeline; it often refers to the climactic hour of Christ’s glorification through his suffering, death, and resurrection.
Jesus' statement highlights the stark contrast between His divinely appointed mission and the worldly ambitions of His brothers. While they sought recognition and were free to associate with the world, Jesus operated according to God's perfect timing, knowing His unique, antagonistic relationship with the world meant He faced unique dangers.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry in Galilee
Following His baptism and temptation, Jesus began His public ministry, primarily teaching and performing miracles in Galilee. This period was marked by growing popularity but also increasing opposition from Jewish religious leaders.
c. AD 27-30
Growing Hostility in Judea
The religious authorities in Jerusalem, particularly in Judea, viewed Jesus' teachings and claims with suspicion and hostility, seeking opportunities to discredit or arrest Him. This created a dangerous environment for Jesus in that region.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Brethren Urge Jesus to Go to Feast
Jesus' own brothers, not yet believing in Him, urged Him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem to gain wider recognition. They saw His ministry as too secretive and provincial.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Strategic Delay to Feast
Jesus explains that His public appearance in Jerusalem must align with a divinely appointed time, unlike His brothers who could travel freely without attracting dangerous attention. He chose to go later and more privately.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus Travels to Jerusalem Later
Despite his initial reluctance to go with his brothers, Jesus eventually traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, teaching in the temple courts and encountering further opposition.
Jesus echoes this sentiment by saying 'Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' This highlights His consistent understanding of divinely appointed times for His actions and revelations.
John 13:1This passage shows Jesus acting with full knowledge of His impending 'hour,' stating, 'Now the hour had come for him to depart out of this world to the Father.' It emphasizes the contrast between His determined 'time' and the readiness of others.
Galatians 4:4Paul speaks of Jesus' coming as occurring 'when the fullness of time had come,' aligning with Jesus' awareness of specific, divinely orchestrated moments for His mission, unlike the ordinary times of human life.
Romans 8:18-25This passage speaks of creation groaning and waiting for redemption, paralleling Jesus' awareness of a divinely set 'time' for His full manifestation and the world's ultimate transformation, in contrast to the present state.
barnesJohn 7:6: "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready."
My time ... - The proper time for my going up to the feast. We know not why it was not yet a proper time for him to go. It might be because if he went then, in their company, while multitudes were going, it would have too much the appearance of parade and ostentation; it might excite too much notice, and be more likely to expose him to the envy and opposition of the rulers. Your time ... - It makes no…
vincentJohn 7:6: "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready."
Time (καιρὸς)See on Matthew 12:1; see on Luke 1:20; see on Acts 12:1. The appropriate season or juncture.Alway readyThe disciples might at any time associate with the world, with which they were still in sympathy. Not so Jesus, who was in essential antagonism to the world.
Jesus highlights a crucial difference: his journey is dictated by a divine timetable, while his brothers' travels are unconstrained. Their "time is always ready" because they are aligned with the world's rhythms, but Jesus operates on God's appointed "time" for his mission, which the world opposes.
Jesus' brothers are pushing him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, urging him to make his miracles known to the world. They don't believe in him themselves and want him to gain fame. Jesus, however, points out that his public ministry is different from theirs; while they can go anywhere without fear, he is constantly in danger from a world that hates his message of truth.
Jesus' brothers are pushing him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, urging him to make his miracles known to the world. They don't believe in him themselves and want him to gain fame. Jesus, however, points out that his public ministry is different from theirs; while they can go anywhere without fear, he is constantly in danger from a world that hates his message of truth.
"Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here." — Jesus highlights a crucial difference: his journey is dictated by a divine timetable, while his brothers' travels are unconstrained. Their "time is always ready" because they are aligned with the wor…
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Last reviewed October 2026