“No one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13).
The Feast of Tabernacles was approaching, and Jesus was staying in Galilee. His biological brothers visited Him to try to force Him to manifest Himself publicly as the Messiah in Judea, the religious and commercial center of the nation, during the holiday. Jesus refused, but then He suddenly showed up there during the celebration. His relatives criticized Him for staying in such an unpopular place, full of ignorant people and foreigners, instead of surrounding Himself with the teachers and doctors of the law in Jerusalem, and to perform miracles to increase His fame. They accused Him of hiding His ministry, but they did not dare to acknowledge Him publicly as the Messiah. Similarly, we often criticize in others our own faults.
The ceremony was held six months after the Passover, and it was part of the celebration of the new year. It consisted in living in tents or stalls made of tree branches for eight days to commemorate the forty years that their ancestors had lived in the desert under God’s direct care. All the Israelite men were required to attend. The rites included animal sacrifices, offerings of flour and wine, and nighttime processions by torch light. Each rite pointed to Jesus: the water, the light of the torches, the animals that were sacrificed, the rock. But those attending were so immersed in the external celebration that they forgot its meaning. The Water of Life, the Light of the World, the Lamb of God, the Eternal Rock was among them, and they rejected Him. They preferred the symbols over the reality.
The arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem caused the commotion and murmuring that He had wanted to avoid. The multitude was divided: for some, He was the Messiah; for others, He was a great impostor. Those who defended Him did so secretly, because they were afraid. “Through fear of the priests and rulers, none dared acknowledge Him as the Messiah, but everywhere there was quiet yet earnest discussion concerning Him.”—The Desire of Ages, ch. 49, 452.
Fear limits the power of your testimony. Many people are very active in the church, but in public they prefer to keep silent; they feel ashamed. Jesus promises us: “As you confess Me before men, so 1 will confess you before God and the holy angels.
You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels through which My grace can Low for the healing of the world. So I will be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection.
I am the medium through which Heaven’s blessings shall come to you.” —ibid, ch. 37, p. 357.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Esteban Cortes
