What does John 7:10 mean?
Jesus' brothers—other children of His mother Mary—do not believe in His ministry at this point (John 7:5). Instead, they have teased Jesus by suggesting He go to the festival to draw a crowd (John 7:3–4). Jesus responds by pointing out that He is working from a divine schedule, which they are not a part of (John 7:6). He also notes that their attendance won't be met with as much resistance as His will (John 7:7–8). So, Jesus tells His brothers to go ahead without Him, while He remains in Galilee (John 7:9). Later, as shown in this verse, Jesus will make a quiet, private entrance. The Feast of Booths covers an entire week, so Jesus' eventual preaching in the temple does not happen until several days later (John 7:14).These few days of anonymity would have given Jesus a chance to see and hear, first-hand, the rumors swirling through Jerusalem. Verses 11-13 describe how the people are curious about Jesus and what He will do at the festival. However, that gossip is spread with some sense of fear. "The Jews," as the phrase is most often used in the gospel of John, refers to the religious leaders of Jerusalem. These men have already marked Jesus as a blasphemer (John 5:18; John 7:1).
