John 7:10-13
John 7:10-13 (WEL) But after his brothers had gone up, then he went up to the festival, too, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews were persistently looking for him at the festival, and kept asking, “Where is he?” 12 There was a lot of whispering in the crowd concerning him, for some people said, “He is a good man,” but others said, “He deceives the people.” 13 Nevertheless, no one spoke about him openly, for fear of the Jews.
V10 But after his brothers had gone up, then he went up to the festival, too, not openly, but as it were in secret.
The length of time from His brothers’ departure to His departure is unknown. Perhaps the Savior took a less traveled route to avoid unnecessary recognition.
(Word Pictures in the New Testament (6 Vols.)) “Plainly Jesus purposely went contrary to the insincere counsel of his brothers as to the manner of his Messianic manifestation. This secrecy concerned solely the journey to Jerusalem, not his public teaching there after his arrival (John 7:26-28; John 18:20).”
V11 Then the Jews were persistently looking for him at the festival, and kept asking, “Where is he?”
What was their motive for finding Him? Was it miracles, food, healing, teaching, serving? The text does not say. Many were seeking Him in order to arrest and then kill Him. Others had more honest motives but not necessarily correct ones.
The general population of Jews somewhat favored Him and His message, while the leaders, nearly unanimously, rejected Him and favored killing Him.
Principle: Speaking the truth and exposing sin can be dangerous. Jesus’s motive was to save people, having them believe and call on His name for salvation (Luke 19:10).
V12 There was a lot of whispering in the crowd concerning him, for some people said, “He is a good man,” but others said, “He deceives the people.”
The Greek word for deceive is G4105. πλανάω planaō, which means wandering from people, traveling, or from leaving the truth. (Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) “In its active sense the verb planaō can refer to wandering, wandering off, or going astray. It can also mean “deceive, mislead.” The wandering/going astray can be literal, as in Matthew 18:12, “If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray,” or figurative, as in James 5:19, “If any among you strays from the truth,” and 1 Peter 2:25, “You were like sheep going astray.” The remedy for wandering is to be brought back (or to bring oneself back) into the fold or onto the correct path; in these cases planaō is usually paired with epistrephō (“turn, turn toward”). For example, 1 Peter 2:25 reads, “For you were like sheep going astray [planaō], but you have now returned [epistrephō] to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls,” and James 5:19 reads, “If any among you strays [planaō] from the truth, and someone turns him back [epistrephō]” (cf. v. 20).”
Comments:
(Bible Knowledge Commentary): “The charge, ‘He deceives the people,’ had ominous tones for the penalty for this, according to Talmudic law, was death by stoning. Since the whole crowd was Jewish, fear of the Jews meant fear of the religious leaders.”
V13 Nevertheless, no one spoke about him openly, for fear of the Jews.
The fear of man:
(AskAndyAI):
“The “fear of man” is the tendency to value people’s opinions, approval, or threats more highly than God’s will and God’s opinion. Practically, it means we let worry about what others think or what they might do to us determine our choices instead of acting from faith in the Lord. The teaching I follow highlights several clear points about what this looks like and how it harms Christians:
What the fear of man is
• It’s elevating human opinion and human consequences above the fear (reverence) of God. Instead of asking “What pleases God?” the fearful person asks “What will people think or do?”
• It produces timidity, anxious avoidance, and compromises—sometimes leading believers to lie, shrink back, or refuse to speak and act as God has called them.
How the fear of man affects Christian life
• It short-circuits fruitfulness and Christian effectiveness. When we are controlled by fear of people, we often fail to do what God has commanded or called us to do, which harms our witness and service.
• It creates spiritual traps. Scripture pictures the fear of man as a snare or trap: we begin to do things we otherwise wouldn’t, make sinful choices, or manipulate situations to protect ourselves.
• It damages sanctification and future reward. While fear of man does not nullify saving faith, it jeopardizes fruitfulness, rewards, and the believer’s experience of walking in freedom and obedience.
• It produces sinful anxiety rather than godly trust. The opposite of fear of man is trusting the Lord; the believer who trusts God will be exalted rather than trapped by people’s opinions.
• It stifles boldness and obedience. God has not given believers a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline—so fear of man contradicts how God intends Christians to live.
Pastoral and theological clarifications
• Fear of man is distinct from the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and is right; fear of man is wrong and destructive.
• This fear does not call into question salvation. A Christian can be afraid of people and still be securely saved; however, that fear harms their fellowship, obedience, and fruitfulness.
• The remedy is to replace fear of man with trust in God: remember God’s sovereignty, rely on His resources (not your own), and obey His calling even when doing so risks rejection or loss.
Practical steps I recommend
• Identify specific situations where you self-censor or compromise out of fear and confess that pattern to the Lord.
• Meditate on and rehearse biblical truths that counter fear (God’s presence, sovereignty, and promises).
• Start obeying small steps of courage—speak truth in gentleness, act on convictions, and rely on prayer rather than people-pleasing.
• Remember Paul’s exhortation that God gives a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline—not timidity.
Relevant Scriptures include:
• Proverbs 29:25 (NASB-1995): “The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.”
• Matthew 10:28 (NASB-1995): “”Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• 2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB-1995): “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
We learn:
- How to be prudent in speaking truth by speaking and yet not bringing immediate confrontation.
- Why the fear of man shuts out truth.
Questions:
- Have you experienced confrontation by speaking the truth?
- How has the fear of man affected you?