In Secret

Now, the time was near for the autumn pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths. And Jesus' brothers came to Him. They did not believe in Jesus. So they came with contempt and mocked Him, saying, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples there may see the works You are doing, for no one who wants to be known publicly acts in secret. Since You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.”

Jesus knew the leaders of the Jews wanted to kill Him. So, He told His brothers, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that its works are evil. Go up to the feast on your own. I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet come.” 

After speaking with His brothers, Jesus remained in Galilee. But sometime after His brothers had gone, Jesus also went up to the feast—not publicly, but in secret.

The leaders of the Jews were looking for Jesus at the feast and asking, “Where is He?”

Many in the crowds were whispering about Jesus. Some said, “He is a good man.”

But others replied, “No, He deceives the people.”

Yet no one would speak publicly about Jesus for fear of the leaders of the Jews.

See John 7:2‭-‬13

Notes: 

1. "I am not going": For the Gospel of John, four of the source manuscripts—Nestle 1904 (NE), Westcott and Hort (WH), the Byzantine text-type (BYZ), and the Textus Receptus (TR)—record "I am not yet going."

2. "in secret": When Jewish pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem from Galilee, they typically came south along the Jordan river valley and then turned eastward at Jericho. Some scholars suggest that Jesus did not travel the main route in disguise, but rather came to Jerusalem by passing through Samaria, a route which would not be objectionable to Jesus.

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