 Jesus said he wouldn't go, but then he went. Did Jesus tell a lie? Hey, small Christians, there's a question that was asked, and I want to take some time to look at it. The questions asked, maybe you've heard this question before, did Jesus tell a lie? Knowingly tell a lie in John chapter 7 about going to the feast. A feast that he said he's not going to, apparently, and then goes to the feast. Well, let's look at it and look at the context, and then we also have to look at a word that's there also in this passage that will give us some clarity as well. John chapter 7 verse 1, After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him. That's important, because we need to remember that as we get to the point or the passage is in question. Verse 2, Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of the boots, wore us was near. For his brother said to him, Leave here and go into Judea so that your disciples also may see your works, which you are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For not even his brothers were believing in him, which is kind of interesting. So Jesus said to them, My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. The world cannot hate you, which is me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. Go up to the feast yourselves. I do not go up to this feast, because my time has not yet fully come. Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee. Well, okay, so Jesus tells his brothers, I'm not going, but then verse 10, we have a problem. Seemingly we have a problem. Verse 10 says, But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he himself also went up, in secret. So the Jews were seeking him at the feast and were saying, where is he? There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning him. Some were saying he is a good man. Others were saying no. On the contrary, he leads people astray. Yet no one was speaking openly of him for fear of the Jews. So you can see where kind of the contradiction of the conflict seems to be there. He actually shows up. Now let's go to verse 14. This might also help. In the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews then were astonished saying, how has this man become learned having never been educated? So Jesus answered them and said, my teaching is not of mine, but he is who sent me. So get the picture. Jesus initially says that he's not going to go. Seemingly he's not going to go, but then he shows up. Well, how is this not a contradiction, that Jesus lied? Did Jesus not know that he was going to go up there? If he's God, then of course he knew. So let's go back to the past. Let's go to verse 4, 5. Let's go to verse 6. He says, my time is not yet here, but yours is always. So now Jesus didn't go. He says, the world cannot hate you, but it hates me. Verse 8, he says, go up to the feast yourselves. I do not go to this feast because my time is not yet fully come. He said, one, the presence of the word hapo. This word hapo, I have it highlighted over to it right so you could also see it as well. This word hapo means yet. Verse 5, he says, not even as brothers were believing. Verse 6, he says, my time is not yet here, but your time is always. And the word that's here, this word that's yet, is hapo. Hapo means it's yet. So it's not yet my time. And remember, Jesus on different occasions will say that it's not yet my time, not yet my time. Then he'll also, later on, say that his time has come. And so in this case, his time has not yet come. Remember the beginning of the passage states that Jesus did not want to go up to Jerusalem just yet. Why? Because the Jews were seeking to kill him. And so in this case, timing was an issue, one timing so that there would be no issue with him coming up and being in front of them. Remember, the Jews hated him. And they're already there at the feast, speaking negatively of him. But then he seems to choose the opportune time. Because notice what it says in verse 6. He says, my time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. Then we drop down a little bit further to verse 8. He says, go up to the feast yourselves. I did not go up to his feast because my time, this word hapo, hapo is there, has not yet fully come. My time to go has not yet come. He didn't say he wasn't going in essence, he said, or not even essence, he actually said, I'm not going yet. And so he goes up. And what happens in verse 14? He goes and he speaks for the people and the people are astounded at this speech. And the Jews say to them, how is it that he's able to teach this way? And he says, well, my teaching is not of mine. And so he does so at the right time, at the opportune time, his time when his brothers went was not yet his time. He simply went later. And so did Jesus lie? Well, it'd be kind of odd. Think about it, for him to have lied or for someone to even account this in the span of a few verses, two or three verses apart, that would be pretty easy to detect. As a matter of fact, having this been written then, that would have been an obvious issue from the church all the way up to now seeing that, hey, here's a clear contradiction and a lie. He said he wasn't going to do it, but he does. Unless we throw in the word yet, I'm not going yet. That makes all the difference. And so did Jesus lie? No, he did not.