Section 2
His creatures (7:1). It was not an easy thing for the Creator to suffer the persecution from His creatures. What patience He must have had! What humiliation it must have been! But the Lord did it. Even the religious feast provided an opportunity for this persecution (7:2, 11). The religionists took advantage of the religious feast to persecute the Lord Jesus.
LIFE'S SUFFERING OF PEOPLE'S UNBELIEF
The persecuting Jews were seeking to kill the Lord Jesus (7:1, 19-20, 25, 30, 32). Since the Jew ish religionists were plotting against the Lord Jesus, He had to be somewhat careful. If He had been even a little careless, He would have fallen into their hands. He was not able to act freely. Although the Lord is the Almighty God, He, as a man under persecution, was limited in His activity. While the religionists were seeking to kill Him on the one hand, His unbelieving broth ers were challenging Him to seek worldly glory on the other hand (7:3-4). His brothers seemed to say to Him, "Why don't you go to Jerusalem? You should make a big name for yourself." Both the persecution of the Jews and the challenge from His brothers came from one enemy, Satan.