For neither did his brethren believe in him — the stark denial of belief frames the brothers' exhortation as coming from unbelief, not faith. This is one of John's recurring motifs: even those closest to Jesus—his own kin—operate outside faith. The brothers' counsel, however sensible it sounds, flows from the same blindness that grips 'the Jews.' Belief is not automatic, even for family; it requires a gift from the Father (6:44, 65). The brothers' position as unbelievers establishes that Jesus's decisions about when and how to reveal himself are not determined by family pressure or public opinion.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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