Jesus, Shrewdness, and the Truth: Part 1

By Dwayne Moore

Have you ever come across a Bible passage that just… bothers you?
One that seems to contradict everything you know about Jesus? Where you read it once, twice, maybe ten times, and you still can't quite square it with the character of Christ?

Yeah, me too. And John 7:1-10 has been one of those passages for me.

I'll be honest, I wrestled with this text for a long time before I felt confident enough to even journal about it, let alone share it publicly. But I believe there's a powerful lesson here for every church leader, pastor, and worship leader who's navigating the tension between truth-telling and wisdom in a hostile world.

So let's dive in together.

The Confusing Exchange

Here's what happened: Jesus was traveling around Galilee, intentionally staying out of Judea because the Jewish leaders there were actively plotting to kill him. Then the Festival of Shelters rolled around, and Jesus' brothers came to him with what seemed like reasonable advice:

"Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" (John 7:3-4)

But here's the kicker, the text tells us that "even his brothers didn't believe in him" (v. 5). Their motives weren't pure. They weren't encouraging him out of faith; they were challenging him, possibly mocking him.

Jesus' response? "Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime… You go on. I'm not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come" (v. 6, 8).

So his brothers left for the festival. And then? Jesus went to the festival anyway, just secretly, halfway through.

Wait… what?

Did Jesus Lie?

This is where it gets uncomfortable. On the surface, it looks like Jesus told his brothers he wasn't going, and then he went. That sounds like deception. That sounds like a lie.

And we know that's impossible. Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Hebrews 4:15 tells us he was tempted in every way but was without sin. Jesus cannot and did not lie.

So what happened?

Here's where we need to pay careful attention to what Jesus actually said, and what he didn't say. Some early manuscripts include the word "yet" in verse 8: "I am not going up to this festival yet." Whether that word belongs there or not has been debated by scholars for centuries. But even without it, Jesus' statement doesn't exclude going later. He said, "I'm not going to this festival", meaning with you, at this time, in the way you're suggesting.

He didn't say, "I will never go."
He didn't say, "I'm staying in Galilee the whole time."
He simply declined their invitation and their timeline.

What Jesus Didn't Say

Here's what strikes me most about this passage: Jesus didn't volunteer certain information.

He didn't tell his brothers he was planning to go in secret.
He didn't explain that he'd show up halfway through.
He didn't try to justify his shrewd behavior or convince them of his motives.

Why not?

Because his brothers couldn't be trusted with the full truth. Their motives were hostile. They didn't believe he was the Son of God. They were pushing him toward a public display that would have put his life in danger prematurely, before "his time had come."

Jesus knew this. And he responded accordingly.

This wasn't deception. This was discernment. This was shrewdness.

Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

Remember what Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 10:16? "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

This is that teaching lived out.

Jesus was calling his followers to combine shrewd, cautious discernment with pure, harmless integrity when facing a hostile world. And his brothers, sadly, were part of that hostile world at this moment in his ministry.

Being "innocent as doves" doesn't mean being naive. It doesn't mean volunteering every detail of your plans to people who might use that information against you. It doesn't mean ignoring red flags or foolishly trusting everyone equally.

Shrewdness is wisdom in action. It's understanding people's motives. It's knowing when to speak and when to stay silent. It's protecting what's sacred from those who would misuse it.

The Hard Example: Wisdom in the Darkest Times

Let me take this to a place that might make you uncomfortable, because it made me uncomfortable too.

During the Holocaust, Christians hid Jewish families in their homes, attics, and basements. When Nazi soldiers knocked on their doors and asked, "Are you hiding Jews?" many of these Christians said, "No."

That was a lie. A shrewd, life-saving lie.

Would God hold those believers accountable for that deception? Would he condemn them for choosing shrewdness over brutal honesty in the face of absolute evil?

I don't think so.

I think those Christians were living out exactly what Jesus modeled in John 7: shrewdly shrouding the truth from people whose motives were murderous. They were being wise as serpents and innocent as doves in the most literal sense imaginable.

What This Means for Church Leaders Today

So where does this leave us? As pastors, worship leaders, and ministry leaders, how do we apply this?

First, we need to recognize that not everyone deserves access to the full truth of our plans, our hearts, or our ministries. That's not being deceptive: it's being wise. There are people in your church, your community, maybe even on your team whose motives aren't pure. And Jesus' example gives us permission to guard information from them.

Second, discernment is a leadership skill we must develop. We need to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom to recognize when someone is asking questions out of genuine care versus when they're digging for ammunition. Not every question deserves a full answer.

Third, we must always strive to be truthful while also being wise about what to share and when. This is a tension, not a formula. It requires prayer, humility, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But it's possible to walk in both integrity and shrewdness: because Jesus did exactly that.

At Next Level Worship, we're committed to equipping leaders not just with skills and strategies, but with the biblical wisdom to navigate the complex, often hostile world of ministry. And sometimes that wisdom looks less like an open book and more like a closed mouth.

Looking Ahead to Part 2

In Part 2 of this series, we're going to dig even deeper into what happened after Jesus arrived at the festival in secret. We'll explore how he eventually went public, what that teaches us about timing, and how shrewdness and boldness can coexist in the same leader.

Because here's the thing: Jesus didn't stay hidden. His shrewdness in John 7:1-10 wasn't about avoiding his mission: it was about protecting it until the right moment. And when that moment came? He stepped into the spotlight with authority and truth.

We'll unpack that together soon. But for now, sit with this challenging passage. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom about where you need to be more shrewd, more discerning, more careful with the sacred information you carry.

Because being wise as serpents doesn't make you less like Jesus. In fact, it might make you more like him than you ever realized.

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This blog post was created with AI assistance to expand and develop Dwayne Moore's personal journal reflections and teaching notes.