Jesus did not seek publicity.  He did not want His ministry to be validated by what people thought of Him.  Jesus only wanted to please His Heavenly Father (John 5:41-44).  About six months had elapsed since the events in John Chapter 6.  During that time Jesus had been in the northern province of Galilee, away from the religious leaders in the south who wanted Him dead and were personally willing to kill Him by stoning (John 5:18: John 8:59).

However, Jesus was not afraid of death.  He knew it was His mission.  His death would defeat Satan and liberate many millions who have been ensnared by him (Hebrews 2:14-15).  But the timing was all important.  Jesus was to be the Passover Lamb to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and at the right time He was resolute about going to Jerusalem.  But that was to be at the Festival of Passover, not the Festival of Tabernacles.  

These verses precede that Festival of Tabernacles.  Every able-bodied Jewish man had a responsibility to be in Jerusalem to honour God, who led the Children of Israel through the wilderness for forty years.  It was a great celebration, but it was also the place to be noticed and to make business contacts.  So Jesus' half-brothers, who had seen His growing reputation in Galilee, urged Him to go to the Festival and make a name for Himself, and themselves by association.  They judged Him by their own selfish, fleshly, human standards.  Perhaps they thought that they would also benefit from His popularity; or that they would enjoy being related to a celebrity.  But the half-brothers did not understand who He was or what He had come to do because they did not believe who He was – despite growing up with Him and knowing His perfect life.

They were like Baruch, Jeremiah's secretary, who thought he ought to get some personal benefit from working with the prophet.  God said to him, "Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them …. " (Jeremiah 45:5).  That temptation, however disguised, is still strong for many who know that they are called to serve the Lord.  The hunger for human popularity, often encouraged by close friends or family, has stunted many ministries and spoiled many ministers.  Whenever we try to make a name for ourselves, we commit the sin of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9): it is an ungodly desire which can never achieve God's purposes because its focus is human glory, and not God's.  Jesus will certainly build His church, and the powers of darkness can never stop Him (Matthew 16:18): but do not ask Him to support your own personal advancement programme.  We must learn to be like John the Baptist who said, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30)