Why did Jesus lie to his brothers about going to a feast in John 7:8-10?
Answer
There is nothing in the text that indicates that Jesus lied. He told his brothers “I am not yet going up unto this feast, for my time is not yet come.” (John 7:8) They left. After waiting for some time, he went up to the feast. He did exactly what he said.
I think it relates to what he said about his time being “not yet come.” If he had gone up with his brothers, those that sought his life would have been waiting for him. But if he did “not yet” go with them, but went later, then those who sought to kill him might relax their watch. If he were not with his brothers, they might not think he was coming.
It was not a lie because he did not say he was not going to the feast. He simply said he was not yet, at that very instant, going to the feast. That statement allowed for him to go at a later time to that same feast. He could have waited a day to leave, or mere hours, and still have told the truth. It’s like someone going to a movie saying, “I am not leaving yet, but you go ahead. I will meet you there.”