Hi Nickatwarwick,
>>Therefore Jesus to them: "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. ......... You go to the feast, I am not yet going up to this Feast because for me the right time has not come. Having said this he stayed in Galilee.
However, after his brothers had left for the feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. <<
Jesus wasn't lying Nick he was avoiding capture. If you look a few verses before, his brothers had said to him, "Why don't you show yourself to the world since you do all these miracles", and it goes on to say,
"Because even his brothers didn't believe him".
The truth is, his brothers were trying to goad him into going into Jerusalem pre-emptively, because they knew that the authorities were on the lookout for him, and that he would be taken.
Jesus response was,
For you, anytime would be fine. (He was talking about his arrest and crucifixion), but the time is not yet. You go on ahead, I'm not going yet.
He didn't fall into their trap, he went at just the time necessary to fulfil the scripture and and be crucified on the preparation for the passover, so he could spend the sabbath day in the grave, resting. His brothers would have disturbed the prophetic significance of his crucifixion, since he would have been executed earlier, and probably would have been left overnight on the tree, contrary to the word:
"You shall not let his body remain on the tree all night, but he must be buried by all means, that same day".
May the Lord richly bless you