My Time Has Not Yet Come
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to John 7:1-13.
1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee. 10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
Illustration
Let me begin by asking you a question: How many have you read a book or watched a movie called “Holes.”
I read the book when I was in elementary school.
The story follows a teenage boy named Stanley Yelnats.
He was wrongfully accused of stealing a pair of sneakers.
He would then be sent to a juvenile detention center called Camp Green Lake.
This would be the place where he and other juveniles are forced to dig holes every day under the blazing sun.
The reason why those teenagers are digging roles is not only to punish them, but as the story goes on, they, unknowningly, were digging for a hidden treasure.
In the movie, one of the famous lines in this story is from Stanley.
Right after he was accused of stealing the sneakers, Stanley said this: “All my life I seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
I think that line resonates with many people nowadays.
The reason why Stanley thinks that way is because he always believed he was cursed because of a family story passed down through generations.
This leads me to ask you this question: “Do you feel like you’re sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
Biblical Theology
The Scripture has a lot to say about time, particularly God’s timing for everything.
We would all agree that His timing is always perfect...
...including the time when it seems like we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time from our human perspective.
The challenge for us as Christians are two things:
First, it is discerning His timing for our life.
Second, it is waiting on His timing for our life.
So, we’ll need wisdom from Scripture, especially in the life of Jesus Christ.
What’s fascinating about Jesus is that He is God.
Before His incarnation - before He became man - He was in eternity with His Father and the Spirit.
God the Son transcends beyond time.
He was outside of time.
After our God became man, He is now living in time.
Here’s the truth: Our Lord Jesus knows and aligns Himself perfectly with God’s timing.
Context
So, we are in John 7.
From this passage, we get a glimpse of how Jesus followed God’s timing for His life on earth.
I trust that we can draw out some applications for us to consider for our Christian life.
There are four lessons on how Jesus carefully lived in God’s timing:
Exposition
[SLIDE 2] First, we see that “Jesus Delayed With Discernment.”
Verses 1-2 sets up the the season and location.
1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.
John begins this section with “After This.”
This tells us what happened in the previous context.
This is after the feeding of the 5000, and Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
At the end of John 6, we saw that many disciples no longer walked Christ,
After the false disciples left Jesus, and after the true disciples remained with Jesus...
Jesus went about in Galilee.
He was talking around and travelling.
There should have been a 6-month gap between John 6 and John 7.
John 6 tells us that it was around the Passover Season, which would have been around March-April.
John 7 tells us that this event took place at the Feast of Booths, which would around October...
So about 6 months later.
Speaking of the Feast of Booths, the Jews were about to celebrate this Jewish Festival in Jerusalem.
This festival sets up the backdrop chapters 7-8.
In case you’re not familiar with it, the Feast of Booths was one of the major annual festivals in Ancient Israel.
It is also called the Feast of Tabernacles.
What is this festival all about?
It is a celebration where the Jews remember Israel’s desert wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt.
They would celebrate this Feast sometime in the middle of October.
Which would have been the end of their agricultural year and harvest.
The celebration would last for about 8 days.
The OT texts tell us that the Israelites were to rest from work on the 1st and 8th day of the Festival.
They were to present their food offerings to the LORD.
The purpose of this celebration is described in Leviticus 23:42-43.
42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
[SLIDE 3] As part of the observance, the Israelites were commanded to dwell in booths.
These booths were made of branches for the duration of the feast.
Here’s another fascinating thing about the Feast of Booths.
According to D.A. Carson, this feast was also “known for a water-drawing rite and a lamp-lighting rite.”
Jesus relates those rites to Himself.
He talks about the rivers of living water in John 7:37-39.
He talks about being the light of the world in John 8:12.
With the Feast of Booths at the backdrop of this drama, Jesus would use the festival to draw attention to Himself as the fulfillment of the OT festivals.
[SLIDE 4] As significant as this festival was, we are told in verse 1 that Jesus wouldn’t go to Judea.
He wouldn’t travel from Galilee, which is North of Israel, to Judea, which is South of Israel.
The Apostle John gives us a simple reason:
It is because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
John oftens refers to the Jews as the religious leaders known as the Sanhedrin.
They’re like the Jewish supreme court.
According to John 5:18, the reason why the Jews were seeking to kill Him is because Jesus claimed to be equal with God.
I also want to highlight that chapters 7-8 are sections where Jesus faces extreme oppositions from the Jews.
If you look at chapters 7-8, 7 times, the word, “kill,” is used.
Later on in John 8:59 and 10:31, the Jews would pick up stones in an attempt to kill Jesus themselves.
Such behaviour reveals their “high-intensity hatred” for Jesus.
Eventually, the Jews will plot to kill our Lord by scheming His arrest.
Now for some of you who may have grown up in the church, or may not be familiar with the Bible, this may sound quite surprising to you that Jesus was put on a bounty, so to speak.
You may have thought that Jesus was a nice guy who was a friend of sinners.
Well, the truth is that while Jesus is a friend of sinners, the Jews wanted Him dead.
Because He was quite controversial.
Jesus spoke truth and did things that offended the Jews because Jesus went against their man-made traditions.
Thus, Jesus made enemies and He was hated for them.
Recognize, however, that Jesus does eventually go to Judea, but He delayed his arrival in the face of real danger.
This can be instructive for us as we discern God’s timing.
Sometimes, if we are faced with a situation that is risky - whatever that risk might be - maybe it is not God’s timing for us to act.
We should not rush ahead of God.
Yet, sometimes, even if the situation is risky, it doesn’t always mean it’s not God’s will for us take a step of faith.
So, we should exercise careful wisdom and discernment in the face of trials.
[SLIDE 5] We come to verses 3-5 where we will learn that “Jesus Resisted Worldly Pressure.”
3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
Since the Feast of Booths was at hand, we are told that the brothers of Jesus was present.
This passage in John is important because it is rare to see Jesus interacting with His half-siblings, whom Mary and Joseph had.
In verses 3-4, the brothers offered Jesus an advice or instruction, which was to leave Galilee and go to Judea.
I mean, you can imagine that’s what siblings do to each other.
They like to boss each other around.
Jesus’ brothers challenged Him to go up to Jerusalem to perform miraculous signs during the Feast of Booths for two reasons:
First, Jesus’ disciples would see them.
Second, Jesus would show Himself publicly instead of being in secret.
Now, let’s address this statement at the end of verse 3: “that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.”
If we’re reading John’s gospel carefully, their instruction to Jesus may not seem to make sense for two reasons:
First, they seem to be implying that His disciples haven’t seen His works.
However, we do know that the disciples did see the miraculous signs of Jesus.
He turned water into wine.
He healed the official’s son.
He healed the invalid man.
He fed the 5000.
Second reason why this proposal may not make sense:
They seem to be implying that Jesus’ disciples are in Judea, instead of with Him in Galilee.
However, I think it is possible that the brothers were thinking about the disciples who abandoned Christ in John 6:66.
So, if Jesus performed signs, they might come back to Him.
But, I’m sure the false disciples who abandoned Christ also witnessed signs from Jesus.
They were there to witness the feeding of the 5000.
And we know from Scripture that signs do not always lead to genuine saving faith.
Signs could cause people to follow Jesus for an impure motive.
Now, there is a second reason why the brothers urged Jesus to go to Judea.
Verse 4 says: “For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to Jesus.”
Essentially, since the Feast of Booths would bring in numerous Jews into Jerusalem...
...it would have been an opportunity to draw attraction from countless thousands of Jews to Jesus Himself with His miraculous signs.
If He were to be trusted as the Messiah, then Jesus would have to show Himself to the world instead of working in secret.
Now, when the brothers told Jesus to show Himself to the world, I don’t think they meant everyone on planet earth.
You have to be careful of how you study this word.
The world has multiple meanings in John’s gospel depending on the context.
The world should mean “everyone” - namely the Jews - at the Feast of Booths.
So, why are His brothers saying all of this in verses 3-4?
John gives us an explanation in verse 5: “For not even his brothers believed in him.”
John tells us that they’re not followers of Jesus Christ.
They did not believe in their older brother.
I mean who would believe that their sibling is the Messiah, the God-Man?
What is the underlying issue of their unbelief?
It doesn’t seem like their skepticism was on the Jesus’ ability to perform sign and miracles.
More likely, their unbelief stems from their superficial understanding of Jesus’ signs...
Thus, failing to truly understand the significance of the sings, which are to reveal the true nature and identity of Christ.
Jesus was pressured by his brothers to go to Judea for those human reasons that driven by worldly expectations.
This is something for us to consider in our life.
We’re faced with worldly pressure to pursue paths do not align with the will and timing of God.
Instead, it is meeting the expectation of people’s timing rather than God’s timing.
We are pressured by our friends, classmates, family members, and work colleagues.
They may give us all sorts of reasons to go down the path of worldliness and doing whatever it takes to get ahead of everyone, such as:
Taking shortcuts to success.
Chasing after popularity.
Compromising our integrity for financial gain.
Brothers and sisters, have you succumbed to worldly temptations?
Have you allowed those voices to draw you away from God’s timing and will for your life?
These pressures are subtle and real, and seems to make logical sense from a human standpoint.
Even our Lord Jesus faced it.
But, how does He respond to His brothers?
[SLIDE 6] We’ll consider the 3rd Lesson: “Jesus Walked In Obedience to His Father’s will.”
6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
Jesus declines the instruction given by His brothers.
He says at the beginning of verse 6, “My time has not yet come...” And He says at the end of verse 8, “I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”
When Jesus says, “My Time,” He’s referring to God’s timetable.
In other words, it’s not time for Jesus to go to Judea yet because He’s following exactly His Father’s timing.
Jesus is not going to the Feast right now not because of the fear of the Jews, but because of His obedience to the Father.
But, his brothers can go anytime!
They can attend the feast in Jerusalem without the face of hostility by the world.
Hence, Jesus says in verse 7: “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.”
The world cannot hate the brothers because they are of the world.
Hence, the world loves its own.
However, the world hates Jesus because He testifies about the world that its works are evil.
John 3:19 tells us that Jesus came into the world to expose its darkness.
Even though the world is referring to the Jews at the festival, the world (cosmos) carries a theological concept of those who are estranged from God.
This is the beginning of the world’s intense hatred against Jesus.
But not only Him...
Eventually, the world will also hate the disciples of Christ (John 15:18-19, 23-25; 17:14), such as the Apostles, the early Christians, and eventually those of us who are born-again believers.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
After Jesus’ response, verse 9 tells us that Jesus remained in Galilee.
However, this doesn’t mean that He plans to stay in Galilee forever.
It was not God’s timing at the moment for Jesus to journey to Jerusalem.
At least, He’s not going there according to His brothers’ timing.
Brothers and sisters, the world will tempt you and pressure you to follow its pattern.
But,by God’s grace, He saved you out of the world through the person and work of Jesus.
By God’s mercies, you are no longer called to be conformed to the world.
Rather, you are to predestined by God to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus.
Now, as a follower of Christ, you are in the world, but you are not of the world.
[SLIDE 7] We’ll learn our final lesson: “Jesus Moved Quietly.”
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
After the brothers went to the Feast/Jerusalem, we are told that Jesus ALSO went up to the Feast.
When it is time for Jesus to move, He does so quietly.
He did not go publicly, but in private.
Jesus was concealing Himself.
He was hidden or in secret.
It was not time for Jesus to reveal Himself openly.
Jesus’ action aligned perfectly with the will of His Father.
Plus, He was in private, for now, because He knew that His enemies were waiting and seeking to kill Him.
If He went with His brothers, it would have been a secret.
But, since He went up by Himself, He can be hidden.
He will, however, do so in verse 14 where He went into the temple and began teaching since it’s God’s timing for His Son to reveal Himself.
But for now, He remains hidden.
There is a practical lesson here.
When we are convinced that it is God’s will, timing, and direction in our lives - whatever that might be - it is easy and tempting to rush ahead.
But, we should move slowly with God’s timing.
We should learn to wait and move quietly.
If you’re walking with God through the application of His word, you can discern His timing and will for your life.
Since the feast was an important Jewish celebration, the Jews were expecting Jesus to be around, but they weren’t able to find Him.
We see that in verse 11.
11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?”
In the original language, the “he” is in the demonstrative pronoun.
If we were to translate it literally, it would be this: “Where is THAT or where is THAT ONE.”
Where is “ἐκεῖνος”, which is the Greek word.
They could have said, “Where is αὐτός.”
The reason why I’m bringing this up is because we do not see the nuance in the original language if we’re merely reading from the English translation.
The fact that the Jews said, “Where is THAT ONE,” instead of saying, “Where is he or where is Jesus,” demonstrates a tone of disdain.
It has a disparaging connotation.
They have such strong animosity towards Christ that they even refrained from calling Him by name.
You see they were looking for Jesus, but we know back in verse 1 that this was not a neutral search.
The Jews were looking to kill Jesus.
This highlights John’s prologue in John 1:11.
Christ came to His people (the Jews), but they did not receive Him.
Instead, they wanted to kill Him.
In verse 12, at the festival which was supposed to be a time of celebration and rejoicing, there was muttering about Jesus among the people.
This means that they were uttering quietly behind the scenes.
Each person was stating his opinion about Jesus Christ, but they do not want to say it out loud.
In verse 13, the folks were muttering about Jesus because they feared the Jews, the religious leaders.
They did not want to speak about Jesus openly despite their curiosity and speculation about the Christ.
Some said: “He is a good man.”
Others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.”
Either opinion gets Jesus wrong to some extent.
Indeed, Jesus was good.
He was morally good.
A lot of people in the world would say that Jesus was a morally good teacher.
He’s a good example for us to follow.
However, that is a superficial level recognition.
It doesn’t acknowledge His Lordship and Messiahship.
No good men would dare to claim that they’re God.
In other gospels, Jesus wants people to recognize that only God is good, implying that He is God Himself.
He is to be worshipped and praise by all.
He is God who became Man.
On the polar opposite end, you have others who are saying this: No, he is leading the people astray.
The KJV says that Jesus deceiveth others.
This is a serious charge and accusation against Jesus.
They think Jesus is a liar and deceiver and charlatan.
This position is also wrong because no deceivers can truly perform signs and miracles.
Jesus truly authenticated who He is by His teaching and signs, which ultimately culminates to His resurrection.
And it is the 2nd view of Jesus that prevailed in the mind of the Jew.
To the Jews, Jesus was a false Messiah.
If you recall John’s purpose in John 20:30-31, he wrote it so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing in Him we may have life in His name.
One of John’s intentions for including this passage in his gospel is because his purpose serves to be evangelistic.
He wants to persuade his audience to know and trust that Jesus is the Son of God.
Yet, despite his evangelistic endeavour, we must recognize that not all evangelism is successful at least in humanly terms.
Evangelism can expose people’s reaction to the gospel message.
Some will not believe.
Some will have their opinions about Christ, but not truly believe that He is their Lord and Saviour.
Some will genuinely be saved.
John reveals to us Jesus’ family members.
However, this story shows their unbelief.
If you have family members who are not believers, you’re not alone.
Ultimately, John wants to convince people to place their faith in Christ despite oppositions.
And it is God’s will and timing for us to proclaim the gospel to lost sinners.
If you’re not a Christian this morning, then consider what James Montgomery Boice has to say:
“Our time can either be like the world’s time or it can be like the time of Jesus.
If it is like the world’s time, our time has no meaning - at any rate, no more than we ourselves are able to give to it.
On the other hand, if it is like the time of Jesus, it can be filled with meaning.
Our time can become part of that great and eternal drama of salvation that is God’s plan for the ages.
If you are not a Christian, I encourage you to come to Christ for salvation and begin to allow Him to plan your time.
If you do, He will give your life meaning and fill all your times with opportunity.”
In other words, it is always a perfect time to turn to Christ for salvation and a part of the kingdom and family of God.
True meaning and purpose can found in knowing Your Creator who made you.
The purpose that God created you is so that you would glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
So, will you at this time place your faith in Jesus as your Lord and saviour?
Do not wait until tomorrow or next week or next year because you do not know what a day may bring.
Now is the favourable time.
Now is the day of salvation.
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
[SLIDE 8] Application / Conclusion
As I slowly wrap up my message, we have learned four lessons on how Jesus carefully lived in God’s timing:
Jesus Delayed with Discernment
Jesus Resisted Worldly Pressure
Jesus Walked in Obedience To God’s Will
Jesus Moved Quietly
[SLIDE 9] Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, you may not see how your time aligns with God’s time in your life.
Perhaps, you had many missed opportunities in your life - like jobs that slipped through your fingers, relationships that didn’t work out, dreams that were delayed or even denied.
Perhaps, you’re currently stuck in a difficult season - you’re waiting, suffering, or feeling overlooked.
You may not even be sure how your life can be meaningful even though you’re following the Lord closely and trying to honour Him.
In moments of silence and confusion, it can be tempting to take matters into your own hands and do things in your way instead of God’s way.
However, let me encourage you not to be discouraged.
Just because you cannot see God’s plan for your life, doesn’t mean He cannot see it.
Just because it feels like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, doesn’t mean that wasn’t God’s plan.
God has a sovereign plan for His children.
He knows and has planned all things according to the counsel of His will.
My encouragement for you is to humbly rest in confidence and faith that God is never early and never late. He is always on time.
As the hymn says, “Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, “it is well. It is well with me soul.”
Benediction
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus as you seek His will and timing in His word and in prayer. Amen.
