God's Perfect Time

A little lesson in Greek

Matthew 2:7 KJV 1900

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Matthew 2:7 Scrivener 1881

τότε Ἡρώδης, λάθρα καλέσας τοὺς μάγους, ἠκρίβωσε παρʼ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος.

Chronos: Normal time

Romans 5:6 KJV 1900

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6 Scrivener 1881

ἔτι γὰρ Χριστός, ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν, κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανε.

Kairos: The Right time.

Its not time yet!

kairoß

Two very different words. Both expressed as “time” but with very different meaning and implications.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Season

χρόνος

We live in one and God in the other.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Season

χρόνος

And there is often a contention between the Chronos and the Kairos.

Our passage deals with it.

Mary is living in the Chronos - Jesus is working in the Kairos and in this instance and many - the two did not mach up.

John 2:1–4 KJV 1900

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

John 7:1–6 KJV 1900

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

Chronos

Chronos time - Chronological, series of event in time, Measurable, in years, months, weeks, days hours and minutes. Its good old fashioned time.

Like the sand through the hour glass, the ticking of a clock.

Its where the books of Chronicles get their name.

We are placed in it from the moment of our conception and we measure and organise our lives by it.

Because we live, breathe and sleep in the constant flow of time - We have become very good at it.

We spend time, waste time, forget time, lose time - especially with the help of alchochol

The key to managing Chronos time is patience. Example: Birthday - all you need is patience.

Example: Birthday - all you need is patience.

In our dealing with each other, Chronos time is great. Ill meet you soon? When? Next week sunday at 9:00am.

Im getting married! When? July 14 2019!!!

You have to be in court tomorrow. When? 9:00am.

Notice:

“When” becomes very important.

In Chronos time “When” becomes very important. - Like Herod said “When did the star appear?”.

Like Herod:

Remember that.

Kairos Time

Kairos time is very different.

Kairos time is not measurable. Its not counted in days or years, its got nothing to do with the passing of one moment into next.

Kairos time is all about seasons and opportune times.

In fact its definition is often said:

The right time.

You can eat an avocado any time, but they are always best when eaten at the right time.

Lets look at Jesus and His coming as savior:

Jesus could have come at any time, but he came at the right time.

Galatians 4:4 KJV 1900

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Jesus came at the right time, the perfect time, at god’s appointed time.

Now i can guarantee that a lot of people before the birth of Jesus would have argued that they knew the right time.

After Moses? After Joshua?

After the last judge?

When the people ewanted a king? when a civil war was breaking out? when the babylonians invaded juda?

Lots of great time to come….

But he came, at the right time, the opportune time, the fullness of time, at the perfect moment.

God’s perfect time, at times, does not fall on our perfect time.

And thats where the contention lies.

We have all been in those seasons of waiting. Seasons when we we believe and trust that God is going touch us, but we don’t know when, but we have a good idea of what we think the right time is and its normally yeaterday.

We often feel like Martha

John 11:21 KJV 1900

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Like Abraham, you wait and wait and you get to that point where you feel like you cannot wait any longer.

Another blood test. another operation. another dose of chemotherapy, another round of physiotherapy, another session at the marriage counsellor, another time bailing someone out of jail….

And you come to an end of Chronos time. Where its no longer just an issue of patience.

In that moment you enter into Kronos time and it becomes an issue of faith.

You are no longer patiently waiting for a date, you are now trusting by faith for a season.

I will tell you this: When you enter into Karios faith you will need just that - faith. People who live at this level of trust are found faithful in the things of God.

They are serving, they are praying, they are reading, they are waiting, they are worshipping, they are learning, they are looking, they are giving.

I look at the men and woman of faith, all of them entered into Kairos time.

Noah - who knew it would rain but did not know when.

Abraham and Sarah - who knew he would have a son but did not know when.

Moses - who knew he would lead the people to the promised land but did not know when.

David - who knew he would be king but did not know when.

Can you see a pattern here? God accomplished his purpose in all these people past their Chronos expectation but perfectly in His Karios Moment.

And their faith shows it.

And that is the funidemntal difference between the Chronis and Kairos.

When you know the date all you need is patience.

But when you don’t know when or how, then you need faith.

When God took Abraham past the age of natural child bearing and they were in their 90’s, they were no longer living in chorenos, they way were living by faith in kairos.

As God’s children we need to understand that we need to move from chronos to living in kairos.