Do you know what time it is? The time I’m asking about isn’t found on a watch or clock. The time I’m asking about is the time of God’s will, the time of God’s moving, the time of God’s purposes.
Jesus always knew what time it was. In John’s Gospel we learn that Jesus tries to teach His disciples about God’s time. In John 2 there is a wedding in Cana that Jesus and His disciples attend. The wedding party runs out of wine and Mary asks Jesus to help. How did Jesus reply? Jesus said, “Why do you involve Me? My time has not yet come.” What time was He talking about?
In John 7 it is the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus’ brothers say, “What are you doing here. You should be in Jerusalem for the Feast.” Jesus replied, “I am not yet going to this Feast, because for Me the right time has not yet come.”
In John 12 Jesus enters Jerusalem at the time of the Passover and He gathers His disciples and He says to them, “The time has come…”
What time? What had Jesus been waiting on? “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Now if you’re living 2,000 years ago and you’re one of Jesus’ disciples you’re pretty excited right now. You knew that there was coming a day where Jesus was going to enter into His glory. However, you thought Jesus would enter into His glory by some kind of exaltation. Jesus would be enthroned. Jesus would overthrow the oppressive government and religious institutions and He would usher in a new day.
But to your shock Jesus says, “It’s time for Me to die. Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot bear fruit.” Dying results in true living.
Will You Die?
Will you die to your preferences? Following Jesus is not about how you like for life to go. It is about carrying out His mission. Some of you don’t like being single. Some of you don’t like being married. Some of you don’t like your job. Some of you don’t like your appearance or your health or your stage in life.
Will you die to your comforts? If you weren’t living to pleasure and happiness you could suffer a little and be a great husband. Did you know you don’t have to have a great wife in order to be a great husband? You just need to be dead for a great God to raise you up to being a great husband. You could be a great parent. You don’t have to have great kids in order to be a great parent. You could be a great servant in God’s church and mission. You don’t have to have a great church in order to be a great servant. But you have to die.
Will you die to money and stuff? You don’t have to have the cars you drive. You don’t have to have the house you live in. You don’t have to maintain the memberships in whatever clubs. You don’t have to take special vacations.
What time is it? It may be time for you to say yes to God by saying no to self.
Jesus always knew what time it was. In John’s Gospel we learn that Jesus tries to teach His disciples about God’s time. In John 2 there is a wedding in Cana that Jesus and His disciples attend. The wedding party runs out of wine and Mary asks Jesus to help. How did Jesus reply? Jesus said, “Why do you involve Me? My time has not yet come.” What time was He talking about?
In John 7 it is the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus’ brothers say, “What are you doing here. You should be in Jerusalem for the Feast.” Jesus replied, “I am not yet going to this Feast, because for Me the right time has not yet come.”
In John 12 Jesus enters Jerusalem at the time of the Passover and He gathers His disciples and He says to them, “The time has come…”
What time? What had Jesus been waiting on? “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Now if you’re living 2,000 years ago and you’re one of Jesus’ disciples you’re pretty excited right now. You knew that there was coming a day where Jesus was going to enter into His glory. However, you thought Jesus would enter into His glory by some kind of exaltation. Jesus would be enthroned. Jesus would overthrow the oppressive government and religious institutions and He would usher in a new day.
But to your shock Jesus says, “It’s time for Me to die. Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot bear fruit.” Dying results in true living.
Will You Die?
Will you die to your preferences? Following Jesus is not about how you like for life to go. It is about carrying out His mission. Some of you don’t like being single. Some of you don’t like being married. Some of you don’t like your job. Some of you don’t like your appearance or your health or your stage in life.
Will you die to your comforts? If you weren’t living to pleasure and happiness you could suffer a little and be a great husband. Did you know you don’t have to have a great wife in order to be a great husband? You just need to be dead for a great God to raise you up to being a great husband. You could be a great parent. You don’t have to have great kids in order to be a great parent. You could be a great servant in God’s church and mission. You don’t have to have a great church in order to be a great servant. But you have to die.
Will you die to money and stuff? You don’t have to have the cars you drive. You don’t have to have the house you live in. You don’t have to maintain the memberships in whatever clubs. You don’t have to take special vacations.
What time is it? It may be time for you to say yes to God by saying no to self.
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