DEALING WITH UNBELIEVERS
OR
HIS TIMING IS IMPORTANT AND PERFECT
SUNDAY FEB. 7, 2021
Scripture To Consider:
“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews [Jewish religious leaders] sought to kill Him. Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was at hand.”
“His brothers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show Yourself to the world.’ For even His brothers did not believe in Him.”
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast, I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.’ When Jesus said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.” John 7.1-9
Something To Consider:
The Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. This was one of three feasts that required all males to attend in Jerusalem. But Jesus was keeping His distance from Judea for now because some of the Jewish religious leaders of that region had sought to kill Him for healing a powerless man on the Sabbath at the pool of Bethesda. And Jesus knew that His time to die had not yet come.
His brothers, sons of Joseph and Mary, His step father and mother, attempted to persuade Him to travel to Jerusalem with them. But Jesus chose to remain where He was for the time being. John chose to reveal to his readers that Jesus’ brothers did not believe Him to be the Messiah, at least not while Jesus was alive.
Notice Jesus did not rebuke His brothers for their unbelief. He simply refused to do what they thought He should do. How many times has Jesus chose not to rebuke us? How many times has Jesus simply chose not to do what we thought He should do? It is important for us to remember that life here on earth or in eternity does not revolve around us!
Something Else To Consider:
Before leaving to go to Jerusalem Jesus’ brothers shared with Jesus some worldly philosophy when they reported, “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
Some believe Jesus’ brothers were trying to force Him into publicly proclaiming Himself as the Messiah and thereby bringing about a rebellion against the Roman government. Whether that was the case or not, as far as Jesus was concerned His timing had not yet come.
Jesus was not on the world’s time table. He was as usual, being about His Father’s business and according to His Father’s spiritual schedule. Timing was an important part of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and should be important to His followers. The timing of Jesus and our heavenly Father is always perfect.
And yet, we become impatient many times as we wait on the Lord. James, one of these step brothers of Jesus who had come to Jesus in our text, declared in James 1.4; “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect [become mature in Christ] and complete, lacking nothing.” And the same is true when we are tempted to do evil in the midst of either trials or tribulation.
James further wrote in verse 12 of James chapter 1; “Blessed is the man [woman and or young person] who endures temptation; for when he [or she] has been approved, he [or she] will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Therefore, if we love the Lord, we will endure trials and tribulation. And in doing so, we will receive a crown of life after enduring to the end of this physical life and or enduring to the end of this evil age! How are we doing with our enduring to the end? Are we enduring or are we yielding to the works of our flesh and the temptations of the evil one?
Something More To Consider:
Then Jesus said to them in our Scripture to consider; “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” The world’s timing is so vastly different than kingdom timing. And the world’s hatred of Jesus continues to this day because the light of Jesus Christ illuminates the darkness of the world’s evil work and unrighteous acts.
And the same will be true of those who willingly follow after Jesus by denying the world’s time table along with rejecting the world’s evil ways. For spiritual leaders in training, timing is important, if it is God’s timing! And God’s timing is always perfect. Therefore, whose timing are we aligned with? Are we in tune with the world’s timing or with God’s timing?
Jesus testified of the world’s evil and He was hated for it. Do our lives, our words, and our actions testify of the world’s evil? And if so, are we also hated or at least ostracized because of our righteous in Christ lifestyle? If our lives exemplify the life of Christ, we too will be hated, betrayed, and rejected just as was Jesus. That is simply the honest biblical truth according to Jesus.
A Few Final Words:
So, what is it that makes us from time to time consider the Lord’s time as not being perfect, at least from our human perspective? What might it be that if we were God, we would have done differently? Maybe we think we should have been born at a different time or era. Maybe we think we should have been given a different spiritual assignment in this life, or different parents, or a different spouse!
According to Solomon in Proverbs 14.12; “There is a way that seems right to a man [woman or young person], but its end is the way of death.” And later in Proverbs 16.9, we are instructed; “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his [or her] steps.” And if the Lord is allowed to direct our steps, His timing is perfect!
For the spiritual leader or leader in training, timing is important to the work of God. Therefore, waiting on God’s timing is a lesson of a lifetime in itself. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.’”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may we learn the lessons of waiting patiently for Your perfect timing, and may our lives testify of the light of Jesus Christ. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 