Living in God’s Timing
#85 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”
John 7:1-10
Life is a gift from God... Every day – every year, every decade – is a gift...
As we live these lives, we often think in term of seasons, or chapters... Our
childhood is a season. School is even divided into sections; preschool,
elementary, high school, college, post-graduate – or many other such
divisions...
We often think of marriage, parenting, and vocations in terms of ... chapters,
or seasons of life... The beginning of the year is often thought of in terms of
a “new season”...
The point I’m trying to get to is – God has a plan and purpose for each season
of life... He has a plan for our relationships – our jobs – our passions and
purpose in every area of life...
Jesus lived His life in perfect sync with the Father’s plan and purpose ... and
timing! The relationships Jesus had – the places Jesus went – the things Jesus
said, taught, and did – were always in God’s perfect purpose ... and timing...
We are about to read of a time when Jesus had to deal with some people who
were close to Him – very close – and they were not understanding this very
thing about how Jesus lived... They thought they knew how Jesus should be
living His life, and conducting His ministry – but as we will see, they really
weren’t interested what God really wants...
We turn to John chapter 7, and will begin with verse :1 –
John 7:1-10
1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to
walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 2 Now the feast
of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. 3 Therefore His brothers said to
Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see
Your works which You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in
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secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things,
show Yourself to the world.” 5 For not even His brothers were believing in
Him. 6 So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is
always opportune. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I
testify of it, that its deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not
go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 Having said
these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
10But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went
up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
We’ll stop there... There were other things to occur before Jesus gets to
Jerusalem, and Lord willing, we’ll consider those things next week...
As we think through our passage, We’re going to look at the details, a little
out of order, and it’s purely because of the desire to end this message focused
on the positive, rather than the negative... By the time we are finished, you’ll
see why I chose this order for our consideration today...
Let’s begin with –
1. The Negative Attitudes Toward Christ
There are two clear examples of this, beginning with verse :1, which we
actually considered last time we were in the book of John... We see this in –
➢ The public rejection of Christ by the Jews
John 7:1
After these things [after what things?... Obviously the things John recorded
in chapter 6, which included several things from the feeding of the 5,000 – to
the abandonment of many – to Jesus revealing that He knows one of the 12 is
a pretender, and will be the one to turn against Him...], Jesus was walking in
Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were
seeking to kill Him.
We could argue that the Jews attitude of rejection is really a minor part – but
it is the motivation for their ... actions!... They are seeking to kill Jesus!
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It’s a dangerous matter to turn against God... People think they are so
autonomous that they are the ones who determine what is really true about
Christ... They think it is really no big deal to ... reject Him...
MacArthur has a perspective on this, that I believe is not only Biblically
accurate, but ... sobering –
John MacArthur – “Those who reject Christ do so because they are content
with darkness. And because they choose darkness rather than light, they will
forever have darkness rather than light. Eternity simply crystallizes the choice
into permanence.”
i
Those who were bent on ... killing Jesus, are actually spending eternity
wishing that they had not been so ... rejecting...
For right now, we’ll skip over verse :2, and consider the second negative, and
that is –
➢ The personal ridicule of Christ from family
Ridicule is a rather strong word, but I think it is appropriate... Jesus’ siblings
were not advocates of Jesus’ ministry... Let’s read what they said to Jesus –
John 7:3-5
3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that
Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 4 For no
one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If
You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For not even
His brothers were believing in Him.
Who are these “brothers” who spoke to Jesus this way?...
Mark 6:3 records that their names are James, Joses, Judas (or Jude), and
Simon... In fact, Jesus had sisters as well, and our passage tells us that ... at
this point in their lives, all of them, were not believers...
Their words are understood to be ... words of ridicule – not support!
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(We know that James and Jude will become believers, but only after the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead... The books of James and Jude were
each written by these brothers respectively...)
Let’s press on and consider –
2. The Purposeful Response of Christ
I almost called this the “purposeful response of the Master”... Jesus is the
Master, and He gives a masterful response to His family...
John 7:6
So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always
opportune.
Though there is a lot here, we are not going to spend a great deal of time on
this point... There will be other times when Jesus will reference the fact ...
that it is not yet His time... His time for what? – you may ask... It’s certainly
not yet time for Him to go to the cross. It is not yet His time to completely
reveal to everyone just Who He is... But the immediate point is – Jesus does
not operate His life at the instruction of anyone, except His Heavenly
Father!...
The last part of verse :6 is really ... a play on words... Jesus is basically
saying; It is not the right time for me yet. For you, any time is right...
Jesus goes on –
John 7:7-10
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its
deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast
because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 Having said these things to
them, He stayed in Galilee. 10But when His brothers had gone up to the feast,
then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
The point is – Jesus operates on a different agenda than that of others. He
lives for God’s purpose – in God’s timing...
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There is a huge application point here for us... Christians are to live life
faithfully synced to God’s agenda – His purpose ... His timing...
There is a rich and rewarding study, if you have never researched it... It has
to do with “waiting upon the Lord”!... Search the Scripture for the word
“wait”, and read how often it is used to call us to “wait upon the Lord”...
Waiting involves faithfully following, trusting, serving, and ... resting in the
Lord as one anticipates what He may have for us in the future...
Now, there is a point in this message that we can’t ... skip... and we’ll call it
–
3. The Positive Picture of Christ
It is found in verse :2 that we skipped a moment ago...
John 7:2
Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.
Bear with me on this point for a moment, and see if you don’t agree...
We begin with –
➢ The purpose of the feast
We need to consider the purpose of the feast from its historical perspective...
There are seven different feasts God prescribed for Israel to observe. Three of
them are observed on an annual basis... On the back of your listening guide
you will find a chart outlining these feast, there stated purpose, and how they
actually are pictures that point to Christ, and what we have in Him...
The feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, and also known as Sukkot (from its
Hebrew term)... It takes place late September to mid-October of each year...
It has a dual purpose. The Israelites celebrate God’s provision for the current
harvest just reaped, but its primary purpose is to celebrate and remember
God’s faithfulness in providing for, and protecting His people during the 40
years they wondered the wilderness before entering the Promised Land...
The purpose is to remember and celebrate God’s provision...
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We also need to consider –
➢ The picture of refuge
The primary purpose of living in these temporary structures for a week, was to
remind the people of their dependence upon the Lord throughout the years of
... wondering... But there is another purpose, and you may think this a minor
point, but I believe it is significant...
The shelters, or booths, or tabernacles as they are called – are physical
structures to provide protection from the elements while the seven-day event
was being observed... Shelters provide ... refuge...
Just as this, and all the feasts, point to Christ – the truth that there is the
provision of protection is in itself a picture of how we are to look to the Lord
for the refuge that we need in this life!
Jesus is our Refuge!... When God opens your eyes to see your need for Jesus
– run to Him, and you will find in Him ... all you need!...
There has been a false notion circulated for years, even by well-meaning
Christians... I use to present the gospel in this manner as well, and that is to
share the truth of Christ, and then appeal to a person to ... make the decision –
to reason on the facts, and come to an intellectual decision that they need to
place their trust in Jesus... The failure of this approach has to do with the idea
that somehow the ... authority of the decision is solely the choice of the
person – that if they choose, then salvation is theirs for the taking...
Somehow that whole notion ... tries to rob God of the glory He, and He Alone
deserves...
Once the Lord saves us, and we grow for any period of time, we come to
realize that we really didn’t have anything to do with our salvation! We don’t
add anything to the saving work of God! We have no bragging rights to our
being saved – we weren’t smart enough to reason our way – we weren’t better
than anyone else – we are more loveable, or attractive to God that He would
save us – we are not somehow worthy to be saved, other than the fact that God
would set His love upon us and choose to save us!
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I like the way Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expresses this... He said –
Martyn Lloyd-Jones – “A sinner does not ‘decide’ for Christ; the sinner
‘flies’ to Christ in utter helplessness and despair saying – Foul, I to the
fountain fly, Wash me, Saviour, or I die. No man truly comes to Christ
unless he flies to Him as his only refuge and hope, his only way of escape
from the accusations of conscience and the condemnation of God’s holy law.
Nothing else is satisfactory. If a man says that having thought about the
matter and having considered all sides he has on the whole decided for Christ,
and if he has done so without any emotion or feeling, I cannot regard him
as a man who has been regenerated. The convicted sinner no more
‘decides’ for Christ than the poor drowning man ‘decides’ to take hold of that
rope that is thrown to him and suddenly provides him with the only means of
escape. The term is entirely inappropriate.”
ii
What is “inappropriate” here is the notion that the weight salvation rest upon
your authority to ... decide... But ... let’s not through out the responsibility
God has given us to bring our minds and hearts into this equation... You are
not a mere machine without any responsibility before God!... What you think
about what you believe is vitally important... When one does run to Christ, it
is because they have come to understand, and agree with the truth that Christ
is that life-preserver for one who is drowning!...
And the question is, have you come to the place in your life of realizing that
you are desperately in need of ... Christ?!...
MacArthur brings a perspective that is ... sobering, and you need to
contemplate this as well –
John MacArthur – “If you wrongly judge Christ, He will rightly judge
you... All men render a verdict on Christ...and it is a verdict that has massive
consequences for eternity.”
iii
----
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We are about to come to the Lord’s Table, and participate in an act that Christians have
been sharing ever since Jesus instituted this ordinance the night before going to the
cross...
One of the most succinct places in Scripture that speaks to what we are about to share is
found in 1 Corinthains 11, and was pinned by the Apostle Paul... As we read it, let’s
make a couple of observations –
(Loosely based on Warren Wiersbe’s commentary)
1. Look Back
1 Corinthians 11:23-26a
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in
the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He
broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of
Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For
as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death...
The broken bread reminds us of Christ’s body, given for us; and the cup reminds us of
His shed blood. It is a remarkable thing that Jesus wants His followers to remember His
death...
We must remember that He died, because this is a part of the gospel message: “Christ
died ... and was buried” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). It is not the life of our Lord, or His teachings, that
will save sinners—but His death. Therefore, we also remember why He died: Christ died
for our sins; He was our substitute (Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24), paying the debt that we could not
pay.
We should also remember how He died: willingly, meekly, showing forth His love for us
(Rom. 5:8). He gave His body into the hands of wicked men, and He bore on His body ...
our sins...
However, this “remembering” is not simply the recalling of historical facts. It is a
participation in spiritual realities. At the Lord’s Table, we do not walk around a
monument and admire it. We have fellowship with a living Savior as our hearts reach out
by faith.
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2. Look Ahead
1 Corinthians 11:26b
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until
He comes.
We observe the Supper “until He comes”... The return of Jesus Christ is the blessed hope
of the church and the individual Christian. Jesus not only died for us, but He arose again
and ascended to heaven; and one day He shall return to take us to heaven. Today, we are
not all that we should be; but when we see Him, “we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).
3. Look Within
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner,
shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine
himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats
and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body
rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a
number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But
when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned
along with the world.
Paul did not say that we had to be worthy to partake of the Supper, but only that we
should partake in a worthy manner...
If we are to participate in a worthy manner, we must examine our own hearts, judge our
sins, and confess them to the Lord. To come to the Table with unconfessed sin in our
lives is to be guilty of Christ’s body and blood, for it was sin that nailed Him to the cross.
If we will not judge our own sins, then God will judge us and chasten us until we do
confess and forsake our sins.
4. Look Around
1 Corinthians 11:33-34
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If
anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment.
The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
... The Supper should be a demonstration of the unity of the church...
The Communion is not supposed to be a time of “spiritual autopsy” and grief, even
though confession of sin is important. It should be a time of thanksgiving and joyful
anticipation of seeing the Lord! Jesus gave thanks, even though He was about to suffer
and die. Let us give thanks also.
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Questions to Consider in Community Group:
➢ What was one significant truth you learned, or were reminded of, in our
time of worship today?
➢ “Humanly speaking”, why would Jesus’ own siblings not be among the
original disciples of Christ? What convinced, at least two of them (James
and Jude), to become followers of Christ? (How do these guys introduce
themselves at the beginning of their letters?)
➢ Why is timing an issue that is as important as the event?
➢ What was the purpose of the various feasts that God prescribed OT saints
to observe? What specifically is the purpose of the Feast of Booths?
➢ What does it mean for a believer to find their “refuge” in Jesus?
➢ What are your thoughts about any of the quotes shared in the message?
John MacArthur – “Those who reject Christ do so because they are content with darkness. And because
they choose darkness rather than light, they will forever have darkness rather than light. Eternity simply
crystallizes the choice into permanence.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones – “A sinner does not ‘decide’ for Christ; the sinner ‘flies’ to Christ in utter
helplessness and despair saying – Foul, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Saviour, or I die. No man truly
comes to Christ unless he flies to Him as his only refuge and hope, his only way of escape from the
accusations of conscience and the condemnation of God’s holy law. Nothing else is satisfactory. If a
man says that having thought about the matter and having considered all sides he has on the whole
decided for Christ, and if he has done so without any emotion or feeling, I cannot regard him as a man
who has been regenerated. The convicted sinner no more ‘decides’ for Christ than the poor drowning
man ‘decides’ to take hold of that rope that is thrown to him and suddenly provides him with the only
means of escape. The term is entirely inappropriate.”
John MacArthur – “If you wrongly judge Christ, He will rightly judge you... All men render a verdict
on Christ...and it is a verdict that has massive consequences for eternity.”
- 11 -
iv
i
John MacArthur, Ephesians, Moody, 1986, p. 208
ii Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, Zondervan, 1971, p. 279-280
iii John MacArthur, , www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/42-277/the-sinless-savior-before-the-sinister-sanhedrin-part-2 at www.gty.org
iv The Believer's Study Bible, 1991, Edited by W.A. Criswell
