John 13:1
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour has come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
“Jesus knew that the hour has come”
Jesus knew that “his hour has come”
More than any of the gospel writers, John emphasized the fact that Jesus lived and ministered on a ‘heavenly timetable’ as He did the Father’s will while He was on this earth.
John 2:4 – My time is not yet come.
John 7:30 – His hour has not yet come.
John 8:20 – His hour has not yet come
John 12:23 – The hour is come.
John 13:1 – Jesus knew that His hour has come
John 17:1 – Father, the hour has come.
Since our Lord came from heaven where there is no clock or calendar as we have on this earth, he followed a heavenly timetable.
Because he was not of this world, he didn't need to follow the world's timetable.
The same way, since we are born again of God and of heaven, as we are the children of God, we have become citizens of heaven. Thus, God is working in our lives according to a heavenly timetable.
Once, we were of this world and we lived on the world’s timetable. But the Lord called us out of this world and put us in a different system, a different timetable, and a different destiny.
John 15:18-19 - “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you"
"If you belonged to the world" - which means we do not belong to this world.
"I have chosen you out of the world" – which means we were taken out of this worldly system.
"As it is, you do not belong to the world" – The words of our Lord clearly state that we don't belong to the systems of this world.
God is always working in our lives based on a heavenly timetable. But unfortunately, many times we have trouble accepting that system and timetable in our lives. We still prefer to follow the world's timetable.
We plan and pray for things in our life with a worldly timetable, while God works His plan and purpose in our life based on a heavenly timetable. So, we tend to conflict with what God wants to do, which creates confusion, impatience, and disappointment in our life.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything beautiful in His time."
Our one liner always seems to be this – “it will happen in God’s time” – but we never believe it for ourselves, only for someone else.
We know the scripture and many times we use this verse for others when they go through difficult situations. However, when things happen in our life, we forget this truth.
Our clock and God’s clock are different – our timing and God’s timing are different.
Psalm 90:4 - "A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."
Dear brothers and sisters, time has not runout for your deliverance, for your healing, for an open a door for your education, for your blessing, or your children’s future.
Do not be afraid or dismayed, don’t be sad or disappointed, wait upon the Lord patiently - the answer is coming.
Abraham thought the time was over for his promised son - so he used his worldly timetable and instead received an Ishmael. He messed with God’s plan – but God was gracious and faithful and He fulfilled His promise to Abraham.
Moses thought the time had passed for Israel's deliverance from Egypt. So he used the world's timetable and tried to kill the Egyptians one by one. Again, he messed with God’s timetable for the next forty years, but still God was faithful to deliver Israel according to His timetable.
Zechariah told the Angel Gabriel that the time was over to fulfill the promise. But Gabriel corrected him and said there is an appointed time in God’s timetable.
Luke 1:19 -20 - "The angel said to him, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Habakkuk complained to God for delaying Israel's deliverance.
Habakkuk 1:2-3
"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds."
“but you do not listen?” – trust God that delaying is not denying.
“but you do not save?” - believe that He is our Lord and Savior who always saves his people.
Here is the Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk:
Habakkuk 2:2-3
"2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."
Dear brothers and sisters, time has not runout for your deliverance, for your healing, for an open a door for your education, for your blessing, or your children’s future.
Don't give up hope, don't stop praying, don't lose patience, don't murmur or blame others. Know that our Lord is in control and He is faithful to work a miracle in your life, for you, for your children, and for your church, according to his time.