WHEN TIME EXPIRES
TWO TYPES OF TIME
CHRONOS: A PERIOD OR SPACE OF TIME.
KAIROS: DUE MEASURE, FIXED, DEFINITE PERIOD OR SEASON, OPPORTUNE TIME.
CHRONOS DENOTES QUANTITY WHILE KAIROS DENOTES THE QUALITY
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” — ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8
“OUR LIFETIME IS THE SOIL IN WHICH OUR DESTINY IS SOWN, CULTIVATED AND HARVESTED. OUR TIME ON EARTH, IF NOT USED PROPERLY, WILL COST US OUR GOD-GIVEN DESTINY, AND DESTINY IS EXPENSIVE!”
HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME ON EARTH DETERMINES WHAT WILL BE RECORDED ABOUT US IN ETERNITY.
TIME SPENT WITH OUR FATHER DIRECTLY CORRESPONDS WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF 1. WHO WE ARE 2. WHY WE ARE HERE
“TIMES UP” THE HOUR HAS COME
“And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, ‘sir, we would see Jesus.’ Philip cometh and tellth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come, that the son of man be glorified.
Verly, verly, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; And he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; And where I am, there shall also my servant be; If any man serve me, him will my father honor. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’
Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, ‘this voice was for your benefit, not mine.’” — JOHN 12:20-30 (KJV)
There were some greeks in town who had come up to worship at the feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?” Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together golf Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the son of man to be glorified.” — John 12:20-23 (MSG)
THIS ENTIRE STORY HAPPENS ON PALM SUN
THIS REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING OF THE END
A DETERMINED TIME:
JOHN MAKES REFERENCE TO “THE HOUR” SEVEN TIMES
JN 12:23 - “THE HOUR IS COME; TIMES UP”
JN 2:4 - “JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, WOMAN, WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH THEE? MINE HOUR IS NOT YET COME.”
JOHN 7:30 - “THEN THEY SOUGHT TO TAKE HIM: BUT NO MAN LAID HANDS ON HIM, BECAUSE HIS HOUR WAS NOT YET COME.”
JOHN 8:20 - “THESE WORDS SPAKE JESUS IN THE TREASURY, AS HE TAUGHT IN THE TEMPLE: AND NO MAN LAID HANDS ON HIM; FOR HIS HOUR WAS NOT YET COME.”
JOHN 12:27 - “NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED; AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR: BUT FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I UNTO THIS HOUR”
JN. 13:1 - “NOW BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER, WHEN JESUS KNEW THAT HIS HOUR WAS COME THAT HE SHOULD DEPART OUT OF THIS WORLD UNTO THE FATHER, HAVING LOVED HIS OWN WHICH WERE IN THE WORLD, HE LOVED THEM UNTO THE END.”
JN 17:1 - “THESE WORDS SPAKE JESUS, AND LIFTED UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, AND SAID, FATHER, THE HOUR IS COME; GLORIFY THY SON, THAT THY SON ALSO MAY GLORIFY THEE”
IT WAS THE CULMINATION AND THE CONSUMMATION OF EVERYTHING.
THE HOUR WAS SO IN THE EARTH IT BEGAN TO DEMAND OR TO SQUEEZE OUT DESTINY. JESUS’S TIME HERE WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE!
A DESIROUS REQUEST: “SIR WE WOULD SEE JESUS”
WHO IT CAME FROM: PAUL UNDERSTOOD THEIR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
“THERE WERE CERTAIN GREEKS”
THEY WERE NOT JEWS WHO SPOKE GREEK; THEY WERE GENTILES
THEY WERE NOT JUST GREEKS; THEY WERE CURIOUS GREEKS
THEY WERE GREEKS AT A HEBREW FEAST
THEY WERE GREEKS ON A MISSION; NOT JUST TO SEE JESUS BUT TO INTERVIEW HIM
THEY WERE GREEKS THAT WERE TIRED OF PHILOSOPHY
THEY WERE GREEKS UNSATISFIED WITH HEBREW RELIGION
THERE WERE OTHER GREEKS
AT HIS BIRTH – MEN FROM THE EAST
THE WOMAN AT THE TABLE ASKING FOR A CRUMB
THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN FROM DECAPOLIS – THE TEN GREEK CITIES
THEIR DESIRE DISPLAYED
“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the Wisdom of God.” — 1 Cor 1:22-24
THE JEWS WERE LOOKING FOR A SIGN
“Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there. And they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead.” — John 12:9
THE GREEKS WERE LOOKING FOR HIM
“Sir, we would see Jesus.” — John 12:21
THEY WANTED TRUTH
THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED AND DISILLUSIONED
THEY WANTED SOMETHING THEY HAD NEVER FOUND
WHO THE REQUEST CAME TO: PHILIP – A GREEK NAME
WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO SEE JESUS THEY USUALLY FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE.
“SIR” – SUPREME IN AUTHORITY OR CONTROLLER
IT IS INTERESTING THAT JESUS’ FOLLOWERS DECIDED IF & WHEN JESUS WAS SEEN
A DEVINE RESPONSE
“And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour has come, that the son of man should be glorified” — John 12:23
HIS PERSPECTIVE:
HE DID NOT SAY “DIE” – HE SAID “GLORIFIED”
HIS VISION OF THE HOUR – POSITIVE, POWERFUL, VICTORIOUS HAPPENING! THE EXPIRATION WAS A TRANSITIONAL MOMENT.
“GLORIFIED” – TO RENDER OR ESTEEM GLORIOUS, MANIFESTED EXCELLENCE.
“May our life’s and our death bring him glory. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” — Ps. 116:14-15
HIS PARABLE: (IF YOU WANT TO SEE ME, YOU GOT TO DIE TO YOURSELF)
“Verly, verly, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” — John 12:24
DEATH IS THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL FRUITFULNESS
APART FROM HIS DEATH HIS LIFE STANDS IN ISOLATION WITH NO POWER OF INCREASE
BEFORE THERE IS MULTIPLICATION THERE MUST BE DECOMPOSITION.
AND DIE—THE WHOLE BODY OR SUBSTANCE OF THE GRAIN, EXCEPT THE GERM (SPIRIT), DIES IN THE EARTH OR IS DECOMPOSED, AND THIS DECOMPOSED SUBSTANCE CONSTITUTES THE FIRST NOURISHMENT OF THE TENDER GERM A NUTRIMENT WONDERFULLY ADAPTED TO IT, AND FITTED TO NOURISH IT UNTIL IT BECOMES VIGOROUS ENOUGH TO DERIVE ITS SUPPORT ENTIRELY FROM THE GROUND.
IN THIS GOD HAS SHOWN HIS WISDOM AND GOODNESS. NO ONE THING COULD BE MORE EVIDENTLY FITTED FOR ANOTHER THAN THIS PROVISION MADE IN THE GRAIN ITSELF FOR THE FUTURE WANTS OF THE TENDER GERM. THEREFORE IN ORDER TO LIVE WE DIE TO OURSELVES
THE THREE REACTIONS OF JESUS
RECOIL: SHOULD I DRINK THIS CUP OF SUFFERING? (VS. 27)
NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED
PHYSICAL: SCOURGING—CROSS DESIGNED BY WICKED MEN
MENTAL: HE KNEW OF JUDAS BETRAYAL AND PETERS DENIALS; AND THE DISCIPLES LEAVING HIM.
SPIRITUAL: HE WHO KNEW NO SIN HAS NOW BECAME SIN; THE BITTER BOTTOM OF THE CUP
SUBMISSION - “BUT FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I UNTO THIS HOUR”
FIND YOUR “CAUSE” BEFORE YOUR HOUR RUNS OUT
“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’” — JOHN 12:27