John 7:5-6
For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come...
Jesus’s brothers, the natural-born sons of Mary and Joseph, didn’t believe in Him. If you read the earlier verses, you’ll see that their unbelief stemmed, at least in part, from not understanding why Jesus didn’t reveal Himself as the Messiah at the feast. To them, it made no sense. If He truly was the Messiah, why not just come out and prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt?
Jesus’s answer was simple: “Not yet.” This phrase comes up four times in this chapter (verses 6, 8, 30, and 39), and it has something to teach us about trusting God, even when we don’t understand His timing.
Time for Answers
Jesus’s brothers made a fair point from their perspective. If He was the Messiah, and if He had all this power, why not just show it? Haven’t we all felt that way at some point? God, if You’re really involved, if You really care, if You’re as powerful as You say, why don’t You... (fill in the blank).
This kind of thinking is short-sighted. It focuses on the end result but doesn’t consider the process in between. Jesus was going to do these things—He’s still going to reveal Himself fully as King—but it wasn’t time yet.
How often do we doubt because His timing doesn’t align with ours? Lord, why haven’t You healed me by now? Why haven’t You answered this prayer? Why does it feel like nothing’s happening? His answer in those moments is often the same: “Not yet.” One day He will, but not today.
We have to trust that His timing is perfect. He sees every detail between now and the end. We see only a small part of the picture, but He sees it all. As Isaiah reminds us, “His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts.”
Time to die
Later in John 7, Jesus revealed Himself in a powerful way, declaring, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Everyone understood what He was saying—that He was claiming to be God. They took up stones to kill Him, but they couldn’t. Why? “Because His hour was not yet come.”
Dear Christian, perhaps you feel like your time is up. Maybe death seems inevitable—through sickness, danger, or despair. But if it’s not your time, then it’s “Not yet.”
Just as Jesus had an appointed time for His death, so do we. Think of David, who faced death countless times but lived to an old age. Or John, who survived being boiled in oil and went on to write the book of Revelation. How many of us have had near-death experiences and walked away? Why? Because it wasn’t our time.
Take courage. Your life is in God’s hands. You will die one day, but not until the time He has appointed.
Time to Believe
On the last day of the feast, Jesus cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John explains that He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, which had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
That “Not yet” no longer applies! Jesus has been glorified, and the Holy Spirit is available to all who believe. This is not something to put off. If you’ve never come to Christ, don’t say, “Not yet.”
Felix delayed, and there’s no record that he ever found another opportunity. Agrippa said, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” and almost wasn’t enough.
There’s no better hour than this one. Come to Christ now. Believe in who He is and what He has done, and receive His life-giving Spirit.
Time to Hope
Our passage begins with Jesus’s brothers in unbelief, but that wasn’t the end of their story. After the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, James, Jesus’s brother, became a believer. He went on to pastor the church in Jerusalem and faithfully served Christ until he was martyred.
Maybe you’ve prayed and pleaded for someone close to you who isn’t saved—a brother, sister, son, or daughter. Their response may be “Not yet,” but that doesn’t mean it will always be. As long as there’s breath, there’s hope. James, who once didn’t believe, came to faith in God’s timing. Your loved ones may, too.
Time to Trust
God’s timing can be hard to understand. Sometimes we think the hour has come, but He says, “Not yet.” Other times, we think we have all the time in the world, but He calls us to act immediately.
Whatever “Not yet” you’re facing, trust the One who “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” His timing is perfect, His ways are good, and everything He does is wonderful.
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