Today I just want to tantalize you a little and not let you forget John’s theme of “time”.
“My time is not yet come . . . The time is coming – indeed is here now . . . The time is coming . . .”
We will not handle this yet. But at the last mention of his time theme we will look at it in depth. In the meantime start thinking about it.
John varies his words for “time” but the consistent one he uses for the time is not yet come, is here now and is coming is the word hora [ὥρα]
ὥρα [hōra]
– means “hour” but also means “a certain definite time, the daytime (bounded by the rising and setting of the sun), a day, a 12th part of the day-time, an hour, (the twelve hours of the day are reckoned from the rising to the setting of the sun), any definite time, point of time, moment”.
Joh 2:4, 4:21, 4:53, 5:25, 5:28, 7:30, 12:23, 16:2, 16:32
Καιρός [kairos]
time, season: – age, epochs, occasion, opportune time, opportunity, proper time, right time, season, seasons, time (54), times (11), while (1).
It is interesting that John does not use the word Kairos for time when he is expressing his major theme except in this one example. I will let you ponder on this too.
Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for Me to go, but you can go anytime.
John 7:6
You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because My time has not yet come.”
John 7:8
John also uses the Greek word chronos from which we get chronology etc.
Χρόνος [chronos]
time: – age (1), all (1), delay (1), exact time (1), long (5), long ages (2), long *(1), period (2), time (30), times (5), while (5).
When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
John 5:6
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am?
John 14:9
But the other more consistent usage he demonstrates is in his connection with the Jewish Feasts and the fact that he refers to them at times as “The Jewish Feast” “The Jewish Passover” – he is the only gospel writer to do that. When he tells us that it is time for a Feast or wants to tell us that something happened at one of the feasts he uses the word
ἐγγὺς [close]
(to the time). It is fascinating that his action so often takes place at the time of the Feasts, mostly Passover but not always.
- John 2:13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.
- John 6:4 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.
- John 7:2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,
- John 11:55 It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.
- What is John telling us or saying with this pattern?
- It is certainly something important but what is the significance?
Next Gem we will move into Chapter 12 but keep in mind the time theme. We will see that a change has taken place in the action. John 12 is a turning point.
The most influential person who will talk to you all day, is you. So, you should be very careful what you say to you.
Zig Ziglar
After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn’t suited for it, mainly because it was a so-so job.