# 60 But Your Time Is Always Ready

Joh 4:1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

What a strange parenthetical remark. Jesus made disciples through baptism, yet He didn’t actually do the physical baptizing. Why is this important to note? It’s important because, the physical act of baptism is always done by His disciples, His church, but the spiritual or supernatural work of baptism is done by Jesus. It’s the answer to the question Jesus posed in Lu 20:4 "The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"

It’s done by men, but it gets its clout from Jesus!

But there’s more going on in this passage from John that is worth noting and it has to do with God’s perfect timing. Jesus and His disciples are making more disciples than John, and when Jesus is aware of the fact that the Pharisees are noting this, He decides to move on to Galilee.

Here’s the thing, when the Pharisees start watching you, trouble lies ahead. They were a jealous bunch and didn’t want these upstarts like John and Jesus ruining this good thing they had going with religion.

It’s not that Jesus was afraid of trouble, it’s just that the time for real trouble (according to God’s timeline) had not yet arrived. The Pharisees would desire to see this disciple maker done away with soon enough. In  Joh 7:1 we read, “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.”

Jesus opted to stay out of Judea because the time of His sacrificial death wasn’t right yet. His unbelieving brothers on the other hand urged Him to do the opposite. It’s like they were seeking to force the issue in order for themselves to be convinced that He was the Messiah. In Joh 7:3-6 we read, “His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 "For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

Note our Lord’s reply to His unbelieving brothers:  “The time isn’t right for Me, but the time to believe in Me is always right and ready for you!”

Pilgrim heed these words! Your time is ALWAYS ready! It may be right now! You don’t need Jesus to show up in miraculous ways in your life. All you need to know was accomplished in God’s perfect timing when He gave His only Son to be crucified for your sins!

Jesus paid the price for your sins on the cross and God accepted the price when Jesus rose from the dead. This is history. It is the truth! Receive it! Believe it! Today is the day of your salvation! It’s always ready and available to you, just as it was for the brothers of Jesus! 2Co 6:2b says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”