Not Yet Said Jesus…John 8:20

“Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time (Greek his hour.) had not yet come.“ 

This is the last of seven times in the gospel of John that the phrase “not yet” is used in reference to the forthcoming death of Christ. Although this was the very reason He came into the world, the event itself could not be hurried.

When His mother wanted Him to provide wine for the wedding, He said,

John 2:4

 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

When His brothers urged Him to show His mighty works in Jerusalem, His answer was, “My time is not yet come”

John 7:6, 8

Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime.

When His enemies tried to take Him at the feast of tabernacles,

John 7:30

Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time[a] had not yet come.

Even when He preached His great promise of living water, John noted parenthetically that

John 7:39

(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

But His hour did come, and they did lay hands on Him, and put Him to death. Then He was glorified, and the Holy Spirit was given. And now we await another great time that has not yet come. John speaks of this also:

1 John 3:2

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

In that great time to come, all things will be made subject to Christ.

Hebrews 2:8…You gave them authority over all things.”[Ps 8:4-6 (Greek version)]Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.

These great promises and others associated with them have not yet been accomplished–the world is far from being in subjection to Him, and we are far from being like Him.

But the hour will come, just as the first one did, and it will be glorious.

1 Corinthians 2:9…That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,and no mind has imaginedwhat God has prepared for those who love him.”

(Isa 64:4.)