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Not Now!

-Pastor Karl
May 19, 2011

There is an element of people that believe that John the Baptist wore the clothing previously worn by the prophet Elijah (see II Kings 1:8 & Matthew 3:4).  Some also believe it contributed intrigue which was a draw to the multitudes who gathered to view John during his ministry.  There certainly was a consensus that he was truly a prophet with a huge following of believers (see Mark 11:31, 32).

You may notice that the context reveals another interesting inclination. While people seem willing to accept the preceding work and position of John they question the current position of Jesus as He is manifesting the kingdom of God.  It is this fascinating factor, identifying with characters outside of the present, which our trek will scrutinize a bit.

We have assertions like “Abraham is our father” (see John 8:39) and “we are Moses’ disciples” (see John 9:28, 29) and “let us see whether Elias will come to save him”.  All of which, of course, are historic figures giving the claimants some false sense of security; perhaps somehow feeling their assertions weren’t testable.  However, it is pointed out over and over that is far from true.  Mark 9:12 tells us how Elias directs us to Jesus.  John 8:39 & 40 declare how the children of Abraham would do the works of Abraham and rejoice to see the day of Jesus.  John 5:46 tells how that if they believed Moses they would believe Jesus, for he wrote of Him.

We also read of the position held that looks to a future messiah.  Actually this position is still widely held by this same group…two thousand years later.  It didn’t work for them in the gospels and it still doesn’t work now.  The centurion in Matthew 27:54 realizes late that, “truly this was the Son of God.”  And Nicodemus who came to the Lord at night (John 3:1-2) obviously wasn’t fulfilled in his current condition.  It is not enough to be comfortable with the past and/or the future, we also have to be comfortable with the now.  Hebrews 13 : 8 makes an important statement; “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  We put on the helmet of the hope of salvation (I Thessalonians 5: 8) in the now.  Jesus is the only one who transcends time, having his being in the past, present, and future! He deals with us in the “now” as our eternal contemporary.

                                                                   This day is salvation come           Luke 19: 9
                                                                   now is the day of salvation          II Corinthians 6: 2
                                                                   now is come salvation                 Revelation 12: 10

If something is going to happen in your life it won’t be in the past or in the future…it will be in the now! While you’re considering this maybe you should make sure you’re not one who says…
“not now!”