Time Has Come Today

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #132m, Re-Written 19SEP09

The Disciples’ Prayer—Part Thirteen: Time Has Come Today

by rev dave c

Mt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (NIV).

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him'" (Mt 3:2; NIV). As discussed in Part Twelve, for many centuries the Nation of Israel had been looking for the Messiah, the Savior, who would set them free from a life of slavery. Since the days of Malachi, there had been over 400 years of silence from God when suddenly there could be heard the voice of a man who wore camel hair clothes and ate locusts and honey, proclaiming, “The kingdom of heaven is near!” His was a message that urged listeners to repent in the face of the coming righteousness from God. Chapter Three of Matthew concludes by telling us, Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Mt 3:13-17; NIV)

After Jesus had been baptized by John and He had spent 40 days in the wilderness being tested, we are told in Matthew 4:12-17, When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Mark 1:14&15 is even more emphatic in stating, After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (NIV).

We find this “time has come—the kingdom is at hand—repent and believe” theme repeated throughout the Gospels. In Chapter Four of John, during the exchange between Christ and the woman at the well we are told, 21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he" (NIV).

Jesus proclaims in Chapter Five of John, 24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man (NIV). My brothers and sisters in Christ, we were the dead to whom these passages refer. All of us also lived among [the disobedient] at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved (Ep 2:3-5; NIV).

After Jesus had begun His public ministry, He went to the synagogue in Nazareth. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Lu 4:17-21; NIV). Friends, we are so blessed to be living in the ‘Today’ of Luke 4:21 and Hebrews 3:13. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (2Co 6:2; NIV).