His Hour Has Not Yet Come

About this sermon

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032026.cfm In the Gospel of John, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles in secret. The Jews were already plotting to kill Him, yet His hour had not yet come. This is the profound truth of this passage: Human plans cannot override divine timing. Father Mark Baron, MIC, reflects on this mystery, exploring the Feast of Tabernacles and its significance. This ancient feast celebrated the end of the harvest and recalled Israel's time in the wilderness, when God provided water and food while they dwelt in tents. It was a feast of thanksgiving and trust. Jesus went to this feast knowing the authorities sought His life. Yet He declared that His hour had not yet come. The death of Jesus does not ultimately happen because of a human plan. It is part of a divine plan. Jesus recognizes He is from God, the Son of God, sent by the Father to lay down His life for our sins, and so He also knows that this is not the time for His Passion and death. A keen sense of Divine Providence, of the times and seasons for the plans and purposes of God, is crucial for Lent. The season is not only about seeking purification from sin. It is also about preparing to celebrate the Paschal Mystery — the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. We prepare ourselves to celebrate those events that constitute the hour of Jesus. In the first part of Lent, we read about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Now we enter a time of readings that speak of how Jesus was led to death. We read about His conflict with religious leadership, whose way of life revolved around the Temple and a form of worship that God had established. Jesus came to fulfill that system. Jesus says He goes to the Cross freely. He lays down His life voluntarily. He chooses when He dies. The Father has planned this from all eternity. Human beings are instruments in this divine drama — some as instruments of death, some as instruments of faithfulness. Just as Jesus' name was on everyone's lips then, the name of Jesus is spoken widely today. But speaking about Jesus does not always mean we understand Him correctly. We must confess Christ is King — a statement of faith, not a political slogan. We cannot be afraid to use that phrase. Man does not determine the second coming of Christ. We do not force God's hand. It is always God's hour, always according to God's plan. Human plans can’t control or “correct” divine timing. Christ is King because He reigns from the Cross, crowned with thorns, acknowledged as King of the Jews by the Roman Empire through Pontius Pilate’s sign posted above His head. Today we ponder some of the events that led Him to that moment where He is lifted up from the earth, conquering the works of the devil, so our hearts can truly be ruled by Jesus.