The hour has come, we hear Jesus say in John's Gospel (2:20-33), as he prepared to fulfill his purpose so that we could have eternal life with him. As we go through life, we also have hours that come and go. Some of those hours are good, times to celebrate, times we can hardly wait for, and times that once we're there, we never want to end. When Jesus's hour had come, it wasn't one of those times.
Jesus’s hour was troubled and like him, troubling hours come into our lives too. During times of change and transition, when we find ourselves entering the unknown, facing uncertain risks can leave us feeling anxious. These are the hours that we don't look forward to, the hours that we wish we could avoid, but if we can't, we just want to get them over with.
Jesus had faith in his Father and trusted his Father's plan for him. This faith and trust amid his troubles enabled him to fulfill his purpose in that hour. He was able to face rejection, condemnation, humiliation, pain, and death, which led to something beautiful. It led to the resurrection. It led to a new life. There would have been no resurrection without the troubles and the cross, and so it is in our lives.
New life can follow times of trouble. If we can discern and come to know God's will, as Jesus knew his Father's, and we are open to trusting and following it, we too can fulfill our purpose even during troubling times. During those anxious times in our life, if what we think God is asking us to do is good; if it's something we can do; if it's wise for us to do; if it doesn't cause us to become someone we're not; if it's something we would like to do, then we should try it and observe the fruit of our actions. Good fruit, filled with peace, joy, and excitement, is an experience of new life, of resurrection. It's what God intended us to do, it was our purpose in that hour.
With faith in Jesus, times of change, which often leave us feeling anxious or troubled, can also be filled with grace. Significant times of change and transition bring feelings of skepticism, uncertainty, and even fear. But we don't need to act on those emotions. There is grace to help us trust in God, to help us fulfill our purpose in that hour by doing his will. We are never alone in times of trouble.
Can anything be more troubling than facing the end of one’s own life? If we know the truth of how much Jesus loves us, that he always has and always will love us, and he wants us to be with him, then even in that hour, we can fulfill our purpose.
I was blessed to meet with a friend just before he passed away. At the time my friend expressed that he was ready. He knew Jesus and was at peace with what was about to happen to him. He wasn't worried about those he would leave behind; he knew God would care for them. Everything about him seemed very calm. While we were talking, he asked why God would let there be a disease without a cure and why would he let him get it. What's the purpose? In our discussion, we discerned that his purpose, in that hour, was to be a witness to those who loved him. A witness to what great faith looks like and the peace it can bring to our lives, even in the most troubling of times.
The hour has come, and the hours will continue to come our way. Some of them are good and some of them troubling. The good news for us is that because of our faith in Jesus, even our most troubling hours can also be filled with grace, followed by something new. Troubled times can lead to the glory of resurrection.