The Hour has Come
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." John 12:23
"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40
"Moreover no man knows when his hour will come." Ecclesiastes 9:12
Recently, as my wife and I were pulling our Christmas decorations out of storage, I found the patch of my USAF 97th Bombardment Wing that was on my flight suit. The patch has the logo "Venit Hora" which translated from Latin: The Hour has Come. This stimulated my thoughts as it had in 1966 when I joined this B-52 bomber wing.
While clearly in different contexts, there are underlying messages. As a reminder, the verse in John refers to our Lord's speaking of His death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection and exaltation.
The Luke verse talks of servants waiting for their master to return. Solomon in Ecclesiastes focuses on the common destiny for all.
The overall message for us is to remain watchful for the return of our Lord and to live our lives consistent with Jesus' teachings.
Let me conclude by returning to a poem that is associated with my Bomb Wing.
"Immortal is the Name"
Lord, hold them in thy mighty hand
Above the ocean and the land
Like wings of eagles mounting high
Along the pathways of the sky.
Immortal is the name they bear
And high the honour that they share
Until a thousand years have rolled,
Their deeds of valour shall be told.
In the dark of night and light of day
God speed and bless them on their way.
And homeward safely guide each one
With glory gained and duty done.
Anonymous
Let us respond to the hour has come by:
- Thanking God for being the owner of time and His patience with us.
- Asking God to help us be ready to meet Him.