Time as we have known it is over. These are different times now. And what I’m about to tell you is almost unthinkable, not from a bad standpoint, but from a good one.

You and I have entered into a sliver of time, a little, narrow band of time, which is the biggest and perhaps the most important block of time since the creation of Adam. We have stepped over—in the spiritual realm and the natural—into exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

John 6:5-13 records the event where Jesus took the basket of five loaves and two fish and fed thousands of people. Now if there was ever a picture of exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, this is it. There were thousands of people eating until they were full, and 12 baskets filled with leftovers.

People today would say, “My, what a wonderful miracle!” And they’re right, it was a miracle. But this was more than a miracle. On that day, time culminated in Jesus. It was compressed, or tightly compacted, within a short space. The growing time for the seed the little boy planted in Jesus’ ministry was instant.

The disciples told Jesus, “There’s a boy here with some bread and a couple of fish.” Jesus asked for the food, and they got it for Him. He took it, looked toward heaven, gave thanks for it, blessed it, broke it and distributed it among His disciples. They, in turn, took the food and distributed it among the people…and they distributed it…and distributed it—to approximately 20,000 people. Then, they went back and picked up all the leftovers. There were 12 baskets full!

What I want you to see is that this whole process of Jesus’ taking the loaves and fish into His hands, blessing it, breaking it and distributing it, is the whole sowing and reaping process condensed into a matter of moments.

That lad sowed his five barley loaves and two small fish into the ministry of Jesus. Jesus received the boy’s seed—planting it in fertile soil. He watered it, then immediately there was a harvest. Not only was there enough to feed everyone until they were full, there was also plenty left over for the storehouse. Whose storehouse? That little boy’s storehouse! He was the one who planted, wasn’t he?

So what happened? The reaper caught up with the sower. Amos 9:13 prophesies that there is a time coming when seed time and harvest time will run together. That young fellow sowed his bread and fish into Jesus’ ministry that morning, and went home later that afternoon with 12 baskets full—all because time culminated in Jesus. And that, my brother and sister, is the kind of time we’re living in today.

Speak the Word

Because of Jesus, time has culminated. The time has come when the plowman has overtaken the reaper. Seed time and harvest time are running together. (Amos 9:13)