(John) the Sickness of the Saint — Willie Mullan

The Six Themes of John 11

To John's Gospel, Chapter 11 this evening. The Gospel by John, and we're at the eleventh chapter, and we're just going through the first ten verses this evening. There are so many great truths that I just feel we won't get any further than the tenth verse.

That will just be the introductory part to this wonderful chapter where we have the mighty miracle of the raising of love. And I want to say six things about these ten verses. I want to underline first for you the sickness of the saint.

Lazarus and the Sickness of the Saint

The chapter begins, Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus of Bethany. And I don't think that I'll have any trouble at all proving that he was a saint of God. And I want to talk for a moment or two tonight about the sickness of the saint.

And then there is a great something here that we need to underline, the supplication of the sisters. You see, verse 3 says,. Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thy lovers beseech.

It was a very short prayer or request, but I believe that there is a great truth here that we must take our time with this evening. And I think we'll see a model of real supplication, supplication that we all should be working at in the days in which we live.

So that, secondly, we'll deal with the supplication of the sisters. Then we'll come to the saying of the Savior. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

And we, of course, are at the saying of the Savior. Then there's a little phrase put in now, verse 5. It should be a parenthesical phrase, it's a parenthesis in some of the other translations. It's just something that's put in quickly, and that's put in by the Spirit of God.

And it's these words, verse 5, Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and loved her. And then we are coming from what I have called the skill of the Spirit to the submission of the servants, because we find that our Lord Jesus abodes still today in the place where he was, just because it was God's will and he was the servant of God.

And then we finish with the surety of the Son, because just as the hours of the day were fixed, so was his day fixed. And he was absolutely sure as he walked in the light that he would neither stumble nor fall.

So that here are the great truths we want to underline this evening, the sickness of the saints, and the supplication of the sisters, the saying of the Savior, the skill of the Spirit, the submission of the servants, and the surety of the Son.

Lazarus, Martha, and Mary as Believers

Then we'll start the chapter 4. Verse 1, Now a certain man was fixed, named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. And I don't think that we shall have any trouble with proving that Lazarus was a saint.

I think you remember something about this family. Do you remember Luke's Gospel, chapter 10, if you don't have a look at it now? Luke's Gospel, chapter 10, and at verse 38. Chapter 10, verse 38, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ entered, into a certain village.

And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house, and she had a sister called Mary, which also started Jesus' feet in her as well. I want you to notice that Martha is talked about here as receiving him into her house.

That makes me think, of course, that Martha was the oldest one of the three. I think Martha and Mary and Lazarus lived together. But Martha, I believe, was the oldest one of the three, and she's talked about as receiving him into her house.

You see, there was a welcome for the Lord Jesus at your home. And I want you to come back to chapter 11 now, and we'll go down the chapter just a little bit, to where our Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Martha.

And here is her reply to him in verse 27. John 11, verse 27. She saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, The Master is come and called us for thee.

I'm only doing all that to point this out, that just because of the welcome that Martha gave, and just because of the words that she said, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, you can see that Martha was a real believer, a saint of God.

No trouble about her. And you'll find this out when you look at the Mary sitting, and then we find something else about Mary right at the beginning of this chapter, don't we? Look at verse 2. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his teeth with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was saved.

And when you take Martha's welcome, and Martha's words, that will do for her. And when you take Mary's tipping, and Mary's sacrifice, and Mary's tipping to wipe his teeth, that will do for her. She really followed him too.

But you know, when you take the declaration of Martha, and the demonstration of Mary, not one of them is greater than the resurrection of Lazarus. You don't think that he raised the sinner again, do you?

Because that would throw a spanner into the works for him. Because if the sinner dies, his soul goes to hell. Well, it was a saint that he brought back from the dead. And so there are no problems here, for me at any rate, Lazarus was a saint.

Biblical Examples of Sick Saints

Now, you see, we are going to talk now about the sickness of the saint. You'll find that the sisters could say in verse 3, Lord, behold he whom thy loveth is sick. There is no doubt at all that the Lord loves Lazarus.

You see, there is a teaching abroad that all sickness comes because of the judgment of God. Well, that's the biggest lot of twaddle whenever I listen to it. And if that's what you believe, I know right well that you've never really read the scripture.

Because here is a saint here, and there is no problem about him being a saint. And here is one who was allowed saints, and he's sick. And the sickness, said Christ, is for the glory of God. It's a tremendous thing to think about.

Because I would make the case tighter if I went back to Job, wouldn't I? And we listen, God saying to the devil, hast thou considered my servant Job? There is none like him in all the earth. A man that fears God and acts to his evil, tell me, was he a saint?

Is anything wrong? Didn't he become sick? Was it judgment from God? You mustn't read your Bible. But I think there's a far greater case in the New Testament, you see. Some of the boys who preach this sort of rubbish, they say, oh yes, you know, those are Old Testament cases.

But in the New Testament, they, under grace, anyone who is sick, thin, must be in their life. They talk like Job's comforters did in the old days. Well, we're in the New Testament now, and come to Philippians chapter two for a moment.

Paul's letter to the Philippians, and we're after second chapter. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, and in verse 25, this is what he penned by the Spirit of God. Yet I suppose it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus.

What's what he says about him? My brother, no trouble about his conversion anyway, he was one of the brethren. My brother is another lovely little thing, and companion in labor. He's another little thing, and fellow soldier.

But you messenger, and he's administered to my wants. Well, there's a testimony for you, isn't it? I wrote a testimonial to one of the men sitting before me here today. My dear friend, here's a testimonial to this man, and by the Spirit of God.

So, there's no trouble about this fellow. He was a saint, all right. My brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but you messenger, and he's administered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

For indeed, he was sick nigh unto death. There's another sick thing for you. And I'll tell you, there was nothing wrong with his life, was there? Well, the Spirit of God is writing the testimonial, and he knows best.

If you want to argue with the Spirit of God, that's your business. But here's a saint who has got the testimonial from the Spirit of God, and he was sick nigh unto death. And I'll tell you this, this is what happened.

But God, my, these two words are worth following through the churches. But God had mercy on him, upon him. When you, Paul, didn't heal him, not a bit of him, not a bit of him. And they didn't take Epaphroditus to some healing meeting either.

No, they didn't. No, indeed, they didn't. And nobody laid hands on him. And there was no miracle performed, as far as man was concerned. Here is what happened. God had mercy on him. That's what the book says.

That's what the book says. And mind you, that's worth taking note of. So it is. Now, I know that Paul was an apostle, and I know that in his early days he had great fine gifts, the signs of an apostle.

Of course he had. But I shall be showing you, at the end of his days, he is not working these fine gifts, not a bit of them. Here's a fellow here that was his companion, and a fellow that he needed. He didn't work any miracle, you know.

It was the mercy of God that brought him back. Worth your noting, you know. Have a look again, and we're at 2nd Timothy, and we're at the last chapter. 2nd Timothy, and Paul is recalling some of the great things, and bringing them before Timothy's notice.

See verse 19, saying to young Timothy, Salute Priscilla and Aquila. They were saying, I'm the household of Anastaphorus. Then he says, Erastus abodetum batrophimus, have I left Asmoletum sick. No wonder he didn't work a miracle, isn't it?

What was the big idea? Well, some of you that are here tonight, you'd have said bring him down to the healing meeting, wouldn't you? Well, Paul didn't do it. It's a wonder he didn't, when he knew so much.

Well, he just didn't. He just left him. That's what your book says anyway. He left him Asmoletum sick. Why didn't he work a miracle? Why didn't he put his hands on them? Why didn't he do all the keepers that they're doing now?

That's for you to tell me. I'm just telling you what the book says. Paul left him Asmoletum sick. The Egyptians were even at the very end of Paul's life. For in 2nd Timothy, he's Paul the Edge. And it would make you question something if you listen to now.

All that I'm getting out of this, you know, and all that I want to get out of it, is that I'm bringing before you saints that were sick. That's all. Here's another lovely one for you. We're at 3rd John.

Way at the back of your New Testament, there's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. John begins like this. It's a lovely way that John describes himself, isn't it? No populist nonsense there, is there? He just calls himself the eldest.

He's one of the elders. Unto thee, well-beloved guest, love in the truth. And the word wish is not the best word. In the translation before me, the other one is, I pray above all things that thou mightst prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

There is no doubt at all about it that the man he was writing to was all right spiritually, wasn't he? His soul was prosperous. But the very fact that John was continually praying that he might prosper and be in health, even as his soul prospered, would tell you that he wasn't doing so well physically.

And the boys who can't differentiate between body and soul would need to sit up all night and take a look at this. But he was a man and his soul was really prospering. But his body, which was differing from soul, wasn't doing so well.

Is it another case of the sick saint, and there isn't anything spiritually wrong with him? Of course it is. You see, the people who talk about all sickness, bringing a judicial punishment from God for sin, have blinded us to the teaching of the whole book.

We went through sickness the other week and we found out that in Job's case it was satanic, and God allowed Satan. We found a man in the Old Testament whom God struck with the incurable disease, and when God struck him with an incurable disease, you can take him there in a healing meeting in the country and you'll bring him home again.

That was judicial. We find that Paul's in the flesh was essential. We find that some of them were mystical. God allowed sickness for the glory of his name. And it was so in the case of Lazarus. A whole lot of people missed this.

You can be born for the glory of God. When Jesus was born, the song was, Glory to God in the heart. But some people missed this. You can die for the glory of God. When we come to the twenty-first chapter of John, in a week or two, if the Lord will, we will find the Lord saying to Peter, When thou wast young, you just went where you would.

But when you shall be old, somebody shall take you and stretch forth your lungs. This said he signifying what death Peter should glorify God by. Yes, you can glorify God in death. Yes, you can be born for the glory of God.

You can live for the glory of God if you give him your body and soul to be glorified. And you can die for the glory of God, and you can be set for the glory of God. So is the teaching of John 11. You can be set for the glory of God.

So, don't let Job's comforters get one over on you. Take them through the whole book and make them face up to things. Well, let's get back again to John chapter 11. I can't say any more about the second of the saints, you ponder it.

The Suplication of the Sisters

Verse 1, Now a second man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany. There's a lovely little bit that the Holy Ghost has put in also. The town of Mary and her sister Martha. It's a wonderful thing that God thought about the town of Bethany, or the village of Bethany.

He just thought of it as the place where Mary and Martha were. I think that's how God looks at the world. As he looked down at the only small village, he said, you know, I've got outstanding ones yonder.

I've got Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Well, does he fix up the town where I've got Willie Mullins? Does he see the town of Arthur? That's how he saw Bethany. That's a wonderful wee bit to watch, you know.

I'd like to live down here that God noticed me. So you watch again. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Now we come to the supplication.

Therefore his sister sent unto the Lord, saying, Lord, behold he whom thy lovest depict. Now, whatever you're going to get tonight, please take attention to this little phrase that is really a model of supplication.

It begins like this. It begins with looking straight at the deity of the one you're talking to. Lord, I think that's the way you should always come to pray, you know. The book says, he that cometh to God must believe that he is.

You know, we must realize the wonderful, majestic, omnipotent presence we're coming into. We must therefore come with our eyes upon the Lord. You know, prayer is just drawing nigh to God. But don't forget he's God, surely not.

The way some of you talk, you think it was a schoolboy you were coming to. So they said, Lord, and that recognized it. Then they said, Lord, behold, Dr. Hendricks, son, has translated that word, behold, with another word.

It's the word, listen. Is this way we're saying this? Lord, listen, Lord. You see, that proves their sincerity, the intensity, the fervency that was behind the supplication. Lord, listen, Lord. That's the idea of this there.

I hope you don't only come to feel there's a whole lot of just being repetition. There at all, you know, it's only talk. These people were really sincere. The first one shows that they recognize the deity, and the second one shows that it's revealing their sincerity and fervency and intensity.

And then they said, Lord, listen, he whom thou lovest. And you know, that recalls not only the identity of the one they're talking about, but the familiarity between him and the Lord. Well, I think that's very nice, you know.

You know, you can really go into the Lord's presence with sincerity, and you can recall any of the things that he said to you in the days gone by, and you can produce all promises. You can show the familiarity that you and he had in the days gone by.

But I'll tell you something, here's your biggest lesson, dear, would you take your time with this remit. They just went to the Lord and they said, Lord, listen, he whom thou lovest is such. And they didn't tell the Lord what it is.

You see, what I feel is this. Oh, get the hold of this, would you? Think upon him carefully. The way unto the Lord. And the psalmist said, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. But wait a wee minute.

When some of you come and cast it, and you want it to come to pass, you'll tell them how to do it, and when to do it, and all the rest of it, won't you? Well, they didn't. They just didn't. You know, the way you really pray, dear, is like this.

You draw nigh to God, and you make your request known. But don't ever change the word request. Some people seem to think that the farewell prayer takes them up to the throne, where they push God to the side, and they command God to do things.

But don't ever do that. And some people would love to change the word request into direction. Oh, they love to tell God when to do it, and how to do it. They would love to say, commit your way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass, just the way you want it, and just when you want it.

Oh, well, it doesn't say any such thing. And the people before us didn't say it either. I think there's a great education here. They just came to the Lord, and with their whole heart behind it, they reminded him of the familiarity, and they gave him the identity without naming the name.

And they just said, Lord, listen, you, my Lord, et cetera. And they laughed at that, hadn't they? And you just deal with the latter part of it. They brought their bones into the Lord, and they laughed at that.

Talks of him now, isn't it? There's an education and supplication there in that phrase. And I only wish that God we would all learn. It would be better for you, and it would be much better for the kingdom of God.

You know, friend, when I see or hear somebody flying into the heavens, and they're claiming so much, and they're commanding God, and it's just going to happen when they say, I know they'll blast the whole channel.

Because if it did the way they wanted, they'd come strutting in next week and say, boy, didn't we do well last Thursday? Well, flesh, wounds, glory, and God said, this is far better sleeping than praying like that, you know.

Oh, let's learn to trust God. These sisters did. They brought their burden, laid it there, and crushed it, the Lord. Well, there's an education and supplication there, isn't there? It's a tiny one. All right, we'll move on.

The Saying of the Savior and the Glory of God

Verse four. Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. I honestly believe, of course, that he just didn't say this to himself, you know.

I believe that he heard the messenger bring the message, Lord, listen, he whom thou lovest is sick. And I believe in his own word he sent the answer back. And I believe the messenger went back and said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

And I think from that moment, Mary and Martha had to stand on the word of the Lord and wait for what he would do. And it's wonderful, because that's how he still works. But you know, there is something here.

You see, when our Lord Jesus Christ said, this sickness is not unto death, remember, he wasn't saying that Lazarus, Lazarus will not die. He was saying, Lazarus will not die in the abiding sense, but this sickness will eventually be for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

You see, he knew the end from the beginning, even at that moment. He knew that Lazarus would die in a moment or two, you know, when we get down to chapter, before he ever reads this part, he'll be able to say, Lazarus is free.

And when they couldn't get it, it came up and to the audience that Lazarus has said, there's one thing that really gets my blood moving, and it's when these half-damned modernists really get me going, you know.

If I'll tell you this, I'm taking you through John's gospel, and I believe that John's gospel was written for this purpose, that we might see the glories that belong to the Son of God. And one of the glories that belonged to the Son of God while he was down here was his knowledge.

So, let me see how much you know John's gospel. Don't go over the hook. Do you remember chapter one? Do you remember this? That he knew all about Nathanael before he met him. The moment that Nathanael was brought into his presence, he said, Behold, in this for a life and deed in whom there is no guise.

And Nathanael nearly jumped out of his chin. He said, When knowest thou me? Before that till it fit to be when thou was come to the big sea, I shall be you all of us. Remember John chapter two? Quick.

How did the chapter end? What was in man, and he need it not that any should testify of mine. Do you know chapter three now? He knew the deep, dire, desperate need of the Pharisee to ruler Nicodemus. He didn't know dear much.

Well, born again, that's what he didn't know, but Jesus knew as me. Do you know chapter four? Well, he knew about the woman's past and all the husbands and the man she was living with, and he'd only need a check as well.

Ten minutes. John chapter five? And we're at the pool of Bethesda, and he knew that the man had been lying there, quick, thirty-eight years, and he was only thirty-three. Go on, John. I can do every chapter in John's gospel and show you the knowledge.

It was really wonderful. Don't ever listen for a second to a man whose text was limited. And when we come to John 13, which will be only in a night or two, my, that's the chapter that really deals with the wonderful knowledge of our Lord Jesus.

The fact that he knew the end from the beginning here, beyond the shadow of a doubt. The wonderful knowledge of the lost. You know, he knew that Lazarus would die, and he knew that he would be buried, and the stone would be rolled upon him, and by the time that he would get there, he would be stinking, and he yet knew this.

I would call him out from among the dead. Think of the power of the Lord. I tell you, friends, this wonderful saying not only shows his knowledge, but it reveals that he was at that moment absolutely sure of his power.

And think of the glory of the Son of God. My, this is the thing that sticks all the old potter things. You know, when you come to think about Lazarus, and he's in the grave, there wasn't very much that he could do to help the Lord.

Some people try to tell me, you know, that unless you have faith in your side miracle son, the work will not make it over Lazarus. We'll see next week with the highest work. We want to gaze up now in the glory of the Son of God, beyond my faith.

Ay, and if the skin worms destroy this body, yet I'm perfectly sure that in my flesh, I'll see God. What a saying it was. Let's go quickly still. I want you to notice this. You see, when the sisters really supplicated, or interceded for their brother, and Jesus heard and made this great saying, now the Holy Ghost very quickly placed verse 5 in there.

Christ's Love Must Not Be Doubted

It's really a parenthesis. You see, because the next verse starts again, when he had heard, therefore, that he was saved. Which tells you that verse 5 is a parenthesis. But the point is this, you know, Jesus has listened, and Jesus has answered, and yet God the Father desires that the servant is to wait for two more days.

And before that reverberation is given, the Holy Ghost puts in very quickly, now Jesus loves. Boy, that was very skillfully done, wasn't it? Didn't wait until after verse 6, you know. Oh, no. Just a minute before it there, the Holy Ghost used John's arm to say that Jesus loves Martha, and her sister, and loved them.

Yes. You know, although there's going to be a little bit of hesitation, and although he's not just going to fly over to Bethany, although there's going to be no rush about it, there must be no questioning of his love.

Must be no questioning of his love. The Holy Ghost has done this right through this gospel. I couldn't have time to do very many of them tonight, but here's one I'll do. Watch this one. I think it's a good one.

It's chapter 18, John chapter 18, and it's the last verse. We might read verse 38. While it saith unto him what is truth, and when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

But ye of the custom that I should release unto you one at the passover, will ye therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews? Then cried they all, saying, not this man, but Barabbas. And as quick as lightning, the Holy Ghost put the next phrase here.

They didn't say it, you know. Now, Barabbas was a robber. It was the Spirit of God who put that there. You see, the Spirit of God was just putting in a phrase very quickly, just to show the choice that the people made on that particular morning.

They chose the robber. And there's some of you sitting in this meeting tonight, and up to this very moment you have chosen the robber. And you're all most robbed of eternal life, my friend. And you might be robbed of peace and joy for all eternity, if you don't watch.

My fellow, you have substituted things for Christ, and you've held on to them. And really, you love them more than your true salvation. And you've been robbed, robbed eternally. It was the Holy Ghost who put that in.

And right through John's Gospel, if you open your eyes and watch out, you'll find these phrases, that he inserted very quickly. It just shows the skill of the Spirit. Just how he placed this word, just how he phrased this word, there must be no question at all about Jesus' love.

You know, my old friend, Joe Quinn, was 89 years of age on St. Patrick's Day, 17th of March, 1961. And I was talking to him one day, and I thought I'd test him out, you know. I said, Joe, how long have you walked with the Lord?

Over 65 years with the Lord. Wonderful, isn't it? I said, tell me, what's the greatest lesson in life you've learned? He said, in heaven, it might. He said, I've learned, no matter what the circumstances may be, or how dark the night may go, or how difficult my way may seem, I have learned never to doubt.

God loves me. I said, is that it all? He said, it's another wee bit. I've learned never to doubt His love, and never to question His wisdom. Or that we could learn that, even tonight. No matter what happens, don't doubt He loves you, and don't question His wisdom, dear.

He knows best. He's inserted this before He would stay at the place. Now, let's move on from the skill of the Spirit by inserting that wonderful fifth verse to this verse six. God had, therefore, thus Lazarus would say, He abode to-day still, in the same place where He was.

The Servant's Submission to God's Timing

Now, I've called this the submission of the servant. You see, I think we get a great picture of our Lord Jesus Christ here. We see Him standing as the Savior. We see Him as the sovereign, who knew the end from the beginning.

But we see Him standing as the servant. You see, if somebody should ring me in the middle of the night and say, my brother's dying, well, I'd just run down the stairs and jump into the car. I've done it often.

I'd ride there in my pajamas, and I would do it again, too. But, you know, our Lord Jesus Christ told it from the beginning, and He knew that God desired that Lazarus would die and go into the grave and was sinking before He would get there.

And, as the servant of Jehovah, He did something that was misunderstood by many, and I have found this out. That if you ask God about everything, and you begin to do exactly what God wants you to do, there's a whole lot of your friends who misunderstand.

If you're going to be a true servant of Jehovah, you have to be prepared to be misunderstood by your dearest friend. And a great example, of course, is the Lord, and another one is Mary, His mother. As the angel of the Lord appeared to this young woman one day, I wish I could picture a virgin for you, a young woman walking in full fellowship with God.

The angel appeared suddenly, and said, fear not, dearie, thou hast found favor with God. Thou art blessed among women. Thou hast conceived a man who would bring forth a son. And she must have shuddered.

She said, how can this be? I don't know a man. He said, but the Holy Ghost will come upon you, and you'll have a child without a mind. And if she's going to have a child without a mind, she's going to be terribly misunderstood, isn't she?

And she is to this moment, you know. Some of the old hypocrites that limit the power of God can't believe it yet. But in spite of it all, she looked into the angel's eyes and said, be it unto me according to thy words.

And she was being a servant of Jehovah, to do Jehovah's will, in Jehovah's way, in the very midst that Jehovah had. She cried on, and you'll be misunderstood. You can see the submission of the servant here.

You see, it's perfectly true that he loves Lazarus. It's perfectly true that the tenderness of his wonderful heart was going out to these dear ones in their time of distress. For he knew the thinking of Lazarus.

He knew all about it. And he knew the sighing of the sisters, of course he did. But he knew exactly what God wanted him to do. And he submitted. You see, he did really love Lazarus. But the glory of God came first.

So as a servant of Jehovah, he abhors this very one. And then watch this. Verse seven, then after that, says he to his disciples, let us go into Judea again. You remember last week in chapter 10, my friend, he said, I am the father of one.

You remember they took up stones to stone him, so that they had to get out of Judea. He went out over the Jordan to Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing at the first. Now he's saying, let's go into Judea again.

And immediately, of course, some of the disciples jump to this. Verse eight, his disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone me. And goest thou ever again? Now, here's a lovely thing.

The Surety of the Son and Walking in the Light

Jesus answers, are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.

You see, these disciples were afraid that he might get hurt. The Lord might stone you to death, you know, if you go back there. They took the stones the last time. They were afraid for him. And he put this to them like this.

He said, are the hours of the day not fixed? Are there not twelve hours in the day? And he's taking this as an illustration that God has fixed my day. I can't get hurt till the hour comes. Don't worry about me.