Today’s Scripture concludes a long message that Jesus gave, a message that many found controversial then, and even today, a message that some might say is offensive. There were some that day, after hearing what Jesus was saying, who turned away, and did not follow Him any longer. Let’s quickly take a look at His closing remarks that day.
When Jesus saw that His Words were upsetting some people, He said to the crowd that His Words actually give life (vs. 63). The Words of God, which many scoff at and say are disrespectful and unacceptable for today’s world, are words that actually bring life. It was through His Word and His Spirit that life came to be during Creation (Genesis 1). At the time when Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died, and his sisters Mary and Martha called for Jesus to come, it was His Words that brought Lazarus back to life. It wasn’t when they rolled away the stone at Lazarus’ grave that the man came back to life. It was when Jesus spoke the words “Lazarus, come forth!” that life came back into Lazarus (John 11:38-44). As Jesus said, when the dead hear His Voice, they shall live (John 5:25).
When there is “death” in any problem we have, we can pray that Jesus will speak life into that situation. It could be a dead relationship, dead finances, a dead ministry. The Lord, through His power and His Word, can bring life and restoration into anything. We need to bring them to the Lord in prayer, and He can breathe His life into any situation.
When someone is ill, or even dying, we try to do what we can for them. We tend their wounds, give them medicine and healthy foods, and bring them to the hospital. With the spiritually sick and dying, we need to give them what they need - the words of life, which are found in the Bible. The Scriptures are the Word of God, and have the power of God (Romans 1:16-17).
Jesus said many things that people then, and today, find offensive. We see so many folks today get offended by so many different things that others say, and this includes some of the words of the Bible. How about what Jesus said in this message that if one wants eternal life, they need to eat His Body and drink His Blood (John 6:53-54)? Many people today would find that offensive and turn away, just as some did back then. Jesus also said that He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Peter repeated that truth when he was brought before the religious leaders (Acts 4:12). People in today’s world get offended by that, as that rules out any hope of salvation or truth in any other religion.
People like to push “inclusion”, but what Jesus and the Apostle Peter said was not inclusive. The Bible says that only those who receive Jesus as Savior are God’s children (John 1:12). However many liberal preachers today say that we are all God’s children. We are all His creation, but God’s Word says that we are not all His children. Jesus even called some of the Pharisees children of the devil, so they were certainly not God’s children (John 8:44). So how could everyone be a child of God when Jesus, Himself, called some people, even religious people, otherwise?
These are things that people then and today would find offensive. Yet they are in the Bible. Either one accepts that the Bible is God’s Word, or they don’t, and they turn away. If one turns away from the Bible, then they turn away from the Words of life, and what does that leave them. It leaves them without life, which is death, eternal death.
In closing, Jesus asked the twelve whether they wanted to also go away. Did they find His Words too much to take, too offensive? Peter answered with the truth. Where else could they go, as Jesus is the only One with the words of eternal life! (vs. 66-69).
No comments:
Post a Comment