What Would You Have Done If You Had Been With Jesus Just Before Holy Week?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we look at scripture that shows us the willful blindness of unbelievers. It is an example of how the Old Testament points to Christ and, points to a time when Christ will rule the nations in justice. Moreover, it is a validation that God’s plan will ultimately prevail. But individually we have a choice in how we view Jesus in this situation. And in a world filled with lies we all have some doubt. So, we can affirm Christ as the Son of God or we can deny His deity. We can lament and complain and blame God or we can suffer through the situation trusting Jesus. A lot rests on the choice we make. What Would You Have Done If You Had Been With Jesus Just Before Holy Week?
Scripture: For I hear many whispering: “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” All my close friends are watching for me to stumble. “Perhaps he can be enticed, and we can prevail against him, and take our revenge on him.” But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.
Jeremiah 20:10-13 (NRSV)
The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ —and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.
John 10:31-42 (NRSV)
I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;
Psalm 82:6 (NRSV)
Message: The context of today’s Gospel reading is that Jesus has healed a blind man but the Jews still do not believe He is the Messiah. The Jewish leaders have done everything they can to prove Jesus wrong but they have not had any success. Jesus meets the infuriated attacks of those who consider that he is blaspheming by calling himself the son of God. The Jews have demanded Him to plainly say whether He is the Christ or not. But Jesus had already told them and they did not believe. So, in defense he first, quotes Psalm 82:6. For this inspired scripture allowed for the title of sons of God for those entrusted with a message by God. That should have diffused the argument of the Jews, but it did not. Secondly, Jesus point to his miracles and character that demonstrate the presence of God in him. But even that did not dissuade the Jews from trying to stone Jesus. The companion scripture from Jeremiah is in contrast a bittersweet complaint, for Jeremiah is in jail. It is a lament that blames God. The juxtaposition makes us wonder if Jesus was just a bit vexed at the reaction of the Jewish people, for that would certainly have been a human reaction, and Jesus was human as well as divine. But Jesus does not blame his heavenly Father, but instead suffers through the rejection. On a deeper level Jesus, I think, understood that it was all part of the plan. So, perhaps the Jews did not respond the promise of salvation Jesus offers so the blessing would get extended to others. The ones who think Jesus is crazy and possessed will not turn no matter what He does. And the more Jesus proves His divine nature the worse it gets for him. The Jews want Jesus to go away and they are willing to kill Him to make that happen. Eventually they will get their chance.
Pray we believe. Pray when things get tough we persevere. Pray we realize that the mighty works of Jesus reveal God to the world in a way to save the world. Pray we appreciate the courage of Jesus in the face of opposition. Pray we are faithful to the call of Christ. Pray when we face dark nights of the soul we realize that we are not alone. Pray we realize that Jesus prevailed even though he faced greater suffering than we ever will.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 