John 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.
Welcome my Friends! The Good Lord was kind enough to grant us the privilege, the blessing of seeing another beautiful day unfurl, heralded by a glorious sunrise, truly depicting His awesome majesty and immense power. For that, we all offer Him much heartfelt praise and thanks, since I doubt that any of us are ready to go to the home He’s prepared for us elsewhere. Of course, if He calls, we’ll go. But given a choice, we’ll certainly opt for some more time here on earth because most of us believe we have not yet accomplished anything worthwhile, and desire to leave worthy deeds or accomplishments for others to remember us by. As Susan Edmonstone Ferrier says; ‘The natural wish of every human being, the weakest as well as the wisest, seems to be, to leave some memorial of themselves to posterity.’ And that’s very true. We all want to perpetuate our names, so we aspire to excellence in different avenues of life and work, hoping that something will stand out above the others. And though it’s a noble ideal, unfortunately Friends, most of those outstanding achievements will only end up as footnotes of our lives, not showing who we really were, or what values we truly possessed. In order to make a real impact, we need to live each day as fully as we can in the eyes of those near and dear to us. We need to laugh and cry; LOVE and lose; feel hurt and pain, as well as joy and gladness; show empathy and sympathy, strength and weakness, and above all, an undying LOVE for and belief in Jesus. That’s how Jesus lived. That was His modus operandi. He did miracles and other supernatural stuff, but that wasn’t Him. He didn’t want to be defined by His other-worldly acts, but by the very human acts of LOVING, caring, suffering, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness and selfless teaching. Those were the things He wanted to be known for; acts of humanity that His followers could emulate after He was gone, not primarily as a miracle worker. This brings us to the Bit: ‘But though he had done many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.’ That’s because, as we saw yesterday, the Lord blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, just as He did with Pharaoh. Jesus pointed out the same thing when the disciples asked why He spoke to the crowd in parables. ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries (hidden truths) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given…Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing, see not; and hearing, hear not, neither do they understand.’ (Mat.13:11,13) Then Jesus went on to quote Isaiah’s prophecy, (Mat.13:14-15) before telling the disciples. ‘But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them.’ (Mat. 13: 16-17) So it was obviously the Lord’s plan all along for Jesus not to be accepted as we saw yesterday. But there’s also a sub-plot that intrigues me; the Pharisees’ fear of Jesus. ‘Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said, what do we do? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.’ (John 1:47-48) Ah my people, you can see how fear of losing our treasured status and position can make us lose our perspective and drive us to do very sinful and oftimes foolish things. The Pharisees were scared that if the people believed on Jesus they would lose their elite status. But their high priest, Caiaphas, had his wits about him and rebuked them; ‘Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.’ Caiaphas ‘prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation…Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.’ (John 11:49-51,53) Oh Friends, isn’t it amazing how everybody wanted to kill Jesus: the Sadducees for political reasons, and the Pharisees for theological ones. Meanwhile, all Jesus wanted to do was save their sinful souls from eternal death and damnation. But their enmity was an essential part of God’s plan; plan B, I guess we can call it, a precautionary measure, just in case the people’s hearts weren’t hardened enough and they miraculously believed. (smile) It was imperative that Jesus died, else we would not have gained all the good things we now have. Now there’s one last passage I want to bring up in this regard, because it still pertains very much to us today. ‘Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him: but because of the Pharisees they did not confess (publicly acknowledge) him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.’ (John 12:42-43) The Pharisees had threatened to put anyone who publicly acknowledged Jesus out of the synagogue. ‘Howbeit no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.’ (John 7:13) It was so bad that after Jesus healed the man born blind by rubbing moist clay on his eyes then telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, the parents were afraid to admit that Jesus had healed him. So when the Pharisees asked if he was born blind how comes he now sees, they said; ‘We know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall answer for himself.’ (John 9:21) And sadly my Friends, there are still too many people like that in our world today. They claim to believe, but only in private. In public they never acknowledge or stand up for Jesus, because they are afraid or ashamed of what others might say or do; possibly ridicule, make fun of them or even take some more drastic action. To too many of us, the acceptance of our fellow man, what they think of us, is way more important than what the God of heaven, our Creator, Provider and Protector does. My people, this should not be so. Jesus suffered untold humiliation and contempt and a horrible, unfair death on our behalf. It’s precious little to ask that we at least have the parts to stand up and publicly acknowledge Him if we consider ourselves believers. Remember, ‘Whoseover denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.’ (1 John 2:23) So Friends, let’s aspire to do our part nuh; BELIEVE on Him, LOVE Him, and LIVE for Him. That’s all He asks of us. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…every day…
Welcome my Friends! The Good Lord was kind enough to grant us the privilege, the blessing of seeing another beautiful day unfurl, heralded by a glorious sunrise, truly depicting His awesome majesty and immense power. For that, we all offer Him much heartfelt praise and thanks, since I doubt that any of us are ready to go to the home He’s prepared for us elsewhere. Of course, if He calls, we’ll go. But given a choice, we’ll certainly opt for some more time here on earth because most of us believe we have not yet accomplished anything worthwhile, and desire to leave worthy deeds or accomplishments for others to remember us by. As Susan Edmonstone Ferrier says; ‘The natural wish of every human being, the weakest as well as the wisest, seems to be, to leave some memorial of themselves to posterity.’ And that’s very true. We all want to perpetuate our names, so we aspire to excellence in different avenues of life and work, hoping that something will stand out above the others. And though it’s a noble ideal, unfortunately Friends, most of those outstanding achievements will only end up as footnotes of our lives, not showing who we really were, or what values we truly possessed. In order to make a real impact, we need to live each day as fully as we can in the eyes of those near and dear to us. We need to laugh and cry; LOVE and lose; feel hurt and pain, as well as joy and gladness; show empathy and sympathy, strength and weakness, and above all, an undying LOVE for and belief in Jesus. That’s how Jesus lived. That was His modus operandi. He did miracles and other supernatural stuff, but that wasn’t Him. He didn’t want to be defined by His other-worldly acts, but by the very human acts of LOVING, caring, suffering, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness and selfless teaching. Those were the things He wanted to be known for; acts of humanity that His followers could emulate after He was gone, not primarily as a miracle worker. This brings us to the Bit: ‘But though he had done many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.’ That’s because, as we saw yesterday, the Lord blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, just as He did with Pharaoh. Jesus pointed out the same thing when the disciples asked why He spoke to the crowd in parables. ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries (hidden truths) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given…Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing, see not; and hearing, hear not, neither do they understand.’ (Mat.13:11,13) Then Jesus went on to quote Isaiah’s prophecy, (Mat.13:14-15) before telling the disciples. ‘But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them.’ (Mat. 13: 16-17) So it was obviously the Lord’s plan all along for Jesus not to be accepted as we saw yesterday. But there’s also a sub-plot that intrigues me; the Pharisees’ fear of Jesus. ‘Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said, what do we do? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.’ (John 1:47-48) Ah my people, you can see how fear of losing our treasured status and position can make us lose our perspective and drive us to do very sinful and oftimes foolish things. The Pharisees were scared that if the people believed on Jesus they would lose their elite status. But their high priest, Caiaphas, had his wits about him and rebuked them; ‘Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.’ Caiaphas ‘prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation…Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.’ (John 11:49-51,53) Oh Friends, isn’t it amazing how everybody wanted to kill Jesus: the Sadducees for political reasons, and the Pharisees for theological ones. Meanwhile, all Jesus wanted to do was save their sinful souls from eternal death and damnation. But their enmity was an essential part of God’s plan; plan B, I guess we can call it, a precautionary measure, just in case the people’s hearts weren’t hardened enough and they miraculously believed. (smile) It was imperative that Jesus died, else we would not have gained all the good things we now have. Now there’s one last passage I want to bring up in this regard, because it still pertains very much to us today. ‘Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him: but because of the Pharisees they did not confess (publicly acknowledge) him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.’ (John 12:42-43) The Pharisees had threatened to put anyone who publicly acknowledged Jesus out of the synagogue. ‘Howbeit no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.’ (John 7:13) It was so bad that after Jesus healed the man born blind by rubbing moist clay on his eyes then telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, the parents were afraid to admit that Jesus had healed him. So when the Pharisees asked if he was born blind how comes he now sees, they said; ‘We know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall answer for himself.’ (John 9:21) And sadly my Friends, there are still too many people like that in our world today. They claim to believe, but only in private. In public they never acknowledge or stand up for Jesus, because they are afraid or ashamed of what others might say or do; possibly ridicule, make fun of them or even take some more drastic action. To too many of us, the acceptance of our fellow man, what they think of us, is way more important than what the God of heaven, our Creator, Provider and Protector does. My people, this should not be so. Jesus suffered untold humiliation and contempt and a horrible, unfair death on our behalf. It’s precious little to ask that we at least have the parts to stand up and publicly acknowledge Him if we consider ourselves believers. Remember, ‘Whoseover denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.’ (1 John 2:23) So Friends, let’s aspire to do our part nuh; BELIEVE on Him, LOVE Him, and LIVE for Him. That’s all He asks of us. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…every day…
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