Sunday, December 9, 2018

The Rejected Messiah

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:10–13

Jesus was not greeted with open arms when He arrived in Bethlehem. Even on the night of His birth there was no place available for Mary and Joseph indoors. When He began His ministry, that pattern was repeated. Despite the miracles He performed, Jesus was frequently not welcomed, especially by the leaders of the day. After beginning His work, Jesus never had a permanent home. “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

There are few sadder phrases in all of the Bible than, “His own received him not.” The very people who should have been most open and receptive to Jesus turned their back on Him, and eventually they demanded that Pilate crucify the Messiah who had come to save them. The opposition He faced during His ministry has not abated in the centuries since Jesus returned to Heaven. Much of the world still refuses to accept Him and receive His message of salvation through grace alone.

The world’s rejection of the Lord is one we rightly condemn, but there are many times when we refuse to yield to His will as revealed in the Bible. We would never say that we reject Jesus, but if we do not obey what He commanded, that is exactly what we are doing. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

It is our actions rather than our words that reveal whether we have accepted and are following Jesus’ message.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Proverbs 3:13-14