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For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
--Romans 1:20
I remember years ago when Life magazine ran a cover story that asked a very provocative question. Famous for its breathtaking photos, the cover featured a stunning picture of the heavens, filled with stars, galaxies, and planets. And on it were printed the words, “Who is God?”
What a question! Humanity has wondered about the Creator from the beginning. And you know, that’s the very question a group of learned men from the East sought to answer so long ago as they looked into the heavens. These men, whom the Bible calls magi, saw something in the stars that led them to travel across hundreds of miles of desert and rough country to visit a toddler in the little town of Bethlehem.
Two thousand years later, people still look at the stars scattered across the sky, or the vastness of an ocean, or mountains capped with snow in the hottest summer and try to make sense of it. That’s because inside every man and woman is an innate sense that creation has a Creator, and so must we.
So whether you’ve known Jesus for years or are just testing the waters of faith, start the journey of discovering God through creation. If you don’t know Christ, maybe you’ll meet Him. And if you do, it will deepen your faith. But it must start by looking into creation and asking that question: “Who is God?”
Missing the Truth
Sunday, December 15, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him.”
John 7:40–43
Many Jewish people in the time of Christ were looking for the coming of the Messiah. Their Roman conquerors ruled with a harsh hand, and many of the people dreamed of a leader who would free them and restore Israel as an independent nation. This was true of the disciples, even after the crucifixion and resurrection. The last recorded question they asked Jesus before He returned to Heaven was not about His kingdom, but Israel’s. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
When news of what Jesus was doing began to spread, many people wondered if He was the promised Messiah. But while the people were looking for a political leader, His focus was not on overthrowing Roman rule. The deliverance Jesus came to bring was not from earthly leaders, but from Satan. Jesus simply did not fit the image of a Messiah that the people wanted—despite the promises of salvation Jesus fulfilled.
There were even some who actually used the Old Testament Scriptures and prophecies to back up their refusal to believe in Jesus. Not knowing that Jesus had indeed been born in Bethlehem before being reared in Nazareth, they rejected Him. They used a true prophecy to deny the very Truth Himself and would not believe in Him. Because Jesus did not conform to what they wanted and thought they needed, they missed out on what only He could do.
Today's Growth Principle:
If we only look at Jesus through the lens of our expectations, we will miss so much He has for us.
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