In the same way the chief priest, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him....’” (Matthew 27:39-42)
Jesus was always misunderstood by people. Mocked and discredited.
At the cross, Jesus was mocked by those watching, by those who had petitioned for His death because they didn't think He was telling them the truth. They thought He was blaspheming God, instead of recognizing that He is God.
“Come down and save yourself, if you can!”
They didn't believe He was really God. They didn't think He could save anyone because it didn’t even seem like He could save Himself. What kind of God couldn’t even save Himself from a humiliating death? If He was God, surely He would come down off the cross to prove it, right?
The thing is, He did come down from the cross. He rose three days later. The grave held no power over Him. (Not only that but when he died, according to Matthew 27:51-54, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, tombs were opened and dead people came to life again, and the earth quaked. There was no mistaking it: He was not some ordinary man. He was supernatural. Even the guards recognized it.)
And yet people still don’t believe. He defied death, healed people, cast out demons, and has lived down through the ages in the best-selling book of all time ... and people are still saying, “Prove You are God. You can’t save anyone!”
When will we just believe?
When will we believe in the One who gave His life for us so that we could live? The One who, because of His amazing love, died to save the very ones who spit in His face?
Even when He was on earth and speaking truth and performing miracles, people missed it. The Pharisees witnessed miracles and heard the truth firsthand, and what did they do?
“Another time [Jesus] went into a synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of [the Pharisees] were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.... [Jesus] said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” (Mark 3:1-6)
"When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, ..." (Matthew 21:45-46)
“While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’ But the Pharisees said, ‘It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.’” (Matthew 9:32-34)
The Pharisees completely overlooked the truths Jesus shared and the fact that miracles happened, being blinded instead by the fact that Jesus broke their rules, offended them, and stole the spotlight. They couldn’t see God standing before them because their own wisdom, pride, and power-hungry-selves got in the way.
This is why Jesus didn’t give them a miracle when they asked for it (Matthew 12:38). They didn’t really want a miracle. They were wicked people who just wanted to make a bull’s-eye out of Jesus and anything He gave them. They didn’t want to know Him. They had their guns loaded and wanted to shoot to pieces anything Jesus threw their way. They didn’t want the truth; they wanted a target. (This is also why Jesus spoke in parables. So that those with a heart to understand would hear the truth, while those who didn’t want to understand wouldn’t.)
Jesus warns, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6)
Pigs don’t care about pearls. They don’t appreciate them or understand their value. All they see is something to trample on. They are on the attack and will even attack the one who threw the pearls, completing ignorant of the value and truth of what they just trampled on.
This is how it was with the Pharisees and teachers of the law back in Jesus’ day.
And times haven’t changed.
The Pharisees were more concerned with trapping and discrediting Jesus than with really understanding Him. They were too offended by Him to believe in Him. And today, too many people don’t want to really understand Jesus either. They don’t really want to know if Jesus is God or not. They don’t want Him to prove it; they just want to mock Him and discredit Him because He offends them.
They taunt God and say, “If He is real, He has to prove it to me. If He is real, why doesn’t He just do this or that? Then I will believe Him.” But they won’t. Because they don’t want to believe. They just want to shred to pieces any truth put before them. They are like swine who don’t know the value of the pearls they are trampling on. And they don’t even want to know the value. They just want to trample. (This is why godly wisdom is important when sharing biblical truth. Don’t become a target for those who just want to be antagonistic and attack and trample. It’s not worth it, throwing your pearls to pigs. Instead, shake the dust off your feet when you leave people like that, Matthew 10:14.)
People mock and deny Jesus in movies, in music, in their condescending attitudes, in their boldly sinful lifestyles, in their attacks on Christians, and by trying to kick Him out of their lives, out of the government, out of the public eye, even out of Christmas. They don’t want to find out who He really is. They don’t want to acknowledge a Lord over their lives. They just want to keep living the way they want to live. They want to be their own gods.
They don’t want to find out that Jesus is God because that would mean they have to seriously consider their lifestyles, their choices, and who gets control of their hearts and lives and eternity. They don’t want to bend a knee to Him.
But someday, they will! We all will! Whether we want to or not. Because the truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior will be evident to all.
“For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:
‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:10-12, I love this passage!)
Someday, there will be no more denying or discrediting. It will be clear to all. And it will be too late for many. Don’t miss Him while you still have time to find Him. Don’t let your own desires, “wisdom,” pride, or power-hunger get in the way. Don’t be a mocking pig. Don’t trample on the pearls. Believe while you still have the chance. You are going to bend a knee someday anyway. So bend a knee voluntarily today and enjoy the salvation and forgiveness and grace that He offers to you, before you are forced to bend a knee involuntarily, when the opportunity to make Him Lord of your life has passed you by.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
You know, I think there will be many people on earth who, after Jesus returns, will complain that God never gave them a chance.
They will say things like, "If God is real, why didn't He prove He is real?"
Well, He did ... it's called Creation.
"Oh, that's just evolution. It's nature," they'll say. "If He's really real, why didn't He send us a clear message, in black-and-white?"
He did ... it's called the Bible.
"No, no, that was just written by men. An interesting old book. Nothing more. But if He was really, really real, why didn't He come down here and show Himself to us physically? Then we'd really believe!"
Once again, He did ... and His name is Jesus ... and they still don't believe.
No one will be able to say, "But I didn't know God was real." That excuse will not work with Him. Because He made Himself abundantly clear in many ways, giving us enough proof that He's real and that we need to seek Him and find Him.
Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Acts 17:27: "God did this [created people] so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."
God will hold us all accountable for the choice we make (or don’t make). And in the end, He will give us what we wanted. If we wanted a relationship with Him, we'll get it, eternally. But if we wanted Him out of our lives, He'll allow it. He won't like it, and it will grieve Him, but He'll give us what we wanted - a life, eternal life, without Him. The choice is ours.
In closing, remember this:
Jesus only came to earth as a little, helpless baby once.
Next time, He's coming as a mighty king ready for war!
"I saw heaven open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.... Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.... He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." (Revelation 19:11-15)
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them." (Romans 1:18-19)
"By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7)
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)
I'm sure there are many people who don't want to believe this could be true ... but seriously, what if? (Click on it and consider.)
(Reposted from 2014, from my other blog, with some additions, but it seems like a good time to repost it)
