"But when He took the twelve aside, He said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him, and the third day He will rise again." But the disciples understood none of these things, and this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said."
Good Morning my beloved church family,
It is such a privilege to welcome you to worship today this Lord's Day. This is the day the Lord has made, and we have come together that we might rejoice and be glad in it—so let us pause and give our gracious and loving Father the thanks and the praise He deserves for allowing us to see another day, a reminder that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning. May we never take such a precious gift for granted.
I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing extremely high levels of persecution abroad, who are quite often risking their lives for their faith. I also humbly ask that you continue to pray for this ministry’s effectiveness and financial provision, that we may lead as many as God calls to Christ. I believe that the apostle Paul was most effective disciple in evangelism primarily because he possessed a deep burden for his people and he strategically employed Greek rhetorical skills to effectively communicate the Gospel and influence diverse audiences for Christ.
Apart from our Lord, I believe the apostle Paul was certainly one the most effective evangelists, partially because he possessed a such deep burden for the salvation of his people and because he strategically used his Greek rhetorical skills to effectively communicate the Gospel and influence diverse audiences for Christ. In order to established ministries in major urban areas like Ephesus and Corinth, adapting to the culture, by becoming "all things to all men," even quoting pagan philosophers and poets to introduce the Gospel.
Paul really knew the Gospel message, and not merely in a religious sense, didn't he? Having received the Gospel directly through a revelation of Jesus Christ rather than from human sources, which explains why he faithfully preached the same essential good news as Peter, James, and John, who affirmed his teaching and declared he "added nothing" to it. I believe one of the biggest reasons that people are not very effective at ministry, in the biblical sense, is they really don’t know what the message is, and if they get into an in depth conversation with somebody they are terrified it will take them of course from what they know. Paul had a divine call to evangelize, his confidence in preaching did not rest in his charismatic personality, his seminary educational degrees, or institutional approval; it rested in the fact that God had apprehended him, entrusted him with the Gospel, and sent him to proclaim Christ. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, in his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul made a rather astonishing statement about the importance of the cross to the entirety of the Christian faith: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Paul himself later says in Galatians 1:15–16, that God "separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen." In other words, Paul's ministry was not a career choice; it was a divine summons. I'm afraid that many in the pulpit today are not divinely called to ministry. Rather than the message being centered on Jesus Christ, His incarnation, sinless obedience, His substitutionary death, burial, resurrection, exaltation, and saving lordship, the message today is more. Careful exegesis of a biblical text is critical in preventing misinterpretation and misapplication of Scripture and helps ensure a more accurate and faithful understanding of the original intended meaning that God, not man, intended, essential for living a Christ centered life.
Paul often expressed "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" over those who distorted the Truth, describing them as "enemies of the cross," whether by adding legalistic requirements, minimizing the seriousness of sin under the guise of grace or promoting a "different gospel" which he emphatically declares, is "no gospel at all." only a distortion of the true gospel. Further noting that error is antagonistic to peace with the God as well as destructive to the eternal well-being of others. In Romans chapter 9, he even stated, "I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart," wishing he could be accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of his people.
I must confess, like Paul, I become very deeply grieved in my heart, when I hear so-called proclaimers of the Gospel pervert God's Truth, distorting the Word by which God saves, by which Holy Spirit sanctifies, in order to increase their own popularity, eloquently elevating Satan's lies for personal gain or when individuals turn away from the pure grace of Christ in order to receive a "false" gospel that turns grace into a license for sexual immorality and celebrates their sin, which is actually no gospel at all. Biblical ministry is much more than the ability to speak publicly, maintain a platform, or repeat religious language, it is the divine gift of faithfully serving God and others in humility and tears, while proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, making application, even when the message become uncomfortable, bearing witness to Christ in both word and deed, modeling Christ-likeness. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, for he knew it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Because he loved people, he had an unwavering desire to see people saved, so that they would not go to hell. I share in that same love for the lost, the self-deceived. I look at sharing the Gospel as I know something the lost desperately needs to know. And, God has tasked me with the responsibility to tell them. So, I decided long ago to sacrifice anything and everything, to set aside my Christian liberties, if it means I might win even one more person to Christ, however, what they choose to do with it is their prerogative. Winning people to Christ, isn't that the point. And that requires accountability, I don't want someone who is struggling with a particular sin to relapse, falling back into Satan's clutches because of something I've done. Sin thrives in secrecy, that's why I believe as Christians, we must live transparent lives and that involves honest confession of sin while simultaneously celebrating God’s work in our lives. I've often been criticized for telling people where I once was and where God has brought me, to demonstrate what a genuine relationship with Christ can do. Anyone who has known me for any length of time, knows that my current life is unrecognizable from who I once was, making my past self feel like a complete stranger, even to me. My old life has disappeared, demonstrating God's power to transform lives rather than personal capability to make deliberate changes over time.
The right people will appreciate your transformation, while others may not understand, suggesting that some changes are so foundational they appear unsettling to those who know us well. In other words, when our core beliefs, values and behaviors change so drastically, it's not uncommon that the old friendships will eventually faded away, as both parties begin to prioritize relationships that aligned with their lives. For many Christians, both new and mature believers alike, this process can feel pretty devastating, when those around us do not share the same level of spiritual excitement and enthusiasm as we have for ourselves, which can often feel like a personal rejection. Sadly, this can also occur even within the church, which is made up of "imperfect people" like ourselves. However, I've found that mature faith recognizes and accepts that disappointments and disaffections are all part of the process and uses them to deepen reliance our on God rather than human relationships for the approval, and fulfillment that only God can provide. The apostle Paul experienced this kind of pain as recorded in 2 Timothy 4, when friends and colleagues betrayed him, leaving him to stand alone, despite his faithful ministry and close personal walk with the Lord.
King David also experienced profound betrayal from a trusted advisor and close friend, Ahithophel, who conspired with David’s son Absalom to overthrow him, which David articulated in Psalm 41:9 and Psalm 55. I am reminded of our Lord's promise of divine presence and strength in Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will make you mighty, surely I will help you; Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Fear often stems from focusing on our immediate circumstances rather than on God's sovereignty. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote in chapter 4, verses 5-7, "Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I really believe that, if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and you're walking in the Spirit, the command to not look anxiously about you, deeply rooted in God's character and the transformative presence of the Holy Spirit, will be true of your life. I know they have been in mine. And, Romans 8:9, affirms that "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him," and that life will remain living in the flesh, controlled by the flesh and earthly desires. A life belonging to brings not only a a new nature, a new identity, but a new way of responding to life’s pressures.
As most of you know, I am a great lover of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is worthy of all honor and glory, a truth affirmed by our beloved Peter in 2 Peter 1:17, a recognition which He received from God the Father during the Transfiguration.
Of all the things in this world that outrages me, I would have to say that dishonoring the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly at the top of that list. As believers we are encouraged to exalt Him above all else, reflecting His pre-eminence through Christian worship in all areas of life, which involves humility, obedience to Scripture, and a heart fully devoted to His glory rather than self-promotion. One of the ways in which our Lord is continuously attacked is because of the sinful lives of "false professors," those who profess to belong to Him, while clearly living lives to the contrary by walking after their own lusts and distorting the Gospel to justify wicked lifestyles, thereby mocking the very truth they claim to represent. In my estimation, it is no less dishonoring than the mistreatment which was heaped upon our blessed Lord, Jesus Christ by the religious leaders, and bystanders who mocked Him, spit upon Him, scourged Him until His flesh was torn, and finally crucified Him alongside criminals. I just need to mention that this does not in anyway diminish the deep offense I feel toward the multitude of other sinful offenses, blasphemies, and affronts to God, because I am deeply offended— particularly by those transgressions that have been a reality in my own life. It literally moves me to tears and has renewed my ongoing commitment to holiness. We need to be very careful and thoughtfully protect our witness, it is to our advantage. Hypocrisy can ruin reputations and lives, and cause others to stumble by setting a sinful example. In Matthew 18, Jesus warns it is better to have a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea, that to cause someone who believes in Him to stumble. If you do not set a godly example, you not only bear the weight of your own sin, but you also bear a heavier weight of responsibility for those you’ve been the instrument in their sin and face greater punishment. If you cannot verify the truthfulness of a statement, it is far safer to restrain your lips to avoid transgression, than to unknowingly repeat a falsehood. I know it is so easy for us to get caught up in the pleasures of life, however, in the light of eternity, they will pale in comparison. Allow me to remind you that using one’s influence to facilitate another’s sin is a direct violation of Scripture, not to present their bodies as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, and sooner or later, such willful neglect will prove to be damning and eternally fatal! We are in great error if we somehow imagine that God's grace means that we can play fast and loose with His standards of holiness, which involves guarding the tongue to avoid slander, gossip, and cursing, as if He just shrugs His shoulders, giving us a wink and a nod in acceptance of our sin. Beloved, that is a dangerously horrifying way to view God's grace! A true child of God cannot be comfortable with sin. If you have to tell people that you're a Christian, are you really? I believe Scripture teaches that our transformed lives should announce our allegiance to Christ long before our words have to. Satan does not fear a big church with filled pews, he fears a church where the uncompromised Word of God is authoritatively preached and boldly lived out through the professed people of Christ. In Matthew 11:15, Jesus said "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Sometimes hearing God's voice has less to do with getting an immediate answer and far more to do with becoming the kind of people who know how to listen.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You for Your Word. My heart stands in awe of Your Word. We want to live a life that pleases You, that honors You and brings You glory. Lord, we confess we haven't always hated evil as we ought and we have instead, in one way or another, indulged ourselves in it. All we need to do is look at the world, and its moral decline and its obvious that the church has abandoned the Truth of Scripture. To say that Your people have failed to live as we ought, the lives You have defined and described in Your Word is an understatement. Father, we humbly thank You for Your grace, Your mercy and Your forgiveness. We are so unworthy of it. Lord, we desperately need Your help for our lives to make the message believable. We can honestly say that we aren’t everything we should be. But we can from our hearts, we want what to be what please You. Lord, help us to live out a life focused on Christ, fed by Scripture, separated from the world, before taking the message to the world. Grants us the boldness and courage to faithfully proclaim the Gospel with our words and our lives, then, work in the hearts of those who have yet to received Christ as Lord and Savior even today. We ask and pray this in Christ's most precious Name.
Amen.
Today's Message: The Truth Hidden in Plain Sight
What a privilege it is to again find ourselves in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which we have been studying for somewhere around two and a half years or so I believe. However, we now come to a very distinctive turning point in our study, the purpose for which our Lord Jesus came, the cross. Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ—not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). But the faith that saves never leaves a person unchanged, remaining in the their sin, they are immediately a "new creation in Christ; the old things passed away." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ—not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). But the faith that saves never leaves a person unchanged, remaining in the their sin, they are immediately a "new creation in Christ; the old things passed away." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Biblical conversion involves an immediate turning from darkness to light while a change in one's nature, is an ongoing process of sanctification that continues throughout a believer's life by work of the Holy Spirit, through the renewing on one's mind (Romans 12:2) until final glorification.
If you claim to be a Christian and are continuing in the same sin that Christ delivered you from, I strongly encourage you to examine yourself according to what Scripture teaches, not what someone else says. Scripture teaches that a true follower of Christ isn't merely forgiven of sin while remaining under sin's mastery.
Romans 6:5-6, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin." Christ's lordship is not something we make true by our submission, He is already Lord, regardless of human acknowledgment. Our confession is merely an acknowledgment of the reality that God has established in our lives. Salvation involves our submitting to His existing authority. If Christ is not the Sovereign Ruler of your life, He is not your Savior. You cannot have what He gives without receiving Who He is. Therefore, surrender to Christ's lordship is the only acceptable response to the Gospel. I often hear people like Dolly Parton say, "We're all God's children," while we are all created in the image of God, not all who are created are "God's children." Scripture is clear: Sonship belongs only to those who have been "born again," adopted into God's family by spiritual rebirth, (John 3:5–8; Romans 8:14). and a requires transformation. (1 John 3:10, Ephesians 2:2–3) Therefore, those belonging to false gods, a god of their own imagination, lack genuine faith, are considered outside the brotherhood. 1 Corinthians 5:11 instructs believers not to associate with those who profess to be Christian but continue to live in persistent, habitual sin.
Open your Bibles with me if you will, and please keep them open to the Gospel of Luke chapter 18, specifically verses 31 through 34, nearing the end of the chapter. I'd like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read these few verses with a profound message. I pray that we all will listen well to what the Spirit is saying, with an open mind and a receptive heart. Luke 18:31-34.
"But when He took the twelve aside, He said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him, and the third day He will rise again." But the disciples understood none of these things, and this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said."
There are moments in Scripture when Jesus says something, something that so clear that it's almost startling that anyone could miss it. When Jesus says, "We are going up to Jerusalem," He is talking about walking into His death with full knowledge about the mockery, of the shame, the spit, the scourging, the rejection and the
resurrection. The cross was not God’s emergency backup plan after everything else failed, He knew exactly why He came and how His life would end, right down to the smallest detail and He willingly accepted God's predestined plan for redemption, even declaring in John 10:17-18, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one takes it away from Me, but from Myself, I lay it down. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." Another moment of startling moment of clarity is Jesus’ statement in Mark 4:21–22, where Jesus uses the metaphor of a lamp to explain that His teachings, though sometimes hidden in parables, are intended to be revealed, saying "For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest." A principal that was fulfilled in the Resurrection, where what was previously obscured became fully clear. God not only planned it, the Old Testament not only revealed it, Jesus repeatedly predicted it in advance. Jesus is alive today and living in you and me! Just imagine how many people would be converted to Christ if every professing Christian yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit, revealing they could be redeemed from their sins? JI am convinced that churches wouldn't be able hold the crowds of people that would show up!
Let's take a look at verse 31, "But when He took the twelve aside, He said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed." Jesus took the twelve aside and said, "Behold," used as imperative meaning pay close attention to what follows, then He says, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed." It doesn't make any difference from which direction you approach Jerusalem, it was always up hill. However, to better understand what's going on here, we need to recognize that He took the twelve aside to tell them privately what is about to happen in Jerusalem is expected, it's not going to be an accident, furthermore, it's necessary for these things to occur to fulfill all that has been written through the prophets about the Son of Man. They knew they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover because everybody went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. If you were a Jew in the first century, it was most significant religious obligation. Historical estimates suggest during the Passover festival, Jerusalem's population swelled by approximately 150,000 to 500,000 people.
What they didn't know was that God’s hand and purpose had predestined what follows to occur before the foundation of the world. He is about bring to an end the whole sacrificial system by becoming the Passover Lamb, the only sacrifice that would ever fully satisfy God. They need to understand this because this wasn't in their plan for the Messiah and they were about to become the first generation of preachers to proclaim His death, burial and resurrection. In Acts 2:23-33, Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, taking his stand with the eleven, he raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words....Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." They were already very aware it was Passover season and of the growing hostility toward Christ from the religious leadership of Israel, but this, this wasn't in their plan. Then, in Acts 4:27–28, Peter and John declared that Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the peoples of Israel did what God’s hand and purpose had predestined to occur. But, for now, they really couldn't grasp the concept of a dead crucified Messiah. By the way, it wasn't that they were illiterate, it was concealed to them because of their theology and they were afraid to ask Him about it. I believe that's part of our problem in the church today, we’ve allowed ourselves to become intimidated by that which we don't understand and are afraid to ask questions. I am a firm believer that authentic faith is not defined by the absence of questions, but by the courage to keep seeking truth without fear.
Mark tells us in chapter 10 verse 32, "they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful." Mark uses the Greek verb "phobeó" meaning they were terrified, from which we get the word "phobia," because He has told them several before what is going to happen when He gets there. For the record, Jesus was never forced to go to Jerusalem against His own will, when they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, Mark adds He was walking on ahead of them on His own accord, leading the way, putting Himself in danger before those who were following Him. That's the way every true leader leads. There is a difference between following Jesus and being led by Him. The disciples needed learn this by example to prepare them for what lies ahead. The Messianic title, Son of Man, is taken from Daniel 7:13, which says "“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and came near before Him," referring to His humility and His humanity, but also to His deity and exaltation. They were anticipating a crown, Jesus was preparing them for a cross. By the way, they were not wrong to expect a kingdom, they misunderstood the timing and the mission. This spiritual kingdom grows through the proclamation of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, with its physical restoration that will be fully realized on a new earth rather than Jerusalem at His second coming.
Verses 32-33, "For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him, and the third day He will rise again." Scripture teaches us a very powerful truth: God’s promises do not fail simply because His path includes pain or discomfort, the way to Heaven is fraught with many challenges and difficulties, while prioritizing God’s kingdom over worldly pursuits. There's a reason why it's described as the narrow road. In Philippians 2:5–8, Paul says to the Philippian church, that "although Christ existed in the form of God, He emptied Himself, took the form of a bond-servant, humbled Himself, and became obedient “to the point of death, even death on a cross." Then in verse 9 he says, "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him." Notice the divine order: Humility before exaltation. Suffering before glory. Obedience before vindication. The cross before the crown. This is not only the pattern of Christ’s redemption; it is also the pattern of Christian discipleship. I believe that we as Christians, need to understand that we are conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of Christ's sacrifice, and obeying His commands with joyful hearts. Back in Philippians 1:27-28, Paul wrote "Only live your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about your circumstances, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind contending together for the faith of the gospel, in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God." The church today as reduced salvation to the "Christian experience." I submit to you Christianity is not a solo endeavor, it's not your personal "religious" experience, it’s about the people of God honoring Christ through the way in which we live, because Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. The Gospel is not an invitation to improve your self-centered life. It is an invitation to die to yourself and receive the life of Christ. There are some very explicit Old Testament prophecies that state the Messiah must suffer, we won't go through them all but we'll look at a few of them.
Psalm 22 repeatedly connects to Jesus’ crucifixion —beginning with, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? —the exact words He cried out from the cross deliberately invoking Psalm 22 in the midst of His crucifixion. In verses 5-7, "To You they cried out and were granted escape; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; They smack their lip, they wag their head, saying, "Commit yourself to Yahweh; let Him rescue him; Let Him deliver him, because He delights in him."
In verses 14 through 18, it says "I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
Isaiah 50:5–7 — states the Servant willingly submits to beating, humiliation, and spitting while trusting God. "Lord Yahweh has opened My ear; And I did not rebel
Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not hide My face from dishonor and spitting.
Even now Lord Yahweh helps Me, therefore, I am not dishonored; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed." Then, in
Isaiah 53:3–12 — The clearest passage outside Psalm 22. says the Servant is rejected, despised, pierced, crushed, afflicted, and killed, while bearing the sins of others. Verse 7 says "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth." Then, in verse 9, "So His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth." Verse 11 says "As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities."
And Zechariah 13:7 — "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered." Jesus explicitly applies this to Himself in Matthew 26:31. Christ's crucifixion was not an accident, it was not a good plan gone bad as some have suggested. The Lord knew exactly what He was doing, it was the plan of suffering, the exact fulfillment of all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man, which He predicts every detail. By the way, His omniscience, a divine characteristic that belongs uniquely to God, is one of the clearest evidences that our Lord Jesus Christ is truly God. And, there are many marvelous illustrations of this, throughout His earthly ministry. Matthew 9:3-5 is one of the strongest evidences is that Jesus knew the inner thoughts of men without being told. When some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man blasphemes." And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?"
John 1:47–48 is one of the most fascinating examples of His omniscience, He knew Nathanael before actually meeting him, or observed naturally, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’" To which Nathanael immediately responded, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." Another extraordinary example of His omniscience was His conversation with the Samaritan woman He had never met and how many times she had been married in John 4, "He said to her, "Go, call your husband and come back here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." He knew the incredible details of exactly how His crucifixion would happen, even before the religious leaders were in a position to pull it off, because only the divine mind can truly know what has not yet happened.
Because of false teaching, many today see suffering and persecution as a form of punishment, rather than a normal part of being a Christian. There are lots of ways to suffer in this life, not all of them are physical. How should Christians respond to suffering? We rejoice that our names are recorded in heaven, that's how we respond. It is inconceivable to me that in spite of our Lord just predicting His death, and people are still struggling with Jesus' Deity, I pray that you do.
Verse 34, "But the disciples understood none of these things, and this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said." Even though Jesus has just spoken astonishingly plainly about His coming betrayal, mockery, abuse, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, those closest to Him, the twelves, would understand none of it, it was hidden from them. They didn't get it, and Jesus makes sure we know exactly why. They expected a conquering King. He came as a suffering Servant. They had emphasized the passages that fit their hopes and overlooked the passages that challenged them. That's all we really need to say. As I've said many times, spiritual proximity does not always equate spiritual perception. There are many people who hear the Truth and still missed what Truth is actually saying. They hear only what they want to hear and refuse to hear what they do not want to hear. I believe that ought to humble every believer. What if God has been speaking clearly through someone, but you have been listening through the filter of your own pride? Humility is not an easy lesson to grasp. Pride is an abomination and should never be pursued in the life of a Christian. I believe that we all understand that biblically, however, I'm not sure many of us understand it in terms of our personal experiences. If the Bible is not changing you, read it again, you've not been reading it correctly! You can know the Bible intellectually and still not understand how to apply it to your own life. Could it be that you are emphasizing the passages that agree with the sin in your life and are overlooking the passages that is challenging you to abandon them? If you’re a Christian, you’re goal is not pursuing worldliness. You're goal is to pursue Christlikeness, and God has given you the ability to pursue it.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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