Jesus

While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” Matthew 27:19....."At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. John 6:66...."Pilate's wife advised him to have nothing to do with Jesus. It's impossible to have nothing to do with Him. We have to take sides......Jesus never neutralized His listeners. They didn't just go away." Vance Havner

What have you done with Jesus Christ? What are you doing with Him now? Your answers to these have eternal consequences because eternity, and where we will be in eternity hinges on what we will do with and about Jesus? As Havner says, there is no room for neutrality. You either receive Him or you reject Him. In which camp are you in, and why are you there?

There is no figure more polarizing in the history of the world than Jesus Christ. No other religious figure brings about the kind of response that His name does. Other figures are at worst tolerated, and more often than not, pointed to as inspirational figures. Not so Jesus. The world has gone to great lengths to try and prevent His name being spoken in public settings. From High School graduations to opening prayers in local, state, and national gatherings. The reasons given are that organizers have no wish to "offend" those who reject Him and His claims. Claims by the way that are true. At the same time, His name is, and has always been one that is on the lips of countless millions as a curse. How many times have you heard His name uttered in that way just in the course of a normal day? Isn't it amazing that the same ones who fear and hate His name being used in any kind of reverence, often are the ones who freely use His name to curse and use in anger?

The reasons for all of this are at root, spiritual. It's not just that Christ proclaims Himself as the only path to the Father. Islam does that as well and so do various cults. It is also because in Christ, God has clearly identified the problem in the human race. Sin. Sin and our total inability to save ourselves from its consequences. Other religions tell us that we can, by a multitude of different ways, work our way to God, and receive His approval and acceptance. Christ tells us that all of our own righteousness is "as filthy rags" and totally unable to either save us or get us to Him. Our only hope is a Savior who would take the penalty of our sin upon Himself on the cross, and through His death and resurrection, break once and for all the power of sin over the human race. He brought freedom to all who are under the curse of sin and who will believe and receive Him in faith, obedient and yielded to His Lordship.

All of this flies in the face of human pride that insists it can prove itself acceptable to God, and by its own goodness, gain approval and salvation. It was these claims that brought Christ before Pilate, and placed Him on trial. He was guilty of none of the trumped up charges against Him, yet the crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders of the day who were offended by His claims, screamed for His crucifixion. That world spirit, fueled by the enemy Satan, still screams for His death, and it has deployed every means possible to secure it.....and every one of them has failed. He lives! They could not kill Him then, and they cannot kill Him now.

As we approach Easter once more, there will be the usual round of programs and documentaries produced for the express purpose of debunking Christ. They'll all have titles that say they will show us "the real Jesus," who, they will say, was just a good man, or that He never existed at all. As I see the ads for them, I always wonder, "Does anybody ever ask themselves why these people go to such lengths to deny Him?" They don't do so with Mohammed, or Buddha, or any of the cult leaders. They don't because the powers of darkness aren't threatened in the least by them. Scripture says that at the name of Jesus, "every knee will bow." Hell trembles at His name, and so, tries to extinguish His name. They have failed and will always fail. His is the Name above all names.

So, I ask again, what are you doing with Jesus? Maybe some or all of what I've written has offended you. I offer no apology. Jesus offended and never apologized for it. His people cannot as well. He knew the souls of men and women were at stake. As one man said, the cross is not something that happened to Him. It was what He came for. He came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. Do you have that life today? You can. It will all depend upon what you do with Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor O