“…Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for another?” Luke 7:20, (NASB)
We occasionally need reminders about who Jesus is. We read the Bible and learn about Him, but sometimes we don’t fully see the true nature of His life on earth and His purpose for coming to mankind. In our thoughts, we will remember the good things that He did and taught, but often our image of who He is will fall short of His teachings and examples. We are in danger of making Him to be who we think He should be and not learning the true Jesus. Remember in the scripture the crowd shouted, “Blessed is the King, the One who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:38 (NASB). The crowd welcomed Him as a victor as He entered Jerusalem, yet the crowd was in agreement to crucify Him later. Jesus was not who they thought He should be.
When Jesus was rejected by the Samaritans, James and John were so angry that they wanted to command fire to come down and consume them (Luke 9:53,54 (NASB). But Jesus told them,” the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” Luke 9:56 (NASB).
John the Baptist had spent his whole life preaching repentance and that Christ was coming. He seems to expect judgment to be delivered by Jesus, the Christ. He stands in a long line of Old Testament prophets who warned about God’s judgment and called the people to holiness and repentance from sin. But what he did not expect was the grace and mercy that Jesus offers. Yes, the Bible teaches judgment, but God also offers grace. Judgement will come.
Many people today speak of the grace and love of Jesus. They reject that Jesus is uncompromising against sin and that He warns of judgment to come. They forget that He calls us to holiness. They have made Him in their own image. Jesus will not become who anyone desires Him to be. We must accept Him as He is and embrace the grace that He offers to escape God’s judgment.
Pastor Scott Kinnick – CBC Ex. Board
