Read Luke 7.
A person turns to Jesus when they realize He is their personal hope, the source of their help, and the fulfillment of their purpose in life. Dr. Luke recounts one individual encounter after another to illustrate that truth.
When a Roman centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant by merely speaking a word, Jesus "marveled" at his faith.
When Jesus saw a widow weeping in a funeral procession, He brought her son back to life. The crowd said, "God has visited his people!"
When John, the Baptist, had questions and needed confirmation, Jesus demonstrated unmistakable power for His messengers. Then, He commend John as "none greater."
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dinner, He gently taught him a lesson on forgiveness.
When the woman humbly tended to the feet of Jesus, He saw her repentance and faith. She was forgiven.
One by one. No one experiences forgiveness and faith because they belong to a family or group. It is always personal.
The religious leaders saw the miracles. They heard Jesus' teaching. They witnessed firsthand the lives that were instantly changed. They saw those who publicly professed their faith in Jesus through baptism. But, in their pride they still thought they knew better. Jesus was not part of their group. He did not come up through their ranks. He did not conform to their way doing things. Therefore, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, they refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah.
Are there more condemning words in all the Bible that verse 30? They "...rejected the purpose of God for themselves..." That left them without fulfillment in this life, without help, and without eternal hope.
Contrast that with the epitaph of King David. May it be ours.
"For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep..." (Acts 13:36)
No comments:
Post a Comment