“Then the Jews sought Him at the Feast and said, ‘Where is He?’ And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him—for some said, ‘He is a good man;’ others said ‘Nay—but He deceives the people.’ But, no man spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”
John 7:11-13
His agony of soul and anguish of mind had to have been great; yet, His Grace and Mercy were far greater.
There’s never been anyone in history more maligned and misunderstood than this One Who was/is called The Christ. From the womb to the tomb He was despised and rejected. . .debated and discarded. . .hated and loved at the same time. Yet, through it all—both then and now—He’s still the Epitome of Love and the only One Who can transform a life from the inside out.
At first He was welcomed with open arms. But, later “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (Jn. 6:66). The Jewish leaders hated Him and even “sought to kill Him” (7:1)—all because He didn’t meet their expectations and had a bigger following than they did.
Even His own flesh-and-blood didn’t believe in Him (7:5).
They thought He was deranged or deluded, with illusions of grandeur and glory. And, instead of rising to His defense when others attacked Him, they kept quiet “for fear of the Jews.”
So much for “blood being thicker than water.”
There’s no doubt that He was divisive—at least because of what He said and how He acted. Today’s Manna confirms that: “And there was much murmuring (Grk. ‘goggumos’—‘grumbling, dissension, criticizing, etc.’) among the people concerning Him—for some said ‘He is a good man,’ while others said ‘No, He deceives the people’!”
Guess what?
The same thing still happens today. Just mention the Name of Jesus in a public setting and see what type of response you get. Or, for that matter, even in religious circles a discussion that focuses on Jesus will soon become quite animated. That’s why modern revisionists of history no longer use “B.C.” (“Before Christ”) and “A.D.” (“In the year of our Lord”) when writing of the past. They use “C.E.” (“Common Era”) and “B.C.E.” (“Before the Common Era”).
Why is that?
Because they want to do away with any mention of Jesus. He’s too “controversial.” Too divisive. Too “politically incorrect.”
And, so will we be IF we stand with Him and dare speak up on His behalf (Jn. 15:18-25).
But, here’s hoping you will stand firm, Pilgrim, in your walk and talk of faith—for Jesus is still the ONLY “Way, Truth and Life that leads to the Father” (Jn. 14:6). Some things never change. And, we should be eternally grateful that they don’t.
August 6, 2011
