Our paragraph topic is: (The authority of Jesus) Part 5.
There was the Question: "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men?" Jesus posed this question to the chief priest and the elders to test their honesty and sincerity in seeking the truth. Did they really want to know of his authority or were they asking him for proof of his authority to set another trap for him?
They came with a plan to questioned him. They were angry and jealous of his attraction to the people. They did not know him or from whence he came. He taught in the temple but his teachings were different from theirs. His teachings were commonplace and reached the hearts and minds of the people. And this was something that the leaders did not like. They were afraid that he would sway the people against them. So, (They) began to argue among themselves.
They had prepared their question and knew what they would do with his answer. They did not know that he would pose a question to them. So they had to step back and prepare an answer for him. They had to consider all the possibilities of their answer. They had to respond in a way that they knew would not be controversial or that would cause themselves harm in the eyes of the people. So they argued among themselves.
They were like children who had done something wrong and were preparing their story of what happened. They did not want to cast doubt upon themselves. They did not want to be seen as culprits. So they had to get their story strait. Guilt or innocent. Right or wrong. Acceptance or blame. Punishment or forgiveness. These were the emotions that they dealt with, the same emotions that we deal with today.
We do not want to be wrong, we want to be right. Our fear of punishment persuade us to try and escape, attempt to place blame on someone or something else. We learn this from childhood and the more it is practiced the more we rely on it to find solutions to wrongs that we commit in life. And our conscience influence aids us in finding ways to explain or to get out of the punishment that awaits us.
Is there remorse? Is there shame? Is there a true feeling of regret for what we have done? Only the heart knows and our God knows our hearts. He sees within our deepest thoughts and feelings. He knows the truth of who we are. He is our judge and jury. He is the one who will issue punishment. And he is the one who can dispense mercy. He is the one who can forgive. He is the one who knows who we are and knows our weaknesses. Yet it is up to us to ask for his mercy, to ask for his forgiveness, to seek his love.
Deep within is the spirit of his creation, the object of his love. We are his children and he is our Father. He gave us life and it is that life that he sees as loving and caring and wonderful. But we live in a world where that life can be tainted, dulled, corrupted, and killed, if it is not protected and nourished. We are loved. We are cared for. We are provided for, if we only allow ourselves to be. The choice is ours. The peace is ours. The rewards are ours, waiting to be accepted. Open the door and let him in. Open the door and receive the nourishment of life.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
There was the Question: "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men?" Jesus posed this question to the chief priest and the elders to test their honesty and sincerity in seeking the truth. Did they really want to know of his authority or were they asking him for proof of his authority to set another trap for him?
They came with a plan to questioned him. They were angry and jealous of his attraction to the people. They did not know him or from whence he came. He taught in the temple but his teachings were different from theirs. His teachings were commonplace and reached the hearts and minds of the people. And this was something that the leaders did not like. They were afraid that he would sway the people against them. So, (They) began to argue among themselves.
They had prepared their question and knew what they would do with his answer. They did not know that he would pose a question to them. So they had to step back and prepare an answer for him. They had to consider all the possibilities of their answer. They had to respond in a way that they knew would not be controversial or that would cause themselves harm in the eyes of the people. So they argued among themselves.
They were like children who had done something wrong and were preparing their story of what happened. They did not want to cast doubt upon themselves. They did not want to be seen as culprits. So they had to get their story strait. Guilt or innocent. Right or wrong. Acceptance or blame. Punishment or forgiveness. These were the emotions that they dealt with, the same emotions that we deal with today.
We do not want to be wrong, we want to be right. Our fear of punishment persuade us to try and escape, attempt to place blame on someone or something else. We learn this from childhood and the more it is practiced the more we rely on it to find solutions to wrongs that we commit in life. And our conscience influence aids us in finding ways to explain or to get out of the punishment that awaits us.
Is there remorse? Is there shame? Is there a true feeling of regret for what we have done? Only the heart knows and our God knows our hearts. He sees within our deepest thoughts and feelings. He knows the truth of who we are. He is our judge and jury. He is the one who will issue punishment. And he is the one who can dispense mercy. He is the one who can forgive. He is the one who knows who we are and knows our weaknesses. Yet it is up to us to ask for his mercy, to ask for his forgiveness, to seek his love.
Deep within is the spirit of his creation, the object of his love. We are his children and he is our Father. He gave us life and it is that life that he sees as loving and caring and wonderful. But we live in a world where that life can be tainted, dulled, corrupted, and killed, if it is not protected and nourished. We are loved. We are cared for. We are provided for, if we only allow ourselves to be. The choice is ours. The peace is ours. The rewards are ours, waiting to be accepted. Open the door and let him in. Open the door and receive the nourishment of life.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
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