No Excuse
Alright
here we go. Here is part 2 of this little study in John. (Check out the first part here). This is the part I really wanted to get to, but I got caught up in
the passionate stuff, as usual. When I read through this, just to get context
for another verse, I stopped and my spirit called out to me, “check this out.
This is good”.
“They would not be guilty if I had not
come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.”
If this doesn’t knock your socks off, you
need to read it until it does. Jesus came and spoke to people to take away
their excuse. To use a popular vernacular, he took away their ability to be,
“Luke-warm”. Jesus was so intent on knowing where people stood that he took
away the “what if.”
You don’t get to say, “Well I didn’t know
about that”. Nope, Jesus came and gave you the Holy Spirit to guide you. The
Jews had a huge list of rules to follow to be acceptable to God. It was
impossible to follow them all so naturally they made excuses, or rather, many
changed the understanding of the rule to fit what they could do. (Letter of the
law vs spirit of the law). This is seen in the Pharisees.
Jesus came to change all of this. He came
to show us how to follow God. Not to follow the list of rules. Not to follow a
priest or minister, but to follow the one true God. Every day. Every minute.
Read through the Gospel. Jesus spent every minute communicating with God.
Remember that he was wholly man. He did not have telepathic abilities. He
listened to God, who told him what he needed to know in each situation. We are
supposed to do this. We are supposed to be like Jesus.
It is crazy to me to read that. “They have
no excuse for their Sin.” He showed them the power of God. He healed them and
worked miracles. He gave wisdom and fulfilled prophecy, but still they hated
him.
“But as it is, they have seen everything I
did, yet they hate me and my father. This fulfills what is written in their
scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause’.”
They fulfilled their own prophecy and in
doing so, could not accept him as their savior. How sad to be a victim of
yourself, unto death.
Here is the deal, Jesus came to divide. He
did not come to make everything all happy and peaceful (Matthew 10:24-42), and
that division is simple. Do you here his call, repent, and follow Him with absolutely
everything that you have, or do you stay luke-warm and get, “Spit out of [His]
mouth” (Revelation 3:16-18)? Jesus brought division to the Jewish faith first,
and then his disciples brought it to the gentiles. The division starts in the church
people. Those who truly follow Christ will be called radicals, dangerous,
crazy. They will be dismissed from their own families. Families will conspire
against them. Friends will turn their backs. I know this because I have experienced
it. I have seen people I trusted and loved abandon reason to accuse me. I have
lost all for Him name.
This is not the Jesus that is preached in
church or on the streets. This is a radical conqueror. He came to take over. Though
not with a sword as the Jews believed. He came to conquer the hearts of his
people. And in so doing, make his presence known on this earth, He will
establish his kingdom in the bodies of his followers. This is not the Jesus that
you here about, but it is the actual Jesus that existed. The son of God who
lives today. Just read it, it’s all there. If you don’t see it, it’s because you
don’t want to. “Let him who has ears hear” (Matthew 11:15) He was executed for
treason against Caesar and Blasphemy to God per the Jewish ruler. He was not
beaten, whipped, and crucified because he went around healing and loving
people. He told them that he was their new king and their god. He threw the
world in to a ruckus and so did his followers after Him. John the Baptist was
beheaded for calling him the true king. Stephen and Paul were martyred. These
people were enemies of the state and the religious.
Do you understand what I am saying? No, I’m
not saying we should be deliberately causing problems. I’m saying that when you
follow Christ, I mean really follow Him, there will be a high cost. You will
lose much to gain Him. The real question is, are you OK with that? Are you
excited for that chance? Are you chomping at the bit to give it all for the
lord’s gospel? Or, do you have too many important things in your life to do?
Jesus came to make people choose who’s side they are on. He is pushing this fact
again. No longer will the weekend Christians be allowed to claim his name when
it means nothing to them.
Those who do not follow him will reject
ever word written here. Those who do follow Him already know all this. So, why
write it? Because, He has placed it in me to do so. I do not enjoy this task,
but the simple truth is, each of us is being called out to make a choice. Those
who are rejecting these words in their hearts right now, “They [you] would not
be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them [you]. But now they [you] have
no excuse for their [your] sin.”
Jesus’ message was challenging. At one
time he had thousands of followers. With each of them, he brought them to the
line they had drawn in their hearts. He crossed that line and asked them if
they were coming. How many crossed? How many actually watched Jesus die? One.
John. Only he was there. All others had abandoned him. It was only when he came
back and breathed the Spirit on them did the others return to him. His message
drove people away. He was the worst pastor in history. Couldn’t keep a congregation
to save his life, literally. Because, here is the truth, take it or leave it.
Jesus is not interested in numbers. He is interested in hearts. He wants you.
All of you. Nothing held back. He is the greatest gift we could receive, and
that comes at a great cost. A cost that seems daunting until you see Him in his
glory. Then suddenly, the cost is nothing. You only wish you had more to give.
This is the truth my friends. Do with it
what you will.
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