Same message different way
Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus as saying,
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
He who has ears, let him hear.
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:“ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Matthew 11:12-19.
Here Jesus states that John the Baptist is Elijah the prophet who was to announce the coming of the Messiah. Jesus being the Messiah. This is what Christians believe.
Jesus points out that the people of the time did not accept this. He points out that John and he had the same message presented in quite different ways and still, particularly the religious leaders did not accept this.
Jesus notes,
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”
John the Baptist was calling people to repentance as was Jesus. John however was quite different than Jesus. Matthew says of John,
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
“This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. John 3:1-4.
Jesus by contrast dressed normally. He moved from city to city calling people to repentance and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus sat down with anyone who would listen to him irrespective of their station in life.
It seems at the time, no matter which way the salvation message, the need to repent and turn to God, was presented it was rejected by the religious leaders apparently because it was not their way. Both Jesus and John were not part of the religious mainstream at the time.
The same thing happens today. When it comes to how you get to heaven and who Jesus is. It doesn’t matter how you present the salvation message people reject it.
The book of 2 Chronicles states,
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”2 Chronicles 7:14.
The apostle John tells us,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans tells us God went one step further to point us to heaven. Saying,
““You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:6-11.
This is a message the religious leaders of the Christ’s day could not accept. It is a message I know many in the world today cannot accept. It however is what Christians believe.
Thus I leave it up to you the reader to decide.
The call of Jesus is to admit you are a sinner. That you fall short of God’s ideals for your life. That you make mistakes and do things that are not right from time to time. Big things or small things.
The call of Jesus is to confess those things to God accept God’s forgiveness and the Salvation and Eternal Life with God that Jesus offers.
Please think about it.
Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus as saying,
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
He who has ears, let him hear.
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:“ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Matthew 11:12-19.
Here Jesus states that John the Baptist is Elijah the prophet who was to announce the coming of the Messiah. Jesus being the Messiah. This is what Christians believe.
Jesus points out that the people of the time did not accept this. He points out that John and he had the same message presented in quite different ways and still, particularly the religious leaders did not accept this.
Jesus notes,
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”
John the Baptist was calling people to repentance as was Jesus. John however was quite different than Jesus. Matthew says of John,
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
“This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. John 3:1-4.
Jesus by contrast dressed normally. He moved from city to city calling people to repentance and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus sat down with anyone who would listen to him irrespective of their station in life.
It seems at the time, no matter which way the salvation message, the need to repent and turn to God, was presented it was rejected by the religious leaders apparently because it was not their way. Both Jesus and John were not part of the religious mainstream at the time.
The same thing happens today. When it comes to how you get to heaven and who Jesus is. It doesn’t matter how you present the salvation message people reject it.
The book of 2 Chronicles states,
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”2 Chronicles 7:14.
The apostle John tells us,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans tells us God went one step further to point us to heaven. Saying,
““You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:6-11.
This is a message the religious leaders of the Christ’s day could not accept. It is a message I know many in the world today cannot accept. It however is what Christians believe.
Thus I leave it up to you the reader to decide.
The call of Jesus is to admit you are a sinner. That you fall short of God’s ideals for your life. That you make mistakes and do things that are not right from time to time. Big things or small things.
The call of Jesus is to confess those things to God accept God’s forgiveness and the Salvation and Eternal Life with God that Jesus offers.
Please think about it.
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