by David Scott Robertson
(John 6:53 KJV) “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
(John 6:60 KJV) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”
This statement was a turning point in Jesus’ public ministry.
After the Lord made this one comment,
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
(John 6:66 KJV)
This was a hard saying.
The Rabbi did not pull any punches.
He meant what He said and He said what He meant.
He told it exactly like it was and most of the people couldn’t accept the truth
And didn’t stick around to ask the Master what the hard saying meant.
This wasn’t the only occasion when what Jesus said was very hard.
It was not harsh, just plain hard.
He gave some pretty tough commands that might not be what you’d expect
And as a matter of fact had an opposite effect.
Instead of people leaving Him because of these hard sayings,
They were rather drawn to Him by the multitudes…
THE BLIND MAN
(Mark 8:25 KJV) After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
(Mark 8:26 KJV) And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
“What?
Tell no one that my blindness is gone?
Tell no one that I have been set free from permanent, debilitating blindness?
Now I can work! I can marry! I can participate in social, religious life! I can live!
This is a hard saying!”
THE LEPER
(Mat 8:3 KJV) “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
(Mat 8:4 KJV) And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”
“What?
Tell no man?
My rotting, smelling flesh is now totally clean and you want me to say nothing?
For the first time in no telling how long
I can walk into town and not have to shout “Unclean! Unclean!”
And you want me to hold my tongue?
This is a hard saying!”
THE DISCIPLES
(Mat 16:19 KJV) “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(Mat 16:20 KJV) Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”
“What?
Tell no one about the long-awaiting Messiah?
The Hope of Israel is here and Jesus is absolutely, positively Him and we are to keep quiet?
This is a hard saying!”
FRIENDS OF A DEAF MAN
(Mark 7:32 KJV) “And they [apparently the people of the Decapolis region] bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
(Mark 7:33 KJV) And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
(Mark 7:34 KJV) And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
(Mark 7:35 KJV) And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
(Mark 7:36 KJV) And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;”
“What?
His ears are open and his speech impediment is gone and he is perfectly normal
And, Lord, you instruct us not to tell anybody about it?”
This is a hard saying!”
PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN
(Mark 9:2 KJV) “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
(Mark 9:3 KJV) And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
(Mark 9:7 KJV) And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
(Mark 9:8 KJV) And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
(Mark 9:9 KJV) And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.”
“What?
We’ve just seen a miracle!
We’ve seen with our own eyes Moses, Elijah, and the Christ transfigured before us!
We’ve just heard with our ears the audible voice of Almighty Jehovah Himself!
And You tell us to tell no one about it?
This is a hard saying!”
JAIRUS AND HIS WIFE AND THE THREE
(Luke 8:51 KJV) “And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
(Luke 8:52 KJV) And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
(Luke 8:53 KJV) And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
(Luke 8:54 KJV) And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
(Luke 8:55 KJV) And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
(Luke 8:56 KJV) And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”
“What?
Our dead daughter raised to life!
The mourners outside will obviously demand an explanation!
You want us to tell no man what was done here in her bedroom?
This is a hard saying!”
Jesus knew what He was doing when He gave hard instructions.
But many times, probably most of the time, when He had compassion on a severely sick person
And healed them, they found it difficult to contain themselves.
“And he [Jesus] charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;” (Mark 7:36 KJV).
The point here is that the hard sayings of Jesus
May take a form that you might not expect.
How could it be so wrong to tell of something so good?
It only becomes wrong when we are told not to by the Lord.
While it is true that obedience brings the miraculous.
In many cases, those who experienced the miraculous spurned obedience.
This too, is a hard saying.
DSR
3/25/02
Monday, March 25, 2002
Monday, March 18, 2002
God Showed Up Where?
by David Scott Robertson
(Rev 1:9 NIV) I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
(Rev 1:10 NIV) On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…
Patmos was a small island (ten miles by six miles) in the Aegean Sea located about thirty-seven miles southwest of Miletus.
The Romans used such places for political exiles.
The Apostle John's mention of the island in Revelation 1:9
Probably means that he was such a prisoner, having been sent there for preaching the gospel.
Eusebius (an early church father) wrote that John was sent to Patmos by Emperor Domitian in A.D. 95 and released after 1 1/2 years.
And it was here, on Patmos, of all places on the planet,
That John had a magnificent encounter with Jesus Christ.
God shows up in the most unusual places!
Whereas some people may imagine a location as “God-forsaken,”
Ironically, that is precisely where the Lord very often chooses to display His revelation.
The backside of a dessert – God shows up to a man named Moses and a bush begins to burn and a mighty deliverance begins (Exodus 3:2).
In the belly of a large fish – God shows up to a man named Jonah and a missionary is dispatched to a cruel and wicked people group (Jonah 1:17).
In a cave with special effects – a rock-shattering wind, an earthquake, a fire, followed by a gentle whisper of the voice of God to a man named Elijah – and the order to anoint two kings (Hazael and Jehu) and a prophet (Elisha) is given (1 Kings 10:12-16).
On a dirt road to Damascus – God shows up to a man named Saul and the vessel through whom most of the New Testament would be penned is called (Acts 9:3-6).
On a ship caught in a tempest somewhere off of Crete in the Adriatic Sea– God shows up to a man named Paul and grants the request that 276 sailors and passengers not die and God grants the safety of every single one (Acts 27:23-24).
In a filthy Roman jail – God shows up about midnight to Paul and Silas who being held as prisoners for preaching the gospel and an earthquake facilitates every prisoner’s chains falling off (Acts 16:25-26).
At a despised tax collector’s booth – God shows up to a profiteering Jew named Matthew and an apostle is called is to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9).
On a beach at the Sea of Galilee – God shows up to invite two brothers, Peter and Andrew, to change careers and become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Do you see the trend?
Have you noticed where God shows up?
Crazy places at unexpected times.
Does this instill hope in you that He is willing and able to show up right where you’re at
At just the time you need Him?
Can you believe that God can show up…
…at the photocopier at work?
…out by the garbage dumpster?
…in the pickup truck?
…in the shower?
…on the racquetball court?
…in a classroom at school?
…at the grocery store in the produce department?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes to all of the above questions!
I believe!
How about you?
I believe that God is not limited by space or time
In the way He elects to show up in our lives.
I also believe that many times He moves in by our invitation.
Also, if you can get you a buddy to join you in your pursuit of an encounter with God,
I strongly believe that God will especially honor that and show up based on
(Mat 18:20 NIV) For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
“Where” God shows up is not nearly as important as “that” God shows up.
Let’s see to it, then,
As far as it has to do with us,
That we prepare a habitation for the Lord to come and sit with us,
And visit with us,
And walk with us,
And talk with us,
And lead, guide, and direct us,
And comfort us,
And grant to us revelation of His will and way for our lives.
One final word,
John was “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10),
When he had an incredible encounter with God and penned the book of Revelation
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
May I submit to you that TODAY and EVERY DAY can be the “Lord’s Day”
If we make seeking God with all our hearts,
Drawing near to Him,
Calling to Him and expecting an answer a priority in our daily lives.
(Psa 118:24 NIV) This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
DSR
3/18/02
(Rev 1:9 NIV) I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
(Rev 1:10 NIV) On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…
Patmos was a small island (ten miles by six miles) in the Aegean Sea located about thirty-seven miles southwest of Miletus.
The Romans used such places for political exiles.
The Apostle John's mention of the island in Revelation 1:9
Probably means that he was such a prisoner, having been sent there for preaching the gospel.
Eusebius (an early church father) wrote that John was sent to Patmos by Emperor Domitian in A.D. 95 and released after 1 1/2 years.
And it was here, on Patmos, of all places on the planet,
That John had a magnificent encounter with Jesus Christ.
God shows up in the most unusual places!
Whereas some people may imagine a location as “God-forsaken,”
Ironically, that is precisely where the Lord very often chooses to display His revelation.
The backside of a dessert – God shows up to a man named Moses and a bush begins to burn and a mighty deliverance begins (Exodus 3:2).
In the belly of a large fish – God shows up to a man named Jonah and a missionary is dispatched to a cruel and wicked people group (Jonah 1:17).
In a cave with special effects – a rock-shattering wind, an earthquake, a fire, followed by a gentle whisper of the voice of God to a man named Elijah – and the order to anoint two kings (Hazael and Jehu) and a prophet (Elisha) is given (1 Kings 10:12-16).
On a dirt road to Damascus – God shows up to a man named Saul and the vessel through whom most of the New Testament would be penned is called (Acts 9:3-6).
On a ship caught in a tempest somewhere off of Crete in the Adriatic Sea– God shows up to a man named Paul and grants the request that 276 sailors and passengers not die and God grants the safety of every single one (Acts 27:23-24).
In a filthy Roman jail – God shows up about midnight to Paul and Silas who being held as prisoners for preaching the gospel and an earthquake facilitates every prisoner’s chains falling off (Acts 16:25-26).
At a despised tax collector’s booth – God shows up to a profiteering Jew named Matthew and an apostle is called is to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9).
On a beach at the Sea of Galilee – God shows up to invite two brothers, Peter and Andrew, to change careers and become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Do you see the trend?
Have you noticed where God shows up?
Crazy places at unexpected times.
Does this instill hope in you that He is willing and able to show up right where you’re at
At just the time you need Him?
Can you believe that God can show up…
…at the photocopier at work?
…out by the garbage dumpster?
…in the pickup truck?
…in the shower?
…on the racquetball court?
…in a classroom at school?
…at the grocery store in the produce department?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes to all of the above questions!
I believe!
How about you?
I believe that God is not limited by space or time
In the way He elects to show up in our lives.
I also believe that many times He moves in by our invitation.
Also, if you can get you a buddy to join you in your pursuit of an encounter with God,
I strongly believe that God will especially honor that and show up based on
(Mat 18:20 NIV) For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
“Where” God shows up is not nearly as important as “that” God shows up.
Let’s see to it, then,
As far as it has to do with us,
That we prepare a habitation for the Lord to come and sit with us,
And visit with us,
And walk with us,
And talk with us,
And lead, guide, and direct us,
And comfort us,
And grant to us revelation of His will and way for our lives.
One final word,
John was “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10),
When he had an incredible encounter with God and penned the book of Revelation
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
May I submit to you that TODAY and EVERY DAY can be the “Lord’s Day”
If we make seeking God with all our hearts,
Drawing near to Him,
Calling to Him and expecting an answer a priority in our daily lives.
(Psa 118:24 NIV) This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
DSR
3/18/02
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)