Monday, May 02, 2016

The Devil and Debunking Jesus

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”—Matthew 12:30 (NLT)

Some of the most amazing things I’ve seen are the pyramids in Egypt. They are awesome structures. Their construction has stumped scholars for eons. When I was a boy, the bestseller, Chariot of the Gods, explained that the pyramids and other sites of wonder were built with alien technology. The structures and technology employed couldn’t be human–the achievement is too advanced! Space travelers must have lent us their technology to influence ancient science and religion.

If you’ve made up your mind about someone and you really can’t endorse them as being smart or special or talented, or in Jesus’ case, the Son of God, you’d have to come up with another theory to explain the things you see with your own eyes. That’s what happened with the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They looked for a way to debunk Jesus. If God was behind the miracles Jesus was doing, then God must have endorsed Jesus healing on the Sabbath, forgiving harlots, eating with sinners, befriending tax collectors, and welcoming outcasts.

So they blamed the devil and said Jesus was doing His work by the power of Satan—basically charging Jesus with witchcraft. If they could get enough people to back this idea, it would be the end of Jesus. Ending Jesus became their agenda.

Jesus laid it out for them: If you reject Him, you are rejecting God’s plan for Israel, and ultimately, for all mankind.

This is a serious warning for us to heed today. The author of Hebrews warns believers not to drift from away from Christ. As you remember when you first came to faith in Jesus, you know Jesus did a miracle in your heart. People saw a change in you. And because you became so different they asked you about it and that opened the door for you to talk about Jesus. You didn’t know any deep theological stuff, but you had an experience with Him that changed your life and you were able to talk about it. People who witnessed it called it a miracle.

Now that you’ve known Jesus for a while, and time has passed between today and that day when you gave your heart to the Lord, you’re tempted to call that work a work of emotion or the convincing words of a charismatic leader or teacher. You’re drifting.

Don’t give anyone or anything credit for the work Jesus has done by His Spirit. There’s nothing or no one else to turn to if you turn away from Jesus.

No comments: