Days between the grandchildren’s visits last longer than other days, I’m sure of it. The hours pass slowly and the silence is much more distracting than their chatter. I remember the early days of parenting when my husband would come home from work and make his way around to asking how I stood the constant level of noise. I’m sure I was annoyed at times, but typically it faded into the background, providing constant evidence of happy, healthy children.
If you’ve ever walked into a room and all conversation immediately stopped, you were either the professor or teacher, or you were the topic of conversation. Possibly both. The years of Jesus’s public ministry, though few, were sufficient to make His a household name. He was well known as a Teacher and Healer. The more word of His miracles spread, the more the crowds turned out, and the more the religious leaders felt threatened. They sought Him out at every opportunity, trying to catch Him in a compromising situation without success, but Jesus didn’t even need to leave home to feel rejection.
“After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee.
He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.
But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!”
For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.”
John 7:1-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.7.1-5.NLT
“Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime.
The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.
Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.”
John 7:6-7, 14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.7.6-14.NLT
“The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him.
There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds.
Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.”
But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.”
John 7:11-13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.7.11-13.NLT
“Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders.
But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.
For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”
John 12:42-43 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.12.42-43.NLT
If only they could have seen into the future. If only they had been able to understand the depths of His love for them- for us- perhaps they might have recalled what the prophet Isaiah described as the suffering servant, and they would not have been so quick to condemn the Lord of glory! (I Corinthians 2:8) Many more who had watched and waited like Simeon and Anna would have spoken up in His defense.
“He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.”
Isaiah 53:3-11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.53.3-5.NLT
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world.
I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
John 15:18-19 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.15.18-19.NLT
Now is not the time for silence. Does Jesus in me make the world uncomfortable? More to the point, does my choice to acknowledge Christ before men in obedience to His command make you uneasy?
Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth!
I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”
Matthew 10:32-39 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.10.32-39.NLT
“God made us to “image” himself; he made us for his own glory.
For us to imagine ourselves autonomous is, far from being a measure of our maturity, the supreme mark of our rebellion, the flag of our suppression of the truth.”
Judgement is still the very real end awaiting this world. All who remain apart from Christ stand condemned already. We must not keep being permissive in our testimony for the living Christ, saying Jesus would do this or not do that, while citing God is love, yet dismissing His Holiness. God does not applaud the things we say or do in His name that go against His word. Jesus said if you love Me, obey My commands. (John 14:15)
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.
And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.
Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”
1 John 5:1-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.5.1-4.NLT
Four hundred years of silence separated the Old Testament Scriptures from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God had spoken through the prophets all that needed to be said until the Word became flesh. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. He is the Word of Life and He is coming again for His own. It’s not a secret anymore.
“This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.
And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.
This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.
We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.
That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”
Colossians 1:26-29 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.1.28.NLT
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.
No, he is being patient for your sake.
He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”
2 Peter 3:9, 15 NLT
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