Main Point and Overview:
Sometimes true freedom is right in front of our faces, and we just cannot see it! That was the case with the crowd of people who “believed in” Jesus. Of course, their belief proved to be shallow and false. Why? Because they simply were blinded by the truth that Jesus was who he said he was…the son of God! Many people in our culture, and even the church, are striving for freedom. The unfortunate reality is that often their striving is for the wrong things. They think that if they can experience or achieve a “certain thing,” it will bring them freedom. When Jesus told the professing crowd that true discipleship was connected to “living out” his teachings, they became defensive. They took his words to be speaking of literal freedom from other nations, and they quickly attempted to refute his words by claiming that had never happened. Of course, Jesus was speaking of internal freedom from sin, but all they saw was political freedom from other nations. When you are blinded to your own condition, you tend to deny the obvious. That is exactly what these Jews were guilty of in this moment. They had, in fact, already been slaves to the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other nations. So, even their confused claim was false. Instead of having a teachable spirit accepting the truth that Jesus came to bring, they became defensive proving their illegitimacy of spiritual freedom. Sometimes, God has to “rock our worlds” to get our attention! Are you going to be humble when that time comes? For the arrogant crowd, they missed a golden opportunity for freedom. When God exposes your sinful heart, accept his words, and you will truly be set free!
Sometimes true freedom is right in front of our faces, and we just cannot see it! That was the case with the crowd of people who “believed in” Jesus. Of course, their belief proved to be shallow and false. Why? Because they simply were blinded by the truth that Jesus was who he said he was…the son of God! Many people in our culture, and even the church, are striving for freedom. The unfortunate reality is that often their striving is for the wrong things. They think that if they can experience or achieve a “certain thing,” it will bring them freedom. When Jesus told the professing crowd that true discipleship was connected to “living out” his teachings, they became defensive. They took his words to be speaking of literal freedom from other nations, and they quickly attempted to refute his words by claiming that had never happened. Of course, Jesus was speaking of internal freedom from sin, but all they saw was political freedom from other nations. When you are blinded to your own condition, you tend to deny the obvious. That is exactly what these Jews were guilty of in this moment. They had, in fact, already been slaves to the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other nations. So, even their confused claim was false. Instead of having a teachable spirit accepting the truth that Jesus came to bring, they became defensive proving their illegitimacy of spiritual freedom. Sometimes, God has to “rock our worlds” to get our attention! Are you going to be humble when that time comes? For the arrogant crowd, they missed a golden opportunity for freedom. When God exposes your sinful heart, accept his words, and you will truly be set free!
Posted in Devotional