Jesus Tells

It was while they were gathered together in Galilee that Jesus said to them: ¨The Son of man is destined to be betrayed into men´s hands, and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.¨ Consequently they were very much grieved.  Matthew 17:22-23 (Reference Bible)

Do we stop often enough to think of Jesus?  Do we wonder after Him as a real person and real to us?  So many times even the most devout Christian will and does push the thought of Jesus off to the back of our minds.  We must have settled our beliefs as to whom and what Jesus was long ago and therefore do not need to think much more about it.

We store up our beliefs about our Savior in a safe place in our heart, but how often do we sit down and go through those impressions like we would do if they were family pictures?

Today a person can attend church consistently each week, go about their daily lives in a way they believe pleases the Lord, and even share their professed belief in God to people they come across.  This Christian may hold the impression that what he or she is doing is what the Lord wanted of us.  This Christian, and it could be you or me, does not stop to weigh those facts about Jesus anymore.

We nod our heads in approval when we hear a thought of Christ that fits together with our personal views.  We feel a warm feeling inside when we are moved by a religious song or a prayer.  But all the while and completely hidden under the level of our conscious, we go about our ways leaving Jesus, the truths about Him and His intentions behind.

Look at the Disciples.  We have much to learn from them and they are like us in so many ways.  They followed our Lord; they came and listened to His teachings.  They held correct beliefs about Him.  We do the same.

Now in Matthew 17 verses 22 and 23 Jesus tells them what the future held.  They heard His voice and the words He said made them sad.  Yet have you ever stopped to think just how much of what Jesus said and did sink in?  Later, when what Jesus promised would happen, they were not ready for it and could not believe that this would happen.

To think of the very Son of God, telling us something about the future, this is an amazing feat and not something humans can do very well.  Right there the Disciples should have been overwhelmed with wonder and praise at this action and word of His.  But it was His nature, being part God, He could see into the future with all clarity.  The Father showed Him these things and Jesus shared them with us.

But this is not all; the things Jesus was speaking of are wonderful in themselves.  That He would personally be handed over, betrayed and killed.  To top it all off, He says that the grave will not hold Him there but He will return to life!

Now this is truly amazing stuff.  If we are not utterly moved by it again, it is because we have stored up that truth and tucked it away nicely for safe keeping.  There it remains in some dark corner gathering dust.

Dear Lord, we would like to drop to our knees and ask You to bring Your truths to life again.  Let us pause and look past the dust.  Bring again the old feeling of wonder and sweep it over us again.  Let our hearts soar with awe and amazement over all that You have shared of Yourself and Your kingdom.  Pull us up out of our comfortable rut where we trod day in and day out.  Let our faith come alive as we see anew, Jesus our King doing and saying amazing things.  Then let us feel infinitely close to You as we draw nearer still to feed off of Your presence and Your instruction.

In Your name and for Your glory we pray,

Amen