I'm sure there have been times when you have been spellbound at the skill of some sportsman or craftsman. Many watched with amazement as the greatest professional of all time went about His work. By watching Him they "were amazed at the greatness of God".
1*.
You see, Jesus' work drew attention to God, because He WAS God! Many people refused to believe Him when He claimed to be equal with God. His miraculous powers should have left them in no doubt that He was indeed the One whom God had promised to send - the Messiah!
2*.
By His words and actions He had restored the blind, the lepers, the deaf, the dumb, every kind of sickness, and even the dead! As well as that, a voice from Heaven had proclaimed Him as the Son of God,
3*.
and prophecies that had seemed impossible had come true in His life. Hundreds of years before He appeared prophets had spoken about things like His miraculous virgin birth, His miraculous powers, and His claim to be God!
4*.
"While everyone was marvelling" at all that this God-man did, He said to His disciples, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."
5*.
If Jesus knew about such danger why would He not just keep away from it? Why would this happen to such a wonderful person? The disciples "were afraid to ask him about it."
6*.
Jesus knew that the crowds would not accept Him as their Priest and Saviour. Instead they would be willing to let Him "be betrayed into the hands of men." This would make Jesus appear so weak and make the religious leaders and priests seem to have great power and control over Jesus!
This was all part of God's plan to provide salvation for us. God would allow His Son to fall into the hands of wicked men and they would sacrifice Him! God would allow this awful crime to be carried out against His Son once and for all!
7*.
Beware of the evil claims of men who still want to appear to have power over God! Some claim they can take Jesus in their hands today and carry him around as they wish! Foolishly some today boast they can continue to offer Him in sacrifice to God!
God allowed that one time only, but NEVER again!
8*.
Anyone who would dare to claim that he can take the Lamb of God in his hands and make another offering of him is as wicked in his heart as the murderers of Jesus at the cross!
9*.
Don't you doubt Jesus' greatness and power. Believe He was "betrayed into the hands of men" and was crucified. Believe God allowed that to happen once only in order that He could pay the full debt of your sins, and that God then raised Him to His own right hand to be your only Hope and Saviour.
God does not want you to trust YOUR life and soul into the hands of men and depend on their words and actions to forgive or save you. God wants you, in faith, to trust yourself in Jesus' hands alone for His salvation and safekeeping.
10*.
Read of the powerful Jesus in Luke's Gospel, chapter 9, verses 43-45, and understand why He willingly submitted Himself once to the hands of wicked men.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
