Jesus As…The

Jesus As…The Original Bachelor?

With so many denominations out there, it almost seems like Jesus is the bachelor on a dating game show…which bride will he choose?Aren't we all one bride of Christ?

Read all previous Articles.
...
Jesus didn't die so that you could be comfortable and well-adjusted.

The first post in this series established that we must have a confidence in the sovereign nature of Jesus Christ to rightly respond when our friends and family reject the message of Jesus.The second post showed us that this confidence allows us to Praise the Father in such situations.This post focuses on our ability to continually share the gospel even when our friends and family refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior.

As was the case in parts one and two of this series, we can be confident in our response because we have Jesus as our model.Matthew 11:28-30 is a beautiful example of how Jesus continues to offer an open invitation to unbelievers even in the midst of people who refuse to accept His love.
...
Even in the face of rejection, Jesus continued to offer the gospel to anyone who would accept it.He did not do so by force or by manipulation, but with true concern and compassion.He cared for those that toiled in their unbelief.We also, must continue to care for those that reject Christ.It is unacceptable to dismiss them in our anger or pride.

Furthermore, His invitation was focused on their greatest need… spiritual rest.It is often tempting for us to try and find alternative ways to "attract" people to Jesus.In our carelessness, we make them promises that even Jesus would not extend to them.Jesus is concerned with one thing: a spiritual rest from the wrath of God (Hebrews 4).I encourage you resist the temptation to promise your unbelieving friends prosperity, a life free of trouble, or instant victory over the sins that control them.Faith in Jesus is about one thing: spiritual rest for our souls from the wrath of God.

One cannot read Matthew 11:28-30 without sensing the deep concern Jesus had for the souls of those that did not yet know Him.
...
As we mentioned in part one of this series, it is important for us to remember the sovereign nature of Jesus when witnessing to friends and family that refuse to believe.Without a strong confidence in the sovereign nature of Jesus Christ (which He displayed in Matthew 11:27) we will not be able to respond in the same manner that He did.

So how did Jesus respond to people who refused to believe that He was their Savior (Matthew 10-11)?The first thing He did was turn to Praise the Father.At first, it may seem like this is the opposite of what we should do.Why should we praise God when our friends and family have refused Jesus as their Savior?
...
We can praise God because we are confident that it is not our inability to communicate that has prevented our friends and family from accepting Jesus as their Savior.Romans 1 says that God has made Himself known to all men but that some men have foolishly ignored or even suppressed that knowledge.Even though they know He exists, they refuse to have a relationship with Him.They think this is wise, but Paul concludes that it is really foolishness (Romans 1:18-23).We praise God because we know that He is the one who reveals Jesus, and not ourselves.

Finally, we can praise God even when our friends and family refuse to believe because everything He does is "well-pleasing" within His sight (Matthew 11:26).It is often hard for us to trust God when we learn that 1) He is the one who reveals Jesus and 2) someone we love has not yet accepted Jesus as their Savior.Jesus serves as our model in Matthew 11:26 when He praises the Father for acting in a way that is well-pleasing to Himself.We must be careful not to blame God when someone close to us does not believe in Jesus.Scripture must be read as a whole and we must recognize four things.

Every person is guilty of sin and does not deserve a relationship with God. God is justified in refusing to have a relationship with sinful people. Anytime anybody accepts Jesus as their Savior, we have witnessed an act of mercy (in that God held back His wrath when He didn't have to do so) and grace (in the fact that God offered forgiveness through Jesus when He did not have to do so). We are blessed that God works in ways that are pleasing to Him rather than in ways that are pleasing to ourselves.

This sums up verses 25-26 of Matthew chapter 11 and it clearly shows us why we are able to praise the Father even when our friends and family refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior.Have you been angry at God because someone you care about has not accepted Jesus?If so, I challenge you to think about your response.If Jesus could praise God when people rejected His love, how can you do otherwise?Come back shortly for my third post in this series where we'll see how the sovereign nature of Jesus allows Him to continue to share the gospel with others in the midst of an unbelieving generation.
...
What if they act like I'm stupid for believing in Jesus?
...
In its simplest form, to say that Jesus is sovereign is to say that He is free to exercise His rule (as "sovereign" or "king") over His creation.It is this truth that gives us the certainty to praise God and to continue to share the gospel in the mist of family and friends that refuse to accept it.Even Jesus hinges His response to such unrepentful people on His sovereign nature.It's right there in Matthew 11:27: "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to who the Son wills to reveal Him."Jesus is able to praise the Father and to continue to share the gospel in the face of rejection because He is confident in His sovereign nature.All things have been handed over to Him.He is free to exercise His rule over creation.This sovereignty allows Him (and us) to praise God and to continue to share the gospel in the mist of people who refuse to listen.

Are you confident in the sovereign nature of Jesus?
...
Jesus As…The Original Bachelor?

With so many denominations out there, it almost seems like Jesus is the bachelor on a dating game show…which bride will he choose?Aren't we all one bride of Christ?

Read all previous Articles.