Sharing the Resurrection I

Matthew 16:13 (Read)

In Verse 17 Jesus is saying if you have come to identify me Peter, for who I am, this is by divine revelation, as is all truth, by Devin revelation. What Peter had to say was right, the problem, he had no idea what he had said. He got the words right, he new the language, But to get the language right is one thing, understanding what your talking about is another thing all together. At this stage in Jesus ministry Peter did not have a clue what he was talking about.

 That’s why though we are surprised to read it Jesus tells them in verse 20

“to tell no one that he was the Christ”

 Peter had just identified Him, and surely all the others agreed that He was Christ, and Jesus says I forbid you to tell anyone that I am Christ.

 Today when someone claims Jesus to be the Son of God, The Christ, The Messiah we do everything we can to motivate them into telling the World. Jesus tells them in a very stern way that they are to keep their mouth shut. Why.

 Very simple, it’s one thing to claim Jesus as Christ, but another to understand what as Christ he came to do. Its one thing to know him as the Messiah, another thing to understand the Messianic mission and how that purpose was to be accomplished in the eternity of Gods wisdom. At this stage in their discipleship of Jesus, they did not have a clue.

 They loved Jesus, they were loyal to Jesus, they were prepared to sacrifice everything for Him, they had given up family, homes, jobs, everything to become His disciples. They were way ahead of many today. They had enthusiasm, they were eager to get the movement going. But there is nothing that propitiates ignorance more in this world than an unenlightened enthusiasm. At this stage they did not know enough to talk sensibly. So Jesus told them, don’t talk to any one. Because if you don’t know enough to talk sensibly, then you talk nonsense. Same thing today, if you don’t know enough to write sensibly then you write non-sense and the Christian book stores are full of Non-sense, by writers with no-sense. And many Christians today act like they have no-sense because they spend their dollars and cents buying books full of nonsense, which leaves them senseless.

  Our Lord takes absolutely no joy in those who no matter how nobly motivated, no matter how sincere their desire can only talk nonsense about Him. Sentimental, sloppy nonsense, So Jesus said if you can not talk intelligently about me, keep your mouth shut.

  These disciples are a lot like those during the Jesus movement in our recent history. A time when at least in Baptist life we saw baptisms double. These disciples if alive today would have all wore pins, smile if you love Jesus. If there had been stickers in those days every donkey would have had a “snort if you love Jesus” sticker across its backside.

 But just as it was in our time, it would have been then. That kind of sentiment is no substitute for truth. Jesus said if you abide in my word you will know the truth, then that truth which you have come to know by abiding in my word, by divine revelation, through the testimony of this amazing revaluation authored by the Holy Spirit. The Truth, Jesus said would set you free. That may sound harsh on us, on the disciples of His time, but look at verse 21 (Read)

  What Jesus is saying today is that no matter what affection you have for me, no matter how noble your intentions,, if your Theology is earthbound, it is of Satanic origin. Peter in spite of his affection for Jesus, nether wanted the cross because he did not understand it, nor did he believe in the resurrection.

  Jesus says today to all that proclaim to be my servant, let alone ministers of my word, if you don’t want the cross, and refuse to believe in the resurrection you are offensive to me, you are of this earth, you know nothing of Gods timeless redemptive, regenerative purpose, that could alone be consummated by the obedience of Christ unto death, even to death on a cross, to be crowned triumphantly in the resurrection.

  It’s a sad thing, when Jesus asked what other people said about Him that they could give him an accounting. That He was John, Elijah, a prophet. The only thing they did not know was what God had to say about Him. And there is not a sadder situation today in the life of a Christian than when he or she listens to what everyone else has to say or write about Jesus and the last person we listen to is God himself. So Jesus said,

Unless you know who it is you are speaking about, when you testify.

Unless you know who it is you are speaking for, when you witness.

Unless you know what you are speaking about, when you say you are speaking the truth, unless you are speaking my word.

If not, Jesus is saying you might as well be speaking for the Devil himself, as far as I am concerned get behind me, and just keep your mouth shut.

 God has a plan for those who proclaim Jesus, who proclaim His word, who proclaim the Resurrection. We find it in Matthew 16:18. Read

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