A Missed Opportunity
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· 13 viewsIn this lesson Pastor Bogan explains the importance of take advantage of your opportunities of salvation.
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There aren’t many times in Scripture where we see Jesus weeping. There was the time at the grave of Lazarus that Jesus wept, and this time. Why was Jesus weeping here?
Well, before we answer that, let us try and imagine the setting of this event. First of all, it’s the Passover, which was an extremely important celebration for devout, orthodox Jews in that day. So, there would have been pilgrims from all over in and around Jerusalem. Second, because of all the visitors, accommodations would have been scarce. Therefore, there would have been people up and down the route to Jerusalem.
On top of this, there was a crowd of Jesus following Jesus as He traveled from Bethany into Jerusalem. Very recently Jesus had performed the miracle that raised Lazarus from the dead. As a result, many who were in the town of Bethany was following Jesus and proclaiming Him as Israel’s redeemer (, ).
But why would Jesus be weeping at such a time as this?
He was sad because He could see the future of the people that filled Jerusalem, but they could not. You see, even though they were rejoicing over the things they had seen Him do, they had by and large rejected the things they heard Him say. It was because they rejected His message that brought such sadness to Jesus. He knew that their rejection of His message would ultimately result in their destruction.
The people could not recognize the “peace” He came to bring them. What was this peace? This peace was reconciliation, or peace with God.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Christ had come to bring them this peace, but they could not see it. Moreover, He called this opportunity of peace a “their day of visitation.”
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
The word “visitation” suggests to us that the offer of peace/salvation comes at intervals. It is like a traveler that appears for a time and then disappears.
I can remember as a child being very excited whenever the circus came to town. I was always so anxious to go because I knew that the circus would only be in town for a short time.
We respond differently to opportunities when know that they will only be available to us for a brief time (Black Friday and Cyber Monday). An opportunity to get your hands on a 50” plasma TV for under $500 doesn’t come around all the time!
Isaiah
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
Call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts:
And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
It’s easy for us to look back on the people in Jesus’ day and shake our heads at the opportunities they missed. In fact, it’s easy to see opportunities being missed by others. But it’s more difficult (and more important) to see our own visitations (opportunities).
Let us recognize the things that make for our peace. Let us not delay our commitment to Christ. Do we even know the things that make for our peace? Do we recognize when we’re being visited with an opportunity to receive peace?
Jesus will bring us peace if we simply heed His voice.
If only you had listened to my commands!
Your peace would be like a river ⌊that never runs dry⌋.
Your righteousness would be like waves on the sea.
However, when we reject His voice and we don’t take heed to His commands, then the way of peace/salvation is hid from our eyes!
Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Luke
Notice, when we miss our moment it can have devastating consequences, even on our children. Something we don’t always talk about is the fact that sometimes judgment has a corporate effect on generations.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
We should had that this is also true concerning salvation. Meaning, if we take heed to God’s word it can have a corporate effect on the generations who come after us.
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Now, does this eliminate a child’s ability to choose? No it does not. What it means is we can make things easier or more difficult for our children. Many of us in here today have been raised in a family of individuals who always seem to miss their moment. It’s hard to overcome the obstacles set by individuals who have habitually missed their moment or balked at opportunities for peace and salvation. But the question is will you follow in this same example, or will you establish a new trend?
Will you continue to wallow in the mud of your failures and the failures of those who have gone before you, or will you begin the climb to safety. Better yet, will you lift your hands to God in surrender and confess to Him that you will take heed to His word?
Don’t miss your moment. Don’t miss YOUR visitation. There’s a traveler standing right now at the door of your heart. Somebody asks, “What does He want?” He wants to come in and give you His PEACE/salvation.