John 12: 16-19
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"
The Lord Jesus often rebuked the Pharisees not without reasons, because their hearts are really hardened. They saw Jesus performing the miracles, they heard his preaching, yet they did not humbly receive God's work, instead they worked against him by all means. God chose not to speak to that era that is four hundred years before the birth of Jesus, that we call "the dark age between the two covenants". Thus the Pharisees got used to a God that did not speak, and then they got themselves into stuffing the words of the law. Then Jesus came to minister the world, since the Pharisees were so used to the God that neither speak nor do anything, they could not tolerate Jesus who never stop talking and working, they resisted and wanted to kill Jesus! Not just killing Jesus, but also Lazarus; their hearts were so hardened!
This phenomenon happened not only in Jesus's time; however, it also happened in the present time. I often hear many people criticizing the healing evangelists, some say that's the working of the human mind, some say it's a hoax, and some say it's the work of the evil spirit. Of course I don't deny some of the bad witnesses and behaviors of some healing evangelists, but have we ever considered: what if the work of these healing evangelists is truly from God? And who can authenticate this work? What is false? If these work really come from God, aren't we against the Spirit and the truth? Aren't we just like the Pharisees, seeing miracles but not believing?
Brothers and sisters, what's in our hearts? Very often we don't know what's in our hearts, just like the Pharisees that time. We ask the spirit of God to shine upon us, watch over us, lest we resist the work of the Spirit just as the Pharisees. Let us humble ourselves to allow the Spirit working freely in our lives, and using every means to work in the present time, with the goal of lifting the name of Jesus Christ on high, extending the kingdom of God in this world!
Pray with Pastor Tong
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