GraceUnlimited

Everyone has an opinion. Many speak with such authority that you think they must have significant experience in the field. Some people get irritated by other people's opinions and eventually ignore all outside input. Others believe everything. There is no wisdom in either of these extremes. Therefore, you are in a dangerous position. You need to listen to what people say, and you also need to know whose advice to reject. How do you cross a 12-lane highway of dangerous ideas without being impacted by wrong and deceptive ideas- A lot of people are like crawling babies who put anything into their mouths. To acknowledge that you don't know as much as you think you do, is a good start to discernment. A fear of being deceived is also wisdom. Wise people ask for help. That's why Jesus warns His disciples to watch out for the Scribes. Everybody wants to tell us who to listen to. But the Bible provides guidelines against bad counsel. What is it saying about God- About you- About your problems- About where to get information- Beware of people who want to look great themselves. Beware of people who use religion as a cover-up for their greed. Be serious about this because there are real and eternal consequences to what you believe.

As we look around at different ideas of who Jesus is, we should ask ourselves why anyone would want to crucify any of the people who match that idea. One reason people would want to crucify the real Jesus is because of His exclusive claim to authority. People even have to deny themselves in order to become a follower of the real Jesus. Does Jesus have the right to such a demand- He requires worship. Can He even do that- Where does His authority come from- On what basis do we worship Him as absolute King- The first answer is that the one who defeated death for His people gets the right to rule over them. Jesus has the right to rule over all. This is the next main feature of Christ's rule. He will see His enemies crushed beneath His feet. Surely, if you are required to submit to Christ, and you are struggling to do that, you need to gain a clearer view of His identity. He is the God-man, Jesus Christ. To enjoy what Jesus has done, bow to Him as King.

Why do good people hate Jesus- The answer to that question is not complicated- you can summarise it in one word. Authority. People don't have a problem with Jesus the friend, teacher, counsellor, and miracle worker. But people absolutely hate King Jesus. This is true because His kingship has implications. It means that rejecting Jesus is rejecting God, which amounts to eternal condemnation. Jesus' authority means that you can't merely use Jesus for your own benefit. He has the right to tell people what to do and to judge. Intellectual objections are the result of people's efforts to avoid Jesus authority. Some people may need to be taught about this, but many need to be warned. Jesus' crucifixion is evidence of God's kindness and goodness, and His intentionality to forgive and receive. Jesus' authority calls us to give to God what is God's. It requires a complete shift in thinking from living for your own benefit to living for God's benefit and glory. Why would any rational persona do that- The answer is in the resurrection. Life as a whole only makes sense in the resurrection of Christ. A new world is coming with Christ at the centre. His resurrection brings resurrection to His people too. The God who created life can restore life after death. It is within God's power, and it is both His promise and plan. Remarkably, we know that for God this is already accomplished because He already raised Christ from the dead- So, because this life we have is not the only life we will ever have, we want to live it for others, for Christ. This is a call to come to God in repentance and to depend on Him to live a life in submission to the authority of Christ.

Jesus is the most significant person in the universe, but He is also the most misunderstood. Think of Warner Solman's portrait of Jesus, who matches the society in which Solman grew up. We don't want to have a wrong understanding of who Jesus is in our own minds. Who is Jesus- What does Jesus do- The Son of God, who came to preach the gospel, is prophet, priest and king. The Jerusalem crowds hailed Him as king- the promised King. God's plan is to have one man rule the whole world. This man is the Ancient of Days. He is also the rejected King. Yet as He is crucified, He is not experiencing an unexpected complication to His plan. He is the firstborn over all creation. The most privileged man ever. The Creator and Sustainer. He is also the real King. As a man, He has earned His position as King. It is dangerous to play down His actual kingship. He commands even death. he is most unlike anyone else we have known. A lion and a lamb. All authority is in His hand. Even the most authoritative man in the church is only a slave to Christ. You don't get to choose the functions of Christ that you prefer. You receive Him as a Person with His full identity. The personal, complete, rejected, real, and active King. No individual can see their life as disconnected from Jesus. We don't see His rule as clearly as we will see it when He returns in Glory. It will be both wonderful and dreadful. Dreadful, especially for religious people who do not acknowledge His authority. Is He your King- If you stand against Jesus, you are in a war you cannot win.

False religion, from the outside, is not always obvious. So, what is going on in the heart of the religious person who eventually begins to hate Jesus- The problem is not clarity, or God's generosity. There is a hardness in their hearts. That's what Jesus says. Sadly, this happens so many times today. At the heart of this false religion is the desire to receive blessings for themselves. They might even be grateful for God's goodness. When the goodness seems to end, however, he begins to question God and even hate him. Submission to Christ is the hardest thing for a person who is practicing religion. Even in Eden, people wanted to be like God in authority. today, people still want to be God, regardlesss of whether they, on the outside, appear openly hostile, or very gentle. The biggest problem people have with God is that He is God and they are not. Jesus insists that people give to God what is God's. Consider this illustration- Imagine a person came into your home and ate your food, drove your car, slept in your bed, etc. They would be taking what belongs to you. It is exactly the same issue when you live in God's world, eat His food, drive His car, sleep in His bed, but never acknowledge Him. Whether you are able to give to God what is God's or not, is a test of true faith. Do you give Him glory- Do you give Him obedience- Do you give Him respect- Do you give Him trust---If you see your life is going wrong and you think you can simply repair it by repairing your personal devotional life, you are failing to give God what is God's. You need God to save you from you.

Some people who ask questions don't really want an answer. This, Jesus' final parable in Luke, has a vineyard at its core. The Pharisees are pictured as the hired servants in the vineyard. They have not seen that the vineyard is the privilege and responsibility God has given them. Rather than cultivating this privilege, they turn on the owner. But God is patient. Very patient. See how the owner is treated unfairly. The wrath of the owner is expected, but doesn't come at first. The shock is the sending of the son. The Incarnation- Astoundingly, the privileged tenants plot to kill the very son of the owner in the spectacularly misguided hope of inheriting the vineyard. Today, just as it was then, we don't see the terror of God's judgement because we don't see the dreadful nature of our own sinful rebellion. We see others as culpable but not we ourselves. God's intention is fulfilled through the murder of His Son. And the reward of the the vineyard is transferred to other people. Where do you stand-

Did you know that false teachers can appear more serious about the truth than people who are seriously seeking the truth- And a greedy false teacher is a very dangerous person- even more than any other greedy person. They are more concerned about money than the kingdom of God. They care more about people's opinions than truth. They want to control and manipulate people. Other people's lifestyles irritate false teachers. They want people to think well of them and do what meets with their own approval.

If you walked into a nursing home with a plate of cookies, and were killed for it, you still would not generate the same bewilderment as was generated by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Why would they want to murder HIM- The Jews were irate because Jesus was claiming to be God. Even as Jesus declared judgement on rebels, He wept. They were not ignorant, they had rejected His clear claims. They were driven by greed. Even the temple, which was an absolute privilege to have, was used for extorting money from people. The temple had become more like a mall than a place of worship. They extorted money both through exchange and also through the selling of inferior sacrifices. Using religion to rake in money enrages God. Greed is a dreadful thing- Such a thief is the worst kind of thief. Jesus will return and this will all be dealt with. Do not allow your greed to make you an enemy of Christ-