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What Were You Looking For?
Question 13. What were you looking for?
“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John [the Baptist], What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled in soft clothing, and live delicately, are in kings' courts and houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.” Luke 7:24-26 Matthew 11:7-9 (Combined)All Israel was awaiting the return and ministry of the Prophet Elijah. This was misunderstood to mean a visitation from a man who would call himself Elijah (something John did not do) and would introduce the Messiah (something John did do). John, for whatever reason, went unnoticed as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)
John did not fill the description that they had developed (or had been developed for them) in their mind. They were convinced he could not be “that Prophet.” The fact that John did not consider himself to be “that Prophet” did not help matters either. He was once asked, “…Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias [Elijah]? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?
That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? John said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:19-23)
The disciples had no better understanding of the prophecy. Peter, James and John, after witnessing the transfiguration, seeing and recognizing Elijah with Christ, decided that this event that they witnessed must be the coming of Elijah for which all Israel had been waiting. Jesus corrected their thinking, “…Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed [pleased]. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:11-13)
The coming of Elijah was a monumental event in the lives of all Israel and they waited for it with anticipation and delight. They set a place for the Prophet Elijah at every Passover meal and looked out the door to see if he was coming. They knew that he was the forerunner to Christ. They had, unfortunately, created an idea in their mind that the prophet for whom they waited would be much different than John the Baptist actually was.
Consequently, they missed the prophet for which they waited for centuries.
In our imagination we may see Jesus with his hands out at His sides, palms up, with a slight shrug in His shoulders as he asks, “When you came out here to see John, what were you looking for? Did you come out here to enjoy nature (a reed in the wind)? Were you disappointed that He was not finely dressed and did not represent the epitome of all your own earthly desires? Those who have the things you desire to see are Kings, not prophets.
Is that what you wanted to see? A prophet? John was much more than a prophet. But what did you expect to see? You are looking for signs and wonders, prophets, and mighty men, and are disappointed with all who are sent to you.
What are you looking for?”
This is a good question. What are we looking for? What would get us out of our houses and down to the riverbank? What would get our attention? We all have in our mind our own description of what a proper person, a prophet, a church, or a philosophy would be. The descriptions we have in our minds need to be brought out and analyzed. It could reveal what we seek and why. Jesus listed a few of the motivations that men may seek and these may help us categorize our own
What Are We Looking For?
A Naturist? He is someone with answers that fit into the natural scheme of things but are, in a sense, benign, ineffectual, and undemanding of change. A reed, shaking in the wind. He is sought by those who can see God in a sunset, but have trouble with His presence in the Commandments.
A Representative of our Humanity? This man will satisfy those who look for someone who has the answers, or has conquered the trials of life, who has overcome, a winner, one who has raised above the norm, a man in fine clothes, handsome and successful.
A Man of God? This is the man sought by those who are looking for a prophet, a Seer, or preacher who has the ear of God, and was commissioned or empowered by God. Someone above the average man. Those seeking this, feel that their quest is more noble than that of others; that they are seeking higher or “spiritual” things. They are often taken in by tricks, lofty language, goose bumps, platitudes, flattery, and promised acceptance by God.
Which one of these could take you in? Perhaps a combination of two, or all three? What would you go out to see? We all need to examine our motivations and desires and make sure they are as they should be.
Which leads to the query, how should they be?
Your answer is not around you; it is in you. “To whom God would make known … Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Not surprisingly, Christ perfectly satisfies all three of the attributes He listed. His ministry and His very life teach that you are not to look for answers in the creation (sunsets and nature); you are to look to the Creator.
Jesus was the “Representative of our humanity.” He was the “Man of God” there is no other. Yet the one who waited for Messiah missed Him, too. You will not be able to recognize fulfillment of prophecy by comparing what you see to your Bible’s pages, recognition will come from the Spirit within you. Nowhere in the Scripture does it say that when Messiah comes He will tell you how many husbands you have had, but some how the woman at the well knew.
She ran to her friends and said, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29)
Do not forget that He warned that deception was a possibility and even a probability. Remember His admonitions from Matthew 24, “Many will come… and will deceive many. Pay attention so you won’t be deceived. … when they say, ‘look, He is in the desert,’ go not forth.” Who are these “many” who are being deceived? Don’t they own Bibles? Don’t they know prophecy? It is not enough to know the book, you must know Him.
He knows that you have a tendency to look around before you look within. If you consider in advance, what you like and what you are like, you will be fore-armed against deception. The history of man shows that false teachers are sought and true prophets are killed. Even the Son of God Himself was not safe among us. One of the most dangerous deceptions is the one that convinces you that you are immune from deception.
If you feel that you cannot be deceived, you are presently in the throes of the worst deception of all. You needn’t think that deception always leads to communes, poison Kool-Aid, space ships and suicide pacts. Sometimes it just subtlety corrodes a person’s faith till there is nothing left in him but questions and doubt and fear of the unknown. Sometimes deception takes the form of knowledge.
Heaps of education can console and comfort those who once searched for Truth -- becoming a bulwark of defense against simple and uncomplicated faith in God. In every case, deception replaces Truth – the Truth that sets men free. Once it is gone nothing remains but a hollow shell where there once was a budding, burgeoning faith in God. What are you looking for?
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By Don C. Harris (AP)Question 13. What were you looking for?
“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John [the Baptist], What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled in soft clothing, and live delicately, are in kings' courts and houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.” Luke 7:24-26 Matthew 11:7-9 (Combined)All Israel was awaiting the return and ministry of the Prophet Elijah. This was misunderstood to mean a visitation from a man who would call himself Elijah (something John did not do) and would introduce the Messiah (something John did do). John, for whatever reason, went unnoticed as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)
John did not fill the description that they had developed (or had been developed for them) in their mind. They were convinced he could not be “that Prophet.” The fact that John did not consider himself to be “that Prophet” did not help matters either. He was once asked, “…Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias [Elijah]? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?
That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? John said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:19-23)
The disciples had no better understanding of the prophecy. Peter, James and John, after witnessing the transfiguration, seeing and recognizing Elijah with Christ, decided that this event that they witnessed must be the coming of Elijah for which all Israel had been waiting. Jesus corrected their thinking, “…Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed [pleased]. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:11-13)
The coming of Elijah was a monumental event in the lives of all Israel and they waited for it with anticipation and delight. They set a place for the Prophet Elijah at every Passover meal and looked out the door to see if he was coming. They knew that he was the forerunner to Christ. They had, unfortunately, created an idea in their mind that the prophet for whom they waited would be much different than John the Baptist actually was.
Consequently, they missed the prophet for which they waited for centuries.
In our imagination we may see Jesus with his hands out at His sides, palms up, with a slight shrug in His shoulders as he asks, “When you came out here to see John, what were you looking for? Did you come out here to enjoy nature (a reed in the wind)? Were you disappointed that He was not finely dressed and did not represent the epitome of all your own earthly desires? Those who have the things you desire to see are Kings, not prophets.
Is that what you wanted to see? A prophet? John was much more than a prophet. But what did you expect to see? You are looking for signs and wonders, prophets, and mighty men, and are disappointed with all who are sent to you.
What are you looking for?”
This is a good question. What are we looking for? What would get us out of our houses and down to the riverbank? What would get our attention? We all have in our mind our own description of what a proper person, a prophet, a church, or a philosophy would be. The descriptions we have in our minds need to be brought out and analyzed. It could reveal what we seek and why. Jesus listed a few of the motivations that men may seek and these may help us categorize our own
What Are We Looking For?
A Naturist? He is someone with answers that fit into the natural scheme of things but are, in a sense, benign, ineffectual, and undemanding of change. A reed, shaking in the wind. He is sought by those who can see God in a sunset, but have trouble with His presence in the Commandments.
A Representative of our Humanity? This man will satisfy those who look for someone who has the answers, or has conquered the trials of life, who has overcome, a winner, one who has raised above the norm, a man in fine clothes, handsome and successful.
A Man of God? This is the man sought by those who are looking for a prophet, a Seer, or preacher who has the ear of God, and was commissioned or empowered by God. Someone above the average man. Those seeking this, feel that their quest is more noble than that of others; that they are seeking higher or “spiritual” things. They are often taken in by tricks, lofty language, goose bumps, platitudes, flattery, and promised acceptance by God.
Which one of these could take you in? Perhaps a combination of two, or all three? What would you go out to see? We all need to examine our motivations and desires and make sure they are as they should be.
Which leads to the query, how should they be?
Your answer is not around you; it is in you. “To whom God would make known … Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Not surprisingly, Christ perfectly satisfies all three of the attributes He listed. His ministry and His very life teach that you are not to look for answers in the creation (sunsets and nature); you are to look to the Creator.
Jesus was the “Representative of our humanity.” He was the “Man of God” there is no other. Yet the one who waited for Messiah missed Him, too. You will not be able to recognize fulfillment of prophecy by comparing what you see to your Bible’s pages, recognition will come from the Spirit within you. Nowhere in the Scripture does it say that when Messiah comes He will tell you how many husbands you have had, but some how the woman at the well knew.
She ran to her friends and said, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29)
Do not forget that He warned that deception was a possibility and even a probability. Remember His admonitions from Matthew 24, “Many will come… and will deceive many. Pay attention so you won’t be deceived. … when they say, ‘look, He is in the desert,’ go not forth.” Who are these “many” who are being deceived? Don’t they own Bibles? Don’t they know prophecy? It is not enough to know the book, you must know Him.
He knows that you have a tendency to look around before you look within. If you consider in advance, what you like and what you are like, you will be fore-armed against deception. The history of man shows that false teachers are sought and true prophets are killed. Even the Son of God Himself was not safe among us. One of the most dangerous deceptions is the one that convinces you that you are immune from deception.
If you feel that you cannot be deceived, you are presently in the throes of the worst deception of all. You needn’t think that deception always leads to communes, poison Kool-Aid, space ships and suicide pacts. Sometimes it just subtlety corrodes a person’s faith till there is nothing left in him but questions and doubt and fear of the unknown. Sometimes deception takes the form of knowledge.
Heaps of education can console and comfort those who once searched for Truth -- becoming a bulwark of defense against simple and uncomplicated faith in God. In every case, deception replaces Truth – the Truth that sets men free. Once it is gone nothing remains but a hollow shell where there once was a budding, burgeoning faith in God. What are you looking for?