Offended by Jesus "A Tell-Tale sign that something's not right!"

Then came his disciples, and said unto him,      Knowest thou that the Pharisees      were offended, after they heard this saying?   But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.   Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.   And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matthew 15:12-14 Offended Pharisees? My friend, consider the unjustified reaction of the Pharisees.   Unjustified, because here was Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, teaching them the truth, and yet they were offended merely because God's teachings did not coincide with their personal beliefs. Keep in mind, these were not atheists.   Nor were they people who merely "believed in God[.]" These were the Pharisees, the religious leaders of their time.   They were the tithers, the prayer warriors, and the faithful keepers of the law.    They worshiped the God of the Old Testament, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.   And yet, they were offended when their God spoke to them.   What does their reaction to Christ say about their claim to know God?    They were not the only ones offended . . . Offended Disciples? Consider this next passage, where we find Jesus Christ teaching in the synagogue.   Jesus told those in attendance that day: "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (John 6:57).   In essence, Jesus was equating Himself with the Passover Lamb, to which He

experienced the following reaction: "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?   When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?" John 6:60-61 Now, you would expect the religious Jews in that synagogue to be offended.   Jesus had just equated Himself with one of the most "sacred" sacrifices in Jewish history--the Passover lamb.    To the Jews, the Passover lamb symbolized God's deliverance from Egypt, their very salvation from captivity. Of course, Jesus Christ delivers the soul from the captivity of sin.   So, it was not improper for Christ to draw an analogy between Himself and the Passover lamb.   Jesus Christ is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).   And yet, we read that it was His own disciples that were offended.   Now, Pharisees getting offended is one thing, but professing Christians? How is that possible? First, refer back to a statement Jesus made in our opening verse.   He commented that, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."   Mat. 15:12-14 Remember, He said this in response to the Pharisees taking offence to His words.   In essence, Christ was equating getting offended at what God says with not being of God in the first place.   God didn't "plant" the Pharisees; they were not His children, therefore it was no surprise that they were offended.

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." Matthew 11:6

IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, we find another   encounter Christ had with some religious   Jews.   They, too, had become offended. Earlier in their conversation, these Jews claimed to be right with God, His children, or what the Bible calls saved, but Jesus told them:    "If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.   Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.   Ye are of your father the devil...."   John 8:42-44 Again, the implication here is that those who are truly of God (i.e. saved) don't readily get offended at what God says.   That is why two verses later, Christ told these same Jews: "And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."   John 8:46-47 So we conclude that those who are truly saved, the true followers of God, His children, don't get offended by what God says.   This conclusion is not only biblical, it makes perfect sense! Back to the offended disciples . . . Referring back to those offended disciples, can we conclude, based on their reaction to God's Word, that perhaps some of them WERE NOT truly saved?   Farfetched, you say?   Go back to John Chapter Six, where we first read about those offended disciples.   Notice what the rest of that chapter says: "When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? .... But there are some of you that believe not.   For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not,

and who should betray him. ... From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."   John 6:61-66 Please note the phrase "walked no more with him."   This is one of the tell-tale signs that a person professing to be saved, is truly not.   The Bible warns: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."   1 John 2:19 Jesus Christ also said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27).   And this is exactly what truly saved "sheep" do--they follow Jesus Christ! Referring yet again to John Chapter Six, let's read on: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?   Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.   And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."   John 6:66-69 Notice that while Judas, in this instance, stuck around and continued to follow Christ, he would eventually betray Christ.   Thus, he too "went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."   1 John 2:19 At least eleven of them stuck with Christ, no matter how harsh His teachings appeared to them.   Their attitude was not one of "I'll follow and submit to Christ unless He teaches something that doesn't quite sit well with my personal belief."   My friend, those eleven didn't

have a personal belief, per say.   Their belief lined up with Christ's.   Their lives were no longer their own.   Jesus had said: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."   Mark 8:35 Did these eleven remaining, un-offended, disciples lose their lives for Christ's sake?   Yes! Peter is recorded as saying, "Lo, we have left all, and followed thee."   (Luke 18:28).   Did they lose their lives for the gospel's sake?   Yes.   The Bible says: "And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.   And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him." Luke 5:10-11 But how does all        this apply to us, today? Let's apply everything we've learned so far to modern day disciples--today's professing Christians.   First of all, is it possible for some Christians today to get offended by God's Word?   Is it conceivable that a professing Christian can walk into a church service, where the Word of God is preached "straight out of the Bible," and walk out offended, in disagreement with what the Bible teaches?   Let's cite four specific examples.   (We don't mean to offend.) 1   A professing Christian hears God    command, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord."   (Col. 3:18).   But because this particular Christian "feels" that a woman "should be her own boss," she takes offense, NEVER repents, and ignores God's command.

2  A professing Christian hears the Word of    God say, "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (1 Cor. 11:14).   But because God's opinion doesn't agree with his, he takes offense, NEVER repents, nor cuts his hair. 3  Another professing Christian hears God say,     "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Th. 5:22), and takes offense to the implication that his/her favorite "Christian rock" band looks like a secular heavy-metal group. 4  A professing Christian hears God command:     "And be not conformed to this world:" (Rom. 12:2), and takes offense to the fact that as a Christian, he/she should be "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts," and thus, "should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" (Titus 2:12).   So they continue their worldly lifestyle and NEVER repent. Perhaps you know of an incident where some professing Christian was offended by a certain Bible teaching.   Often, the offended person will deny that the problem was them; they'll instead blame the preacher who cited the verse.   Or they will claim that the preacher used the verse "out of context" and erroneously interpreted it. But, my friend, after applying everything we've learned, could it simply be that the offended "Christian" is not truly saved?   Is that so farfetched, considering the Biblical examples we have already looked at?   In closing, offended "Christians" should heed the following warning: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.   Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" 2 Cor. 13:5

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13). BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because: "...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2. In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   (Eph. 2:8-9)   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5. THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   Romans 5:8-9 THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Romans 10:9 SEND THE LIGHT P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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