April 12
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”
—MATTHEW 10:16
Rejection of the Gospel is not a modern phenomenon. You sometimes hear people saying, “You know this nation is turning away from God.” My question is – when did it ever embrace God? The pure Gospel of Jesus Christ has never been popular and embraced by the majority - ever.
When Jesus sent His disciples out to evangelize, He said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” In verse 22, He tells them, “All men will hate you because of me.” And in John 15:18, He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” On the night before He was crucified, Jesus warned His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble.” Not you may have trouble, but you will have trouble.
At 30 years old, Jesus came out of the obscure city of Nazareth; an itinerant preacher with no credentials but Himself. And He came with radical new teachings that threatened to revolutionize centuries of Jewish faith and tradition. He turned the world upside down with the Gospel, and it got Him crucified. The reasons for rejecting the Gospel are the same throughout history. Without the revelation from the Holy Spirit, spiritual truth does not make sense to people. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to convict the world of sin, guilt and righteousness. Is it any wonder the Gospel faces resistance without the Holy Spirit’s enlightening?
The Gospel confronts us in a powerful way. The heart of the cross of Christ exposes our guilt and most of us find that uncomfortable. But if the Gospel does not confront our conscience, it will not change our lives. It will always be folly to the world. But the good news is in John 16:33 Jesus said, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, where would we be without the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Still lost in our sin, separated from You and without the promise of eternal life. Thank You for sending Jesus to this world and making the Gospel known.
TO REFLECT UPON: What is the best way I can respond to someone who rejects the Gospel?