Thursday, September 21, 2023

"The Inappropriate Response" (Matt. 22:46)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/21/2023 8:38 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  “The Inappropriate Response”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                   Reference:   Matthew 22:46

 

            Message of the verse:  “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.”

 

            The Bible does not say what the results as far as salvation to those who were listening to Jesus as He speaks about the divinity of the Messiah, but perhaps there were people who heard this later on became believers.

 

            The following is what Mark reports in Mark 12:37 “the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him.”  That certainly does not necessarily mean salvation for them, but as stated some may have looked back to this time and then the Spirit of God would convict their hearts and give them an effectual call for salvation.  The truth is that in two days many who were in this crowd would be calling for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as seen in Matthew 27:22.

 

            MacArthur writes “The Pharisees and other religious leaders there that day were dumfounded but not convinced, silenced but not convicted, humiliated but not humbled, reluctantly impressed, but still unbelieving.  Doubtlessly they were thinking that they had been intimidated and embarrassed for the last time by the uneducated, unordained, and in their minds unorthodox rabbi from Nazareth.”

 

            The truth is, and mark this truth, “Self-righteous religion has always been and will always be the greatest enemy of the gospel.  Secularism generally is indifferent, whereas human religion invariably is hostile.” (MacArthur’s commentary.)

 

            MacArthur concludes this section, which is the conclusion of the 22nd chapter which we began on July 24th of this year.  “The Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well outside Sychar was the first person to whom He directly revealed His messiahship.  After she commented ‘that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ)’, Jesus then ‘said to her, who speak to you am He’ (John 4:25-26).  That woman trusted in Christ herself and immediately went into her village and witnessed to others, many of whom also believed (vv. 39-42).  But most of the Samaritans did not believe and down through the centuries have not believed.  Today they number perhaps fewer than 500, and, like their Jewish counterparts, they are still looking for a Messiah who has already come.  Like so many people, they failed to believe the truth, though the testimony of Scripture is overwhelmingly convincing.”

 

            Some may be reading this SD and have wondered if what I am writing in regards to salvation is true.  Well I suggest the first thing that you do is ask the Lord if it is true.  God through His Holy Spirit will show you whether or not what I am writing in my Spiritual Diaries is true or not, but don’t be afraid or to proud to ask the Lord if what is found in these Spiritual Diaries is true or not.  The truth is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the One who came to planet earth some 2000 years ago in order to take the place of sinners as He died in their place, but even though salvation is a free gift from God through Jesus Christ, like any other gift you have to accept it.  Take my word that accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the best decision that you will ever make in your life even though it may cost you things that are earthly, but heaven awaits all who confess that they are sinners and believe that Christ died for you.

 

9/21/2023 9:06 AM  

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