Christ Despised # 2

 Christ Despised # 2

A solemn illustration of this occurs in John 7. To the Jews He said, "Did not Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you keeps the Law! Why do you want to kill Me?" (v. 19). And what was their response? This, "The people answered and said, You have a devil!" (v. 20). Who was so unwelcome here?

Third, the One who denounced human tradition in the religious sphere. Despite the Fall, man is essentially a religious creature - the image of God in which he was originally created, has not been completely destroyed. The world over, blacks and whites, reds and yellows - pay homage to gods of their own devising and there are few things on which they are more sensitive - than their religious superstitions - he who condemns or even criticizes the devotees of any religious belief or practice, will be greatly disliked. Now Christ drew upon Himself the hatred of Israel's leaders, by His denunciation of their religious inventions. He reproached them, "you nullify the Word of God by your traditions!" (Mark 7:13). When He cleansed the temple, the chief priests and scribes, "were indignant" (Matt. 21:15). Who was so unwelcome here?

Fourth, the One who repudiated an empty profession. Nothing so infuriated the Jews, as Christ' exposure and denunciation of their vain pretensions.

Being omniscient, it was impossible to impose upon Him; being inflexibly righteous, He could not accept deceptions; being absolutely holy, He must insist upon sincerity and reality. When they declared "Abraham is our father!" He answered, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham!" When they added "we have one father, even God," He replied, "If God were your Father, you would love Me...you are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do!" This so filled them, that they exclaimed, "Aren't we right in saying that You are a Samaritan and demon-possessed!" (John 8:39-48).

On another occasion the Jews asked Him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." (John 10:24). He at once exposed their hypocrisy by saying, "I did tell you but you do not believe. You do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:25-27). So angered were at this that they "took stones again to stone Him." Men will not tolerate One who pierces their religious disguise, exposes their shams, and repudiates their fair but empty profession. It is the same today. Who was so unwelcome here?

Fifth, the One who exposed and denounced sin. Ah, this explains why Christ was not wanted here. He was a constant thorn in their sides! His holiness condemned their unholiness. Men wish to go their own way, to please themselves, to gratify their lusts. They want to be comfortable in their wickedness - therefore they resent one who searches the heart, pierces the conscience, rebukes their evil. Christ was absolutely uncompromising. He would not wink at wrong-doing, but unsparingly denounced it, in whoever it was found. He boldly affirmed, "For judgment I have come into this world" (John 9:41), that is, to unveil men's secret characters, to prove they are blind in spiritual things, to demonstrate they loved darkness rather than light. His Person and preaching tried everything and everyone He came into contact with.

Why was (and is) Christ "despised and rejected by men?"

First, because He required inward purity. Herein is the great difference between all human religions and the Divine religion. All human religions concern themselves with external performances - but the Christian religion is only concerned with the source of all conduct. "Man looks on the outward appearance - but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). It was Christ's exposition and enforcement of this truth, which made Him so unpopular with the leaders. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness!" (Matthew 23:25-28).

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 3)