We Would Not Desire Him

This short meditation was sparked by something Eddy Duke said in part two of his meditation on Luke 4:16-29 (particularly concerning verse 24). We love God, because he first loved us. Have you ever found yourself thinking, "If only I lived during the days of Jesus. I would love to have seen the miracles, beheld the Saviour during his earthly ministry and heard him preach. How could I possibly not believe on him and follow him faithfully? Surely my faith would be stronger if I had lived during that time." I must admit I've had thoughts like this in the past. But these are merely shortsighted, fleshly, unbiblical thoughts. The truth is that "he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isa.53:2-3) Even his own received him not (Joh.1:11). It maketh no difference if we saw him in the flesh and lived during his ministry: if we have not the Spirit of God we are none of his ( Rom.8:9) and would no more hear him than the Jews who rejected him because they were of their father the devil (Joh:8:44) and who believed not in him because they were not of his sheep (Joh.10:26). No, we need not live during the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth in order to see the miracles and behold the Saviour and hear him preach. For "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (2Pe.1:19) Peter heard the voice of God from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" and yet he counted the scripture a more sure word of prophecy for it was spoken not by the will of man, but by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. We have for us recorded in scripture many, many miracles which Christ did during his ministry, as well as those the Apostles were empowered to do by him to confirm the word. If we believe that the scripture is true, then we need nothing more. No more evidence is necessary, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom.10:17) The same word spoken in the days of old is spoken to us today. If we hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will we be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luk.16:31) But we see Jesus (Heb.2:9), for we walk by faith, not by sight (2Co.5:7). "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he hath said, you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?" (First verse of the hymn "How Firm A Foundation", number 161 in the Old School Hymnal #11) AMEN!