How in the hell did they not know?
Luke 12:54-56
Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right. When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.
Did you ever wonder how "the people of the book" didn't know Jesus, the Messiah they've been waiting generations for had indeed arrived?
I mean God said Christ was going to have his kingdom. And the people of the book lived and breathed on the foreknowledge of that coming day. And yet Christ came and they denied him.
Of course they no doubt expected a warrior king cleansing the land of all opposition to God's kingdom. They no doubt expected shear divine power coming and sweeping aside all the enemies of Israel. And so, is it any wonder they rejected the humble lamb of God come as the king of the universe?
It's ironic, because the second coming prophecies are much more like that which they expected. What they missed at the advent of Jesus Christ born as a human child, meek and mild, was Christ the king had come IN GRACE!!! Jesus Christ full of mercy and grace. Not the nation destroyer! Not the divine liquidator of all the wicked people. And THANK GOD that he did come full of grace. Because if the Messiah did come in ALL HIS GLORY and with ALL THE WRATH that mankind deserves. NO ONE...no one would survive.
Did you ever wonder who you'd be greeted by when you reached the gates of heaven? Many believe it will be The Apostle Peter. I've always imagined it will be the penitent thief who hung on the cross next to Jesus and whom Jesus promised would be with him in paradise. I can't imagine anyone better to manage that job. I mean, as they say, it takes a thief to catch a thief.
Friends,
The road to freedom and friendship with God is narrow. The day of the grace of God has come, and gone, and IT IS FINISHED! The road has been paved by Jesus, and his Spirit has gone out before us. The work is finished in Christ. And just for now there is left behind the Holy Spirit instructing the hearts and minds of the righteous in Christ.
And in his day still to come, THE WHOLE WORLD will see him come in power AND GLORY with his mighty angel army and the multitudes of the beloved children of God. And it will be a day of judgement. No more will it be about teaching and parables. It will be about finding the faithful, and judging the faithless. The threshing floor will be SWEPT CLEAN! The weeds and chaff will find only condemnation. In the blink of an eye the wicked will become witnesses of Christ's glory. And in that same moment they will be forever separated from it.
Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”
Jesus' first coming was a day of grace, revelation, and salvation. In the second advent there will again be revelation, but this time what follows will be condemnation. The harvest will have passed. The crusade will be over. The assurance will have come and gone. All second chance welcomes will be worn out.
The occult will not save the left behind. The nature gods will not save them. The secular kingdoms will not give them sanctuary. They'll discover the earth is not a god at all. The unholy nations will eat each other alive because GRACE will be GONE! The restraining hand of God will have been REMOVED! And all unrighteousness will rule for the few years that remain on the earth.
How can you find assurance in Christ today before that ultimate and final outcome arrives?
You must be sure in your heart that you're ready to surrender your will as Christ surrendered his, and pick up your cross as he picked up his, and follow him. You must believe in the resurrection, and follow him in faith, empowered by his grace and faithful to heed the work of The Holy Spirit. You must do this with a sincere heart and with gratitude.
To whom much is given, much is required.
Jesus gave it all.
Jesus wants all of you.
God Bless you.