The Lord had completed the miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead, leaving the people who had been standing by who witnessed the miracle to wonder at it. What would be their answer? Would they believe on Jesus? Or would they fail to believe? Would they follow Him or become His enemy? Some believed and others did not. This week we will look at the two-fold response of humanity to Christ.
In our story, the Pharisees hated Jesus for his bold proclamation of the gospel which exposed their sin. As a servant is not greater than his master, you too will be hated for even persecuted for His name’s sake; but nevertheless, you must persevere in your proclamation of the gospel. However in your witnessing, you must do as Jesus did and expose the sin of your hearers. Too much of what is today considered evangelism today consists merely of “God loves you and has a plan for your life.” This is not the gospel that reveals the righteousness of God.
The Sadducees in our text hated Christ for threatening their privileged position. When presented correctly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ presents a threat to human comforts and privileges, which most people today are unwilling to accept. Nevertheless, we must still challenge them with Jesus’ words “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul.” Let us witness as Jesus did, by telling people about the narrow road, the only way, and the cross; expose their sin and tell them of the wages of sin.
