1. What disappointment can we be when we begin to tell others what we are learning from the Bible?
When we began to study the Bible, many of us personally knew that we had found the truth, because the biblical teachings were presented to us clear as water, and we even thought that everyone we knew and loved would also accept them, but it would not be like that. , and we would realize that it is not a popular and easy message to accept.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Perhaps many of us thought that our family and friends would be happy to know that there was the possibility of being happy and having a wonderful hope for the future, because for us, as Psalm 119: 105 says, the word of God was “like a lamp for our feet, and a light for the path ”. As the Psalm says, but sadly many of our families and friends would not see it that way.
We can remember the emotion we felt when we began to share these truths that we were learning, how ardently we shared them, we put our hearts into expressing them! But when we felt that these truths were not to everyone's liking, we were left with great disappointment and great sadness at the same time; and we felt for the first time that this might be an obstacle in our way, that we would have to overcome.
We can be disappointed that others do not share our enthusiasm, enthusiasm and desire to learn from the Bible. That is why when we preach we must be aware that not everyone will want to listen to us no matter how excited we are, and this should not be a reason to lose our illusion.
2, 3. What did most of the people think about Jesus and his message?
Most of the people of Jesus' time did not support him when he was on earth, although he demonstrated through his miracles that he had the support of Jehovah, yet he was rejected, and in this rejection, there was the planning of the Jewish leaders, who did not believe that Jesus was the messiah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
John 11:47, 48 tells us part of the fear of these Jewish leaders, because the resurrection of Lazarus had occurred and many people begin to put faith in Jesus, but there are others who go to the Pharisees and tell them what he has done, and they wonder what are we going to do? because they know that Jesus "performs many miracles" because they have been told it by people who have seen them with their own eyes, so they are not happy at all, because what matters most to them is maintaining their position and authority.
Here in John 12: 9-11 he tells us that a large crowd of Jews gathered who wanted to see Jesus and Lazarus, who had been resurrected, and the chief priests now plot a conspiracy to kill Jesus, because the people went as far as there was him, and they were beginning to put faith in his teachings. But even so Jesus knew that not everyone would accept him as the promised messiah as recorded in John 5: 39-44.
Because of the many good works that Jesus did, they still did not believe that He was the Messiah. On the contrary, they tried time after time to kill him and plot against him. If they still did not believe Jesus with the miracles they saw, we should not be surprised that they reject the message we preach and many other worse things.
4. What will we talk about in this article?
Well, this article looks at the various reasons why Jesus was rejected in the 1st century. And because in our days there are people with the same attitude as those of the past, and we will also see that it can help us to have much more solid faith in Jesus so as not to stumble.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We will look at reasons why many people rejected Jesus before and why they do so with us today. And above all, we will see what will help us to have a solid faith in Jesus and thus not stumble because of anyone.
The origin of Jesus
5. Why did some people think that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah?
Many came to the conclusion that Jesus was not the promised Messiah, because he was nothing more than a humble carpenter, they recognized that as a teacher he was extraordinary, but they did not further visualize what he was as a person and what he had come for, because they noticed in its origin.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In fact they noticed that it was from Nazareth, a city considered insignificant for some, even Nathanael who became a disciple of Jesus an apostle, I doubt that anything good came out of that city as John 1:46 says, that was a comment a bit brusque, but Jesus chose to ignore such comment.
Perhaps Nathanael also thought that nothing good could come out of Nazareth because Nazareth was not a city considered important, or as suggested here, perhaps he thought of the prophecy of Micah 5: 2 where it was predicted that he would be born, in Bethlehem , and not in Nazareth.
Many people, including Nathanael, a later disciple of Jesus. He thought that nothing good could come of Nazareth. Many people did not see this city as something important and thought that nothing good could come of it. So they only saw Jesus as the son of a humble carpenter.
6. What should those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah have done?
All those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah should have been interested in the details of their generation, because those details were in the prophecies, therefore if they wanted to check the facts, they should have investigated the prophecies, but they did not.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The details of who the Messiah would be were outlined in the word of God, stories such as that of the doctor Luke 2: 4-6 make us see that it was necessary for Joseph to travel with Mary to register for the census decreed by Caesar Augustus, and all the People had to go to their place of origin, in this case Joseph went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, and that was not by chance, because as the prophecy indicated, “He would be born in Bethlehem Ephrata ”according to Micah 5: 2… as we have already seen.
An interesting detail that escaped those who rejected Jesus, was not having all the data of the prophecy, and then they acted rashly reaching conclusions that Jesus was not the Messiah, and because of this they stumbled rejecting Jesus.
Many of those who rejected Jesus and were his enemies did not even know precisely his origin, since he was born in Bethlehem just as the prophecy of Micah 5: 2 said. These people did not stop to know about Jesus or everything he was doing, they simply rejected him because of his selfish and unintelligent stance, reaching hasty conclusions.
7. Why do many reject Jehovah's people?
Today something very similar happens concerning those who rejected Jesus, because many of us also have a humble origin, and we are considered just as Peter and John were considered "Who were common men and with little education" as Acts 4 says: 13, and because of that many think that we should not teach from the word of God, less if we have not attended theological schools that are renowned.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The people of God are also rejected today because it is said that our religion is American, although in percentage only 1 in 7 Jehovah's Witnesses lives in the United States, but this rejection goes further, because it is also said that we do not believe in Jesus, that we are "communists", "American spies", and even extremists, and if a person hears those stories, even if they do not have all the facts, they will accept those stories as real and end up stumbling, and reject Jehovah and his town.
For the same reason as Jesus, because many people have come to hasty conclusions without analyzing the facts or reflecting on them. Like they believe that we are an American religion when this is not the case, or they see us as people without religious training and that we do not know what we are talking about, that we do not believe in Jesus, or that we are extremists, communists and even spies. Hasty conclusions that stumble and reject God's people.
8. According to Acts 17:11, what should you do if you want to be sure who God's servants are today?
What a sincere person who really wants to know who God's servants are today should do is research the facts, have the person check for himself what Jehovah's Witnesses teach, and compare it with the Bible. That is what the Bereans of the city of Berea did, in Acts 17:11 we are told that they accepted the good news because they every day carefully examined the Scriptures to see if these things were just as they were told.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It is also convenient that she knows the history of God's people, the modern history of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that she does not cling to her beliefs, rejecting the message that is given to her, even if this is something new to her, instead. have an open mind, and consult the scriptures carefully, and then act accordingly.
It is good for the person to compare what is being taught, to see if it is in the Bible, and to do it just as the Bereans did, they did not take a quick glance at the Scriptures, but it was a diligent and continuous study Only in this way will you realize who the servants of God are today.
Acts 17:11 tells us that we need to show interest and “carefully” examine all the facts and Scripture. Only then can a person come to know all the facts and form an opinion about Jesus, the Bible, and the people of God. If you are not interested, you will not study the facts properly, and this will lead to hasty conclusions.
JESUS REFUSED TO DO MIRACLES TO IMPRESS
9. What happened when Jesus refused to show a sign from heaven?
Here in Matthew 16: 1 the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to “put Jesus to the test and asked him for a sign from heaven”, because to some it seemed that his teaching was not enough, although it was amazing, but they wanted more.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
They were probably asking him to carry out as proof that he was the Messiah, the sign predicted in Daniel 7:13, 14 where it says “That the son of man would appear with the clouds to assume his royal power”, but this was not possible for it was not God's time for this prophecy to be fulfilled, and Jesus would not make a showy display to satisfy his selfish request.
Therefore what Jesus had taught them should have been enough for them, and in their reasoning they had convinced themselves that Jesus was the Messiah and since he refused to give them the sign they were asking for, Jesus told them what is quoted in Matthew 16: 4 that to that wicked generation seeking signs, none would be given - except the sign of Jonah Jesus' generation had "the sign of Jonah" when Christ spent three incomplete days in the grave and was resurrected, and His disciples gave proof of that fact, Christ had been a sign to that generation, but even that did not convince most of those Jews.
Jesus refused to perform miracles just to impress or show what he was. That is why he refused what these men asked for and they continued with their erroneous conviction that he was not the Messiah. Everything that Jesus did was in harmony with his father and according to the time established by him, he did not have to prove anything to anyone. In fact, he had already done many things that indicated that he was the Messiah.
10. How did Jesus fulfill what Isaiah predicted about the Messiah?
What Isaiah said was fulfilled as prophesied in Isaiah 42: 1, 2 "he will not shout or raise his voice, he will not make his voice heard in the street." And it was so because, as we know, he never drew attention to himself in his ministry, he did not build impressive temples, let alone dress in special clothing, and he did not wear flashy titles.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In Luke 23: 8-11 we are told that Jesus was brought before Herod, and this man was happy because he had the possibility of seeing Jesus, and not to help him but out of simple curiosity and because he hopes to “see him perform some miracle”, but Jesus refuses to satisfy that curiosity, in fact he questions him and Jesus does not answer him, so that disappoints him and he and his soldiers treat him with contempt and make fun of him. In this way, what Isaiah predicted is fulfilled.
It is true that Jesus in his ministry performed miracles, but he made it very clear that the most important thing for him was to preach the good news, and in Mark 1:38 he told his disciples: "That is why I have come." We see that all his endeavor was to deliver the Kingdom message that would sanctify his father's name and end humanity's problems. Give this way once again you can check, that he does not draw attention to himself.
Jesus demonstrated this throughout his life with the way he exercised his ministry. He did it in a humble way, without the need for recognitions or titles or great temples. Jesus was always willing to teach and never needed to raise his voice to do so. He told his disciples that this is why I have come and he never used his power to rid himself of any pain or grief against him according to what was written.
11. What wrong expectations do some people have?
Well, as many of us know, people today are impressionists, if they see great cathedrals they are impressed above all with those that have works of art, that are of high value and that were made by renowned men, although they are not interested in knowing the meaning or the meaning. origin of these works that many times are pagan, and why say if they learn about God in their religious services, they know very little about God and his purposes, people's expectations are not really placed on God.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
However, our expectations are very different, and the people who attend our meetings benefit greatly, because they learn about Jehovah and what he requires of each of us as we do his will. In addition, our Kingdom halls have no frills, but they are always very clean and practical, we do not expect to impress anyone, only that those who come to the house of Jehovah, notice the great difference.
Nor do we have the wrong expectations with those who lead us, because they do not have special clothes or high-sounding titles that impress, because the true enhancement is in our teachings, which are based on the word of God, unfortunately all this simplicity does not like many people and they stumble, because they find that this way of worshiping God is very simple, and ultimately what we teach is not what they want to hear.
Many people value invaluable cathedrals or works of art or that their religious leaders are well known, famous, and with great titles or authority. All this is material and what is most important is being forgotten, learning and teaching from the Bible, what we only do in our Kingdom halls, which are useful and practical for it.
12. According to Hebrews 11: 1, 6, on what should your faith be based?
Hebrews 11: 1, says that true faith is "the certainty that what is expected will happen" and verse 6 says "that without faith it is impossible to please God", therefore faith is achieved only by studying, so that We can see things as accomplished, and it must be based on exact knowledge, so that it is solid, because otherwise, we will not have strong faith and it will be impossible to please God as these verses say so well.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It is clear that in order not to stumble, faith must be well grounded, because Paul clearly told the Christians of Rome there in Romans 10:17 “Faith follows the message that is heard, and the message that is heard comes through the word about Christ. ”What did Paul mean by this? We only consolidate our faith in Jehovah and his promises by drawing on God's word. In this way we lay a good foundation so that faith remains solid in the face of any obstacle.
Something important is also that people should know that strong faith can only be achieved with a careful study of the teachings of the Bible, not participating in religious ceremonies that are unbiblical; because they can be very impressive or even beautiful, but that does not mean that the truth has been found, only by studying the word of God, faith can be strengthened and there are no doubts, also true faith does not need any sign from heaven, and it is indispensable to please God.
The biblical text of Acts 11: 1 could not be clearer, there it defines faith as the certainty that what we hope will happen, what Jehovah has promised us. That is why all we need is a strong and solid faith in accurate knowledge, in the Bible. With this, nothing can make us stumble.
JESUS DID NOT FOLLOW MANY JEWISH TRADITIONS
13. Why did many condemn Jesus?
Many condemned Jesus because he did not precisely follow the Jewish traditions, Matthew 9: 14-17 tells us that the followers of John the Baptist were surprised to see that the followers of Jesus do not fast and Jesus tells them that they have no reason to fast, because he is still alive.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Perhaps John's disciples fast because they want to show their sadness for what happened to John, they also mention the Pharisees, who practiced fasting, but that for them was a religious custom, and that is when Jesus continues to say in this He said that "Nobody sews a patch of new cloth, on an old mantle, because the new cloth pulls the old garment and the tear becomes greater" and besides saying this he made other comparisons. Jesus by making these comparisons meant that the truth he taught was too powerful for that old and inflexible Judaism, which was already worn out with fasting customs and other rites, but this served to further condemn Jesus.
Another Jewish tradition that made them proud was to comply with the Sabbath law, and they condemned Jesus when they saw him heal the sick on Saturday and instead of rejoicing they accuse Jesus saying what John 9:16 says That man is not from God, because does not respect the Sabbath and others say: How can a sinner perform miracles like that? They condemned what Jesus did, but they have no shame in doing business in the temple and Jesus rebuked them for doing that, as Matthew 21:15 says and Due to this and other denunciations that Jesus made, many stumbled because Jesus did not do what they expected, but Jesus said it: "Wisdom is demonstrated by his works" Matthew 11:19, thus without having compelling reasons, they continued condemning Jesus.
Many condemned Jesus because he did not do what they expected or wanted. Like fasting, how to follow false customs and traditions, cure on Saturday when the law had it as a holy day off while they could do business in the temple, the teachings of the synagogue with examples from the history of Israel to denounce their selfish attitude and lack of faith… there are many things for which many condemned Jesus.
14. Why did Jesus condemn human traditions that went against the Scriptures?
Jesus condemned human traditions by citing what was said through the prophet Isaiah 29:13 “These people approach me only in words and honor me from the lips to the outside, but their heart is far away from me, and their fear of me it is based on mandates of men, mandates that they have been taught ”, thus, in this way, Jesus denounces that they have incurred the disapproval of God, by condemning human traditions, which go against what Jehovah established through his word.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As Jesus condemned human traditions, which placed more importance on man-made standards, there were those who opposed and outright rejected not only Jehovah but also his son Jesus who had been sent as the Messiah, the sent savior. Oh my God. But despite all the opposition and obstacles Jesus faced, he always condemned what was not in accordance with the Scriptures.
Jesus condemned these practices because they went against the Scriptures and also, as we read in Isaiah 29:13, they gave more importance to these practices than to their service to God. They only approached words since their heart was on the side of these traditions and norms of men rejecting Jehovah and Jesus, with reason Jesus condemned him.
15. What bothers many about Jehovah's Witnesses?
Many people resent that Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate traditions that are rooted in many of the world's cultures. They do not understand that we do not do the things that are contrary to the word of God, such as birthdays, and Christmas, patriotic celebrations, and less funeral customs that are against the word of God, and we know that this is so , because many of us have faced family and friends who have been upset with us, and they have been real obstacles that we have had to overcome.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Perhaps many of those who get upset with us for not practicing the traditions of the world, are sincere people, and even believe that they are doing well and that God accepts what they do, but they are deceiving themselves, because if they want to continue the traditions of this world and not accepting what the teachings of the Bible say will in no way have God's approval.
The Bible is very clear in this Mark 7: 7-9 says it “That it is useless to say that we worship God, if we follow the doctrines that are commands of men, and less if we put aside God's commandments and cling to to the traditions of men ”.
Today it happens exactly and we are often the object of attack for not celebrating customs deeply rooted in society such as Christmas or birthdays, patriotic celebrations, funeral customs and a long etcetera. And even though there are many good people, if they follow these customs, they are not gaining Jehovah's approval.
16. What should we do and what should we avoid? (Psalm 119: 97, 113, 163-165)
Psalm 119: 97 invites us to sing as the Psalmist sang How I love your law, I reflect on it all day! Or I study it as the asterisk in this text says, all day. These words were not simply an emotional impulse from the Psalmist, but rather an expression of his love for God's will, and for us to love divine law and its principles, we have to understand that God has the right to dictate and do fulfill its precepts.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
So if we are really interested in obeying divine law we will feel motivated to exhibit good qualities, and we will not have a divided heart but a whole heart. As Psalm 119: 113 says, that is why we must take care of the figurative heart because it can be irresolute, and perhaps it worships with little enthusiasm, there we must remember that we must not be lukewarm, in our worship, the sincere heart obeys God and this results in salvation.
In Psalm 119: 163-165 he tells us that God deserves all our praise and in the statement made here it is clear that the number 7 denotes fullness, since it says that seven times a day I have praised you. Therefore the psalmist indicates that Jehovah deserves all the praise. All these verses analyzed can help us not to stumble, and never allow traditions to be above the love we owe to Jehovah God.
The psalms quoted speak to us of love. And it is that we must cultivate a deep love for God and his Word, its just rules, laws and principles. We will do so if we really love Jehovah and reject anything that goes against his Word the Bible.
JESUS DID NOT OFFER IMMEDIATE POLITICAL SOLUTIONS
17. What did many people expect of the Messiah?
They waited for a liberating Messiah to free them from the Roman yoke, for they wanted a change of government as soon as possible, and on one occasion they tried to make Jesus king. As the Gospel of John 6:14, 15 says, after the people saw a miracle performed by Jesus "they reasoned that this was the prophet who had to come into the world" the predicted deliverer of Israel.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
These people could see the leadership capacity that Jesus had, and his interest in people, so they concluded that Jesus would be an ideal king. However, the priests were afraid that Jesus was the driving force behind the long-awaited political change, and in this way the Romans would take away the power they had as religious leaders, so this time too many Jews stumbled over political issues.
Many people also expected that it was Jesus who would push for political change and end previous governments, and on the other side, there was also fear that he would do this. Therefore, on one side and the other, Jesus was feared and expected to make political decisions, which he never did.
18. What prophecies about the Messiah did many Jews leave aside?
Well, the Jews left aside a prophecy from Isaiah 53: 9 that said "that he would be given a grave alongside the wicked, and would be buried with the rich, even though he had done nothing wrong" and verse 12 He tells us that he would pour out his life until death, for sinners, but apparently they did not understand this prophecy, because they expected that Messiah who would fight in a war, and would come out the winner, they did not grasp the meaning or meaning of this prophecy; that he must first die as prophesied.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Many of those Jews had very wrong expectations because they only focused on the prophecies that spoke of the immediate solutions to all their problems and they were leaving aside all the others.
As Jesus said in John 6:27 they put aside working for the food that remains for eternal life and did not meet their spiritual needs, if they had they would have been able to understand the prophecies to a full degree and would not have stumbled over their own obstacles. .
Many people expected an immediate fulfillment of many prophecies that supposed a solution to their problems and the improvement of their well-being. But this is not the case, but each prophecy has a certain fulfillment in time and this left aside many Jews who wanted things now.
19. Why do many people stumble today?
As in the past, today many people stumble, because they do not like that we are neutral, that we do not get involved in politics, they think that we should participate in the voting of the country, but choosing a human ruler would be like rejecting Jehovah, thus He would see. And the account in 1 Samuel 8: 4-8 tells us that the Israelites asked for a human king and with that request they rejected Jehovah's royal rule.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Today people also stumble and are weak when they think that we should be better dedicated to building schools and hospitals, or perhaps other social works of the community, they stumble because they see that we are preaching, instead of solving the problems that they are presented in this world. They are offended and scandalized by something that they do not fully understand, the issue that many stumble over, as we have seen, is not serious, they have set themselves an obstacle.
As with the Jews, many people stumble today because they do not see us solving immediate problems of this world, but rather we focus on our preaching which is what will put an end to all problems forever very soon.
20. As Jesus said in Matthew 7: 21-23, what is the most important thing?
In this text of Matthew 7: 21-23 Jesus made it very clear that even those who believe that they did things similar to the things commanded, but did it with the wrong motive, will NOT be able to enter the Kingdom, but will be completely rejected, because They would lack something that Jesus considered fundamental, Doing God's will therefore must please God, and learn what God's will is and then do it. That is the most important thing.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
And the most important thing is also: carry out the work of which Jesus makes us participate, and it is here in Matthew 28:19, 20 where we are expected to do four things, three of them are: Make disciples, Baptize them, and teach them , but the first thing we must do Jesus said, Go and that is what each believer must do, because it is a mandate and the lives of people are involved, doing this work is of vital importance.
Nothing should make a sincere person stumble less the political or social affairs of this world, rather act as the servants of God do, Jehovah's Witnesses, who are always concerned about their neighbor and their problems because the best thing a servant does of God is to help people to become friends with God, teaching them the word of God which is the most important thing.
The most important thing is to do the work that Jesus commanded us, above all other things. That is why we must concentrate and not allow ourselves to be distracted by other issues, whether political or social in this world. Also, the best thing we can do for people and show our love for them is by teaching them about the Kingdom of God.
21. What should we be determined to do?
We must be determined not to stumble, over anything or anyone, let alone look like those who stumbled over things that were not even weighty, and thus rejected Jesus, nor stumble over those who do not like Jesus' disciples and reject us, May the four reasons that we have analyzed in this article today make us determined to follow Jesus, even if there are obstacles.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We have to be determined to keep our faith strong and never allow ourselves to be stumbled, let no obstacle prevent us from following Jesus.
We have to be determined to maintain a strong faith at all times and that there is nothing to stumble us.
What would you answer?
Why did some first century people stumble and reject Jesus?
Many rejected Jesus because of his origin and did not believe that he was the promised Messiah, and also because he refused to perform miracles to impress, and they rejected him also because he did not follow Jewish traditions, they also rejected him because he did not want to get involved in political affairs.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The origin of Nazareth, refusing to perform miracles to look good or prove that he was the Messiah. Do not get carried away by false customs and traditions, or by unjust laws or tell the truth about the actions they carried out. Furthermore, many people expected and feared that Jesus would make political decisions.
Why do many people today reject what Jesus' disciples say and do?
Today many people also reject what the disciples of Jesus say, because they say that we are neutral, and we do not participate in works towards the community, how to build hospitals and schools, they stumble because we are rather focused on preaching, than on solving the problems of this world. They don't understand that the best we can do is teach people about the Kingdom and help them become friends with Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because they also come to hasty conclusions by not studying the facts, they see us as humble people and without knowledge, as an American religion or by all kinds of qualifiers. Because of the usefulness of our Kingdom halls, our beliefs about Jesus, our political neutrality or our ministry that is what will put an end to the problems of this system.
Why don't we stumble?
Modern-day Jehovah's servants do not stumble, because we are determined to keep our faith strong and only focus on the great work that Jesus said we should do which is in Matthew 28:19, 20. Therefore, no obstacle will make us stop. to follow Jesus and obey this command.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because we have a strong and solid faith in accurate knowledge, in the Bible. As Hebrews 11: 1 says, faith is the certainty that everything we have been waiting for so long and how close it is will come to pass.
Comments
Post a Comment