Watchtower Study, Week of July 5-11, 2021, May No Obstacle Prevent You From Following Jesus, Answers Underlined.

Watchtower Study, July 5-11, 2021, May No Obstacle Prevent You From Following Jesus, Answers Underlined.

1. What disappointment can we be when we begin to tell others what we are learning from the Bible?

Do you remember how you felt when you realized you had found the truth? It seemed to him that the biblical teachings were as clear as water. He imagined that everyone would want to accept them as well. He was sure that the message of the Bible would give them a happy life now and wonderful hope for the future (Ps. 119: 105). Very excited, he began to tell all his friends and family what he was learning. But what a disappointment he was when many of them did not want to hear it!

2, 3. What did most of the people think about Jesus and his message?

It should come as no surprise that there are people who reject the message we preach. When Jesus was on earth, he performed miracles that showed that he had Jehovah's support, and yet most of the people rejected him. For example, when he raised Lazarus - a miracle that even his enemies could not deny - the Jewish leaders did not want to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Furthermore, they set out to kill him and Lazarus (John 11:47, 48, 53; 12: 9-11).

Jesus knew that most people would not accept him as the Messiah (John 5: 39-44). To several disciples of John the Baptist he said: “Happy is he who does not stumble * because of me” (Matt. 11: 2, 3, 6). Why were so many people rejecting Jesus?

4. What will we talk about in this article?

In this article and the next, we will look at various reasons why many people rejected Jesus in the first century. We will also see why so many people do not accept our message today. More importantly, we will see what will help us to have strong faith in Jesus and not stumble.

ILLUSTRATION:

Philip telling Nathanael to meet Jesus, who is sitting near them.

Many rejected Jesus because of his origin. What similar reason leads some to stumble today? (See paragraph 5.) *

5. Why did some people think that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah?

Many people were stumbled by the origin of Jesus. They recognized that he was an extraordinary teacher and that he worked miracles, but for them he was nothing more than the son of a humble carpenter. Furthermore, he was from Nazareth, a city that some may have considered insignificant. Even Nathanael, who became a disciple of Jesus, at first said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Because he said that? Perhaps it was that it seemed to him that the city where Jesus lived was not a big deal. Or you may be thinking of the prophecy in Micah 5: 2, where the Messiah was predicted to be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth.

6. What should those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah have done?

What does the Bible say? The prophet Isaiah predicted that Jesus' enemies would not be interested "in the details of his generation," that is, of the Messiah's life (Isa. 53: 8; footnote). Many of those details were in the prophecies. If they had bothered to check the facts, they would have known that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was a descendant of King David (Luke 2: 4-7). So Jesus' birthplace did fit what the prophecy of Micah 5: 2 said. So what was the problem? That, since they did not have all the data, they came to hasty conclusions. They stumbled and rejected Jesus.

7. Why do many reject Jehovah's people?

Is it the same today? Yes. In general, Jehovah's servants come from humble origins. Many see us as "common and uneducated" (Acts 4:13). They are of the opinion that we cannot teach from the Bible because we have not attended reputable theological schools. Others claim that we are an American religion, although the reality is that only about 1 in 7 of Jehovah's Witnesses lives in the United States. Others have been told that we Witnesses do not believe in Jesus. And, over the years, we have been called "communists," "American spies," and "extremists." Those who hear these stories and do not have the facts - or do not accept them - stumble and reject Jehovah'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 will help you avoid stumbling? Investigate the facts well. That's what Lucas tried hard to do. When he was about to write his Gospel, he set out to investigate "everything exactly from the beginning." He wanted his readers to have “complete assurance” of the things they had heard about Jesus (Luke 1: 1-4). The same can be said of the Jews of the ancient city of Berea. The first time they heard the good news about Jesus, they examined the Hebrew Scriptures to confirm that what they were told was true (read Acts 17:11). Similarly, you need to check the facts. Compare what Jehovah's Witnesses teach you with what the Bible says. You should also study the modern history of Jehovah's Witnesses. If we investigate well, we will not get carried away by prejudice or gossip.

ILLUSTRATION:

Many rejected Jesus because He refused to perform miracles to impress. What similar reason leads some to stumble today? (See paragraphs 9 and 10.) *

9. What happened when Jesus refused to show a sign from heaven?

In Jesus' time, it seemed to some that his amazing way of teaching was not enough; they wanted more. They demanded that he show them "some sign from heaven" to prove that he was the Messiah (Matt. 16: 1). It is possible that this was asked of him because of a misinterpretation of Daniel 7:13, 14. But for Jehovah it was not yet time for this prophecy to be fulfilled. What Jesus was teaching should have been enough to convince them that He was the Messiah. But because he refused to give them the sign they asked for, they stumbled and rejected him (Matt. 16: 4).

10. How did Jesus fulfill what Isaiah predicted about the Messiah?

What does the Bible say? Referring to the Messiah, Isaiah prophesied: “He will not cry out or raise his voice, he will not make his voice heard in the street” (Isa. 42: 1, 2). Jesus carried out his ministry without drawing attention to himself. He did not dedicate himself to building impressive temples, did not wear special religious robes, or demand that he be addressed with bombastic religious titles. While on trial, he refused to perform any miracles to impress King Herod even though his life was in danger (Luke 23: 8-11). Sure, during his ministry he did some miracles, but the most important thing for him was always preaching the good news. He told his disciples, "That is why I have come" (Mark 1:38).

11. What wrong expectations do some people have?

Is it the same today? Yes. Many people are impressed by great cathedrals and their priceless works of art, religious leaders with pompous titles, and certain ceremonies that, though few already know, have pagan origin and significance. But those who attend his religious services are learning very little about God and his purpose. Instead, those who attend our Christian meetings learn what Jehovah asks of us and how to do his will. Our Kingdom Halls are not fancy, but clean and practical. Those who lead the congregations do not wear special garments or pretentious titles. And our teachings and beliefs are based on the Word of God. Despite all this,

12. According to Hebrews 11: 1, 6, on what should your faith be based?

What will help you avoid stumbling? The apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome: "Faith follows the message that is heard, and the message that is heard comes through the word about Christ" (Rom. 10:17). Strong faith is not achieved by participating in unscriptural religious ceremonies, no matter how beautiful or impressive, but by studying the scriptures. Your faith must be solid and based on accurate knowledge, because "without faith it is impossible to please God" (read Hebrews 11: 1, 6). So for someone to be convinced that they have found the truth, they do not need spectacular signs from heaven. A careful study of biblical teachings is enough to strengthen faith and clear up any doubts.

ILLUSTRATION:

Many rejected Jesus because he did not follow some of their traditions. What similar reason leads some to stumble today? (See paragraph 13) *

13. Why did many condemn Jesus?

In Jesus 'time, the followers of John the Baptist were surprised that Jesus' disciples did not fast. Jesus explained that they had no reason to fast while he was still alive (Matt. 9: 14-17). Still, the Pharisees and other enemies of Jesus condemned him because he did not follow their customs and traditions. They were enraged when they saw him heal the sick on the Sabbath (Mark 3: 1-6; John 9:16). Those self-righteous on the one hand prided themselves on keeping the Sabbath law and on the other hand they had no problem doing business in the temple. They were outraged when Jesus condemned them for it (Matt. 21:12, 13, 15). And when Jesus preached in the Nazareth synagogue, those who listened to him were filled with rage because he used some examples from the history of Israel to denounce their selfishness and lack of faith (Luke 4:16, 25-30).

14. Why did Jesus condemn human traditions that went against the Scriptures?

What does the Bible say? Through his prophet Isaiah, Jehovah said: “These people draw near to me only in words and honor me from their lips to the outside, but their hearts are far away from me, and their fear of me is based on commands from men, commands that they have taught ”(Isa. 29:13). Jesus did well to condemn human traditions that went against the Scriptures. Those who gave more importance to the traditions and standards of men than to the Word of God rejected Jehovah and his envoy, the Messiah.

15. What bothers many about Jehovah's Witnesses?

Is it the same today? Yes. Many people are upset that Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate traditions that go against what the Bible says, such as birthdays and Christmas. Others are angry that we do not participate in patriotic celebrations or follow funeral customs that go against the Word of God. These people may be sincere and believe that God accepts what they are doing. But if they prefer to follow the traditions of this world rather than the clear teachings of the Bible, Jehovah will not approve of them. --Mark 7: 7-9.

16. What should we do and what should we avoid? (Psalm 119: 97, 113, 163-165).

What will help you avoid stumbling? Cultivate a deep love for God's laws and principles (read Psalm 119: 97, 113, 163-165). If you love Jehovah, you will reject any tradition that you dislike. He will not allow anything to be above his love for Jehovah.

ILLUSTRATION:

Many rejected Jesus because he did not want to get involved in political affairs. What similar reason leads some to stumble today? (See paragraph 17) *

17. What did many people expect of the Messiah?

In Jesus' time, some wanted a change of government as soon as possible. They expected the Messiah to free them from the rule of the Roman Empire. But when they tried to make Jesus king, he refused (John 6:14, 15). Others, including priests, feared that Jesus would push for political change and the Romans would get angry and take away the power they had been given to the religious leaders. Many Jews stumbled over all these political issues.

18. What prophecies about the Messiah did many Jews leave aside?

What does the Bible say? It is true that it was prophesied that the Messiah would fight a war and win, but it was also prophesied that he first had to die for our sins (Isa. 53: 9, 12). So why did many have the wrong expectations? Because they focused on the prophecies that spoke of immediate solutions to their problems and set aside all others (John 6:26, 27).

19. Why do many people stumble today?

Is it the same today? Yes. Many people stumble because we are neutral on political issues. They think that we should vote in the elections. But we know that if we chose a human ruler, Jehovah would consider that we are rejecting him (1 Sam. 8: 4-7). They may also think that we should dedicate ourselves to building hospitals and schools, as well as other social works. They stumble because we focus on preaching, not solving the immediate problems of this world.

20. As Jesus said in Matthew 7: 21-23, what is the most important thing?

What will help you avoid stumbling? (Read Matthew 7: 21-23). Remember that the most important thing is to do the work that Jesus commanded us (Matt. 28:19, 20). Don't let the political and social problems of this world distract you. Jehovah's Witnesses love people and care about their problems, but we know that the best we can do for them is to teach them about God's Kingdom and help them become friends with Jehovah.

21. What should we be determined to do?

In this article, we've looked at four reasons why many stumbled and rejected Jesus in the first century, and why some today reject Jesus' disciples. But they are not the only ones. In the next article, we will look at four more. May we all be determined to maintain a strong faith and not allow anything 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. 

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.

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.