Sunday 11 January, 2015

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They asked the guards, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. 47 “You mean he has fooled you also?” the Pharisees asked. 48 “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob knows nothing about the law. There is a curse on them.” 50 Then Nicodemus, a Pharisee, spoke. He was the one who had gone to Jesus earlier. He asked, 51 “Does our law find a man guilty without hearing him first? Doesn’t it want to find out what he is doing?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Look into it. You will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

The guards returned empty handed. They can find no good reason to arrest Jesus. In fact, after hearing what Jesus had said, they too seem convinced that there is something special and unique about Jesus. They have never heard someone teaching with such authority.

On the other hand, I can sense that the chief priests and the Pharisees were totally on the other end of the spectrum. They not only do not believe a word but humiliated those who were beginning to believe Jesus. They even humiliated their fellow Pharisee Nicodemus.

The best way to judge if a person is true to his/her word is to see what kind of ‘fruits’ the person bears. An orange tree cannot bear apples neither can an apple tree bears oranges. A fraud will eventually be exposed; it is a matter of time.

Everything that Jesus proclaimed about Himself they all came to past; his death, resurrection and ascension to Heaven and the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Son of God and He can be fully trusted.

Father, I was once a unbeliever myself. Thank you for the saving grace that I can now believe in Jesus your Son. There are many out there who are still unbelievers. I pray that You too will reveal Yourself to them. In Jesus name. Amen.

Written by Shin Liu