Articles
Divided Over Jesus
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So there was a division among the people because of Him. (Jn. 7:43)
Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. (Jn. 9:16)
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People today are still divided over Jesus. Was He a real person in history, or a mythical character? If He really existed, was He the Son of God or not? Did he perform miracles or not? Did He arise from the dead or not? Should we honor Him as Lord or not?
Opinions on these and a dozen other questions about Jesus are all over the map. The confusion has led many people to avoid the issue altogether. If the truth about Jesus is that hard to figure out, why bother? So they walk away without even trying to understand Him.
The problem is not a dearth of evidence. Even in first-century Palestine, when Jesus stood right in front of them, people struggled to figure Him out. They could see with their own eyes what He did, and hear with their own ears what He taught; but their minds were clouded by an assortment of deeply ingrained prejudices. Jesus did not fit their prior assumptions about the Messiah; or His approach to "greatness" threatened their power and position. Oh, people understood Him well enough. But they could not reconcile what they saw and heard with what they already believed. So they dug in their heels in defense of the status quo.
Jesus knew it would be this way. He said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). His ministry was deliberately designed to separate believers from unbelievers. By challenging our faulty assumptions about life and God, Jesus forces us to make some uncomfortable changes in our thinking and behavior. Some are willing to make those changes; many are not. The divisions that ensue are an inevitable result of His teaching.
In the end, each one of us has to make our own decision regarding who Jesus was and what role, if any, He plays in our life. Whatever decision we arrive at about Him, somebody will disagree with it. We must be prepared to deal with the consequences of such a divide.
The irony, of course, is that among those who believe in Jesus, the Great Divider is also the Great Uniter. In Christ, people from all kinds of different backgrounds and ethnic groups come together in harmony. They sacrifice a great deal to become His disciples; but they gain so much more in the fellowship of brothers and sisters who have discovered in Jesus the answer to the big questions of life.
Choose to follow Jesus, and some will call you a fool. But that will be a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you will find in Him.
--David
