And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
Mark 8:30 ESV
Shhh!
This command comes from Jesus just after the disciples openly declared Him to be the Messiah. A similar statement is found in several locations throughout the gospel of Mark. Jesus told a leper to not tell others about his cleansing (1:44) and unclean spirits to not make known who He was (3:12). Doesn't it seem odd that Jesus would not want people to know who He was and embrace His role as the Messiah? The answer to this question comes with understanding the timing and the purpose of that recognition.
Mark 8 comes on the heals of vast crowds gathering to hear Jesus' teachings and expecting to see miracles. One the miracles included feeding 4000 hungry people with just a small portion of food - some bread and a few small fish. The reason that people gathered around Jesus seemed to be for very self-serving purposes. Jesus was about to raise the stakes for those who would follow Him.
On to Jerusalem
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He knew what awaited Him there. He would try to prepare the disciples for the impending suffering and abuse he would receive at the hands of the authorities that they would witness. It was with this understanding that He performed miracles and taught great messages. If the disciples were going to survive as true disciples, then their faith would have to be of greater substance than hoping in personal gain on account of following Jesus.
The Scandalous Secret
Here is the scandalous secret - Jesus
was the Messiah. Why was it
scandalous? First of all, it would seem that a messiah would certainly have wanted people to recognize him. Secondly, wouldn't a messiah have used his miraculous powers to entice followers to join his cause? Yet, Jesus was different. He wanted people to follow Him for different reasons. He wanted them to embrace Him as the True Messiah, not some performer of parlor tricks. Furthermore, I believe that He desires the same for us today. There are many reasons that people come to accept the teachings and requirements of Jesus. I would strongly encourage each person to check their motives and determine if they are pursuing Jesus for proper motives or for personal gain.
Examine the following question:
How can we know if we are pursuing Jesus with a pure heart,
not for selfish gain?
The answer to this question is found in how we pursue Jesus.
Recognize Jesus
as the true Messiah through these 3 pursuits.
1.
Pursue a
personal relationship, not personal blessings.
People get involved in religious practices for many reasons. For some people, it is tradition. For others it is for peace of mind. Other go to church because Mom expects them to do so. One of the most common reasons that people get involved in religious activity is due to the desire for personal blessings.
Blessings are great. I want blessings in my life. I want all those around me to have as many blessings as possible. The Scriptures are replete with God's blessings in both the Old and New Testament. The Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 is one of the most beautiful in the Bible and Ephesians 1:3 reminds us that Christ has blessed us all with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Yet, blessings should not be the main focus of our religious intention. Jesus wants us to know Him via a personal relationship. People wanted Jesus to give them blessings, yet they ignored the greatest blessing that He wanted to give them - Himself. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Do you spend time with Jesus every day? Do you take time to get to know Him.
"Depart from me, I never knew you"
Matthew 7:21-23 speaks of people who expect to get into heaven because they have done religious works. Some of these people will have done truly remarkable things designated as "mighty works." Yet Jesus shockingly tells them "I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness" (Mt 7:23b ESV). Knowing Christ is so much more important than being blessed by Christ. Are you seeking to know Him? Are you pursuing a personal relationship with Him, not just seeking His blessings?
We will consider two more pursuits this week. As we do, let each of us daily ask ourselves, "What is our true religious motivation?" Are we seeking to connect with the Divine and fulfill His purpose for our lives?
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