Sunday, March 24, 2013

To the best informed it's nonsense.

Luke 24:11 NLT
But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it.
(Please read more of the story below.)
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Jesus told them plainly he would die and then rise from the dead. Somehow it was too fantastic of a claim so they didn't believe it.
Now it had happened, and actual angels have come to tell the women, and the men refuse to believe.
Jesus performed amazing miracles including raising people from the dead. Jesus healed lame, cured diseases, fed thousands, calmed storms, cast out demons, walked on water, made the blind see, yet the news that Jesus had rose from the dead sounded like nonsense?
These guys had seen it all but they still didn't believe.
Can you see 'belief' must be a special work of God. It is not proofs, facts, or persuasion! It's not meeting Jesus or spending time with him. It is not even listening to his teachings. The disciples had all this and they thought the resurrection from the dead of Jesus was nonsense.
To be sure we must teach the Word of God. We must expect God to be able to do the miraculous. We must persuade, show proofs, and declare the facts. But this is all still nonsense until God brings belief to the person's heart.
Pray God opens the heart and brings belief to the individual. The gospel message sounds like nonsense to the most initiated.
Remember these disciples had seen it all, had it all explained to them and were plainly told the plan of God for Jesus to be killed, buried, and rise from the dead. But when they heard it, they thought it sounded like nonsense!
Are you trusting in God to convert the souls of those you love? Are you resting in God's work to bring about belief? Can you see how unlikely it is that anyone would believe?
Belief in the Gospel is a miraculous work of God. It is not the sum of exposure to the truth or proofs. Belief is not an act of human will or emotion. Belief isn't even being in love with Jesus the teacher or man.
Belief in the Gospel is a work of God.
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Luke 24:1-12 NLT
But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

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