From the desk of Pastor Ben

Misguided Coronation Attempt

Therefore, when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.        (John 6:14-15)

The crowd’s assertion that Jesus was “the Prophet” gives us a solid clue regarding what the people really wanted in a messiah. They wanted an earthly deliverer who could meet all their physical needs, especially those related to food and health, and deliver them from the hated Roman oppression. Having identified Jesus as their ideal messiah, they likely would have forced Him to lead a march on Jerusalem to overthrow the Romans and usher in the ultimate welfare state. But the Lord was not about to give in to their selfish and sinful demands.

Jesus does not give in to human fancies or come to anyone on that person’s terms. Some contemporary preachers and evangelists, however, present Christ to unbelievers in “seeker sensitive” terms as the quick-fix answer to all their needs. But that turns the gospel on its head and makes it no more than a superficial marketing ploy.

People must abandon thoughts of falsely crowning Jesus on their terms and instead, come to Him on His terms. He calls for sinners to mourn over their sin (Matthew 5:4), repent (Matthew 4:17), and accept Him as sovereign Lord (Romans 10:9). Our Lord then grants such believers a rich legacy of joy (John 15:11), peace (John 14:27), and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). All the while they understand that they owe Him complete obedience in everything (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3).

Ask Yourself:
What would your life have become if God had been willing to let you alone determine the way He should work in your circumstances? What would you have learned? How would you have lost ground and failed to grow? What would your desires have done to you?