Why do we have that saying? Some news is unwelcome. The Jews didn’t like the message Jesus brought. They didn’t have guns, but they did have stones to silence the messenger.
In John 8:39-59, Jesus continues to teach the Jews truth, but an unpopular truth. Rather than acting like the children of Abraham, they were actually acting like children of the devil. He didn’t leave them with the bad news but told them that if they would just keep His word, they would never die. There was no need to share in an eternal fate with the devil. That is still true today. Why is Jesus able to make that claim? We read in John 8:58 that Jesus is the “I AM.” That makes Him the same as the God the Jews worshipped. This was too much for them to bear, so they tried to kill Him on the spot.
Today, too many react to the message of Jesus with the same animosity. The gospel asks for people to change their lives, their hearts, their priorities, and sometimes their family. The gospel requires you to change – but it is a change for the better. Unfortunately, the Bible and the world disagree on what good news sounds like. The world offers a fate of death and despair, but Jesus offers eternal life. Will you “shoot the messenger” or give Jesus and His message a chance?
I would love to sit down with you over an open Bible to see Jesus says to us today. I hope you’ll drop by on Sunday morning at 9:30 or 10:45!
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
