Aged Simeon nestled the eight-day-old Jesus in his arms and murmured wonderingly to Joseph and Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35, NIV).
Remember when Jesus cast the legion of demons from the man into the herd of swine—and then the swine rushed off the cliff and drowned? The residents of the town who owned the swine perfectly modeled Simeon’s prophecy. Although they saw the power and authority of Jesus over the forces of evil, “they pleaded with him to leave their region” (Matthew 8:34b, NIV). Jesus’ power caused the rising of the former demoniac, even as it hardened the hearts of the townspeople against Jesus.
“The falling and rising of many.” This is a curious dichotomy that exists wherever God’s word calls sinners to repentance. Not everyone wants to hear God’s word. And not everyone who willingly hears it obeys. Jesus talked of Satan carrying off God’s word before it can penetrate beaten-down sod (Matthew 13:19). And not everyone who obeys it initially perseveres in discipleship. Judas fell from grace, though sharing in Christ’s ministry.
Like the pillar of light that illuminated Israel’s retreat as it darkened Egypt’s advance, Christ’s ministry blazed with radiance that enlightened some—and blinded others. Some heard Jesus and advanced into increasing faith; others heard and retreated into deepening unbelief. The “legion” demoniac experienced restoration to his lost estate and became Christ’s disciple. The residents of his town experienced loss of their financial investment and begged his departure lest their loss grow.
“Not everyone wants to hear God’s word. And not everyone who willingly hears it obeys.”
Jesus continues to be either Benefactor or Threat, depending on our response to his teaching. We can see this dichotomy in three groups of people.
Among Believers
Consider that the blind man of John 9 knew Jesus only a few hours but worshiped Him as God (John 9:38). And yet the disciple Philip lived with Jesus over three years without yet recognizing his deity (see John 14:8). There are different ways people grasp spiritual truth: some partially, others completely, some swiftly, others slowly. Our understanding of Jesus can grow like a rumor or creep like a glacier. We play a part in determining that by our response to His teaching.
Consider how Jesus’ apostles, thought to be so brave, deserted Christ at his arrest; but the women, thought so frail, bravely stayed at the cross to see His body in the tomb. To the men, He posed a threat, despite His life; to the women, a benefactor, despite His death.
With nothing to lose by claiming Christ’s body after He died, the disciples remained hidden. With nothing to gain by claiming the body (John 19:38-40), Joseph and Nicodemus boldly stepped out in faith. Whatever the living Jesus had been to the disciples, the dead Jesus posed a threat; while in life or death, He remained Benefactor to Joseph and Nicodemus.
“Consider how Jesus’ apostles, thought to be so brave, deserted Christ at His arrest; but the women, thought so frail, bravely stayed at the cross to see His body in the tomb.”
But then, crises affect people differently, and we never know till the critical instant who will act gallantly or cowardly. In training his troops for D-Day, a tough-minded officer reminded each man to do his duty. Yet, when the ramp dropped on Omaha Beach, the previously fearless officer cringed in a corner of the Higgins boat, refusing to move. They evacuated him to a hospital.
Between Believers and Unbelievers
Christ’s own family disowned Him, but his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus treasured Him. This is because Jesus claimed privileges His family wouldn’t accept and expressed glories other families couldn’t deny.
The crippled man of John 5 mentally collapsed when merely questioned by the Pharisees, while the blind man of John 9 staunchly defended Jesus when threatened with expulsion from the synagogue. Why? Because the crippled man got what he wanted—physical healing, not personal acquaintance with the healer—while the blind man immediately wanted to know: who is the Man doing this?
Zacchaeus surrendered his wealth to keep Jesus while the rich young ruler surrendered Jesus to keep his wealth. This is because Jesus took from Zacchaeus the old life he hated and threatened to take from the ruler the possessions he loved.
“Jesus took from Zacchaeus the old life he hated and threatened to take from the ruler the possessions he loved.”
The unbelieving thief wanted Jesus to get his body off the cross while the believing thief pleaded for Jesus to get his soul into Paradise. Like many before and since, the impenitent thief sought only a better life here, not eternal life hereafter; while the penitent thief knew it was over here, but wanted to live again over there.
All these examples prove the principle of Benefaction or Threat, determined by our response to Jesus.
Among Unbelievers
In John 7, the religious leaders, thought sure to welcome Jesus, instead ordered his arrest. Their soldiers, sent to effect it, and considered sure to obey, instead returned full of admiration for Jesus.
Soldiers can sometimes see the heart of an issue where civilians cannot or refuse to. Take the detachment of soldiers at the cross. Ignorant of the historic occasion, legionnaires gambled the experience away, while the centurion in charge pondered the events and concluded that Jesus was a Son of God (Mark 15:39).
This is because differing spiritual capacities exist even among unbelievers. And their view (e.g., of the centurion), unfiltered through personal faith, offers dramatic, objective proof of Christ’s deity that could be considered subjective prejudice when coming from disciples.
Again, the illustrations prove the principle of Benefaction or Threat at work.
The Power of Expectations
What, then, causes some to embrace and others to shun Jesus? Expectations! It’s what people expect from life.
The “legion” demoniac, so full of demons that he lost his identity, wanted freedom from Satan. Once Jesus freed him, he loved and sought to follow his benefactor. The Gadarenes who owned the swine, suddenly dispossessed of property that defined their worth, feared Jesus and wanted the Threat removed.
Given that perspective, Jesus will be either Benefactor or Threat based on our expectations. It’s as simple as that, and we shouldn’t complicate it by making it more. If He takes what we want to lose, He’s a Benefactor; if He takes what we want to keep, He’s a Threat.
If we come to Jesus for an education, He’ll teach; to be forgiven, He’ll cleanse; humbly, He’ll exalt. But if we come demanding our will be done, He will be a Threat from whom we run and hide—because He refuses to tolerate our sovereignty. He instead demands that every heart become a throne room from which He rules all.
“If we come demanding our will be done, He will be a Threat from whom we run and hide.”
This is an important point. When we come to Him—whatever we have, are, or hope to be…whatever it is—we yield it to Jesus. We retain nothing. And whatever we most desperately want to keep, that He demands we surrender first. Everything is given over. Even what He afterwards may return to us must be initially surrendered.
I recently heard a Christian television personality say that God will take our favorite things away until we learn to trust Him, and then He’ll return them to us. . . .Not necessarily. That’s really just back-door prosperity gospel. God may not restore any of what we give over to Him. And—an important point—as we grow in faith, we may not need or want those things restored.
A Trade-Off
Not to worry, however. Life is always a trade-off. Whatever the age promises, no one “has it all.” If we seek certain priorities, we abandon others. Olympic skater Michelle Kwan won her first national championship as a fifteen-year-old. Some expected her to be surprised. She wasn’t. For, she explained, she went without a social life, TV, dating, and free time just so she could be on the ice, skating…and skating…and skating. To her, winning involved practice, training, and perseverance, not miracles on ice.
That’s true spiritually. If we want Jesus, we’ll gain Jesus, but we can’t have our old life. If we demand our earthly nature, we’ll have our earthly nature, but we won’t have Jesus. We decide what we must have in order to make the sacrifices to get it.
Jesus is as unavoidable to humanity as earthquakes to California, as hurricanes to the Caribbean, as tornadoes to Kansas. But when He confronts us, we must want Him alone, and no one else, and nothing else. Otherwise, He’ll be a Threat by demanding we surrender what we want to keep, and like the Gadarenes we’ll plead, “Go away, Jesus. You expect too much.”
“If we want Jesus, we’ll gain Jesus, but we can’t have our old life.”
Only if we long to lose what He wants to take away, only if we desire to keep what He wants to give, will He be our Benefactor, and with the former demoniac we’ll say, “Stay Lord, for You are what I’ve always wanted.”
Intimidated by Jesus
In a real sense, of course, we’ll always be intimidated by Jesus. It’s for the reason author Matthew J. Bruccoli discussed in his book Reconquest of Mexico. He wrote that humanity has always had an ambivalent relationship with God. We want Him near when we have a need, and at a distance when we don’t. We can never overcome our sense that God is our competitor.
That’s half right, but our ambivalence toward God rises from a deeper realization. God is an Intruder, not merely a Competitor. He’s always looking to break in on us, a silent stalker seeking to assassinate our ego. That’s why most people won’t talk seriously about God. They sense in the very discussion the Presence they intensively fear—for He demands we give to Him the right to rule that which we jealously claim for ourselves.
Indeed, when Jesus put self-denial at the heart of His teaching, He knew that many would refuse to seriously consider His claims. For our flesh resists God’s ownership of our soul, the ownership we fanatically guard just so we won’t be in debt to anyone.
But Jesus will own our soul. If He doesn’t own it, He won’t save it. That’s the end of that!
“Jesus will own our soul. If He doesn’t own it, He won’t save it.”
Jesus won’t go where He isn’t invited and won’t stay where He isn’t welcomed. But whether we accept or reject Him, remember: whenever Jesus passes by, the Kingdom of God has come. And whether the gospel message proves a sword that knights us with salvation or executes us with judgment depends on us, not on Him.
Excerpted from Virgil Hurley’s book series Their Own Best Defense. For more, check out his resource page here.
