Jesus' arrival had been prophesied, proclaimed and predicted, yet when He arrived the important people didn't recognize Him. He came with all power, authority and glory wrapped in rags and laying in a trough meant for animals to feed from. I am in awe when I think about Jesus. I am in awe when it is revealed to us how God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
We mistakenly measure people by their possessions. When they do not appear to have the right status they cannot hang with us, and if they do have a little something we embarrass ourselves hanging on to their every word and action, begging to be around them. Jesus has everything but when He arrived on the scene He appeared to have nothing so the in people shunned Him and avoided Him like the plague. They felt that He was the least when He knew He was the greatest. The anointing doesn't always draw. Only those who truly want to be saved find the anointing attractive. People who are caught up in their own agenda find the anointing distasteful and unappealing. They are attracted to things, power, and possessions. In other words they are gold diggers and opportunists looking for a chance to shine.
Jesus was unpopular, left out left alone, talked about, beat on, spit at. People hated Him for no reason--He hadn't done anything to anyone. He gave an example of a better way of living. But every time He was around His life shed light on sin, vanity, and a lack of humility. He was hated because the people didn't want to change. They had religion. They held positions of authority in the synagogue. They were the elite among the Jews. No one could question their deeds and they had their tight click--so who was this Jesus trying to offer them salvation? He had nothing that they needed and was nothing to them. He came from Nazareth and after all what good could come from there?
They were smug. They were haughty. They were looking for a king. He didn't fit the description. His very presence was unwanted. They didn't want to talk to Him and wouldn't unless they had to. They couldn't get along with Him. They didn't want to even look at Him. These individuals had a personality conflict with Jesus. The personality conflict was so strong that they felt the need to remove His presence from their lives for ever. They crucified Him to make Him an open mockery and to prove that their click was the best click and they were in control and they were running the show and no Jesus was going to get in and make a difference in how they did things.
The power of forgiveness on the cross is the greatest power on earth. There is no amount of money that can buy that power. It is the power that comes with having been justified and being in the position to become the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. This is the power to reconcile, to remove the stain of sin; to erase my shame and my deeds. It is the power that reaches way down for someone like me--even me. It is the power that is Alpha and Omega that steps outside of time and revives to resurrect from the dead. There is no greater power because it comes from the agape love of God.
We celebrate Jesus' forgiveness through His sacrifice. We apply His forgiveness to our lives. Then we refuse to get along with each other. We talk about each other, look down on each other, step on one another, form clicks and leave people out, refuse to show the same forgiveness that we have come to expect from our Lord and Savior. How can we?
Jesus came with all power, authority, glory wrapped in rags. The power of forgiveness is the greatest power. It isn't pretty. It isn't glammed up. Is it in you?
Amen! This is powerful.
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