WHY IS THE MESSAGE OF JESUS SO DIVISIVE?

JOHN 3:16-17: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Why did Jesus come to earth? What was the purpose of His ministry? Why did Jesus have to die? Why is the resurrection so important? Why does the Good News about Jesus Christ cause such disruption in the world? Why can you speak of every other religion with no opposition, but when you mention the name of Jesus and proclaim the cross – battle lines are drawn!?

Why is the message of Jesus so divisive?

When you talk about the teachings of Jesus, you have minimal resistance. People can relate to being a peacemaker and forgiving one’s neighbor. However, when you begin to talk about Jesus’ commands and His call to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him – everything changes. Jesus as a good teacher is welcomed, but Jesus as God and Lord is not.

The world views God as a harsh judge who wants to punish people.

God reveals Himself as one who loves so much that He came to die in our place!

Jesus did not leave heaven, humble Himself and become a human being, in order to walk the earth and condemn everyone to hell. Were we worthy of this condemnation? Absolutely! Yet, this is not why Jesus came. This is not why He willingly suffered for our sins on the cross. This is not what He came to reveal about the Father. As John writes, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus had one mission. It was to seek and save the lost. Yet, in order to do that, He had to call men and women to repentance. In order to be saved from our sin and enter into eternal life, we have to turn from our sin and place our full trust in Christ alone. Just as Jesus humbled Himself, entered this world, and was born as a human baby, we too must humble ourselves, be reborn, and enter life as a new babe in Christ. As Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus – “You must be born again!”

John 3:5-8: “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” NLT

If this is the only difference between life and death, eternal punishment and eternal life, why wouldn’t everybody run to Jesus? Why wouldn’t the churches be filled with people who want to be born again? Why would anyone get angry when they hear the Gospel? Why would they persecute and crucify God’s only Son, who came with the express purpose of seeking and saving the lost?

This is a question I have struggled with over the years. When you have been born again, when you see the Kingdom of God, when you have passed from death to life, it is hard to understand why people become so angry and vehemently opposed to the message of Jesus. Why is Christianity the most hated religion in the world? Why are the annals of Church History filled with martyrs who gave their lives spreading what is Good News for all people?

Jesus gives us the answer in the Gospel of John. If you asked anyone if they wanted to go to heaven and have eternal life, you would not find many who would say no. Instinctively, man has the desire for eternal life. The Book of Ecclesiastes proclaims this truth.

Ecclesiastes 3:11: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” NLT

There is an inward hunger for eternity. We instinctively know that there is something beyond the grave. We hunger for it – but cannot find it. Jesus came to show us the way. We must be Born Again. Sounds easy – but there is something that stands between every man and every woman and this wonderful gift of eternal life.

It is the Cross!

The cross bids us come and die. It is not the call to die physically. It is the call to die to our self-will, sinful desires, rebellion, and unforgiveness. It is the call to REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL! This is the stumbling block for so many. Jesus never told people to say a simple prayer asking Him to come into their hearts. Jesus called us to the cross. He called us to self-denial. He called us to believe and follow.

Mark 8:34-38: “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [35] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. [36] And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? [37] Is anything worth more than your soul? [38] If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” NLT

Then, Jesus told us why this message is not embraced by everyone. The cross is a symbol of death. Death is needed before there is life. A grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die before it can bring life. Repentance is the death each one of us must experience before we can be Born Again. There is no eternal life without the cross. When the cross is proclaimed, those called to eternal life rejoice and embrace it, while those who do not want to repent reject it.

It is the Cross that divides!

John 3:18-21: “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [19] And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. [20] All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [21] But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” NL

There is so much hatred in the world today. There is so much hatred in America today. Yet, this hatred is not based on political ideology. This is what it appears to be, but this is a smokescreen. The hatred comes from the battle between light and darkness, repentance and self-will. It is the age-old battle between the cross and the old sinful nature of mankind. It is the force that sent Jesus to the cross. It is the impetus behind Christian persecution around the world.

Yet, it is the call to the Church to rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. The cross and the tomb are empty! Jesus has defeated the power of sin and death. To every man and every woman who will repent and place their complete trust in the completed sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there is the promise of eternal life and the blessings of His abundant life today! Many may reject our message, but we are not called to save the world. We are called to proclaim the Gospel and leave the saving up to Jesus!

There is the wonderful promise to those who answer the call to repent and believe the Good News of Jesus Christ.

John 1:10-13: “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. [11] He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. [12] But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. [13] They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” NLT

Jesus was not dissuaded by His fellow countrymen who did not receive Him. He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom of God from cradle to cross, from cross to empty tomb, from empty tomb to the ascension into heaven, from the ascension into heaven to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His Church. He now calls us to do the same. There are many who will reject this message, but…

“…to all who believe in Him and accept Him, He gives the right to become children of God.”

“…so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Lord, help me to be faithful in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ – no matter the cost!

In Jesus’ Name!