Throughout Jesus ministry there were many who believed on Him, many who rejected Him, and a few who went about to destroy Him.
Not everyone started out that way. It came about gradually as they hardened their hearts to His teachings.
John 3:1-3- There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
A religious man from the sect of the Pharisees came to see Jesus during the night. He didn't want others to see that he was talking with Jesus. He told Jesus that they knew that He was a teacher from God.
Jesus knew what this man was after and so He just answered the question- Ye must be born again.
John 3:4-7- Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The man was confused. He thought that Jesus was talking about his physical body and that he had to go back to being a baby again.
But, Jesus was talking about his spiritual body. His soul needed to be "born" again. Jesus was telling him that his soul was sinful and needed to be renewed by God.
John 3:9-12- Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Nicodemus still didn't understand. But, he should have. He was suppose to be a person who studied the Scriptures. He should have recognized that Jesus was his Messiah.
John 3:14-19- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Jesus tried to tell him that He was suppose to die for mankind so that mankind could be saved. Their souls could only gain eternal life if Christ paid for their sins.
But, they couldn't understand. They didn't want to admit that they were in darkness and in need of a Savior- and this is why they ended up killing their Messiah.
Luke 4:15-21- And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Jesus often got up in their religious buildings and told them that He was their Messiah. But, they didn't understand. They thought that their Messiah was coming to start a war with their enemies; but, Jesus first came to save men's lives. It's His second coming where He destroys enemies.
Luke 4:22, 24- And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
The people of Nazareth had watched Jesus grow up. They knew Him. They couldn't believe that He was the Messiah because there was nothing special about Him.
Jesus went on to tell them that it was a Gentile woman who accepted what Elijah said during the famine, and that it was a Gentile man who was cleansed from leprousy by doing what Elisha told him to. It was the Gentiles who had the ability to hear and believe, not the Jews.
Luke 4:28-30- And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
They didn't like that! They tried to kill Jesus, but it wasn't His time to die. He left their unbelieving city and went elsewhere to try to convince His people that He was their Messiah.
Mark 3:7-8- But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
Matthew 12:22-23- Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Jesus was healing people and casting out the devils that controlled them, and they couldn't see that He was their Messiah. But, the devils knew.
Mark 3:11-12- And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
It was not a common things for someone to cast out devils. This should have been a sign that they could clearly see, but the religious leaders didn't want to believe. They made excuses.
Matthew 12:24- But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Matthew 12:25, 27-28- And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Again, Jesus was telling them that He was sent from God, but all they could see was that neither Jesus nor His disciples followed their rules.
Luke 5:30-32- But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Perhaps they thought that the Messiah would show up and praise them for their holiness. Or, maybe they thought that the Christ would follow their traditions and laws. But, God makes the rules; not mankind.
Matthew 12:33-35- Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
They didn't understand that you couldn't be both good and bad in God's sight. All mankind was bad because they had all sinned, so they all needed a Savior.
Mark 3:28-30- Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
They said that Jesus was the prince of devils, or that He had an unclean spirit. But, they knew in their hearts that He was sent from God, and that if they accepted that fact it would mean that all their rules and traditions were wrong. And they would rather blind themselves and harden their hearts than admit that!
Mark 7:1-3, 5-7, 13- Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Luke 6:1-2- And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
Luke 6:5-7- And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
Luke 6:8-9: Mark 3:4b- But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? But they held their peace.
Another time, Jesus was in their synagogue and He wanted to heal a man. This poor man had a hand that he couldn't use. Jesus was on this earth to seek and save the souls of men. But, the religious leaders were so stuck in what was on the outside, what others saw you do, that they couldn't accept that Jesus was doing what was right.
God created the law of the Sabbath, so Jesus knew what was lawful on the Sabbath! Jesus was come to fulfil the law, not break it.
Mark 3:5- And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Luke 6:11- And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Mark 3:6- And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Jesus knew that they would get upset. He knew that they were now going to try to find a way to destroy Him. But, He also knew that was why He came.
