In our companion book for this series, A Woman of Words, Matthew experiences a revelation. The story of Yeshua did not begin with His birth.
You and I know Jesus was with God at the beginning. But this revelation doesn’t come to us because we’re smarter or better people. No. The revelation that Jesus is God comes to each believer as a divine gift.
So why isn’t every person a believer? Why doesn’t God simply put give everyone the gift of knowing the identity of Jesus Christ?
The answer is deceivingly simple. Not that the revelation is so difficult to receive. This gift is always there waiting and many believe that it begins with a prayer asking that Jesus Christ be our Lord and Savior. Others believe in a tradition that it begins with baptism.
For most of us our faith journey begins with hearing the testimony of someone else. And the message triggering our belief may be a line on a billboard or from a song we hear.
In her fictional novel, Angela Hunt postulates that Matthew’s belief began with a personal invitation from Jesus to follow Him. Yet, a couple of years later, Matthew befuddled by this notion of belief. Jesus would sometimes perform miracles without wanting people to talk about them, but he also speaks to large crowds and performed miracles openly.
But one thing Jesus said to some Pharisees quizzing Him about something Jesus said regarding Abraham. “Wait, are you claiming you’ve met Abraham?” they asked in disbelief. “You are too young for that to be possible!”
The response Jesus gave is powerful and Matthew’s recollection of what He said opened a new chapter in Matthew’s understanding. “Before Abraham, I AM. Jesus replied. It’s all making sense.
Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down.
Isaiah 53:4
God, speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, told of a servant God sent to save the people of the Covenant. Despite God’s divine gift of grace, the people rejected the Servant. They simple couldn’t accept the idea that any person will bear their grief and emphasize with their sorrow.
Jesus knew Abraham because Jesus was before him. The scriptures foretold Jesus as the suffering servant and God’s plan, and the people’s response. Most would reject him for whom there were simply too many obstacles to believe.
When did your salvation become clear to you? Perhaps it was in an instant. For most, it took a while, sometimes years.
Sadly, there are too many that have chosen not to accept God’s gift of grace. If this describes you, I urge you to ask God to remove any obstacles that stand in your way.
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Pastor Tommy
Our series was inspired by and relies on content provided by Angela Hunt. A Woman of Words. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2021.