Jesus Talked, But Few Listened

What Did Jesus Do?

“Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
John 18.37

There was an investment company that used to boast that when it spoke “People listened.” Given how badly the economy and the Market have tanked in recent years, I’m thinking a lot of people would have been better off if they hadn’t listened. During his earthly ministry Jesus addressed multitudes, debated with high priests and Pharisees, and witnessed to a Roman governor. Jesus talked, but few listened.

Personally, I believe it was a problem of frequency. Not that Jesus talked too much, but rather that few people had their ears tuned to the proper frequency. You see, the world has always been a pretty noisy place. There has never been a shortage of alluring and seductive, but ultimately deceitful, voices, and many people, even entire civilizations and cultures, have gone to their destruction because they listened to what amounted to nothing more than a siren song. Unless our ears are tuned to the truth, all we’ll ever hear, and believe, is lies.

Think about it, Adam and Eve had the opportunity to hear the voice of God every day when the LORD walked in the Garden of Eden. But they turned a deaf ear to God’s words, and tuned in to the sweet and tempting words of the devil. We all know how that turned out. And in every generation since Adam the truth of God has had to contend in the world with the many other voices that have variously made truth claims, or dismissed the very idea of truth itself. Is it any wonder that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18.38)

Pilate, aware that the Jews had it in for Jesus largely because he had effectively declared himself the long-awaited Messiah and King, put the question directly to the Lord, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18.33) But Jesus was about something greater than ruling over Israel, and his authority was not tied to any worldly state (John 18.36). Christ had not come into the world to wear a crown, but rather to bear witness, to testify; and what better time and place to testify, than at your own trial? So the Lord stated it plainly: he had been born to bear witness to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (John 18.37). Of course, it would have been impossible for Jesus to be about anything other than the truth—after all, he was, is, and forever will be the truth (see John 14.6). Sadly, truth was something that the ears of Pilate were not tuned into. Neither were the ears of the chief priests and the Pharisees.

But there were those who could hear the voice of Jesus. In fact there are some in the world who hear him still, though there remain many who neither listen nor hear. Who is it that can hear Jesus? Everyone who is of the truth, which is to say everyone whom the Father draws unto himself through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, listens and hears the voice of the Lord. The thing is, it is all but impossible to know who can hear, who will listen to the voice of Jesus. So, it remains for those who already know the Lord to faithfully proclaim his Word to all throughout the world, that some would hear, and so be saved. For salvation comes by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2.8), and faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10.17).

Jesus “walked the walk,” as they say, all the way to the cross. But he also “talked the talk,” that we might listen, and come to the cross as well, there to receive salvation.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4