Rising or Falling
Last night, I was so tired I did not think to give a report on our Monday morning Bible study. There were 14 men in attendance this week. We finished the story of Simeon and Anna meeting the baby, Jesus, in the Temple soon after his birth. Simeon was delivering a message to Joseph and Mary in Luke 2:34-35. One of the things he told them was that the Child was destined for the rise and fall of many in Israel. We had a great discussion of that truth.
Who were the ones that rose when Jesus came? His disciples rose from obscurity to prominence. They were thrust into the limelight by the death and resurrection of Jesus. They went everywhere preaching the Gospel, and they turned the world "upside down." Also, Jesus exalted the humble. He was the kind of person who lifted up the poor and disadvantaged. He healed the sick and cast out demons. Those are great ways to raise people. Then, of course, He lifted up those who trusted Him as Savior and Lord to be the sons and daughters of God. What a blessing.
Who fell when Jesus came? The religious leaders fell. In fact, they were put out of business in many ways. Finally, the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. There have been no more sacrifices offered by Jewish priests since that day. That is a great fall. The proud and the rich fell. Jesus made sure that the proud fell, because He opposes the proud. Also, He makes sure that the rich come to see that their riches can't save them spiritually. Those who failed to accept Christ fell in the worst way. They were forever lost in their sins.
In reality, all of us either rise or fall by how we come to accept or reject Jesus. If we do not confess Him as Lord, we are spiritually dead, and we spiral to Hell. If we know Him, we are lifted up to heavenly places through our relationship with Him. That is what Jesus does. He causes people to either rise or fall.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 6-7 and Luke 20:27-47.
Who were the ones that rose when Jesus came? His disciples rose from obscurity to prominence. They were thrust into the limelight by the death and resurrection of Jesus. They went everywhere preaching the Gospel, and they turned the world "upside down." Also, Jesus exalted the humble. He was the kind of person who lifted up the poor and disadvantaged. He healed the sick and cast out demons. Those are great ways to raise people. Then, of course, He lifted up those who trusted Him as Savior and Lord to be the sons and daughters of God. What a blessing.
Who fell when Jesus came? The religious leaders fell. In fact, they were put out of business in many ways. Finally, the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. There have been no more sacrifices offered by Jewish priests since that day. That is a great fall. The proud and the rich fell. Jesus made sure that the proud fell, because He opposes the proud. Also, He makes sure that the rich come to see that their riches can't save them spiritually. Those who failed to accept Christ fell in the worst way. They were forever lost in their sins.
In reality, all of us either rise or fall by how we come to accept or reject Jesus. If we do not confess Him as Lord, we are spiritually dead, and we spiral to Hell. If we know Him, we are lifted up to heavenly places through our relationship with Him. That is what Jesus does. He causes people to either rise or fall.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 6-7 and Luke 20:27-47.