Jesus seemed to be walking through minefields during much of His ministry. He knew when to be open and when to be reserved, where to go to speak His message and where to avoid danger. But there were interesting times when He stood right on the edge of great danger to reach the lost. Look at this interesting passage from John Chapter 7, when Jesus privately had gone to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (verses 25-31):
At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me." At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"
Jesus knew that to reach those who would come to Him in faith that day it was necessary to openly reveal who He was before those who wanted to destroy Him.
I think that we draw back, at times, from sharing our faith in the Lord because of the possibility of rejection. Like Jesus, we need to risk rejection that others might come to faith. As we walk closely with the Lord, there will be times He prompts us to identify with Christ even though that may not be popular. As Ted Cornell would say to encourage us, in the choir, to hit a difficult note: "Courage!!"
blessings,
Rob Smith
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