Apologetics
John 7:45-46 Meanwhile the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you? The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!] (Quick Amplified Bible)
We see by this passage of Scripture that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ even began to convince some of His enemies that He was more than just a mere man. Some of those who learned to reject a man like Him as a blasphemer suddenly His wisdom captured their attention. He spoke with Authority. In actuality, the people heard Him speak words they had never heard as if He originated or authored them, which He did. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke words that awakened something inside of man that was dead. His words carried with them some sort of unique life, heretofore man did not know about.
John 6:63 “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (NKJV)
His words began to make the souls of men and women stir and desire more and more. The manner in which He spoke made men sit up and take notice. He was fearless. The Religious leaders were continually plotting to have Him arrested, so they could have Him executed (killed). Despite the constant attacks of His motive and character, He continued to speak truth directly to the hearts of the people. He always spoke the truth in love.
When the rich young ruler came to Him desiring to know what he needed to do to get eternal life, the Lord Jesus spoke directly to his heart asking him what did the law say (the ten commandments), his conscience to bring to the man the knowledge that he was a sinner. However, the rich young man shrugged off the commandments and stated that he had kept them all from his youth. Well, of course our Lord knew that this was not the truth (as He could see into the man's heart). Despite the broken heart, the man's response must have given our Lord and Savior, the Scripture tells us that He (Christ) loved him and simply showed him his own heart condition.
He would not ever censor His words due to who might be in the audience. It was always the truth. Yet, He never talked down to people but on the contrary brought forth words that inspired and uplifted the hearts of many men and women. However, much of His teaching was hard for men and women to understand or to receive into their hearts. Many of His sayings perplexed them.
For example, when He told the people that they would be required to eat His flesh and drink His blood. The people thought He was teaching a primitive form of cannibalism. However, the words carried with them a deep spiritual truth that required them to open their hearts and minds to receive. He arrested the attention of all when He would once begin to open His mouth to utter anything.
The anticipation of many of the people pictured an earthly Father or Mother gathering around their young toddlers to read them a bedtime story. The faces of the young children always glow with excitement not knowing at all what fascinating thing they might here this time from their parent. So were many of the people enthralled with great anticipation when once Christ began to speak.
It was also like little children racing down the stairs on Christmas morning full of joy, happiness, and wonder as to what surprise they would find in the tightly wrapped package with their names on it. Such were many of the hearts that hung on every word from the Messiah's mouth. He would unfold words that would tantalize and tickle the spine’s of every man, woman, boy, and girl with hungry hearts desiring spiritual nourishment.
The people had heard all of the great Teachers of the past like Gamelial and the High Priest, but never did any of them produce such a thirst and hunger for more and more like our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. This man was so different and yet He was just like them. Christ was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Jew through and through. Christ was a man that they could touch and feel not far off from them in a Palace somewhere, but right in their midst. He unlike the other Teachers moved among them never unapproachable but eager to pour out of Himself that never-ending reservoir of Eternal Life.
John 4:14 But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life. (Quick Amplified Bible)
He spoke to all and focus His attention on those who were thirsty. He always found many who thirsted for His words. The words in John 4:14 spoken to the woman at the well were a rich relief to her. She, because of her checkered past was ostracized by the other woman in her community no doubt and this is probably why she came in the heat of the day (12:00 noon) to draw her water. She needed to hear and receive words that would awaken her on the inside and destroy the yoke of bondage hanging so tightly around her spiritual neck.
She sought love in sex and maybe because of her childhood thought that she had to sleep with men in order that they would love her. Then this glorious day along comes a man (a Jewish man at that) who without fear or reservation spoke to her openly and in public. He did not speak to her in the dark or in secret seeking to gain a chance of sex with her (as perhaps so many other men would do), but out of concern for her only not seeking anything in return.
What a shock to her system that this Jewish man would even utter one word to her. The Jews and the Samaritans were hostile to one another and to see them in public together in friendly conversation was unheard of. However, our Lord was more than just another Jew. After He told her all about her checkered past (never with condemnation), He revealed Himself to her as the expected Messiah. His words produced a change in her so much that she was compelled to tell other people about her encounter with Him.
1 Peter 1:23 You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God. (Quick Amplified Bible)
The words that the Lord Jesus spoke to her broke down the wall in her heart and led her ever so earnestly to confess to Him what she desired to conceal from everyone else. The inner most recesses of her heart came pouring out to Him like a fountain of water because of His words. Something in His words brought about this desire within her that she never had before her encounter with Him. The love that she so desperately yearned and longed for could not get into her heart because of the sin that blocked its entrance.
Christ with His words performed open-heart surgery on her soul, removed the blockage, and flooded her heart with a glorious glow she never knew existed. No one ever spoke, as this man must have been ringing in her conscience. His words wrought in her a desire to be honest perhaps for the very first time in her life. Christ words to this woman changed her into a new woman never again to seek love from men in sex, but she left with a new self-esteem and a new value system imparted to her from the life giving words of Christ. No other Teacher before ever produced such an affect in people.
Though He was Almighty God, He never traveled by having slaves carry Him on their backs as all the other earthly Kings would do. He walked everywhere He went just as the common people did. The common people heard His words intently. This woman was one of those common people and she heard Him gladly. His words carried with them action. They produced a desire to change in every one who heard them.
Christ would often times ask questions of people that instantly required them to think and respond. He would answer others questions of Him with questions of His own that many times perplexed His adversaries. No one ever spoke like this man who was never rattled or confounded by the so-called wise men of that day.
His words caused some to think that He was insane or out of His mind. His words would infuriate those who did not want to believe He was who He claimed to be. He spoke as if He had all knowledge. His words convicted those who never before saw their own sinful and vile condition. His words exposed all hypocrisy in the hearts of men and woman. His words never came with condemnation to those who began to see their lost state.
The Religious leaders, seeking His response as to what should happen to her for her sin, brought the woman caught in adultery to Him. He of course was well aware of what the Law required, for He was the Author of the said Law. Unknowing to those who caught her and brought her to Him was His purpose for being in this world. When they wanted to know what He would do, for perhaps a brief period He became silent in speech and began to write down something on the ground. I wonder what those words were that He wrote.
Many people have speculated as to what He wrote, I will not, but I will say that whatever it was they produced action because all of His words whether spoken or written are alive. Soon after He finished writing, He rose up and spoke with words that condemned those who did not see their own sin, but only the woman's sin. His words again produced action. All who heard felt an immediate prick in their hearts by His words and immediately changed on the inside. His words forced them to look within their own hearts. Christ's words exposed that sin hidden in them from the view of the eyes of other men and women.
No one ever spoke like this man. Everyone immediately convicted in their hearts, dropped his or her stones and walked away. No longer were they screaming, “Stone her! Stone her! But they were forced by His words to examine their own hearts and some I believe may have even in a quiet place alone cried out to God for mercy. Why did this happen? His words produced that action in them.
Now the woman left there all alone perhaps being disturbed or confused about what He would say to her. However, His words to her were words of compassion that revealed to her that He was Lord and so she referred to Him as such. His words to her comforted her. She immediately felt strengthened to leave that place and to walk henceforth in newness of life. This happened all because of His words.
No one ever spoke, as this man must have been her thought as she looked deeply into Christ eyes and heard Him say, “I do not condemn you, Go and sin no more.” What a sense of relief and anxiety must have been lifted from her shoulders and from her heart as she probably was even reluctant to leave His presence. With every step, she took on her journey home she could only hear those sweet words from this man echoing in her ears springing up great joy in her heart as she felt a change come over her internally. His words produced a new desire in her heart.
His disciples lived with Him for 3 ½ years and heard Him speak great truth daily. Yet, despite this fact, many times they did not understand all that He would speak to them. Peter the fiery disciple would always pledge His unyielding love and devotion to the Lord Jesus. However, when Peter egregiously denied the Lord Jesus after His arrest and the Lord looked at Peter after his final denial, Peter went out and wept bitterly as he recalled the words the Lord Jesus had spoken to him. His words always produced a repentant heart in those who came to know Him intimately. His words were so powerful that they produced life from that which once was dead. The two women spoken of above were spiritually dead and His words produced newness of life in them.
Ephesians 2:1-8 AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Also His words produced resurrected physical life. He spoke and a child that had just recently died got up from her bed as if she were just taking a nap. He spoke and a man already dead and buried in his tomb for four days came out walking, talking, and breathing the same man as if he never ever died. No other man ever spoke with words that wrought this type of resurrected power with Him. When He would speak of the rulers of that day, He never spoke of them as being great men but just men.
They never heard Him speak words that would ingratiate Him to Caesar or Herod that He might be doing and saying all of these things to gain favor with them for earthly favor or riches. He simply and surely spoke the truth not ever desiring to impress those in power. He always spoke about sin and evil as being the horrible and destructive forces that they are, but He spoke words to lead the hearts of men and women away from sin and evil and into that, which is righteous and holy.
The Romans standing by on many occasions (who could care less of the Jewish people or their so called religion or faith) could not but hear and be pricked by the words they would over hear Him speaking to some of His followers. The Centurion standing beneath Christ cross as He was being crucified hearing His words of prayer (“Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”) for him and all the others who partook in His crucifixion and the words He spoke to His Mother Mary and the Apostle John. He observed Him not respond to the jeers, mocking, scowling, and ridicule of His person while He was suffering and about to die.
His words were never harsh except to those who thought they knew God and refused to see their true spiritual blind condition. This brought forth from our Lord some of the most scathing language recorded from Him anywhere. Even in anger, He spoke words with love and a desire to open deaf spiritual ears. He spoke with purpose and conviction on many of the topics that were relevant during that time.
The Religious leaders coming to Him asking if they should pay their tribute or taxes to Caesar at that time, thinking they had Him stumped, He said, “Ye hypocrites why do ye test me?” Then calmly after that condemnation, He said calmly, “Give me a penny, whose picture is on this money?” When they answered, Caesar. The Lord Jesus Christ astonished them all with these words, “Then give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, but what belongs to God to God.” After this great wisdom, they left Him and challenged Him no more with any such non-sense.
What remarkable wisdom the people must have thought this man has, He knows how to answer any question or circumstance always with the proper response. “No one ever spoke like this man” must have echoed through the crowd that day and many others as well. Every one of us can picture ourselves standing by amazed with all the others, as He would flow with words of grace, wisdom, and spiritual power.
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author, Silent Assassins of the Soul (not yet published; coming soon)
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