When the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came and challenged My Son concerning by what authority He had done His miracles, My Son certainly knew immediately of their hypocrisy and their false intentions. For had He not declared on a number of occasions that He had been sent from Me and that the works that He did were by My authority and power, and even that they were indeed My works? And you will recall that He also said that if they refused to believe His teaching, they should believe because of the works, not only because they were miraculous, but because they bore the stamp of My character in extending mercy, healing and deliverance to those who were needy and who were bound in darkness. So you see that having made these things plain in what He had declared before this, He knew that behind their inquiry was an effort to ensnare and discredit Him. And so you see in His initial question regarding the baptism of John, that His main objective is to expose their hypocrisy and thus discount the sincerity of their intentions and to resist submitting to their demand for an answer to their challenging question. And you see in the inquiries that follow the continuation of this evil and hypocritical attempt on the part of those who questioned Him, namely the spies who pretended to be honest and the Sadducees who asked a question that involved a concern for what would be in the resurrection when they did not believe in the resurrection. And you see that in the parable My Son clearly not only exposed their evil intent, but showed that their rejection actually, according to My Word, confirmed that they were in effect, by rejecting Him, both proving that He indeed was My Son and that they were opposing Me. And not only this, but there awaited for them certain judgment because of their rejection and opposition. You see that the declaration of this truth and the warning of the consequences of their attitude and actions did not change them, but actually made them more determined to do away with My Son.

And you see in two of these instances, that is in the question about John’s baptism and in their reaction to His parable, they were clearly exposed as men pleasers rather than God pleasers. In the end, when My Son asked them a question, you see that they have no genuine response because His question put before them again the truth of My Word. And their actions and their motivations were not directed by My Word. Once again My Son warns of their judgment, but this time the warning is to His disciples.

You may ask, “Why, Father, are you bringing these things to our attention in this special way at this time?” The reason that I am bringing this to your attention is that the spirit which motivated those who were opposed to My Son and who sought to entrap Him, to discredit Him, and ultimately to do away with Him, is the spirit that still inspires and motivates those who today are opposed to My Son and to His gospel. Therefore, it is this same spirit that you will encounter if you will faithfully represent My Son.

You need to know that the truth which is in Him and which He manifested as He faced and dealt with their opposition is also that by which you are armed by My Spirit, who is in you to deal with such opposition. But I would not have you think that no matter how much you may expose and counter the lies that this will change the hearts and quell the opposition of those who come against you. For as it was with My Son in the occasions that are portrayed here, exposure of the truth will not in most cases overcome the opposition and the hatred. But remember that you are, as you depend upon My Spirit, armed with all that you need to fulfill My purposes and to glorify Me, regardless of what others may do. And also, as you see in this passage and in others, there were those who were listening and observing.

That which glorifies Me is not limited to the apparent reactions and responses of those who oppose. It is rather the faithful proclamation and adherence to My testimony concerning My Son, regardless of what may be the reactions of those who hear and oppose, that truly glorifies Me.

Tags: Opposition, Proclamation

I want you to notice that as My Son faced the opposition of the leaders and the questions of the crowd, that His one consistent declaration was that He was sent from Me, that His teaching was not merely His own, but Mine, and that in speaking what I had given Him to declare, He sought to glorify Me and not Himself. Though these words did not convince those who had already determined what they believed about Him, yet His testimony did challenge and draw those who had not so determined. And My Son declared that if anyone really wanted to do My will that he would know whether He came from Me and spoke from Me, or whether He spoke merely from Himself. This remains even today the central issue of the testimony of My Son. As He knew that He was sent from Me, so must you know with certainty and without doubt that you are also sent? Did He not declare in another place, “As the Father has sent Me even so I send you”? And since that is true, you can be confident that if you speak from Me what is revealed to you through My Son, then you will be glorifying Me and not yourselves. And since as it was with Him, so will it be with you, that there will be those who are unalterably opposed and there will be those who will sincerely inquire.

Therefore, as you obediently fulfill that for which you were sent to give testimony to My Son, you can also rest in the confidence that those who choose to do My will; will certainly come to know that what you speak is from Me. Be assured that in the end when all is said and done, this is the pattern that will hold when you proclaim My Word faithfully as My Son proclaimed it.

Tags: Confidence, Opposition, Sent