They Murmured - 30 January 2022, Anno Domini

 

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HE Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father (see  John 6:41-59)

 

      Have we not known the old military maxim, Familiarity breeds contempt?  Such contempt for our neighbors who receive high honors is not only expressed by acquaintances and friends, but even find expression from among those of one’s very family. We find that even the brothers of Jesus resented His renown: Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.  (John 7:2-5)  

 

     There are four brothers listed in Matthew 13:55 (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas). This alone makes the argument of the Romans regarding the Immaculate Conception quite fallacious. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?  (Matthew 13:56). Even the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims translation contains these verses! One salient point jumps out at us in this text at the very beginning: We must see Jesus Christ, not simply in bodily form as all doubters of that day saw Him, but with spiritual eyes to view Him as Lord and Savior. Our spiritual eyes should be just as adapt at seeing His Person as those of the ancients.  Those Jews of His day doubted when He told them that He came down from Heaven.  His miracles gave evidence of His divinity (and they wanted to see His miracles) but did not desire to believe that He came from Heaven. To know Him for the Lord that He truly is will result in a metamorphic change from death to life. Just as the unsightly cocoon transforms into a beautiful butterfly, so will the life of man change from a hopeless despair to light and hope in Christ.

 

     The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?  When men lack spines to speak, they murmur against a greater presence.  They made an eternal error in making a false presumption – that Christ was the son of Joseph.  The same great error is even being engineered into modern translations to create doubt as to the Divinity of Christ. See how the Received Text states the case of Joseph: And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. (Luke 2:33 [KJV]); now contrast this verse to the deceit of the same in the NIV: The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.  Did you note that the KJV did not refer to Christ as the son of Joseph, but the NIV did make that erroneous designation?  Little eyes, be careful what you read……..Jesus is not the son of Joseph but the Son of God.

 

     Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. Are you one to murmur? Or do you let speak in simple truth: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matt 5:37) I have heard men murmur to themselves even against God. To whom do such men address their murmurings? No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: I will remind you here that you did not choose Christ, but Christ chose YOU in the first place!  (John 15:16) The sinner, of his own volition, cannot come to Christ and be saved. This does not mean that men and women who strongly desire to come to Christ for salvation are barred from coming, but it does mean that the very desire to come to Christ is born of the conviction of the Holy Ghost working to draw that person to Christ. When we are drawn to, and accepted by, Christ, then we shall have life in the Eternity hereafter: …..and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

     Are you a murmerer, or a believer who acts?