11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
I think Greg’s message from the previous week (Re-framing the Sun) has been seminal in my thinking.
In Laurel’s message we have a classical situation of the disciples looking at a “big” problem of the lack of food and Jesus effectively saying, “Listen guys you need to re-frame your thinking here….you have seen other situations where I have met those needs, forget about that bread, and re-frame/focus on the true bread of life”. Israel were God’s chosen people….yet they did not/could not truly recognize the Son of God walking amongst them.
The disciples being Israelites were just as “blind” to Jesus as were the rest….and when Jesus questions Peter by saying “Who do you say that I am?”….Peter’s answer is correct…but Jesus then says “flesh and blood has not revealed this but my Father who is in Heaven”. They had not re-framed their thinking….they were still essentially living in the past.
It is incredible to see the mission of Jesus….sent by the Father amongst His own chosen people to effectively re-frame their thinking and, notwithstanding them wanting to see miracles done and people healed, were blind to who Jesus really was….dare I say, just people are today….as unless a man is born again it is impossible for him to see the Kingdom of God. This is why our old self is absolute dead weight if you are trying to hold onto it going forward….it is worthless!
In fact, it was Peter after the death of Christ who wanted to go back to fishing life as before, as if nothing had happened….his focus had not been re-framed…it was still set on the old way of thinking. It required the gift of the Holy Spirit to create in him (and us) new birth and a re-framing of his life with an eternal Kingdom focus….in fact Jesus gave Peter the keys of the Kingdom.
I had better stop here….but thanks yet again to Greg for such a simple yet so powerful message to open up the Gospel to a believer (start writing that book!) and for Laurel’s message which has further added to me what Greg has started and the Holy Spirit has nurtured.
Good message.
I was just reading something (by J. Preston Eby) on a different topic, but it mentions a few things that seem to fall in line with this message, and how people look for and seek God to show up outwardly (in the world, maybe as some sort of “sign”), rather than inwardly, through us, by His spirit. Here’s a link to the newsletter (part 3 of multi-part series): http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/7spirits/7spirits03.htm
Here’s a cut/paste from that newsletter (I tried to keep it as short as possible..the article is 7 pages):
I am convinced that it is right at this point where so many of the Lord’s precious people need this teaching: “It is EXPEDIENT (advisable, desirable, advantageous, profitable, to your interest) for you THAT I GO AWAY.” Like those disciples, so many sincere Christians have believed in Jesus with all their hearts, love Him, and seek to follow Him – but, the Jesus they believe in, the Jesus they love, the Jesus they seek to follow and obey, is the Jesus in the picture of the wall; the Jesus with soft, penetrating eyes, flowing chestnut hair, fine chiseled features, well-trimmed beard, Galilean robe. The Jesus who preached to the multitudes, fed the five thousand, healed the sick with the touch of His hand, cleansed the leper, and who, weeping, cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” But, dear ones, even THAT JESUS, even the Jesus of the resurrection, COULD NOT STAY WITH HIS DISCIPLES. “It is expedient for you that I go away.” “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.” “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you.” Even the resurrected Jesus had to pass away from their midst before the exceeding great and precious promise of the Indwelling Spirit could be fulfilled.
How many of God’s dear saints are yet worshipping the Jesus of the flesh! Truly they believe on Him, love Him, and long to see Him when He comes. And yet, in their longing to see Him, some glad day after while! they find that He is not presently their satisfying portion, their all in all… To many it is a very difficult thing to set aside the Christ of the flesh, to know only the Christ of the Sprit; to set aside the Christ who works through the agencies of the external, through efforts, systems, ceremonies, methods, influences from without, of men and means, and come to know only Him who works INTERNALLY after the power of an endless life.
Excellent message, Laurel!
We want to comprehend so that we can predict, to predict so that we can control. This is why when we demand proof of God’s trustworthiness, “no sign will be given to” us “except the sign of Jonah” (cf. Matt 16:4 NRSV)
I pray that the Lord continues to use you to break forth the Word of Life!
Blessings,
Anthony