Just a moment ago my children discovered a horribly terrifying creature crawling on the floor in the house right inside the back door leading into the kitchen. They came in horror to tell me of the significantly deadly worm-like bug that would surely devour the entire household from the sound of their voices. Upon coming into the kitchen what I expected to see was something akin to Mothra or a mutated lizard from Mars. What did I see? A very fat and crawly caterpillar with a mission. Of course caterpillars are a little gross with their wormlike physic and sticky legs, but I saw something that my children did not see. I knew what a caterpillar was for and what the outcome of his short life would bestow upon the world: beauty.
Just as I was preparing to move this critter outside, one of my children screams, “kill it daddy, kill it now!” Immediately I was reminded of the cries of the people in the days of Christ. “Crucify Him!” Now, there is no parallel or Christ-centered lesson in caterpillars, but this little encounter has helped me to see practically how humanity approaches what they do not understand or see for what it really is. “Kill it!” we scream. This crazy bug that looks so gross and scary must die for it has no real purpose. Well, that’s exactly how the world saw the Christ. And for this reason, after three aquitals, the people wanted Jesus to die. They looked at Him and could not see the glory of God. But why? Did not the oracles of God fortel of His coming? Did not the teachers of all of Israel show them the way of the Lord in Christ? Did not in the Spirit of Elijah did John the Baptist proclaim “Behold the Kingdom..?” Then why did (does) the world hate Him so? Because He is the righteousness of God and the darkness hates the light.
Jesus states in John 3
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
(John 3:19-21 ESV)
This judgment is not being able to see the light of Christ, His beauty, His worth or His Glory because the eyes of unbelievers have been blinded. Let’s take time to praise God who has shown to us His glorious mercy and grace and made us alive in Christ by causing us to be born again and giving us a new heart in Christ Jesus. We stand forgiven and can now see beauty and find satisfaction in the only Son from the Father full of Grace and Truth.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV)
For His Glory,
Pastor James Tippins