AN UPSIDE DOWN PEOPLE

From its very beginning, the Church has turned the world upside down (Acts 17:1-6). Christians were preaching the death and resurrection of the Messiah, and the Jews had expected the Messiah to put to death the enemies of Israel (v. 3; Ps. 2:9). One has to wonder why they were surprised that their Messiah would die; after all, Daniel prophesied He would, and it was also foretold in Psalms and Isaiah (Dan. 9:26; Ps. 22; Isa. 53). Jesus also had told His disciples and the religious leaders of the Jews that He would die and be raised again to life in three days (Matt. 12:38-41). Such a claim was foolishness to the Sadducees, but the Pharisees knew that there was to be a resurrection of the dead, so they should not have been surprised (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:6-8). Unfortunately, there was no room for a cross in their theology.

While the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jews, to the Gentiles, the preaching of the cross was foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18-25). The teaching of Jesus that in order to have life, one must first die, seemed insane, but to those of us who believe in Him, it makes perfect sense (Matt. 10:39; 16:24-25; 1 Cor. 1:18). I have heard a saying that I think is brilliant: born once, die twice; born twice, die once. When a believer accepts Jesus, he is born again (Jn. 3:3-8; Gal. 2:20). A believer only dies once, physically, but an unbeliever will suffer both a physical death, and a spiritual death called the second death (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8). Equally unfortunate is the fact that Gentile unbelievers, while professing themselves to be wise, prove that they are fools (Rom. 1:22).

The lost of the world view the teachings of Christianity as contrary to common sense. In order to live, one must die. In order to be rich, one must be poor (Matt. 6:19-21; 2 Cor. 6:10; Jam. 2:5). In order to be wise, one must become a fool; in order to become strong, one must become weak; in order to be of value, one must be chosen of the base things of the world (1 Cor. 1:28-29). It is as though everything the lost of the world view as good, God sees as evil; and everything the world despises, God views as precious. In other words, common sense or logic is the opposite of the wisdom of God. Human nature is diametrically opposed to God's nature. Is it any wonder why the Jews at Thessalonica were upset? These preachers of Christ were turning everything upside down.

My question to you who take the time to read my blog, do you see yourself as intelligent, rich, powerful, etc. based upon the opinion of the lost world in which you live, or do they mock you like they did Christ? One of the best ways to tell if you are living for Christ is how non-believers see you. If you fit in, you are in serious trouble! Genuine Christians are called a "peculiar people" for a reason (Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9).