Star Witness

Too often the world has put Jesus on trial. They have called Him to prove His identity and purpose. C.S. Lewis calls this "God in the dock." When you think about it, there is something crazy in the notion that the God of the universe, the Savior of the world, the King of kings and Lord of lords would have to satisfy the judgment of the creatures He has made. Arrogantly we proclaim, "I will decide if I will follow Jesus." Actually it is Jesus who decides if He will lead us and invite us into His company. He is the host. We are the guests. He is the pilot. We are the passengers. He is the Teacher. We are the students. He is the King. We are the subjects. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy. It is not even a Republic. That works well in the affairs of men, equals among equals, but it does not work in the Kingdom of God. This is does not mean that in the Kingdom the King has an adversarial position with the subjects. He does not. But, He never ceases to be the King. "How can the creature say to the Creator, why did you make me this way?" We never lecture or counsel God. Yet Jesus often was subjected to the scrutiny of man as if He needed to be pronounced acceptable and worthy by them.

In actual fact, Jesus is the one who testifies about us. He is the one who weighs us in the balances. He is the one who takes the stand as the star witness in the prosecution's case. As we are told in John 2:24-25, Jesus would not entrust Himself to any man, because He knew what was in man. He knows us. He searches us. He has done a complete investigation and He has concluded that man's deeds are evil. In our present text Jesus tells his brothers that they are on opposite sides of the world. They are with the world and the world does not hate them. James and Jude were companions of the world because of their ignorance and unbelief. The world would not hate them. They are family. They are on the side of the world. Jesus was not, and those who follow Jesus are not. The world hates Jesus because He testifies that their deeds are evil. He is the whistle-blower. He is the one who comes here to verify what was already known in heaven. Now there is a testimony in the world about the world. Just as the mob might try to intimidate witnesses or even "snuff them out" so the world did with Jesus. Instead of seeing what the "barking dog" was barking at, they shot the dog. If you do not love the truth then you will hate the truth-teller.

Going public, as Jesus' brothers were urging Him to do, depends on why you are going public. If it is to increase your popularity so that the world will love you, then entertain them, serve them, give them stuff, and tell them how wonderful they are. But, if going public means exposing the world and its game, then going public has some profound risks. When you start revealing men's secrets you are not popular. Jesus told His apostles it was going to happen to them as well. Read John 15:18-25. If we decide to stand with Jesus, and tell the truth, first about our own sin, and then repeat His testimony about the world, we too will be hated. The world works hard at keeping sin quiet and under ground and in the darkness. Exposure will get one killed. Jesus testified, but He did not go into a witness protection plan. He did not change His identity and move to another universe. He walks the earth today in the form of His Holy Spirit and His followers, proclaiming the message that the world's deeds are evil and that the world needs a Savior. He wants to settle this "out of court" before it gets to His Judgment Seat, by stepping out of the witness box, and mounting a cross and dying for our sins. Will we let Him?