What is the point of existence if it is filled only with
pain? Job sees that we are but a breath in the history of things and wonders
why even bother living if there is no pleasure in life, if God is making life a
misery. It is a good question and
deserves an answer. The writer of
Ecclesiastes provides that answer when he sees that pain and pleasure alike
aren't the reason for living, nothing under the sun can provide that
purpose. The point of life is to glorify
God and make Him known to the world, to bear His image to the world. We are told that the chief end of man is to
glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Is it
possible to do that even in acute suffering?
How do we enjoy God when life is so painful? Our hope is always in Him and we know that
this life is brief indeed when compared with eternity.
“Aren’t we right in saying that you are a
Samaritan and demon-possessed?” That is
certainly a random assertion. They have
already said they knew where Jesus came from and it wasn't Samaria. Perhaps they had heard of His ministry there
and the reception He received. Jesus
doesn't even bother with that ridiculous statement but does deny
demon-possession. They now come back to
the crux of the matter, Jesus says they won't die if they believe in Him but
everyone dies, all the way back to the father of faith, Abraham. Jesus claims to have pre-existed Abraham and
that Abraham rejoiced in Him. The
statement, "before Abraham was born, I am!” is
incredible and they determine now to stone Him.
Why? He has used the divine Name
and claimed it for Himself. For all
those who doubt that Jesus claimed equality with God, this passage certainly
gives the lie to that belief.
We can only assume that the squad of guards
responsible for Peter that night was executed in accordance with Herod's
orders. Herod liked to pose as a Jew in
order to curry favor with his subjects, he was Jewish by birth and was known to
have celebrated some of the feasts of Judaism.
As such, he was bound to give glory to God when the people of Caesarea
said that hearing him was like hearing a god.
Jesus never failed to point to the Father in all things. The Lord allowed a pagan king like a Caesar
to receive such tribute but not one who made a claim to being His own. Herod's purpose was to have given glory to
God and he failed.
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