Help Them Hear

Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear.  Many times, we realize later that we were informed but missed it.  That was definitely the case with the disciples.  Jesus had told them he was going to die and then be raised again.  He even gave the specifics like when he told them “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40). They heard these statements but never understood.  It was not until the resurrection appearances of Jesus that they realized what he had been telling them all along. 

For many people, it will be too late when they realize that they had been told to prepare for death and yet they never understood the significance.  That is why witnessing to someone is not a one-time event.  We must continually be teaching our children about salvation in Jesus Christ.  We must always be seeking for opportunities with our friends and families to help them understand their need to be prepared.  “It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27).  It is our responsibility to make sure that our friends and families are not surprised on the day of judgment.

One of the easiest ways for us to help our friends and families be prepared for that day is to get them to places to hear the gospel.  Easter Sunday is one of those opportunities.  The whole service will be a celebration of the victory over death that comes through Jesus Christ.  I am preaching on the passage where Peter runs to the tomb to see if it was true that Jesus was not there.  All our lives are running somewhere.  What is the destination your life is taking you?  What about your friends and family?  We cannot stop them from just hearing what they want to hear, but we can give them multiple opportunities for it to sink in.  Maybe Easter this year will be the day of salvation for that one you have been praying for.