Over the years a preacher is approached with all types of questions, sometimes they are legitimate, and other times they come from pre-conceived ideas. When they originate I try to determine the apparent legitimacy; or is it for the purpose of arguing. I hate debating, and thus I find myself in a defensive mode, even though I am comfortable with my convictions.
Many are they who come “with a chip on the shoulder”. When that is the case I am reminded of the guy who said: “I never said you are a block head, I said watch out for the wood-pecker.” My job is to present Jesus Christ and His substitution as atonement for the sins of mankind. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to make that message meaningful!
On one occasion Jesus asked the disciples who people said that the Son of Man was. In reply they said: “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked a more pointed question: “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus began to tell them about His ministry here on earth and its details, which it says that “they did not understand.” (Mark 9:27-32) What we read next is where I am focusing for a moment. “They did not understand this statement and they were afraid to ask Him.” (v32)
The message of His ministry will always remain a question until the Holy Spirit makes it meaningful. That took three to three and a half years to become understandable. It probably took that much time to allow my ignorance to become something to understand. In failing to ask Him in that moment, their pride was not about to be penetrated. Mentally they preferred ignorance to revealing the limits of their comprehension.
Many have followed the mentality of those disciples. If you are one of those, just approach the Lord in prayer and ask Him to give you personal understanding to the message of Calvary. It may come immediately or it may take a little time as He unfolds your understanding, but He will! When He first presented to those twelve the unfolding of His personal reason for coming, the message of timing was not perfect, but it is quite clear today with the availability of Scripture and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
ETCetera 