Don't Miss The Mark

“Sin is simply missing the mark,” some say. “The same Greek word for sin is used as an archery term, so we’re all just ‘target-missers.'”

 

Well, the same Greek word might be used, but the two concepts couldn’t be further apart. When the Bible describes the nature of our rebellion against God, it paints an uglier picture than our simply missing a bull’s eye (Rom. 3:10-18). Rather than aiming carefully at God’s target, we turn our backs and shoot arrows everywhere else. Wanting to please ourselves, we ignore the true bull’s eye and set our affections on seductive targets that cannot satisfy, sanctify, or save. We are not primarily target-missers; we are self-centered false-target worshippers.

These final two paragraphs of chapter 5 close the meeting with the Jews, with Christ Jesus condemning them. These men with whom He spoke had studied the Scriptures for several thousand years. From the writings of Moses to the appearance of the Messiah, they revered God's writings, but they never understood them. If they had understood them this encounter would have gone differently.

John 5:41-6:1
41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

1. There is Life to be Had (vs. 40-42)

What a tragedy, that the very ones who searched the Scriptures, who prided themselves on being experts missed the One of whom the Scriptures spoke. If they had grasp even just the Pentateuch they would have been ready to receive Christ Jesus as God's Son and Messiah. 

They searched to find life and life was in Christ Jesus, but they never made the connection. They rejected Him! Here He was standing before them, bold and clear, inviting them and challenging them, but they missed it. 

 All the time believing they were being faithful to the Scriptures they were missing something. They heard the voice of the Father, and they could not comprehend His form in the person of Christ Jesus. In the end, the words they studied were just as hollow as their love for the Father. The words were nothing more than marks on a page.  

Are you so caught up playing Christian that you have forgotten your First Love?

2. There is Death to be Had (vs. 43-44)

The only reason why sinners die is because they will not come to Christ Jesus for life and happiness. It is not because they can't, but because they won't. One reason a person will not accept the life offered by Christ Jesus, is because he or she has trouble with the spiritual and divine aspects of God. 

Yet according to the Book Industry Study Group, 92.3 million books were sold in the Body/Mind/Spirit category in 1999, representing between 8 to 9% of total sales of adult books. Of that number, 34% were inspirational titles, 28% were diet/exercise/health books, 16% psychology, 13% new age. 

Religious books now represent 11 percent of trade sales, or $1.9 billion out of a $13.7 billion market, according to Book Industry Trends 2004. [Religious titles accounted for 7% of all books purchased in 1996 (Book Industry Trends 1997). Religious publishers sold more than $1 billion and 150 million copies during 1996 (Forbes).] 

43% of religious/spiritual books are bought on impulse (Innovative Resources poll). Religious books include Bibles, biblical studies, Christianity, Judaism, world religions, ministries, devotions, Eastern religious philosophy, theology, new age, and inspirational titles.

Some are unwilling to agree to the terms on which salvation is offered, or to accept for themselves the free gift of grace. They reject Christ Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, (John 14:6). They choose not be cured, because they do not choose the method of cure. They do not choose to ask Christ Jesus into their life. 

The willfulness and obstinacy of sinners in rejecting the free gift of grace are of great grief to our Heavenly Father. If you have not accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour, what excuse are you using?

Christ Jesus told them, “You search the Scriptures, you believe false prophets.” The Jews were ready to follow after just about every false prophet or false messiah who come down the road. False messiahs had crowded the Jewish scene for at least 200 years before Christ Jesus came. There had been no less than 63 according to other historical sources. 

Like modern religious leaders, they came under their own testimony drawing attention to themselves and still were believed. People followed and still follow false messiahs and prophets because their claims correspond with the desires of men and women. 

False messiahs or prophets tend to offer easy victory, political power, and material advantages. Christ Jesus offers the Cross. 

The errors of false prophets or false messiahs are the just punishment of those who do not obey the doctrine of Christ Jesus. If you shut your eyes to the true light God will let you wander endlessly after false lights, and to be led aside after every ignis fatuus [ ˈignəs ˈfaCHo͞oəs ] or a will-o'-the-wisp.

Will you follow ever whim, every fad or new idea found on the winds of life? Or will you choose this morning to follow the way of the Cross, the way of Christ Jesus, which leads to ever lasting life?

Yes there is life to be had and there is death to be had, and there is only one person who can make a choice as to which they will experience. You must choose, if you choose Christ Jesus you will have life.

3. Christ Jesus is Life (vs. 45-47)

The Jewish leaders alienation from Christ Jesus was the fault not so much of their understanding but of their will. Christ Jesus offered life, and it was not accepted. There is life to be had with Christ Jesus; you may have this life, a life of pardon and grace, and comfort and glory. 

Because they would not believe Him, they did not have the love of God in them. They rejected the love of God, and in their rejection, they would not allow the One who came in love to bridge the chasm of sin. So they ended up honoring one another, they became spiritually blind, relying on each other and Moses and not God. They were proud of their traditions, their knowledge of Scripture, and certainly proud of Moses. We don't get proud about churchy things today, do we or do we? 

They were proud of Moses and yet they rejected what he wrote and taught. Wow, first they reject God and now they rejected Moses, how could this be? Because when they rejected Christ Jesus they were rejecting the One who sent Him and the one who had wrote of His coming. 

The great irony in all this is that the very one these Jewish leaders felt they knew and trusted, Moses, ended up being their accuser. Ancient Judaism viewed Moses as an intercessor for Israel. Now Moses, the central prophetic figure of Israel's history was their prosecutor. What a shock that must have been for the Jews, after all even many pagan nations knew of Moses, Israel's lawgiver. And yet that was exactly what Christ Jesus was saying would happen. 

If they had really understood and believed what Moses had written, they would have accepted Christ Jesus, the One to whom he bore witness. But they misread and misinterpreted because they came to the Scripture with hard, unbelieving hearts. So they missed Christ Jesus' message of hope and consequently missed life. They were condemned, having rejected the One of whom Moses spoke! The law of Moses could not and can not save you or give you eternal life. All it can do is show you that you are a sinner. Moses showed us the need for a Saviour, he prepared the way for “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).

Christ Jesus last words to the Jews challanged their belife of the Scriptures. “If you do not believe what Moses said and wrote about me, which is a strong and powerful testimony for me, how can you believe me and my mission?" If you do not eccept for this statement as truth, then how will you admit to the conclusion? 

The truth of Christianity is that the Scriptures, all of it is divine revelation, dependent upon divine authority. And so if you do not believe the divine inspiration of Scripture, how can you acceopt the doctrine of Christ Jesus, God's Son and your salvation? 

Are you like these Jews depending on some set of cosmic scales; where your good deeds are weighed against your bad deeds; for your entry into heaven? If so I'm afraid you will not make it into Heaven. The only one who was ever good enough died for your sins and mine. His name is Jesus.

Conclusion: There is life to be had and there is death to be had. The life is eternal life with God, the death is an eternity seperated from God. So how is this eternal life with God obtained? What must you do to earn it? Nothing, that's right nothing. As a matter of fact you can't earn it, no matter how hard you try. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). And (Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So since you can't earn it how do you get this eternal life? Accept, Believe, and Confess.