Jesus Excludes None
We ended yesterday with these words. Here is where truth and wisdom bear their perfect fruit. Here is where the Living Word becomes flesh in all who have ears to hear.
Our focus is strictly on Jesus, who He is, and His mission among men. We reason together in Spirit, for all flesh reasoning will fail even before it begins to reason. This is because Spirit and flesh are opposites and what fellowship has flesh with Spirit? What communion has darkness with Light? Only by faith will anyone of us receive and become its truth.
Who is this Jesus who has come to Saul? He is the same Jesus who, just before He ascended, back to heaven, gave His disciples His Great Commission. Here is part of it. And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16: 15. Jesus’ command is for His disciples, whom He is leaving to carry on His work, to, Go into all the world. That three letter word, all, lets us know that Jesus has no limitation, no discrimination, no exclusions and no kind of adulteration in taking Him to people. The Gospel is Jesus, and Jesus is the Gospel. If you and I truly know this Jesus, then He who has commissioned, cannot be pharisaical in His working. He is not saying one thing to His disciples and doing something else.
This is what I mean. Saul is not alone. We do not know how many men are travelling with him, but we know it is more than one man because the text speaks of, the men who journeyed with him. We know that these men were of the same belief, mind and heart as Saul, for they were accompanying him on a mission against Jesus. They too, like Saul, did not believe in the Way. They too, like Saul, were without the Gospel, without Jesus. They were following this Pharisee of Pharisees, in his noble work for the sake of the Law and tradition. Here are at least two men with Saul, who need the Gospel. Will Jesus leave them as lost souls and only save one, because He wants to use that one mightily? I leave you with your belief, and the Spirit of Truth.
Again I ask. Who is this Jesus who has descended upon Saul, as he and his companions travel to Damascus? Is He not the One, born of the Virgin Mary, of whom the angel spoke these words to Joseph? And you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21b. Are not Saul’s men Jews also? Remember, Saul would have nothing to do with Gentiles, as a Pharisee of strict order. It was unheard of, taboo even, for him to think of such a thing as riding in public, mind you, with Gentiles. Will Jesus pass up such an opportunity to save at least two others, of His own Jewish people? I leave you with your belief, and the Spirit of Truth.
Again I ask, with even more pleading passion. Who is this Jesus, who has arrested Saul? Is He not the Lamb of God, the efficacy of whose Precious, Divine Blood completely and adequately pleases the Father? Listen to Hebrews 9: 13 – 14. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Did not Jesus shed His Blood to cleanse us from all dead and evil works? Will Jesus see at least three men, with dead works and only capture one, letting the others go free to continue their most evil, dead and damning works? Is the efficacy of the Blood of the Lamb incomplete, lacking much? I leave you with your belief, and the Spirit of Truth.
Because of whom we know and believe Jesus to be, we cannot accept that He will change the life of Saul from doing evil works, and let Saul’s men carry on with those same evil works against Him. Be very clear on this. We are not talking about choosing a man to be a special apostle for Him, either in Damascus or Jerusalem. No! We are looking at changing lives, converting souls, making people, believers of the Way.
We conclude with two pieces of evidence, both pertaining to each individual conscience. As our faith in Jesus, so will our personal responses be.
The first is a picture of the men who are travelling with Saul, when he is brought low by Jesus and made temporarily blind by Him. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. Acts 9: 8. The companions of Saul, who themselves experienced Jesus, never ran away and left Saul. They were not angry with Saul’s weakness, going ahead with their mission, in spite of a disabled Saul. No! Can’t you see? They embraced Saul, not just with pity, but with divine piety as they were the ones who guided Saul into the City of Damascus. They were travelling with Saul under the authority of Law. Now, they are leading him into Damascus under the authority of Love. Has not Jesus told him to go into the city? Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do. Acts 9: 6b Aren’t these men also, under the command of Jesus?
O the Saving, Inclusive grace of Jesus!
As stated, this other one is all personal and intimately so. Will you hear it as a voice speaking to you and you alone?
With whom are you travelling now my friend?
Is it one to whom Christ’s Word He did send?
You may not be Christ’s targeted chosen,
But in you His Word will still be proven;
You’re but a companion, give Christ glory,
He has named you in salvation’s story.
Aren’t you also loved and wanted by Jesus?
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