Have you crossed paths with someone you haven’t seen for years and not recognized them? Perhaps their appearance has changed over the years. Or maybe your expectations of what they should look like was faulty.
In a way, this is what happened to the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day. They had the Scriptures with hundreds of specific prophecies concerning the Messiah, God’s Son. The prophecies covered specific details about His birth, life and death. The leaders knew these prophecies and had committed them to memory.
Although Jesus fulfilled every one of these ancient prophecies, the leaders did not recognize Him, but instead had Him crucified as a blasphemous traitor. Luke 23:35 describes their errors when it says, “And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!'”
How could they make such a big mistake? It is because they had formed their own ideas, apart from Scripture, about what the Son of God should look like and do. Jesus did not fit their self-centered mold for their Savior.
We often try to do the same thing with God? We set personal expectations for what God should do in specific situations. When God acts in some other way, we don’t recognize His work or His presence. I have often heard someone say something like, “If God is love, why didn’t He …” God’s ways are not like our ways and God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts. He is infinite in knowledge and wisdom. I am so thankful that He is not limited to my meager understanding. Let’s let God be Almighty God. And let’s ask Him to reveal our mistaken ideas about Him and open our eyes to recognize Him at work.
Reluctant Retiree 