How do you respond when you become aware of a potential threat, danger, or risk? What is your reaction when you are given advice or counsel about a course of action that you are considering? Everyone has his or her own way of processing the cautionary information that comes to them, so the answers to these questions will vary greatly. But one thing is always true. The reliability or the trustworthiness of the source will make a major impact on the response of every individual no matter what kind of warning it is.
In the weeks just preceding Jesus’ final return to Jerusalem, the crowds became enormous. They were eager to hear what this man had to say and to see or even experience His healing miracles. The disciples were right there with Him, too, anxious to understand the momentum, the intensity, and the pressure that was increasing. While some of His messages had aspects and predictions which seemed confusing, most of what He said was totally clear and the warnings were very specific. Once a person decided that Jesus was reliable, that He really was exactly who He claimed to be, the Son of God, it would be obvious to them that this information was to be taken seriously. Once someone in the crowd was convinced that Jesus was trustworthy, then the choice to live life His way would become an adventure instead of a burden. Jesus consistently made it clear that anyone who would “acknowledge Him publicly” would find that His promises would be their reality and that they would experience a “rich relationship with God”.
Some of us tend to take warnings quite seriously, while others may be more skeptical or even cynical. Many people, as they have matured, tend more toward denial or simply ignoring the truth of various types of cautionary information. If this is true in the arena of health, finances, and even relationships, then the big question which looms in front of you and me is, how seriously do we take the warnings that Jesus has given to us through His Word?
