WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?
He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.--Matthew 26:43
Many look with horror at the course of the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ; and as they read the history of His shameful abuse, they think they love Him, and would not have denied Him as did Peter, or crucified Him as did the Jews. But God who reads the hearts of all, has brought to the test that love for Jesus which they professed to feel.
All heaven watched with the deepest interest the reception of the first angel's message. But many who professed to love Jesus, and who shed tears as they read the story of the cross, derided the good news of His coming. Instead of receiving the message with gladness, they declared it to be a delusion. They hated those who loved His appearing and shut them out of the churches.
Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light in the third angel's message, which shows the way into the most holy place. (Early Writings, 260)
REFLECTION: We all think when we read the story of a crucified Christ that we would have done differently. But would we have done so? Peter and all of the other disciples claimed they would die before they would deny Christ (see Matthew 26:35). But these words didn't keep them from shamefully denying Christ. Would we really be any different? If we are not searching and praying, we will deceive ourselves just as the disciples did.
He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.--Matthew 26:43
Many look with horror at the course of the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ; and as they read the history of His shameful abuse, they think they love Him, and would not have denied Him as did Peter, or crucified Him as did the Jews. But God who reads the hearts of all, has brought to the test that love for Jesus which they professed to feel.
All heaven watched with the deepest interest the reception of the first angel's message. But many who professed to love Jesus, and who shed tears as they read the story of the cross, derided the good news of His coming. Instead of receiving the message with gladness, they declared it to be a delusion. They hated those who loved His appearing and shut them out of the churches.
Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light in the third angel's message, which shows the way into the most holy place. (Early Writings, 260)
REFLECTION: We all think when we read the story of a crucified Christ that we would have done differently. But would we have done so? Peter and all of the other disciples claimed they would die before they would deny Christ (see Matthew 26:35). But these words didn't keep them from shamefully denying Christ. Would we really be any different? If we are not searching and praying, we will deceive ourselves just as the disciples did.
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