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Mar 13, 2023 18:30pm

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

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Four friends stand in the road. Running for their lives, they try to find a place to hide. One suggests the attic. Another suggests the basement. And then a girl says, why don’t we just get into the running car. Everyone looks at the car, looks at her, and then one of the boys says, “Are you crazy?! Let’s hide behind the chainsaws!” They all agree at the “smart” idea and run to hide, meanwhile the killer stands directly behind them and rolls his eyes at how “smart” they are.

This Geico commercial cracks me up. It’s probably one of my favorites. It’s obvious how poor their decisions are. Who would hide in an attic in a scary movie? Have you ever found yourself yelling at the TV “Don’t go in the basement! Why are they so dumb?!” And then, the one thing that can save them, the car, seems completely absurd to them. It’s like it’s a gift, a sign that they can be rescued, but they ignore it. So, they choose something even worse, the barn with the chainsaws. They are completely oblivious to the truth. They think they know what’s the right way, and yet they miss it when it’s right in front of them.

“And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.” (Mark 8:11-12)

The Pharisees are a religious group with power and authority. They have made a mockery of the law in which God gave them by believing they could add anything to it to make it better. Yet, they believe they are righteous. Since Jesus has come on the scene, people have flocked to Him, seeking true healing and teaching. This has enraged the Pharisees and they constantly look for a way to trap Jesus and get rid of Him.

In this passage, their devious efforts continue as they tell Jesus that if He really is who He says He is, He will give them a sign from Heaven.

Who does that sound like? Remember Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness? The devil told Him that if He was truly the Son of God, that He could jump and the angels would come and rescue Him.

These men may have acted like they were looking for a truth, but it was right in front of them and they couldn’t see it. Jesus was a gift from God, sent from Heaven to save the lost. They could have been rescued from their sin. But instead, they ignored the signs before them. They had their agenda. So, when they asked for another sign, Jesus told them He wouldn’t do it. Why should He? They hadn’t believed anything He had said thus far. These men had seen and heard all the signs and miracles, and still they didn’t believe. They thought they were so smart as they tried to tempt Jesus.

Instead of rolling His eyes at their stupidity and hard hearts, it says He sighed in His spirit. He was heartbroken for these men because He knew their fate. He knew what was ahead for them because they were so hard against the truth. They would never repent. They would never see their sin. They would never believe.

Until it was too late. At the moment of death, these men would realize just what they had missed. They would understand the weight of their sin and the punishment that they deserved. They would cry out to God, pleading for deliverance from the tortures of Hell, but they had chosen this. They would believe in God then, but it would be too late.

The signs are all around us that God is the creator of the world. You cannot look at the beautiful and marvelous things in this world and not think, “Wow! Someone had to create this! Someone powerful!” And the Bible, the very Word of God, tells us who that creator is.

God has given us all we need in order to be saved. I pray you recognize that today. There is no better time than this very moment to repent of your sin, confess it to our Heavenly Father and follow Him! Just as Jesus’ heart was broken for these lost men, His heart breaks for you too! He loves you! And He desires for you to be saved!

Will you trust Him?

And if you have, if you have been saved, it wasn’t just a ticket on the bus to heaven. He saved you for a purpose! Glorify Him with your life! Serve Him with gladness! Share His great name! And, just as He commanded, make disciples!