David Diga Hernandez - Something About Jesus That's Rarely Mentioned

There’s a side to the Lord rarely spoken аbout: Jesus was neither politically nor culturally correct. He contradicts much of what the world believes, and His very nature is an offense to those who reject Him. His teachings divide the worldly from the spiritual. Only in Him is found the authority to claim truth. As you hear this message, you’ll be challenged to make a firm stand for Christ.

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So, if we want to understand this declaration of the Lord when He said, «I am the door» or «the gate,» then we must understand and accept the fact that Jesus speaks in absolutes. We must understand that Jesus is the foundation; Jesus is the absolute. Jesus was not tolerant; He was truthful. Let me show you something in Matthew chapter 10. I’m going to read verses 24 and 25, and then we’re going to go down to verse 32 and read through to verse 38. Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names. Verse 32: Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth; I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household. If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. Verse 38: If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. Jesus was fully aware of what He was asking of His followers, and He knew that those who follow Him would be criticized. He knew that those who follow Him would be rejected by many. We, as believers, because we follow Jesus, are rejected by society; we are rejected by many parts of culture. In fact, many of us face confrontation and conflict with family members in our own households. Jesus knew all of that when He called us to follow Him, and very few people talk about the fact that Jesus spoke in absolutes. You’ve heard the phrase, especially when people are criticizing believers: «You are so narrow-minded.» Well, Jesus said, «Narrow is the way.» So yes, I am, in some sense, narrow-minded in that I believe that Jesus is the way. He speaks in absolutes; He is gentle, but immovable. He’s firmly planted; He knows who He is; He doesn’t need anyone to tell Him. Jesus spoke in absolutes because He is the absolute standard. Understanding that Jesus spoke in absolutes gives us greater insight into His words found in John chapter 10. I’m going to read verses 1 through 10 now. I tell you the truth: anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After He has gathered His own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they run from him because they don’t know his voice. Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what He meant, so He explained to them: «I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep,» or «I am the door.» All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate; those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy; my purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. Now, looking at verse 1 here, we see that anyone who does not come in the name of Jesus has to approach us in a roundabout way. Jesus said that anyone who sneaks over the wall of the sheepfold is basically a thief or a liar. In other words, He’s saying everyone who came before me, everyone who claimed to know truth, everyone who claimed to know absolute truth, everyone who claimed to speak on behalf of God—if they weren’t speaking in His name—Jesus says they’re all liars. They’re all thieves; they’re all robbers; they’re all crooks; they’re all basically deceived. If you don’t come in through Christ, if you don’t come in His name, Jesus says you’re a liar. Jesus says you’re a false prophet. People ask all the time, «Who are the false prophets?» I’ll tell you: they’re the people who claim absolute truth outside of Christ. They’re the leaders of other religions—not that I identify Christianity as a religion—but they’re leaders of religious movements. They follow after other names, other gods; those are the false prophets, and Jesus says they’re all liars. None of them know the truth, and He’s basically making an absolute declaration saying that if anyone wants to come to eternal life, they must come through Him. He’s saying that anyone who is a deceiver has to sneak around before they can get to you. So, Jesus is making claims that are absolute in nature; He is the way; He is the path. Look at verse 7: so He explained to them, «I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep,» or «the door.» You know, before Christ made His sacrifice, it was as if heaven was walled off, and once Jesus ascended, He became that door through which those who believe in Him can enter eternal life.