Pick Up the Phone (John 5:39-40)

Devos.HipHop

Excelsius || Liberation

I love Caller ID; I think it’s one of man’s greatest inventions. It allows me to see who is calling and to screen those calls, if need be. If it’s someone I want to talk to, like a friend, then I can answer; otherwise, I let it go to voicemail. Caller ID is great, but even then, you can miss out on important calls, all because you don’t feel like answering the phone.

Sadly, this is the state of many in the world today. They look at the Caller ID and think the call isn’t important enough to answer, so they let it go to voicemail & never check the message. Whatever they are doing at the time is far more important than answering a phone call. This is often the tendency when bill collectors call. They duck and hide, instead of trying to come to some kind of payment arrangement. They continue playing this game until they find out their wages are about to be garnished. It’s not until this point that they’re trying to talk to these people, but it’s too late. Unfortunately, the bill collectors were more than happy to work with them, if they’d only answered their calls.

Spiritually speaking, God is the one on the other end, wanting the world to answer his calls. He’s trying to call and let them know their account is overdrawn with sin & the punishment for nonpayment is an eternity in hell. Yet, instead of answering his call, they think they will eventually get to a point where they’ve done enough good to pay off their debt to him. But, that never happens. The problem in not answering the phone is that God is calling to let them know he has an offer that will that will wipe their slate clean, but the offer isn’t active without first accepting it.

This was the situation the Jews faced in Jesus’ time. They were trying to keep the Law and pay off their debt to God with obedience & sacrifices. Little did they know that this wasn’t going to be enough to get them eternal life. Even though they searched the Scriptures, many of them missed the point. They failed to see that the Scriptures were leading them to Jesus, the promised Messiah. The Jews were so caught up in their religious practices that they missed the Caller ID reading “Messiah!” Thankfully some picked up the phone & responded to the call, but the majority ignored it.

The situation still holds true today. Jesus is calling and the signs are obvious, from the testimony of Scripture to the world around us. It’s God’s desire that all men come to salvation, but you have to respond to the gospel call. Matthew 22:14 tells us that while many are called only a few are chosen. What will you do? Will you let the phone keep ringing until it’s too late, or will you take Jesus up on his gracious offer?

Dig Deeper

1. Read Luke 14:12-24. Why do people make excuses for not accepting God’s offer of salvation?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. What is the significance of Paul saying that what Jesus did was according to the Scriptures?
3. Read 1 Peter 1:10-12. Why is it important to search and understand the Scriptures?

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Background music: Scribbling Idiots “More Than Crew (Instrumental)” from album The Have Nots – courtesy of Illect Recordings