“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:25
Do you ever wonder about the stuff the Bible doesn’t tell us? Today’s featured verse certainly indicates the volume is extraordinary. There’s so much that we don’t know about what Jesus did during his time on earth.
Realizing that He was both God and man is hard to comprehend. Where was the dividing line between the two? Here’s an example of what I mean.
Suppose you’re at work doing whatever it is you do to earn a living. A man walks in and approaches you face-to-face. You may know him casually or have simply heard of him or perhaps don’t have a clue as to who he is. He invites you to leave everything you know and follow him. How would you respond? I can’t imagine anyone today accepting such an invitation.
The Bible tells us that Jesus used this procedure when rounding up the original 12 disciples. Say what? There must be more to the story that isn’t recorded. Even the differences in time, culture, location, language, etc. can’t explain why these men would leave everything behind and follow Him. Unfortunately, there’s no separate historical record that elaborates on this event. As a result, other questions roll around in my head attempting to comprehend how the disciples’ recruitment occurred. And this is where the dividing line between Jesus being both God and man comes into play.
My impression is that Jesus knew how every potential candidate would respond before He asked them. Were the disciples preordained, and if so, had God eliminated their freedom-of-choice that we believe exists for everyone? Did Jesus simply go to the twelve He knew would say “yes” and not to anyone else? That is, did He bat 1.000 by hitting 12 of 12? If potential recruits had freedom-of-choice, how many men did Jesus have to ask before coming up with 12?
When I think about these kinds of things it always leads to more questions in my mind. We have a great treasure trove of historical and archeological records that add to the Biblical story, but sometimes I just wish for more. It reminds me of a feeling that I’ve had most of my life. With education I have become dumber, because the more I know, the more I realize there is that I don’t know.
What kinds of questions about Jesus do you have that aren’t revealed in the Bible?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for the Bible and revealing Your relationship to men and women throughout all ages. Give us the wisdom to use Your word to the best of our abilities. Amen.