Luke 4:38-41 (ESV)

And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus has so much power over the demons that he can keep them from telling people that he is the Christ – the Son of God. But why doesn’t he let them? He just declared that he is the anointed one of Isaiah 61. He’s been publically calling himself the Christ; why must the demons be silenced on this issue?

Because they know what kind of Christ He is. They know that he isn’t the Christ everyone expects. They know about incarnation. But, still, why must that be kept secret?

Well, fast forward to Jesus’ trial. The Sanhedrin wants Jesus crucified for the blasphemy of claiming to be the son of God. But suppose that at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry a bunch of demons had been blabbing all over the place that Jesus is the son of God. If that had happened, it just might have dawned on the Sanhedrin that it could be true. As it is, that possibility never occurs to them, and so he’s “obviously” guilty the moment he makes the claim.

Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” – Luke 22:70-71 (NKJV)

It’s just mind-boggling to think how intricate the plan was to get to the cross. It’s like Mission Impossible where the goal is to get crucified.

How can we do anything but worship love like that?

The problem is that we think we deserve that love. Oh sure, we recite over and over that we don’t, but do we really believe it?

The typical image of someone arriving in Hell is them saying something like, “There must be some mistake. I’m in the wrong place.” This reaction is even recorded in scripture.

On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” – Matthew 7:22 (ESV)

The truth is that we should have a reaction more like that upon arriving in Heaven. Groucho Marx famously said, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.”

The problem with letting people like us in to Heaven is that then it will be full of people like us. How can that be paradise?

Answer – We will, at last, be sanctified.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies