Sometimes a person will receive a gift for their birthday, or other special occasion, but they really don’t want it. They might get a painting, for example, but it is not really their “style.” They might say “thank you” as they take that gift, but inside they don’t really like it, and instead of hanging it up on their wall, that painting gets stored in the basement out of sight, or gets put out for sale the next time they have a rummage sale for someone else to come and buy. Maybe someone else will want it, but they didn’t.
Sometimes when some food falls onto the floor, we will scrape it up and put it into the animal’s food bowl for our cat and dog. Often, our cat is far more picky about what he wants to eat, and will turn up his nose at it, refusing to eat it. Our dog, on the other hand, will eat just about everything that gets put into her bowl. It may even have been offered to our cat first, but if he doesn’t eat it, the dog will.
And this is similar to what happened between Jacob and Esau, how Esau wasn’t very concerned with his birthright and he sold it to Jacob for some food. It available to him automatically because he was the firstborn, but it wasn’t very important to him. But Jacob wanted it, and even though he did deceive his own dad to get the blessing, it showed truly how much he wanted it, and how important it was to him.
Another example: a person may win a ticket to a seat for a concert or sports event, but it is up to them to claim that ticket. Unless they claim the ticket, it will be given to someone else, and it is up to them: do they really want it or not?
When Jesus came to the earth, He came to save the Jews as their promised Messiah, but many of them didn’t believe in Him or His teachings. Instead of accepting and keeping their Free Gift, they rejected Jesus, and this opened the opportunity for the Gentiles to be saved.
Matthew 21:42 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”
The Jews today still have the opportunity to get this gift, as well as the Gentiles. We are all able to have eternal life, we just need to accept it. We all need to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, and give ourselves wholly to Him. His love for us is so great, Jews and Gentiles alike, that He died for our sins so that we could be saved.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Everlasting life is available now to anyone who believes in Jesus. It just comes down to whether a person really wants it or not.
Will you keep that gift that is available to you, or will you give it away? Will you use this opportunity to claim your free seat?
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 