John 18:21 Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
A Secret
It is getting harder and harder to keep secrets these days. Have you noticed that? Sometimes I will make some kind of announcement at the Ranch, and everyone already knows because they are on Facebook. They probably knew about what I was announcing before I did. There is such a connectedness to this world, for good or for bad, that there seem to be very few secrets that are kept very long or very well.
Of all things that are kept secret, sometimes it is the things that should least be kept a secret, like how people can have peace with God, that continue to be a secret. There is a subtle motivation to keep secrets like that because there is often some kind of blowback for someone being dogmatic with dogma, truthful with truth, giving the good news as it is.
In John 18, Jesus was brought before the high priest. Verses 19-21 say, “The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.”
When asked about His teachings, Jesus said, “Ask my disciples. They all know what I said. I was open with my doctrine and teaching. I have said nothing in secret. Ask anyone what I said, and they will tell you.” Well, could that safely be said today? Could that safely be said about you and me?
Verse 25 says, “And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.” Jesus had said, “You can ask any of my disciples. They know what I said,” but here is Peter, one of the twelve, denying that he even knew Jesus!
I wonder how many people in your world or mine know what we had for supper on Friday night but don’t know the Bread of Life, the One Who changed our lives. They don’t know Jesus. Jesus is only a secret from those who won’t speak of Him and to those who won’t listen. The high priests knew the Bible and the prophecies of the Messiah, yet they totally missed Him when He stood right before them. They pretended to judge Him Who will judge them one day. They totally missed Him because they wouldn’t listen and because others wouldn’t speak.
The Bible speaks of Herod, Pilate, and the high priests, yet Jesus is the King. The world will know the truth when we speak as openly as Jesus would. He wants to speak through us today. There are a lot of things that probably should be secret that aren’t kept secret. There are other things that people don’t need to know, but there is one thing they really must know because their eternity hangs on it. Jesus left His disciples, people like you and me, in this world to glorify Him by speaking of Him to those who otherwise would never hear.