Taste And See!
In 2000 years Jesus Christ has not changed. He is the same life-altering figure of history that He has always been. His claims are as bold now, His promises are as sure, his words as vital, and His calling as serious as they have ever been. No one is excused from examining the importance of Jesus in their life. Too often today, we lose sight of Him in the midst of a multitude of religions and religious leaders. We lose sight of Him in the midst of an abundance of churches and denominations. We lose sight of Him in the midst of His followers who, if we are honest, often obstruct a clear view of Him by excusing sin, glorifying pride, and following all manner of things contrary to that which He has commanded us to follow. I can say this because I am one of those followers, but none of these things provides an excuse for not examining the place that Jesus demands in our life.
The Bible invites us in Psalm 34:8 to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” You may have had an experience with a Church or a professing Christian that left a “sour taste” in your mouth, but it is Jesus that is sweet and refreshing. Everyone who has ever tried Him has found this to be true, without exception. Yes, there are those who claim to have tried Jesus and their life seems to give little evidence of His sweetness, but to reject Jesus without ever having tried him yourself is like declining a T-bone steak because someone once gave you a can of rancid Spam! There is a world of difference between the sweetness of Christ and the sweetness of His followers, but that is a question we must save for another time. You must examine Him yourself. You must “taste and see” for yourself. And you must make sure that it is Jesus that you are “tasting,” and not some “mystery meat” trying to pass itself off as Christianity.
If we follow the whims of the multitude we will be just as confused as Pilate. Jesus stood before Him, answered his questions, and yet in the end Pilate could not find the strength to do what Scripture seems to indicate he wanted to do. On three different occasions he tried to release Jesus, and on three different occasions he allowed the will of the multitude to sway him. In the end, Pilate sentenced Jesus to His death. With great symbolism he washed his hands in a basin of water and declared himself to be guiltless of the blood of Christ. But all the water in the world, and all the symbolic gestures, could not wash away Pilate’s guilt. The power to decide what to do with Jesus was in his hands, not the hands of the multitude. That power belongs to us as well. But the question, dear reader, is to you now. I have chosen to follow Jesus. I have tasted and seen that the Lord is very good. What will you do with Jesus? Taste and see!