Jesus Told us – There will be Other Jesus’s .
Mat 24:23 – 25 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Behold, I have told you before.
The Prosperity Jesus = The Rich Jesus.
As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus is as rich as God is rich. Indeed, our Lord owns everything and possesses all power, authority, sovereignty, glory, honor, and majesty (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1, 8:58, 10:30, 17:5; Colossians 1:15–18, 2:9–10; Hebrews 1:3). Yet during the time Jesus was here on earth, He willingly relinquished His eternal riches and most of the privileges of His deity. Becoming poor indeed, our Lord took on the nature of a lowly and humble servant (Zechariah 9:9; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:6–8). And if Jesus had some of the Gold from the 3 wise men left , Judas mismanaged it. And by the time our Savior endured the tortures of the cross for us, His earthly possessions amounted to no more than the clothes on His back that were divided up by the soldiers who crucified Him.
Sadly, however, there are many prosperity preachers today who would like you to believe that Jesus was rich while here on earth and that God wants nothing more than to lavish His children with an abundance of material blessings. After all, a rich Jesus would certainly make it easier for them to persuade their flock that God wants them to be rich, too. However, a materially rich Jesus Christ is utterly incompatible with biblical truth. Even a cursory examination of the Bible should dispel any notion of our Savior’s being wealthy in an earthly sense. During His public ministry, Christ and His disciples depended entirely on the hospitality of others as they ministered from town to town (Matthew 10:9–10). As Jesus told a would-be follower, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (Luke 9:58).
It is unfortunate, then, that this false teaching about Christ’s wealth and its concomitant “gospel of greed” has gained a foothold in churches today. As Solomon aptly taught, however, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), for we can see that Paul addressed similar matters in his own churches: “Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people” (Romans 16:17–18).
Paul’s terse commentary in his first letter to Timothy regarding those who think godliness is a means to financial gain captures the essence of Christ’s numerous teachings on the dangers that accompany a heart bent on the accumulation of earthly treasure: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:9–10).
Indeed, the New Testament is filled with lessons where Jesus chides the rich and praises the poor. He taught us to “be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). And He taught us not to “store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–21). Our Lord, who knows the hearts of men, is aware of the deceitfulness of riches and what a considerable stumbling block wealth can be. The sentiment of Proverbs 30:9, which declares, “I may have too much and disown you and say ‘who is the LORD,’” reverberates through the entirety of God’s Word. Thus, it would be a strange paradox indeed—and one that would certainly dilute the gospel message—if Jesus Christ were a member of the rich class of people who, as He declared, would find it so difficult “to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).
ARTIEKEL IN AFRIKAANS
Jesus het vir ons gesê – Daar sal ander Jesus s’n wees.
Mat 24:23 – 25 As iemand dan vir julle sê: Kyk, hier is Christus of daar; glo dit nie. Want daar sal valse christusse en valse profete opstaan, en hulle sal groot tekens en wonders doen; in soverre dat hulle, as dit moontlik was, die einste uitverkorenes sal mislei.
Kyk, ek het jou al voorheen gesê.
Die Voorspoed Jesus = Die Ryk Jesus.
As die tweede persoon van die Drie-eenheid is Jesus so ryk soos wat God ryk is. Inderdaad, ons Here besit alles en besit alle mag, gesag, soewereiniteit, heerlikheid, eer en majesteit (Jesaja 9:6; Miga 5:2; Johannes 1:1, 8:58, 10:30, 17:5; Kolossense 1:15–18, 2:9–10; Hebreërs 1:3). Tog het Hy gedurende die tyd wat Jesus hier op aarde was, gewillig van Sy ewige rykdom en meeste van die voorregte van Sy godheid afstand gedoen. Omdat ons inderdaad arm geword het, het ons Here die aard van ‘n nederige en nederige dienskneg aangeneem (Sagaria 9:9; 2 Korintiërs 8:9; Filippense 2:6–8). En as Jesus van die Goud van die 3 wyse manne oorgehad het, het Judas dit verkeerd bestuur. En teen die tyd dat ons Verlosser die marteling van die kruis vir ons verduur het, het Sy aardse besittings nie meer beloop as die klere op Sy rug wat opgedeel is deur die soldate wat Hom gekruisig het nie.
Ongelukkig is daar egter vandag baie voorspoedpredikers wat graag wil hê dat jy moet glo dat Jesus ryk was terwyl hy hier op aarde was en dat God niks meer wil hê as om Sy kinders met ‘n oorvloed van materiële seëninge te oorvloed nie. ’n Ryk Jesus sou dit immers vir hulle beslis makliker maak om hulle kudde te oortuig dat God wil hê hulle moet ook ryk wees. ‘n Materieel ryk Jesus Christus is egter heeltemal onversoenbaar met Bybelse waarheid. Selfs ‘n vlugtige ondersoek van die Bybel behoort enige idee van ons Verlosser se ryk wees in ‘n aardse sin uit die weg te ruim. Tydens Sy openbare bediening was Christus en Sy dissipels geheel en al afhanklik van die gasvryheid van ander terwyl hulle van dorp tot dorp bedien het (Matteus 10:9–10). Soos Jesus vir ’n voornemende volgeling gesê het, “Jakkalse het gate en voëls van die hemel het neste, maar die Seun van die mens het geen plek om sy kop neer te lê nie” (Lukas 9:58).
Dit is dus jammer dat hierdie valse lering oor Christus se rykdom en die gepaardgaande “evangelie van hebsug” ‘n vastrapplek in kerke vandag gekry het. Soos Salomo egter gepas geleer het: “Daar is niks nuuts onder die son nie” (Prediker 1:9), want ons kan sien dat Paulus soortgelyke sake in sy eie kerke aangespreek het: “Pas op vir die wat verdeeldheid veroorsaak en struikelblokke in julle stel. manier wat in stryd is met die lering wat jy geleer het. Bly weg van hulle af. Want sulke mense dien nie ons Here Christus nie, maar hulle eie begeertes. Deur gladde praatjies en vleiery verlei hulle die verstand van naïewe mense” (Romeine 16:17–18).
Paulus se bondige kommentaar in sy eerste brief aan Timoteus aangaande diegene wat dink dat godsaligheid ‘n middel tot finansiële gewin is, vang die essensie vas van Christus se talle leringe oor die gevare wat gepaard gaan met ‘n hart wat gefokus is op die versameling van aardse skatte: “Mense wat ryk wil word, val in versoeking en ‘n strik en in baie dwase en skadelike begeertes wat mense in ondergang en vernietiging dompel. Want die liefde vir geld is ‘n wortel van alle soorte kwaad. Sommige mense, gretig na geld, het van die geloof afgedwaal en hulleself met baie smarte deurboor” (1 Timoteus 6:9–10).
Inderdaad, die Nuwe Testament is gevul met lesse waar Jesus die rykes berispe en die armes prys. Hy het ons geleer om “op julle hoede te wees vir alle soorte hebsug; ’n mens se lewe bestaan nie uit die oorvloed van sy besittings nie” (Lukas 12:15). En Hy het ons geleer om nie “vir ons skatte op aarde bymekaar te maak waar mot en roes verniel en waar diewe inbreek en steel nie. Maar om vir ons skatte in die hemel bymekaar te maak, waar mot en roes nie verniel nie en waar diewe nie inbreek en steel nie” (Matteus 6:19–21). Ons Here, wat die harte van mense ken, is bewus van die bedrog van rykdom en wat ‘n aansienlike struikelblok rykdom kan wees. Die sentiment van Spreuke 30:9, wat verklaar: “Ek kan te veel hê en jou verloën en sê ‘Wie is die HERE’,” weerklink deur die hele van God se Woord. Dit sou dus inderdaad ‘n vreemde paradoks wees – en een wat beslis die evangelieboodskap sou verwater – as Jesus Christus ‘n lid van die ryk klas mense was wat, soos Hy verklaar het, dit so moeilik sou vind “om in die koninkryk van die hemele in te gaan. ” (Matteus 19:23).