Apostle Paul said this in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The gospel is not hid from the lost but it is hid to them. The truth of the Word of God is not hidden so that it can’t be found. It is hidden so that it can be searched for and ultimately found.
When It came time for Jesus to come into this world in human form, God fully intended for Him to manifest in the simplest form. Jesus didn’t come as the child of a world-renowned superstar. He didn’t come as a descendant of earthly royalty. Yes, He was from royalty but not of an earthly kingdom. His parents weren’t widely known for their political associations or entertaining talents. Mary and Joseph were not popular because of their appearance on reality TV. Jesus came into this world as the child of a lowly young woman and her humble spouse.
God purposely only notified a select few people of His impending birth. It wasn’t published in the newspapers of broadcasted on television. Reporters were not camped out near the inn waiting for the money shot of the new, already famous child. God saw fit to tell a few shepherds in the field. He knew that their social connections weren’t of any consequence to His plans for this family.
God chose to hide them during a tumultuous time in the land. Prophecies had been spoken for years about the Messiah who was coming to save everyone. Scholars and religious leaders knew these prophecies and were concerned about the impact of such a birth on their positions of power. They were fearful that people would look to this new king as the one to deliver them out of these times of political upheaval. Folks longed for a king to set them free.
When God set the plan in motion for Jesus to come into the world, His hiding was of utmost importance. Thus, the choice to tell only a select few. He knew that the ones He notified of the coming birth would drop what they were doing to go and see the new king. He knew their hearts and the purity of their souls. God knew that they would not visit Jesus for any type of political gain or other impure motives. They would go to Him out of love and reverence for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
So, Jesus was hidden as a baby so that those with the right motives would seek Him and find Him just as He was announced. One of our problems today is the fact that we sometimes portray Jesus as something that He is not. Too often, we use Him as a magic genie or a slot machine, hoping that He will give us everything we want. Then, when He does bless us, we testify how he gave us what we asked for and talk about how much of a giver God is, leaving out the requirement of any responsibility on our part. So, when someone new to the faith prays, asking God for something and He doesn’t oblige them, they get mad because God wasn’t faithful like everybody said He was. They don’t know that He wasn’t accurately represented to them, so they walk away in anger.
The gospel is hidden to the lost so that they don’t hear it and act on it prematurely, effectively twisting any future possibilities of their total acceptance of Jesus as He is. I’m not saying that it would be impossible for them to be saved after that. What I am saying is that after receiving a twisted presentation of the Christ, the mind can grasp it in so many different ways that they have absolutely no idea just Who he wants to be in their lives. Thus, the gospel must be hidden until the time designated by God for them to hear His Word as He intends.
I want to encourage you in your future witnessing opportunities. When it seems that someone doesn’t want to hear what you have to say, don’t feel kicked. It may not be the right time. They might not be ready to hear. That’s not your fault. If you spend time working on your relationship with the Master, your sensitivity to His leading will increase and you will become more keenly aware of the right opportunities. There is an appointed time for every person to hear the gospel, at least once. Do they have to hear it from you? Of course not. But at the appropriate time, the right person will be on the scene to reveal to them the truth of the gospel.
In the meantime, continue praying for them and simply show them the love of God. If you know someone that needs to hear the gospel, pray for God to send the right person at the right time. Pray that they will hear and gladly receive the gift of salvation through Jesus alone. While you’re at it, don’t forget to thank Him for saving you too.
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