The Family Altar Audio Devotional - Day 33

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. (Matthew 21:23-27) 20 Here some time ago, speaking to a rabbi, where a man, John Rhyn, had been blind for twenty years, received his sight—begging on the streets in Fort Wayne. This rabbi called me in and said, “By what authority did you open John’s eyes?” I said, “I never opened his eyes.” Said, “Well, how did you do it?” I said, “In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” And he said, “Far be it from God having a son. How could a Spirit have a son?” I said, “Rabbi,” I said, “I’d like to ask you something. Would you believe the prophets? It wouldn’t be hard for you to believe the prophets?” He said, “Sure, I believe the prophets.” I said, “Who did Isaiah speak of in 9:6 when he said, ‘Unto us a Child is born, a Son is given?’” “Well,” he said, “that was the Messiah.” I said, “What relationship is Messiah to God?” He said, “He is God, the anointed One.” I said, “Tell me one place that Jesus ever failed to—but what He showed that He was the anointed Messiah, the Lord, your God?” 21 And he said, “Well, he was a thief.” Said, “How was He a thief?” Said, “He stole corn right out of the cornfield.” I said, “Rabbi, your own law said that a man can pass through a cornfield and eat what he wants to; but he can’t take out any in a bag.” He didn’t even know that, being a rabbi. He can’t take any out, but…?…” I said, “He didn’t steal.” You know, that rabbi stood there for a few minutes. And I said, “Rabbi, don’t you believe that He was that?” He said, “Look, sir,” said, “if I preached that, I’d be down there in the street begging.” I said, “I’d rather be down there begging and drinking branch water, than eating chicken three times a day, and my name in gold on this temple here, and know I was in error. I’d rather he truthful.” And he started to cry. And he turned around, and he said, “I’ll see you later.” I said, “You’re not honest with me, rabbi.” 22 He said, “I believe if them temple priests would have listened to Him, we’d been better off today.” And I said, “Then you believe… What about it?” He said, “I believe He was a good man.” I said, “Rabbi, do you believe He was a good man?” Said, “I’ll go farther than that with you. I believe He was a prophet.” I said, “That’s all I want you to say. Then He said He was the Son of God. And then, if He was a prophet, He can’t lie. So therefore, you believe He was the prophet, the Son of God; He showed the sign of Messiah.” And he wouldn’t talk to me no more, and he went in the place. Oh, brother. What that love of money will do. What a love of some ecclesiastical form will do. But what the love of God will do then, to a heart that’s willing to surrender to the will and ways of God. 61-0119e - "Queen Of Sheba" Rev. William Marrion Branham ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order your own copy of the Family Altar at http://store.bibleway.org