20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'”
21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.
22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” Luke 7:18-23. (Emphasis added.)
At first reading and at first thought, it does not make sense that anyone would take offense at him. After all, “the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM”. But, yet, we read: “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
As Reformed folk, we soon consider that without regeneration, that is without being “born of the Spirit” as discussed in John 3:1-8, without “Irresistible Grace” (the “I” of “TULIP”) we would all take offense at Jesus.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44.
The “T” of “TULIP”, “Total Depravity” instructs us: “as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” Romans 3:10-12.
That is how wicked we are, without this regeneration. Even though Jesus would heal us and others, and even though Jesus would bring to us the good news of salvation, we would still hate Him. We would still take offense at Him. We certainly know that the “wise” religious Jewish leaders took offense at Jesus. Even though Jesus was without guilt, and even though Jesus did all this good, they crucified Him.
Our only “chance” for salvation was not our wisdom. “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21.
Our only “chance” for salvation was not our will nor our works. “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:16.
Our only “chance” for salvation was God’s grace. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” Ephesians 2:4-5. (Emphasis added.)
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 