Day 10 – Lenten Devotional
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL – DAY 10 – SATURDAY, March 16, 2019
Jesus came to proclaim and BE the “Good News”
The “Good News” Jesus preached was a gospel of repentance and belief in this good news; life changing authentic faith in the message of gospel. Now here is where His message is so different and amazing; the good news is not simply believing the lifesaving message of words Jesus spoke, but believing in Him! Jesus came to preach and BE the “Good News!” He was, is and forever will be the living embodiment of the “Good News.”
In the four witnesses of the life of Christ in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, it is John that draws out the mysterious understanding that we are NOT to believe in only the message of the gospel, but the Messenger; the message and the Messenger are indivisibly tied together as one! THIS IS IMPORTANT! Try to follow my humble attempt to briefly explain through John’s gospel in Scripture…
1. The message and Messenger are one, the Word: John 1:1-2 ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
2. The Word became flesh to bring and BE truth: John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
3. Why is the sacrament of Communion so important? We must take in all of Jesus not simply the message (read all of John, chapter 6 to get the full context): John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
4. Know Christ, know truth: John 8:31-32 “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
5. Jesus did not just show the way to salvation He WAS/IS the way: John14:3 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
6. Believers are mysteriously connected to Christ: John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
7. Spiritually connected: John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
8. Your union with Christ is a living message to the world! John 17:23 Jesus prayed for His Apostles;
“ I in them and You (Father) in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”
REFLECT: Meditate on the holiness of your position, who you really are in Christ Jesus…born again, a new creation, child of God, servant of the King, spiritually intertwined with God in ways that you will continue to marvel at.
REPENT: Change your ways. Ask God to rid your mind of meaningless worldly nonsense and focus your mind on matters of eternal importance. Ask Him to help you remember always who you really are in Christ.
RESTORE: Learning more about what it really means to be a Christian is truly amazing! God truly does desire an intimate, loving relationship with you. Return His love for you and grow with Him.
Read the Gospel of John with the Holy Spirit and you will better understand the Apostle Paul…
Ephesians 1:22-23 ”And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Blessings,
Pastor Tom Bellhy