Reading
SAA Notes
John has a moment of deep doubt. Jesus deals very compassionately with John and honours him before His disciples. John’s message of repentance is the basis of Jesus denunciation of these three favoured cities. If we listen to Jesus’ messenger, we will listen to Jesus.
SJA Notes
* Dear God, please teach us from Your word today, we would listen and obey.
“God and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”
Jesus pointed John to the evidence of what He had done.
We see here the practical outworking of Jesus as MESSIAH, as LORD and KING and CREATOR/SUSTAINER.
That Jesus could change the molecular structure of liquids.
The Jesus could push back and remove death and broken things in our biology.
That Jesus could enforce His will on spiritual entities who would tear and destroy as they inhabited people.
The Jesus with just His words could quiet and calm the fiercest of rain and wind and storm.
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
We saw in yesterday’s reading that Jesus has come to bring a sword, which is His word – Cutting between bone and marrow, to the very heart of a person.
God’s word can cause offense in us OR it can be the water of life.
BLESSED is the one who, instead of offense, takes to Jesus like dry parched land to the rains.
Jesus gives life, brings life – He is life!
* Wonderful Father God,
Please humble us, continue to scrape out our sin and refine us Lord God, making us more like Jesus.
Please help us to repent and believe each day we walk this life.
Amen.