I AM: Discovering the Nature of Jesus!
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, You, and You alone have the power to make me alive today and forever! I praise You for who You are, and for giving that life-giving power to me through Jesus. Fill me with the Holy Spirit anew right now, that I may experience the reality of the new birth that I received in Jesus’ name, and which I must live out today and every day that You give me. I pray that the new life of Jesus will be evident in me to others—to family members, to friends, to strangers, to any and all I will meet today. Glorify Yourself in my life today, Lord. Use me in any way You see fit to advance the cause of Your coming Kingdom. All this I pray in the name of Jesus, who is the bread of life. Amen.
God's Word Today
John 6:35-40
35Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst. 36But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want. 39And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day. 40For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life—that I should raise them at the last day.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
17What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
18All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him.
Reflecting on God's Word
What does it mean to you that Jesus will never reject those that the Father has given to Him?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
According to Jesus, who accepts and rejects him? (6:35-40)
What is the difference in our lives once we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord? (5:17)
What work does God give us as followers of Jesus? (5:18)
Understanding God's Purpose for Us
What is the biggest difference between Christians and non-Christians according to today’s readings?
Why do you suppose that God entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What is the application of today’s reading to your life right now?
Thoughts... The New Life
Jesus makes it clear that anyone who has received Him, the bread of life, has life forever! What a tremendous promise. It isn’t really enough for us to know that God is with us here and now—although that is a wonderful promise in and of itself—the reality is that Jesus promises that we will be with Him forever. That eternal perspective makes all the difference in our lives. Jesus was willing to go to the cross, because He knew the victory that awaited Him on the other side of it. He endured an unthinkable death at the hands of Roman executioners—as the movie, the Passion of the Christ brings to bold and gruesome reality—and He did it for us, for you and me. Jesus didn’t die, because of the Jews or the Romans. Jesus died freely. He GAVE His life away for the human race, for ever person who would ever be born! Why? Because He is the bread of life, and He was willing to have His body given for our nourishment, for our salvation, for our eternal life. The difference in our lives when Jesus is Lord is so profound that Jesus called it being “born again,” and the Apostle Paul called it a “new” life. This is the central teaching of Christianity—that God redeemed us through Jesus’ death on the cross, so we may live victorious, NEW lives now and forever!
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