Preparing the Way of the Lord!
Thursday, December 23, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Jesus, I thank You for all that You have blessed me with. I am a blessed person because of Your love and power in my life. I am spiritually rich because of You! As I prepare for Christmas this year, I know people who do not accept You as Lord of their lives. They are offended by the truth of Your word. By Your Holy Spirit, I ask that You would convict them and show them the truth about Jesus. Help me to be a testimony to them this Christmas. I want them to be spiritually rich and blessed just as I have been. Give me the grace and mercy to show forth Your light to them. I ask this in Your name. . . amen.
God’s Word Today
Matthew 11:1-6
1 "When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went off teaching and preaching in towns throughout the country. 2 John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 'Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?' 4 Jesus told them, 'Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen -- 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6 And tell him: 'God blesses those who are not offended by me.'"
Reflecting on God's Word
According to verse 6, what did Jesus say to tell John?
What does this statement mean?
Why did Jesus include this statement in his answer to John's question?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What does it mean to be "offended" by Jesus?
Can you think of people in the Bible who were offended by Jesus? If so, who?
Why does God "bless" those who are not offended by Jesus?
Understanding God's Word
What does it mean to be "blessed" of God?
Why cannot those who are offended by Jesus be truly blessed?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
Do you know people today who are offended by Jesus?
Why are they offended by Jesus?
What is one thing you can do to share God's love to these persons?
Thoughts...
We as Americans are very blessed to live in a nation such as the United States. Although there are problems within America (as there is in every nations), we are very favored of God to enjoy the freedom and blessings that come from living here. From a financial standpoint alone, we are some of the wealthiest people on the entire earth. We are very blessed compared to the majority of the world. The greatest blessing, however, is not material but rather spiritual. There are many Americans who are materially wealthy, but spiritually poor. Likewise there are many who are materially poor, but spiritually rich. Of the two, I would rather be the later.
In Matthew 11:6, Jesus makes a final remark in His answer to John's question which is quite interesting. He says, "God blesses those who are not offended by me." In Jesus day, there were many people who were offended by His ministry -- particularly the religious leaders. Time after time the religious leaders would be offended and quite disguested with Jesus' strong words. Because of their rejection of Jesus, they were not blessed of God and spiritually poor. All of us today can think of those we know who are not walking with God. They have rejected Jesus and do not live for Him. These people are not blessed of God! To be blessed of God simply means that we are living for Jesus and we are not ashamed of that fact. We are willing to tell the world about God's love which came through Jesus Christ. To be a follower of Jesus means that we are not offended by Jesus, but rather are drawn to Him. You may run into people in your family or friends this week who are not spiritually rich, and get offended when Jesus is brought into Christmas. Jesus, however, promises us that if we are not offended by Him, then we will truly be blessed.