My Earliest Followers

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

October 23, 2012    My Earliest Followers         Page 50        John 1:35-51

John the Baptist affirmed the mission of Jesus: “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” (v.36) In  The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ, we will see that as the Passover lamb was sacrificed for the sins of an individual, Jesus the Lamb of God will be sacrificed for the sins of the world.

I have long been fascinated with the two disciples’ answer to Jesus’ question, “What do you want?” They replied, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” (v.38). Their answer is pregnant with their desire to not just meet Jesus, but to know him, to become his disciples. When I was ordained, I opened my Bible to the Apostle Paul’s passionate affirmation of this same desire: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” (Philippians 3:10-11).

The depth of Jesus’ mission was revealed when Jesus engaged Nathanael in conversation. Nathanael immediately connected the dots and declared Jesus the Son of God. Jesus responded with a reference to Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28. Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder extending to heaven with angels coming and going on the ladder. He named the place where he had the dream, Bethel, which means House of God. Later, Bethel would become the site of a great sanctuary for God’s people. This belief that God comes to meet his people, to interact with them, finds its fulfillment in the Jews’ understanding of the Temple, where God’s presence dwelled. Jesus told Nathanael that the miracles he will witness are evidence that God’s presence is within Jesus.

Jesus is showing us that when you are with him, you are in God’s house. God’s presence is with you. The disciples of Jesus can experience this truth as they sit quietly in their devotional time, as well as in their sanctuary when they gather with the saints of God for worship.

“God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Colossians 1:25-27).

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

October 24, 2012    My First Miracle      Page 51        Luke 3:23a; John 2:1-12