Friday, December 11, 2009

Messiah Anointed One

“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ)

‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’

Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.”

John 4:2526 (NIV)



When Jesus came to earth, God chose Him to represent the Father to the people of Israel. Part of Jesus’ title includes the word Christ a Greek word meaning ‘anointed one’. The Hebrew word for this term is Messiah.

William Barclay tells us, “In the ancient world, as today in (his) country, kings were anointed at their coronation.”* In some denominations, people are anointed for healing, being set aside for service, or for consecration. When we receive the anointing oils, we experience a very spiritual event.

God chose His SonJesus to come to earth to save us from our sin. The Son’s task was so specialto be the Father’s ambassadorthat God most likely anointed Jesus before sending Him down to walk with us.



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* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Revised

John Vol I, pp 8889

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

JesusThe Way, The Truth, The Life

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me.

(John 14:6 NIV)

“ ‘See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare

the way before me. Then suddenly the

Lord you are seeking will come

to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,

whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

(Malachi 3:1 NIV)



“From the fullness of his grace we have

all received one blessing after another.

For the law was given through Moses; grace

and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:1617 (NIV)



Jesus traveled into a foreign area. He was thirsty. He met a woman who was getting her daily amount of water from the well. By custom, he shouldn’t be talking to hershe being a woman and He being from another land. She told Him she knew the Messiah would come soon. Jesus told her He was the one she spoke of.



Later in His ministry, Jesus told the twelve disciples He is the only route, the only path to God. The Master used terms the disciples could understand.



John described Him as being ‘’full of grace and truth.” We know people will tell untruths to us. We know others won’t forgive us when we do things that are hurtful to others. But Jesus is our model of grace, mercy, love and truth. Shouldn’t we look to Him when we have doubts, trials, and traumas in our lives?

Monday, December 7, 2009

Jesusthe Light of the World

“When Jesus spoke again to the people,

he said ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever

follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.’ “

John 8:12 (NIV)



Jesus identified himself as the Light of the World. He made a promise to those who would follow Him. What did Christ mean? Sin and its evil world has always been equated with darkness.

During vacations of the past, my husband and our son and I visited three different cave attractions. On each of these three tours, the guide demonstrates the phenomena of total darkness by turning off all the lights. Those who take these tours have probably never experienced absolute darkness. People are afraid to move. Children yell or cry.

I think of these tours when I think of John saying, “The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:5 NIV) The voices of the children remind me of people injured by sin. The return of light in the caves makes me think of Jesus’ presence in the world.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...