16Is Christ’s Love Supreme in Our Life?
Good Morning Friends,
Jesus demonstrated His power of faith, hope and love at three tombs during His ministry. The tomb of the possessed man called Legion, the tomb of Lazarus, and His own tomb… the tomb of our Lord. What is striking about them is what happens at each regarding the authority of Jesus. Note that His power is not an issue in the realm of the demonic; it is not an issue in the realm of God… Instead it is an issue and a problem only among man, both believers and unbelievers. And so, how we encounter Jesus and His salvation and our hope of resurrection must address this same important issue. You see friends this is a problem of priorities for everybody. And it all relates to our emotional, physical and spiritual existence. That is why we must move to this manifestation of love for others through God’s plan. If love is not a priority for us the spirit cannot thrive. And so, as we contemplate this relationship of hope, faith and love against our emotional, physical and spiritual priorities, we ask a straightforward question. Is Christ’s Love Supreme in Our Life?
Scripture:
25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.* Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
John 11:25-26 (NRSV)
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in* him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in* him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled* in his fleshly body* through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— 23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
Colossians 1:15-23 (NRSV)
A week later his disciples were again in the house and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
John 20:26-29 (NRSV)
13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV)
Message: Jesus certainly gives us strength for today and hope for tomorrow, but our job as Christians is to keep the main thing, the main thing. We must never forget that no matter how blessed we are, limiting God for our own personal prosperity is just staying in our tomb of death. Instead we are to be about sharing in His table, about believing in the preeminence of Jesus, even a Jesus with wounds…especially a Jesus with wounds carried beyond the tomb. In today’s message to the Colossians we read what very well may have been a hymn of good news sung by the early members of the church. It refutes misconceptions about Jesus…that God did not create the world…that Jesus was not the unique son of God…that God did not come to earth in a bodily form. Today’s message is clear, we worship Jesus because He rescues us from the darkness of death and removes our guilt…100% man who reveals God and 100% God who reveals the best of man. We therefor worship Jesus because He is the Creator, the Sustainer…the Redeemer.
He is our best hope, born not out of what we see but out of faith that manifests itself through love. Think of Doubting Thomas and his ultimate witness.
Think about honest doubters struggling with what the Bible says. Whether we are seekers or servants of Jesus, from time to time we are dealing with the same question. Will Christ’s emotional, physical and spiritual love in us be a priority?
Pray that we realize that Jesus is not just an image of God but God incarnate. Pray we submit to His supremacy. Pray we claim Jesus as Christ the Lord… Lord of Creation…Lord of His Church…Lord for me…Lord for all of us…our Lord and God. Pray we proclaim that Jesus lives and lives in us.
Pray we realize that life is a gift and that God is in control. Pray that in our second birth we would indeed be glorified together. Pray that Christ is not just prominent but preeminent in our lives. Pray we serve according to our calling. Pray we move to maturity. Pray we work wholeheartedly… passionately with inspired energy. Pray we enrich the lives of others, building each other up with encouragement and united in love. Pray we are knit together in love. Pray we delight in obedience. Pray we submit to the supremacy of Jesus over all things. Pray we perpetuate people and purpose. Pray we have peace with God. Pray we draw closer to God through sanctification. Pray we leave our tombs behind.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 