LUKE 7:18-23 – The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ ” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
THEME OF THE DAY. GRACE AND TRUTH WALKED AMONG US. Settle down for a moment mentally and affectionately. Get your heart and mind on this staggering truth – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” and “They shall call His name ‘Immanuel’ which means God with us” (John 1:14; Matthew 1:23). Have you thought recently just how profound Christianity and being a Christian is? Or has just the daily routines in life caused you to neglect the necessary mental discipline of engaging your mind on the astounding Biblical revelations of God becoming a Man? If the latter is true, break that habit and get lost in the holy amazement of Jesus being alive in human form. Such thinking will radically transform your life. Daily, and that in at least three ways.
First, remembering and reminding oneself of the reality of Jesus being alive literally will safeguard your relationship with Him. It will prevent reducing Christianity down to a moral code of conduct and behavior. If we allow our Christianity to become external do’s and don’ts, we lose the relational reality the Bible says it is to be. Gone will be joy. Gone will be zeal. Gone will be purpose. Hello to spiritual dullness. Hello to worldliness. Hello to a dead faith that influences no one. But remembering He is alive prevents all those signs of spiritual backsliding.
Next, remembering and reminding oneself of the reality of Jesus taking on human flesh and that forever brings humility into your life. Think about it. He forever took on the form of His creature and that out of love that we might know and enjoy Him. And God didn’t need to do the work of Incarnation. He didn’t need to send His Son in the flesh to redeem us. He was always satisfied in and of Himself, never needing anything or anyone to fulfill Himself. Yet, in love, Jesus humbles Himself to become Man so we would be humbled by His humility opening the door for our fellowship with God.
Finally, remembering and reminding oneself Jesus become the God-man draws us to what we read in today’s scripture – the greatest, most compassionate, and most life-altering Person ever to walk upon the earth is Jesus. Read today’s scripture and imagine watching Him. Literally. Do so by faith and you will meet Him spiritually with a reality that overwhelms you with the truth He is alive. Literally.
PRAYER: “Father, how can I not praise You for such a mystery revealed to me – And the Word became flesh.”
QUOTE: “Don’t let a day go without marveling over the profound truth of Jesus becoming a Man and walking among us.”