Devotional:
Jesus isn’t like Santa Claus. He doesn’t double check a heavenly list so He can whip the “naughty people.”
We all grow up with different ideas about who God is. Some come from philosophy and others from history. Some we were taught and others we just made up. Our parents promised, “Jesus loves us.” Our friends said God steals our fun. Our pastor shouted, “Don’t break God’s rules!” Our AA group said our “higher power” is whatever we want it to be.
The apostle Paul, one of the godliest men in history, grew up with his own sincere views of God based on Old Testament law and tradition. Then, Paul met Jesus face to face. The first words from Paul’s mouth proved he really knew nothing of God at all. “‘Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:1-5).
We all start out a little unsure about who Jesus is. But as we mature, the Bible points out to us His true identity and role in our lives. We see Jesus the Creator. He made everything (Genesis 1-2)! Then, He became human like us (Luke 2:1-7). We are comfortable with baby Jesus. He is sweet, harmless, and controllable. We love keeping Him in His manger all year long. But the baby grew up and was murdered as Savior. Today, Jesus is our risen Redeemer.
Jesus is faithful and true to His Word. He came to earth first as a suffering servant, but He promises to come again as king and judge. Then He will decide what is good on earth and wage war against all evil (Revelation 19:11). As king and lord over all, Jesus has complete control over everything.
Reflect:
- If someone asked today, who would you say Jesus is?
- Are you still interpreting the Bible based on your experiences in life and culture? Let God define your experiences based on His word. What is the truth about what you believe?
- Jesus is coming again and will reward all goodness and destroy all sin from across human history (Revelation 22:12). Does this cause you fear or excitement? Why?