Thought for Friday, 9 February 2024

Matthew 28:17-19 NIVUK

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

This verse comes after the resurrection of Jesus, when the women saw Jesus, and He told them to tell His brothers to meet Him in Galilee.

Jesus is alive!!! I often try to put myself in their sandals and imagine the pure joy of that meeting. However, we will all experience that joy eventually, meeting the living Christ, face to face, so to speak.

The Christian believer has to say – even in our multi-faith environment - that no other so-called Saviour will do! We need a sin-bearer. Can Mohammed be our sin-bearer; or Confucious, or Moses, or any other religious leader? No, only One who was both God and Man can bridge the great divide that our sins have caused. Whilst respecting others freedom to hold their religious beliefs – God is their judge, not us – we must also proclaim Jesus Christ as only Saviour for He alone could – and did- die for sins.       (Peter Bines)             

Others can think and say what they want about their faith, but nobody else can truthfully say they have a living God. A God (capital G) who faithfully does as He says He will. We have a God who knows what it is to be as human as we are but, thankfully, sinless. That is, until God the Father laid all our sins on theshoulders of His beloved only Son and sent Him to the cross of Calvary.     

Catherine Booth said, "The idea of a substitutionary Christ accepted as an outward covering or refuge, instead of the power of "an endless life," is a cheat of the devil, and has been the ruin of thousands of souls. I fear this view of Christ, so persistently preached in the present day, encourages thousands in a false hope while they are living in sin, and consequently under the curse not only of a broken law, but of a Saviour denied and abjured."

How many times have we let Jesus down? For me there are so many ways I just wouldn’t know where to start, what about you? Jesus gave His life for me (us)and I can forget to include Him in my daily decision making, I can sometimes forget that He said, ‘Love thy neighbour.’ I sometimes (too often) speak insultingly to someone, not always jokingly. So many things speak of my sinfulness and when I bring these things to mind, I am ashamed that I have listened to the voice we are not supposed to.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, King of Kings. We may not all be guilty of the same sins, but we are all guilty of certain ones, each of them as bad as the other. We pray for that forgiveness which only You can grant and ask that Your Spirit will be with us as we live each day within reach of Satan and his demons. Grant us Your strength in our hearts and minds, that we can banish the evil one and his cohorts in Your name and in Your strength. We pray, not only for ourselves but for all Your followers everywhere, especially those who are being persecuted and/or killed for Your name. We come in Your own blessed name, amen.