Friday, April 18, 2014

Friday, April 18, 2014 Matthew 7:28-29

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (Matthew 7:28, 29 NLT)

How sweet would it be to have had the privilege of being one of those gathered there that day on the mountain? Sitting at the feet of our Lord, the warm Mediterranean sunshine on my back as I heard the very voice of God spoken by the One who was with him from before time. Perhaps His gaze would have caught my own eye, or His hand glanced lovingly along my arm as He passed. To His listeners at that time His teaching would have been revolutionary. The truth of His words and the authority behind them would have overwhelmed, especially compared to the nit picking,hair splitting teaching they had been receiving from the pharisees. I don't expect an experience like that this side of heaven. BUT by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, dwelling in the mortal bodies of all true believers, we can experience His presence here and now and be led and instructed in all truth as we study His word, lovingly recorded for us in the Bible. Furthermore, as we gather with others in His name, He has promised to be right there with us wherever we may be. We know All God's promises are true.So as He laid down His life for us on that Good Friday so long ago, let us die to the ways of our time and offer ourselves afresh to Him each day as we worship Him, study His word, and serve His children here on earth. HALLELUJAH! Let's go serve Him.NOW!

2 comments:

Linda W said...

"...for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law."

Oh Tracy, I agree. I can't imagine what that must have been like. And I've honestly wondered if I would have been like so many others in that crowd who celebrated his arrival in Jerusalem and than shouted for Crucifixion a few days later.
That question scares me a little.

But wow! Emmanuel, God with us--come to Earth as a man. The idea is very offensive in some religions. Other religions teach a path to God. But in Christianity, God comes to us and that has radical implications for how we choose to live in the here and now. Timothy Keller explains that Christianity is so unlike every other religion in the world, it scarcely deserves to be called a religion at all. It's not a philosophy or set of ideas. It's a person on the cross-- Jesus-- a person who can be known intimately now. My prayer for all of us is we would be His Easter people, transformed from the inside out by the radical truth of the gospel.

Unknown said...

I would like to hear Christ speaking within earshot, looking at his face, hearing his inflections. There are so many conflicting stories about him. I am sure that we could have a dialogue. There are so many things that I would love to hear from Jesus' mouth!

The best we can do is to listen in our prayer lives. Cherish the times that we can encounter Christ!