How Well Do You Represent Jesus?

Lesson #277

In our last lesson we looked at a special group of people that the Father has chosen, before the foundation of the world, to be his children. These the Father gives to Jesus to be given eternal life. About these people, Jesus said, “they have kept your word.” He continues by saying, “Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me” (John 17:7 – 8 ESV). These two verses have the disciples in view, but there is application for us today. During the three years the disciples spent with Jesus they had learned what Jesus was teaching was actually from the Father and not made up by him. Those words were received by the disciples and by those who were following Jesus and they came to know the truth that Jesus was from the Father.

The Son of God, Messiah, was sent to earth by his Father and took on a body of flesh through a virgin birth and became known as Jesus. He taught that he was from the Father and was the way, the truth, and the life; the only way to the Father. Jesus made it clear that knowing him was how one would know the Father. Jesus came as a witness for the Father and to die on the cross to purchase our salvation and rise from the dead to insure our resurrection.

What the disciples and others learned from Jesus as a basis for belief, we also had to learn and then when our spiritual gestation period was complete we were born spiritually and experienced our Pentecost when the Spirit came to indwell us. Jesus was the Son of God in flesh and after our spiritual birth we are flesh inhabited by the Spirit. One day our salvation will be complete and our sinful body of flesh will be replaced with a perfect eternal body. What a marvelous time that will be.

Jesus was sent by the Father to be a witness and purchase our salvation. We as Christians, indwelt by the Spirit are to take the place of Jesus as a witness and through our sacrifice work at expanding the kingdom of God. As we walk with Jesus through the Gospel of John, we see a person completely dedicated in doing the work assigned to him by the Father. As representatives of Jesus we have been assigned work to do, but our sinful flesh encumbers us and hinders our progress.

Prayer

Father, there are so many ways my sinful flesh encumbers me in doing kingdom work. I find that I have to constantly be nourished by the word and exercise faith through Galatians 2:20 (ESV): “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I must not let my focus drift from: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 ESV). If I am to bear much fruit I must abide deeply in Jesus, for apart from him I can do nothing. Father, I long for more of Jesus to live in and through me.