I woke up this morning, once again, knowing that Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, my Father, the I AM, wants to be my friend.
For the last week we have been looking at people in the Bible who talked with God.
There were many more people who heard God speak to them in the Old Testament times but I just wanted to give you an overview of some of the circumstances.
When we come to the New Testament we are immediately greeted with God sending an angel to speak with both Mary and Joseph.
“Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33 CEV
“While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. 21 Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21-22 CEV
Later God told John the Baptist that Jesus would soon begin to minister in public. He was the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for, for so long.
Jesus spent a great deal of time in prayer, talking to and hearing from his heavenly Father. When the religious rulers of the day would ask Jesus where he got His teachings and His authority He would answer them like this.
“Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know who I am. You will also know that I don’t do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.” John 8:28-29 CEV
Jesus came to show the world the love His Father had for them. He wanted them to know that God was desiring a relationship with them.
“ My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.
28 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 CEV
Jesus taught multitudes and He also ministered to hurting people one on one. He broke the conventional laws of religion. Jewish people were forbidden to do any kind of work on the Sabbath so when Jesus healed the crippled man on that day the Temple rulers were furious.
“ They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because he did things like this on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus said, “My Father has never stopped working, and that is why I keep on working.” 18 Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God.
19 Jesus told the people: I tell you for certain that the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. 20 The Father loves the Son and has shown him everything he does. The Father will show him even greater things, and you will be amazed. ” John 5:16-20 CEV
Jesus was walking, living proof that God the Father desired to have relationship with these men. In fact, Jesus commanded his disciples to go out and do the same kind of miracles that they had seen him do.
“Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:
Stay away from the Gentiles and don’t go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons.” Matthew 10:5-8 CEV
Remember how God called Abraham His friend. Jesus called these men His friends. He was seeing the same desire in them that the Father had seen in Abraham. They weren’t perfect, far from it but they had a desire to know and obey God.
“ Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. 13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. 14 And you are my friends, if you obey me. 15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything that my Father has told me.
16 You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 17 So I command you to love each other.” John 15:12-17 CEV
I could go on with one example after another on the teaching that Jesus gave his disciples. In fact, that’s really what the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are. They are the eye witness accounts of God’s will being done on earth through Jesus and the disciples.
But God didn’t want it to die there. He wanted to continue to reach out to all mankind. He wanted everyone to know His voice and to follow Him. That’s why one of Jesus’ final instructions was this:
“ Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20 CEV
Because of the authority Jesus received from the Father and gave to His followers, we can become His disciples as well. We can hear His voice and follow.
“Jesus said to him, “You (Thomas) believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!”
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs that his followers saw, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.” John 20:29-31 ERV
We are the ones who believe on Jesus without seeing Him. We are blessed and have life, eternal life, because of Jesus.
Amen and Amen!