Wednesday 22 Mar 2023

March 22: John 5:24-30

Key Verse: John 5:27
And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Devotion:
One of the things the religious people found hardest to accept was that Jesus was and is the Son of God. No amount of words at the time would convince the people who did not want to believe. The disciples had little problem believing Him because they continued to see the miracles He did every day and knew what they were hearing was lining up with the scriptures they had heard their whole lives.

This is the great thing, Jesus continued to tell people the truth and continued to try and convince those who had issues how He was telling them the truth. Through their own pride in their religion the people disregarded what Jesus was saying because they were upholding their religion more than the truth. When we get caught up in things which we gain from, we too may overlook the truth because we lose what we think we had already gained – but what use is it to gain the worldly things and lose our eternal lives!

Jesus tried to make it simple for them by telling them exactly what they had to do – to believe on Him as being the Son of God because God had given Him authority over judging the people. Nothing like someone who disagrees with you to make you look for your own way out! That is not the way of truth but the way of self gain.

Jesus wants us to be humble, honest and gracious amongst other things and in order for that to happen we need to know the truth, believe that truth and promote that truth. This is just one step of being a disciple. The people here were forcing their own rules on the people instead of lifting up God’s truth and ways. This gave them earthly power, but lined them up to be judged by Christ and lose their right to eternal life.

Points to Ponder:
Do you seek the truth?

Do you follow the truth?