Scripture

“Are you the Messiah we have been expecting or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Observation

Jesus sends out His disciples and goes around the towns in that region Himself preaching and teaching.

John the Baptist is in prison. He sends some of his followers to ask if Jesus is the Messiah, or whether they should look for another. Jesus tells him that His ministry is validated by people being healed, the dead are raised, and the Good News is being preached to the poor .

Jesus then asks the crowd what they expected to see in John. He is a prophet but more than a prophet; he is the one who prepared the way for the Messiah.

Application

The question every single person has to answer is the question John asked: “Is Jesus the Messiah, that is the Son of God, or not?”

The answer we give to that question determines our life’s direction and our eternal destiny.

Jesus says that whoever confesses that He is Lord will be saved, but those who deny that He is Lord will be condemned to the fire of hell.

If we acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, then He has the right to command every part of our lives. To say, “Jesus is my lord,” means that I am not Lord, nor is any other power that would seek to control my life. I must yield to Jesus in all things.

Prayer

Jesus, I declare that you are Lord of my life. Thank you for saving me. I pledge myself to follow you and to obey you in all things. Amen.

Scripture

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on Earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”

Observation

Jesus warns that those who acknowledge him here on earth, he will acknowledge before his Father in heaven, but those who deny Him, he will also deny.

Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth but conflict. Families are divided and a person’s enemy will be found in their own household.

We must love Jesus more than we love our own family.

Those who receive the disciples receive the Father. Those who receive a prophet will receive the reward of the prophet. Anyone who offers even a cup of water to a follower of Jesus will receive a reward from the Father.

Application

This section is all about loving Jesus above all things – family, friends, life itself.

All followers of Jesus must declare their faith publicly. Often this is done at baptism, but we need to be open about our faith in our daily life.

If we try to leave as “secret agents” in God’s Kingdom, then Christ will not acknowledge us as his followers on the Day of Judgement.

We are all made differently, with different gifts. Some of us are called to be preachers, others Hollywood celebrities, still others to be quiet workers in the community or at home. We all need to make sure that, regardless of our calling and personality, the people we influence know that we love the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, these words are confronting. Please help me to be public with my faith, and advocate for you in a world that is opposed to you. Amen.