- Key Verse
- Then He told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. (Luke 7:22, NLT)
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Central Truth
Jesus is the Anointed One, the Christ.
Reflections
John the Baptist was in prison and sent some of his disciples to Jesus to see if He is the Coming One. Jesus had been preaching the Gospel, healing people, raising people from the dead, casting out demons and doing all kinds of miracles. So Jesus sent the disciples back to tell John about all of the things they have seen and heard. In essence, He is saying I’m the One.
Jesus then goes on to say that “he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (John).” Jesus said John prepared the way for Him, but others will be greater than John. What does Jesus mean by this? John was living under the Old Covenant. But the least in this new era were born to surpass John through their relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus healed the sick, brought freedom to the captives, etc., as did His disciples, and He tells us to do the same (Matt. 10:8). The Holy Spirit is who makes these kinds of things possible, and this should be the normal Christian life.
God’s desire is for each of us to overflow with Himself, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). The least person in the Holy Spirit-filled life has access to more in God than the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets. Realizing this, I have to try to see everything from God's perspective and see myself the way He sees me. I have had to shift my priorities, change the way I think about what God says, and process things differently. As I live under the influence of the King and His Kingdom, I must make sure the right things impact me so that my impact on the world around me is what God intended. I want God to use me for the blind to see, the deaf hear, the dead raised, and for souls to come into the Kingdom. I want to imitate Jesus. What about you?
Discussion Questions
1) Why are so many believers today in America living below what Jesus intended?2) What can you do to grow in your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
3) What things impact you that may not be important to God? What things don't impact you that may be important to God?
Terry Ewell
March 12, 2010 07:29 AM
This is a good encouragement, Lynn, for us to live at a higher standard!