Recently finished reading the book - “Everything: What you give and what you gain to become like Jesus” by Mary DeMuth. Went to an intercessory prayer meeting the other day, and there was teaching from a book where the title of the chapter being discussed contained the word “everything”…hmmm. While driving today, heard Revelation Song (as sung by Phillips, Craig and Dean), and the phrase “You are my everything, and I will adore You” just jumped out at me. Hmmm. Everything.
Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional, entitled “A Song to Remember” by Jennifer Benson Schuldt, asked readers to “Consider what God might want you to remember about Him today.” So, my first thought was that God may want me to remember (and contemplate) His “everything-ness” – how everything was made by and for Him (Colossians 1:15-20 – this was part of last week’s sermon at church) …
But now - as i write this - I’m remembering that earlier today a question arose in my mind where the answer would be framed as, “Jesus came to … what?” At the intercessory prayer meeting mentioned above, it was mentioned that Jesus came “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). I remember reading the other week that Jesus came “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Then some of all of the other reasons for which Jesus came began coming to mind:
• … to give us life and (it) more abundantly (John 10:10)
• … to give His live a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28)
• … to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)
• … to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17)
• … to bring a sword (Matthew 10:34-36, "to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’")
• … to give us a way to the Father / reconcile us to God (John 14:6, Romans 5:10, 18-21, 2 Corinthians 5:18, Ephesians 2:16)
• … to show us the Father (John 14:9); to reveal Him ( Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22)
• … to teach us, that we may learn of / from Him (Matthew 11:29)
• … to be about the Father’s business (Luke 2:49, John 5:17, 30, 36)
• … to do the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42, Mark 14:36, John 10:17-18, 37-38, John 14:31)
• … to fulfill Scripture (Luke 4:18-21, Isaiah 61:1)
- to preach the gospel to the poor;
- to heal the brokenhearted
- to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
- to set at liberty those who are oppressed / the opening of the prison to those who are bound
- to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD
• … to glorify the Father / the Father’s Name (John 7:18, 12:27-28)
• … to be evidence of the Father’s love (John 3:16, 17:23, Romans 5:6-11)
• … to send us as He was sent (John 17:18, 20:21)
Jesus came out of love and obedience to the Father (John 4:34, 14:31), in the Father’s name / authority (John 5:43), because He was sent (John 8:42) that we might have everlasting life (John 6:38-40, 17:3).
So, as I think of all of the reasons Jesus came (not even getting into what He did in accomplishing His purposes) – the “everything” He came to do - I am, again, awestruck, and humbled, and grateful.
… and my journey with Him continues…