Sons and Daughters of the Living God (7)

Monday, August 3: John 20:17

            On the Day of His Resurrection Jesus says, “…go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”

            The Gospel of John begins with a focus on God coming to earth, with the Word being made flesh and living among us. In the very first chapter we see not only the Word becoming flesh, we also see those who received Him being given new life – born of God. The meaning of the Incarnation unfolds throughout the Gospel of John until, when we arrive at chapters 13 – 17, we see that as we come to live in God, that God comes to live in us – we are His sons and daughters.

            Just as Joseph was revealed to his brothers in Genesis (Chapter 45), so Christ Jesus is revealed to us – as our Brother, for as we saw in Hebrews Chapter 2, we all have one Father.

            In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty surrounding us, we can be certain of who Christ Jesus is and of who we are in Him. As we learn to live in this certainty, we can give hope to those around us, peace to those around us, we can share Christ with those around us.

            What is our core identity? Who are we? What’s in our wallet?

Sons and Daughters of the Living God (6)

Sunday, August 2: John Chapter 17, with a particular focus on 17:23

            John chapters 13 – 17 take us deep into our identity in the Trinity. John Chapter 17 is the culmination of this extended passage. You might consider spending a month in these chapters – the more time you spend the more you’ll see and experience. There should probably never be a month that goes by without spending some time with Jesus in John chapters 13 – 17; allow this to become a way of life.

            Jesus tells us that when we come to know Him that the Trinity comes to live within us (John 14:17, 23) – this is the story of the Upper Room – the Trinity comes to live in us and we come to live in the Trinity – not just as individuals, but as the sons and daughters of our Father, as His Family.

            Look at the language of John 17:23, “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one, so that the world may know that You sent me, and loved them even as You have love me.”

            When we read Hebrews Chapter 2 we saw that the Father is brining many sons to glory, in John 17:22 Jesus says, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.”

            Consider 17:21, “…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they may be in Us…”

            Consider the way this passage ends in 17:26, “…and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

            This is our core identity, this is sonship. Can we accept this? This takes us back to John 1:12 – 13.

            What’s in your wallet?

Sons and Daughters of the Living God (5)

Saturday, August 1: 1 John 3:1 – 3; 3:16; 4:4

            Here is another reminder of who we really are – the children of God. Yes, we are still works in process, but as we look at Jesus, as we learn to “see Him as He is”, we are transformed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:17 – 18; Hebrews 12:1 – 3; Colossians 3:1 – 4; Proverbs 4:18). Only the Person of Jesus Christ transforms us into His image – this is one reason why what we think matters, what we focus our attention on matters (Matthew 6:19 – 24).

            What is our core identity? What’s in our wallet.