Works – See you in Heaven

Revelation 22 – Part 8

^“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

After the ascended Lord Jesus Christ promised to give obedient believers eternal rewards (22:12-15), Christ then makes plain the divine origin and intended readership of the book of Revelation when He says, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16). The combination, “I, Jesus” is used nowhere else in the New Testament and signifies the unique role that Jesus has in producing this book, and in this way bolsters its authority. ¹

Christ “sent” His “angel to testify to” the apostle John “these things” in the book of Revelation about His soon return and rewards “in the churches” so His readers will know the message has come from God Himself and is therefore trustworthy. ² The book of Revelation was written about the future specifically for “churches” not only in the first century (Revelation 2-3), but for all churches to the present day. ³

The message of Revelation is as reliable as its Source. Jesus is the Ancestor (“the Root”) and Descendant (“Offspring”) “of David” and therefore fulfills all the prophecies concerning David’s family. ⁴Historically Christ comes from King David (Matthew 1:1; cf. Isaiah 11:11; Revelation 5:5) ⁵who established the old Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, but David’s greatest Descendant will establish the glorious New Jerusalem on the new earth forever! ⁶

Prophetically Christ’s coming is like “the Bright and Morning Star” heralding the dawn of a new day in history. ⁷The phrase “Bright and Morning Star” is “another way of referring to the sun. In the daytime, it is the one star sufficiently luminous and powerful to light the entire earth. Spiritually speaking, Jesus is ‘the bright morning star’ because He is the most powerful source of spiritual illumination and is the sole source of eternal life.” ⁸

Jesus “is the brightest of all personal stars, just as the morning star is the brightest physical star in the sky. He is the ‘Star’ that, in fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy, would ‘come forth from Jacob’ (Numbers 24:17).” ⁹

“The ‘Root’ is buried in the ground where no one can see it, but the ‘Star’ is in the heavens where everyone can see it.” ¹⁰

“Like a king affixing a royal seal to an official document, Jesus ties His reputation as Son of David and Son of God to the prophecies of the book.” ¹¹

The last five verses of the last book of the Bible are very telling (22:17-21). It has been said that last words are lasting words.

“They represent the last God-breathed words we have before the return of Christ. In a few lines, the Spirit of God expresses the underlying purpose and message of the entire book of Revelation.” ¹²

“A person’s last words often provide a glimpse into his or her character, sometimes revealing what that individual values most. Some parting comments are thoughtful; others are spontaneous and sometimes surprising.” ¹³

The Lord Jesus continues to speak to John. ^“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). The first thing on God’s heart at the end of the Bible is an invitation for unsaved people to receive eternal life freely. God has revealed future events in the book of Revelation to draw people to Himself.

God’s Holy “Spirit and the bride” of Christ, the church (cf. Revelation 3:14, 20; 19:7-9; 21:2, 9; 22:17; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32), “say, ‘Come!’” When churches walk in step with God’s Spirit, they will invite people to come to Christ for His free gift because they understand the heart of Jesus Christ. Christ has sent the church to preach the gospel to the whole world and to every individual in that world (Mark 16:5; Acts 1:8). We are not to wait for lost people to come to us. We must go where the lost people are. If we wait for lost people to come to us, we may wait the rest of our Christian lives. Instead, we must go to the unsaved people of this world. Why?

Because Jesus Christ came to earth the first time to seek and to save those who were lost (Luke 19:10). Christ loves all people (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). He desires that all people be saved (I Timothy 2:3-4). He died on the cross to pay the sins of all people (I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1-2). If we know and love Jesus Christ, we will love the lost people for whom He died and rose from the dead. Instead of avoiding them, we will love them and go to them.

Oh, if only this was on the heart of churches today! So often Christians fight over the meaning of Revelation instead of letting it motivate them to share the gospel with a lost world! Recently, my wife and I attended a church that announced they will be installing a pastor of evangelism this coming Sunday. What a joy to hear this! How many churches have evangelistic pastors on staff today? This is rarely the case because evangelism is not a priority among today’s churches. But this is the first priority of God’s Spirit in the final verses of the Bible.

God has given gifted leaders to prepare His people to serve. God has not only given “pastors and teachers” to equip His people for “the work of the ministry,” but He has also given the church “evangelists” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Evangelists not only make the gospel of Christ known to the unsaved, but they also build up the faith of Christians. ¹⁴ “¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be… evangelists… ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12). The responsibility of evangelists is to train and “equip” Christians to share the gospel with the unsaved. One of the reasons the church has failed to reach the world for Christ with the gospel is because it has failed to make evangelism a top priority. If more churches had evangelists on staff in addition to pastors and teachers, more churches would be equipped for doing the work of an evangelist within their spheres of influence (2 Timothy 4:5).

Jesus then says, “And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’” Those who read or hear the book of Revelation are to invite the lost to “come” to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, for salvation. No one else in the universe can wash away our sins. Only Jesus Christ can do this because He is fully God and fully Man (John 1:1, 14) Who died in our place on the cross to pay the full penalty for all our sins (John 1:29; 19:30; I Corinthians 15:3-6; I Timothy 2:3-5; I John 2:1-2; Revelation 1:5; 5:6, 12; 7:10, 14 12:11; 13:8). He then rose from the dead proving His claims to be God are true (Romans 1:3-4).

God never intended for believers to keep the good news of Jesus to themselves. He has saved us so we can take the message of salvation to our unsaved family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances. God wants to use our voices to invite the lost to “come” to Jesus Christ in faith for His gift of eternal life.

During His earthy ministry Jesus explained why nonbelievers did not have eternal life. ¹⁵He said, “You are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:40). It was not because they had never heard the truth about Jesus. It wasn’t because they had no Scripture. It wasn’t because they lacked reasonable evidence about Jesus’ identity. It wasn’t because of the pain and suffering they had endured. It wasn’t because of the hypocrisy of believers in Jesus. They lacked eternal life because they were not willing to come to Jesus in faith. God will not force a person to come to Him against his or her will. God lovingly invites all people to receive His gift of eternal life.

Next Christ invites everyone who “thirsts” and “desires… the water of life” to “come” (22:17b). The “water of life” refers to eternal life in John’s writings (John 4:10, 13-14; 7:37-39; Revelation 7:17; 21:6; 22:17). Eternal life is not something we can earn or work for because Jesus offers it “freely” (dōrean) or “without payment” ¹⁶ or cost to “him who thirsts” or “desires” (21:17; cf. John 4:10-14; Romans 3:24; 6:23b; Ephesians 2:8-9). Eternal life is free to us because it has already been paid for by Jesus Who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” when He died in our place on the cross and rose from the dead (Revelation 1:5; cf. 7:14; Romans 3:24; I Corinthians 15:3-6; John 19:30). Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ alone for “the water of life” (eternal life) acquires it the moment they believe (cf. John 3:15-16, 36; 4:13-14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; et al.).

No act of obedience, preceding or following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, such as commitment to obey, sorrow for sin, turning from one’s sin, water baptism, prayer, persevering in good works, or submission to the Lordship of Christ, may be added to, or considered as a part of, faith as a condition for receiving eternal life (Romans 4:5; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5). This saving transaction between God and the sinner is simply the giving and receiving of a free gift (John 3:14-18; 4:10-14; 6:47; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 22:17).

If you are not certain you have eternal life, would you like to receive this absolutely free gift from the Lord Jesus Christ right now so you can live with Jesus forever in the New Jerusalem on the new earth with other believers in Him? Simply take Jesus at His Word when He said, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life.” (John 6:47). To “believe in” (pisteuōn eis) Jesus means to be persuaded that He is speaking the truth and is therefore worthy of your trust. ¹⁷

If you are convinced Jesus is telling the truth in John 6:47 and is therefore worthy of your trust, then believe or trust Christ alone (not your good life, prayers, or religion) to give you His gift of everlasting life. When you believe in Christ for His free gift of eternal life, you can be just as certain of heaven as the people who are already there. Knowing we are going to heaven is not a guess; it is a guarantee from Jesus Christ (John 14:1-3). ¹⁸ If you now believe this, you can tell God in a simple prayer:

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for this last invitation in the Bible to come to You just as I am. Thank You for Your patience in giving me this opportunity to get right with You. I have tried to live life without You only to discover that the penalty of my sin is death or separation from You. Nothing I am or do makes me deserve to go to heaven. I believe You loved me so much You took my punishment when You died on the cross and rose from the dead. I am now believing or trusting in You alone Jesus (not my good life, my prayers, or my religion), to give me everlasting life and a future home in Your heaven. Thank You for the gift of eternal life I just received and for the future home I will have in Your heaven. Please use me now to tell others how they can know for sure they will live with You forever. I ask You God Almighty to renew Your church’s love for You and the lost people for whom You died. In Your mighty name I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

ENDNOTES:

1. Tom Constable, Notes on Revelation, 2017 Edition, pg. 265.

2. Bob Vacendak; Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Zane Hodges; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 1590.

3. Tony Evans, CSB Bible by Holman, The Tony Evans Study Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, Kindle Edition 2019), pp. 2424-2425; Constable, pg. 256.

4. Constable, pg. 256.

5. John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (David C. Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), Kindle Location 6687.

6. Constable, pg. 256.

7. Walvoord, Kindle Location 6687; Constable, pg. 256.

8. Evans, pp. 2424-2425.

9. Constable, pg. 256.

10. Ibid., cites Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2. (Wheaton: Victor Books, Scripture Press, (1989), pg. 625.

11. Charles Swindoll, Insights on Revelation (Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary Book 15, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014 Kindle Edition), pg. 401.

12. Ibid., pg. 402.

13. Ibid., pg. 401.

14. EvanTell’s The Evangelism Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2014), pg. 1387), pg. 1299.

15. Vacendak, pg. 1590.

16. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition (BDAG) revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pg. 266.

17. Ibid., pg. 816.

18. R. Larry Moyer, Show Me How To Illustrate Evangelistic Sermons (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2012), pg. 265.

Lessons from the risen Lord Jesus – Part 2

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ ” John 21:5

We are learning some valuable lessons from the risen Lord Jesus Christ in John 21:1-14. Yesterday we learned that failure and discouragement are often connected to the risen Lord Jesus’ purpose for our lives (John 21:1-3). While waiting for Jesus to meet them in Galilee, Peter and six other disciples decided to go fishing as they waited. John tells us that they fished all night and “caught nothing” (John 21:3b). God uses our failures and discouragement to accomplish His purpose in our lives. Jesus used the disciples’ failure to catch fish during their all-night expedition to prepare them for what He was going to do next.

We then read, “But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.” (John 21:4). The dawn had now come when Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. John notes that, like Mary Magdalene (John 20:14), the disciples did not realize it was Jesus at first perhaps because they were preoccupied with their failure to catch any fish or they could not see Him clearly because of the distance between them or the morning mist hanging over the water.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ “ (John 21:5). Jesus addresses the disciples as “children” (paidia) which refers to those who are treasured in the way a parent treasures a child. ¹This is an affectionate fatherly term toward spiritual children (cf. I John 2:13, 18; 3:7). Like a loving father, Jesus was very fond of His disciples and He wants to bless them. So He asks them, “Have you any food?” The form of Jesus’ question in the Greek text assumes a negative answer; Christ expected, based on the fact that He knew, that they had not caught any fish. Why does Jesus ask them a question to which He already knew the answer? Most likely He did this to elicit a confession of failure from them so they would see their own inadequacy and their need for Jesus’ help. ²

Since the disciples did not realize this was Jesus yet, they may have thought His question was from someone who wanted to buy some fish. Jesus’ question “serves to heighten the disciples’ frustration and sense of need before the miracle occurs.” ³We can sense the disciples’ discouragement and mild embarrassment in their “No” answer. ⁴Unsuccessful fishermen never like to be asked this kind of question.

We learn from this exchange that SUCCESS IN OUR RISEN LORD’S EYES IS NOT IN TRYING HARDER (John 21:4-5). The disciples had been casting their nets again and again all night long. They are thinking the way a lot of us think: “I am going to keep trying the same thing until it works. I am deeply committed to this. I know if I try hard enough and I try long enough eventually I am going to be successful.” Isn’t that the American way? Isn’t that how most of us feel in America? We may get some limited, tiny success that way.

But there is a big problem with this approach. What if we are trying hard at the wrong thing? What if we are using all our energy and all our efforts to do the wrong thing? No matter how successful we are, there is no lasting joy in it. The secret is not trying harder. We could be working for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive. I think a lot of times we think there are only two options of something we really want in life. We think it is either option number one, “Try Harder,” or option number two, “Give Up.”

Some of us have been trying so hard at some things in life that it is wearing us out. We may be trying hard to get a job or to get married. We may be trying hard to get people to like us. We may be trying hard to make a difference in our spouse’s life or in our children’s lives. Perhaps some of us are trying to overcome a bad habit or a past hurt without success. We may be trying hard to grow in our spiritual lives. We are trying to pray more and read the Bible more and go to church more often. But the harder we try the worse it gets.

Then we suddenly realize Jesus is patiently standing on the shore asking us, “How is that working for you, My child?” We hang our heads down and reluctantly say to our risen Lord, “Not so well.” Jesus permits us to try hard for a season. He lets us come to the end of ourselves so we are more prepared to listen to His advice.

God has given us a special gift that makes us open to change. It is called pain. The Lord will let our pain increase until it exceeds our resistance to change. We call this “hitting bottom.” When we hit bottom we are ready to listen to what our risen Lord has to say to us. Next time, Lord willing, we will discover a better option for success that has nothing to do with “trying harder” or “giving up.”

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, many of us have been up all night casting our nets again and again and again without anything to show for it. We think that the key to success is trying harder. We have been working hard to overcome our habits, hurts, and hang ups. We are doing everything we can to get people to like us. We are striving to grow spiritually by praying more, reading the Bible more, or going to a place of worship more often. And it seems that the harder we try, the worse things get. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for asking us how this “trying harder” option is working. You already know the answer, but we need to discover it for ourselves. We need to come clean with You and admit that our way does not work. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for caring enough to ask us this question. Thank You for showing us our need for You. We are ready to receive Your advice now, Lord. We are listening. In Your gracious name we pray Lord Jesus. Amen.

ENDNOTES:

1. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition (BDAG) revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pg. 749.

2. Tom Constable, Notes on John, 2017 Edition, pg. 389.

3. Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Zane Hodges; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach. The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 567.

4. Constable, pg. 389.

How can we do greater works than Christ? Part 1

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

“Mirrors have been around for a while, but they haven’t always been made of glass. The first mirrors, from around 600 B.C., were very simple. They were polished surfaces from natural materials that could reflect an image. After a while, people started making mirrors from copper, bronze, gold and silver. These metals are heavy, so the mirrors were very small. They couldn’t really be used to see a reflection so they were mostly for show.

“Glass mirrors like we have today were first made in the Middle Ages. They didn’t have the modern technology used today, so the mirrors were difficult to make and expensive. In the Renaissance period after the Middle Ages, the technique of making mirrors developed. Mirrors could show a clearer image. Artists even used mirrors to paint self-portraits. They were still very expensive so only the rich could afford them. The process for making modern mirrors was developed in 1835.” ¹ Mirrors are used by us all in bathrooms, bedrooms, cars, etc.

In our study of the gospel of John, we are going to see that Jesus Christ mirrors God the Father and His desire is for His followers to do the same. Jesus had announced to His disciples that He was going to His Father’s House in heaven to prepare a wonderful place for them (John 14:1-3a). He also promised to return for them to take them to His Father’s house where they could be with Him forever (John 14:3b). Thomas did not understand Jesus’ reference to His Father’s house (John 14:5). Since Jesus had said they could not come there (John 13:33-35), Thomas wanted to know how they could know the way to His house. Jesus explained that He was the way there (John 14:6).

From John 14:7-14, we will discover how to do greater works than Christ. The first way is to GROW CLOSER TO HIS PERSON (John 14:7-11). Jesus said to Thomas, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:7). The disciples may have felt strange going to the Father’s house because they had not met the Father yet. Perhaps they thought, “How can we go somewhere we have never been? We cannot go to a stranger’s house without being invited first. Lord, we have never been introduced to Your Father. Shouldn’t we get to know Him first before moving into His house?”

Jesus states, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” (14:7a). The word “known” (ginoskō) means to “know by personal experience.” ²Christ is saying, “If you had known Me more intimately, you would have known My Father” because I am a perfect reflection of Him. To know Jesus is to know His Father because as God, He is the perfect reflection of the Father. Christ then promises, “And from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” The disciples’ knowledge of Jesus and His significance were incomplete. But after Jesus’ death, resurrection (John 20:28), and ascension followed by the coming of the Holy Spirit, their knowledge of Christ would become more mature. ³

“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ ” (John 14:8). While Philip was intimately associated with Jesus, he felt he did not know the Father so he asked Christ to reveal the Father to them. Philip wants to see the Father for himself. Maybe he wants a visible display of the Father’s glory like Moses, who got to catch a glimpse of God’s glory (cf. Exodus 33:12–34:9). Philip, however, is a realist. “Show us the Father, Lord, and that will be enough for us. We cannot know Him unless you introduce us to Him.”

But Philip doesn’t understand that fully revealing God the Father was exactly what Jesus had come to do. “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18). When Moses saw God in the Old Testament, those encounters with God did not reveal the fullness of His glory or His unveiled divine essence. If people saw God’s unveiled glory or divine essence, they would not live (cf. Exodus 33:20).

The word “declared” (eksēgéomai) is where we get our English words, “exegete” and “exegesis” from. In seminary, we learned to “exegete” or explain God’s Word, the Bible. We were taught to “read out” of the Bible God’s intended meaning through a grammatical, historical, and literal interpretation instead of “reading into” the Bible our own biases and assumptions. God became a Man without ceasing to be God in the Person of Jesus Christ in order to “declare” or explain what God is like. When you see Jesus Christ you see God because Jesus is God!

Jesus rebukes Philip’s ignorance. “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?’ ” (John 14:9). Whereas Moses only saw a hint of the glory of the invisible God, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Jesus Christ is God incarnate, the God-Man.

Philip did know Jesus in one sense. He was a saved man and possessed eternal life by believing in Christ (cf. John 1:43-50; 2:11; 13:10-11). He knew Jesus as his Savior, but he did not know Him in a deeper way. He did not know how perfectly Jesus reflected the Father. To see Jesus is to see God the Father because Jesus is God! Christ could make this incredible claim because of His oneness with the Father. Christ is saying, “After all these years together, Philip, how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ ” Jesus’ union with the Father was so natural that he was surprised that Philip had not noticed.

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:10a). Jesus’ question expects a negative answer. Christ explains that He has revealed the Father to them in two ways. First, His words had revealed the Father. “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority.” (John 14:10b). Jesus’ teaching did not originate from Himself, but from His Father. Jesus depended on His Father for the words He was to speak. Christ’s teaching originated in heaven, not on earth. His words change the hearts of men and women, boys and girls. No man-made teaching can do what God’s Word can do.

Secondly, Christ’s works had revealed His Father. “But the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” (John 14:10c-11). From a human point of view, Jesus does the works, but in actuality they are called the Father’s “works.” Jesus says, “Believe Me that…” not “Believe in Me…” This a reference to the mutual indwelling of the Father and Son which makes Jesus trustworthy. Miracles permit the observer to see Christ’s Person. They persuade people to believe that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). So both the words and works of Jesus are a perfect reflection of the Father.

Jesus emphasized the unity of the Father and Son when He said, “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me.” As He told the Jews previously, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30). He is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Old Testament teaches that God is Father (Deuteronomy 32:6; Isaiah 63:16; Malachi 2:10), Son (Psalm 2:6-7, 12; 45:6-7; Proverbs 30:1-4; Isaiah 9:6), and Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7-12; Isaiah 11:2-3; 61:1; 63:10; Zechariah 4:6). The New Testament also teaches that God is one in three Persons (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14): God is Father (John 6:27; 20:17; Romans 15:6; I Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Colossians 3:17), Son (John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:8; Titus 2:13; I John 5:20), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).

The fact that God exists eternally in three Persons emphasizes the relational aspect of the God of the Bible. All three Persons of the Godhead have loved each other forever. They have always functioned harmoniously with one another. And God wants the same for His people. He wants us to love one another as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always loved each other. He wants us to be unified in our purpose as the Persons of the Godhead have always been unified.

In any relationship, the more we spend time with someone, the more their thoughts and words become familiar to us. As we share various experiences together, their actions will reflect their character to us. What is true in our human relationships is also true in our relationship with Jesus. We will not do greater works than Christ if we are not growing closer to Him. How can I reflect Jesus’ words and works if I do not know what He said or did? But if I am growing closer to Christ, His words and works can be manifested with my lips and life so that non-Christians can come to know Him personally.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for leaving the glory of heaven to come to this dark and sinful earth to reveal what God is like to all of humanity. So many broken people have misconceptions about God because of their experiences with other broken people. But You, Lord God, came to earth to explain what God is like so we could learn to trust You and grow closer to You as the perfect reflection of God the Father. The more I spend time with You, the more Your words and works become a part of my lifestyle. Please use me to reflect You in all I think, say, and do so others can be drawn to You and discover Your outrageous love for them. In Your amazing name I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

ENDNOTES:

1. http://discoverykids.com/articles/what-is-the-history-of-mirrors/]. Mirrors are used by us all in bathrooms, bedrooms, cars, etc.

2. J. Carl Laney, Moody Gospel John Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), pg. 256.

3. Robert N. Wilkin, “The Gospel According to John,” The Grace New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew – Acts (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010), pg. 444.