Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for April 30

THE UNEXPECTED MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

From: April 30, 2024

‘And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”’ (John 1:19 ESV).

Although he was the son of the Levite priest, Zechariah, in the line of Abijah, one of the twenty-four orders of priests in the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron, John did not serve in the Temple. Instead, led by the Spirit, he preached in the wilderness on the East side of the Jordan. He did not wear the rich flowing robes of the Temple leaders, but was clothed in a cloak of camel’s hair. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey. He did not answer to the Jewish leaders, but to the Lord, for his authority came from the Lord. It was this that the Jewish leaders came to question. For their real question was, “Who gives you the right to baptize?” In other words they were saying, “We are the religious authority and we don’t remember ordaining you.”

John knew that they did not recognize him, nor did they recognize that the Messiah was already standing in the midst of the crowd (John 1:26). John refused to be cast in one of their expected eschatologies. His only answer to their question concerning his identity was to quote the prophet Isaiah, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isa. 40:3). It was a voice they had no ears to hear. John’s ministry was not the one they expected, but it was the one the prophets had foretold.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we know that we cannot put You in a box. You do not act in the way we expect, but according to Your own will and plan. You challenge our controlling tendencies and lead us outside our comfort to a place of dependence and trust on You alone. Forgive us our doubts and our desire for control. We say ‘yes’ to Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

THE WORD THAT WALKED

From: April 30, 2023

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NLT).

John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality, creator, unity…), but also the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. As the “Word” He is the very communication of God, superior even to the revelation that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai. The law came through Moses, but the free gift of life and the full revelation of God came through Christ (John 1:17).

If you want to see God, look upon Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to be right with God, receive Jesus. Got Jesus? Got life (1 John 5:12). Jesus is the Word that walked among us that we might walk by faith with God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to us. We worship and adore Him as our Lord and Savior. We meditate on Him and His ministry that we might know You better. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ and empower us to serve as His Body in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” (John 1:15 NLT).

From: April 30, 2022

THE ONE WHO CAME AFTER YET LONG BEFORE

John the Baptist was born three months before Jesus (see Luke 1:36). So, in that sense, Jesus came “after” John. Yet the Spirit had revealed to John that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, therefore He had existed “long before” John and had preference or status far above John’s. John repeated this explanation when he was baptizing at the Jordan River, saying of Jesus, “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose” (John 1:27). And when the people wondered whether John was the Messiah, he answered similarly, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

John bore witness to both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ in this simple, yet mind-boggling statement. He essentially said, “Jesus came after me as a man, but He was always before me as the Son of God.” What John bore witness to, we can affirm. Jesus became flesh, being born of the virgin Mary. But as the Son of God, Christ has always existed. He was present and active in the creation of the universe (see John 1:1-3). And He was present and active at the cross when He paid the price to redeem His creation.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are so overwhelmed with wonder and praise. For You loved us so much that You gave us Your Son, “born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-6). He is God in the flesh. What a miracle! We will never be able to praise You enough for Jesus! Strengthen us to praise Him and proclaim Him, in Jesus’ name, amen.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 HCSB).

From: April 30, 2021

THE WORD THAT WALKED

John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality, creator, unity…), but also the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. As the “Word” He is the very communication of God, superior even to the revelation that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai. The law came through Moses, but the free gift of life and the full revelation of God came through Christ (John 1:17).

If you want to see God, look upon Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to be right with God, receive Jesus. Got Jesus? Got life (1 John 5:12). Jesus is the Word that walked among us that we might walk by faith with God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to us. We worship and adore Him as our Lord and Savior. We meditate on Him and His ministry that we might know You better. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ and empower us to serve as His Body in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1:15 NKJV).

From: April 30, 2020

THE MYSTERY OF THE ONE WHO CAME AFTER AND BEFORE

John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus (see Luke 1:36). So, in that sense, Jesus came “after” John. Yet the Spirit had revealed to John that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, therefore He had existed “before” John and had preference or status far above John’s. John repeated this explanation when he was baptizing at the Jordan River, saying of Jesus, “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose” (John 1:27). And when the people wondered whether John was the Messiah, he answered similarly, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

John bore witness to both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ in this simple, yet mind-boggling statement. He essentially said, “Jesus came after me as a man, but He was always before me as the Son of God.” What John bore witness to, we can affirm. Jesus became flesh, being born of the virgin Mary. But as the Son of God, Christ has always existed. He was present and active in the creation of the universe (see John 1:1-3). And He was present and active at the cross when He paid the price to redeem His creation.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are so overwhelmed with wonder and praise. For You loved us so much that You gave us Your Son, “born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-6). He is God in the flesh. What a miracle! We will never be able to praise You enough for Jesus! Strengthen us to praise Him and proclaim Him, in Jesus’ name, amen.

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NLT).

From: April 30, 2019

THE WORD THAT WALKED AMONG US

John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, “In the beginning…” This signals the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaims Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek for “word” (λόγος, logos), John proclaims Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality, creator, unity…), but also the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. As the “Word” He is the very communication of God, superior even to the revelation that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai. The law came through Moses, but the free gift of life and the full revelation of God came through Christ (John 1:17).

If you want to see God, look upon Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to be right with God, receive Jesus. Got Jesus? Got life (1 John 5:12). Jesus is the Word that walked among us that we might walk by faith with God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to us. We worship and adore Him as our Lord and Savior. We meditate on Him and His ministry that we might know You better. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ and empower us to serve as His Body in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?”’ (John 1:19 NLT).

From: April 30, 2018

THE UNEXPECTED MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Although he was the son of the Levite priest, Zechariah, in the line of Abijah, one of the 24 orders of priests in the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron, John did not serve in the Temple. Instead, led by the Spirit, he preached in the wilderness on the East side of the Jordan. He did not wear the rich flowing robes of the Temple leaders, but was clothed in a cloak of camel’s hair. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey. He did not answer to the Jewish leaders, but to the Lord, for his authority came from the Lord. It was this that the Jewish leaders came to question. For their real question was, “Who gives you the right to baptize?” In other words they were saying, “We are the religious authority and we don’t remember ordaining you.”

John knew that they did not recognize him, nor did they recognize that the Messiah was already standing right there in the midst of the crowd (John 1:26). John refused to be cast in one of their expected eschatologies. His only answer to their question concerning his identity was to quote the prophet Isaiah, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isa. 40:3). It was a voice they had no ears to hear. John’s ministry was not the one they expected. But it was the one the prophets foretold.

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah” (Judges 11:29 NKJV).

From: April 30, 2017

The Lord strengthened Jephthah, the Gileadite, to defeat the people of Ammon who made war against Israel. Jephthah, the son of a harlot, rejected by his brethren, and leader of a worthless band of raiders, seemed an unlikely choice for a judge, yet the Lord empowered him to overcome Israel’s enemies.

Such men are not the focus of Scripture, but the Lord God is. For He works with sinful man to accomplish His purposes. O what joy, that the Lord would bend down to take note of us, and not only that, but that He would give us His Spirit!

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 ESV)

From: April 30, 2016

The “Logos” (Greek for “Word”) which was in the beginning has now become flesh. The Logos that was and is God, has now become man. He did not “become” God for He was God already. He did not “become” life or light for these were His divine attributes before eternity. But He did “become,” of His own will and power, flesh. And this He did that we might finally perceive God’s “glory,” and receiving and believing in Him, we might become children of God. For God made Him who knew no sin to “become” sin for us, so that we might “become” His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus is the Logos become flesh. He is the perfect communication of God. He that has ears to hear, let him hear!

“Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief” (Proverbs 14:13 NKJV)

From: April 30, 2015

As we grow older, we know the truth of this proverb. The pure and simple laughter of our youth has become mixed with the sober realities and growing complexities of this life. Rare is the day of unfettered joy that is not muddied with some grief. Yet, we long for an unclouded day, where joy rises like the sun and we leap like a calf released from the stall (Mal. 4:2).