John 7:40-42 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
Jesus is the prophet, the Christ, and yes, He is a descendent of David, born in Bethlehem. As the prophet, He speaks to us from God. He is the living Word of God. As we abide in His word and live accordingly, Jesus produces His fruit in our lives. Living to love with Jesus happens as we believe Jesus is not just a prophet, but the prophet of God.
Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God’s servant sent to deliver His people from their bondage to sin. Of course, the people of Jesus’ day expected the Christ to deliver Israel from the Roman oppression and occupation. Jesus humbled Himself, came to serve, not to be served, and to offer Himself as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). We could not live to love with Him had He not set us free from our sin and selfishness. We must carry about in our bodies the humility of Jesus, the death of Jesus, in order for His life to be manifested in our bodies, as the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 4:10. We do that as we willingly carry the weight of the sins and fleshliness of others so that they might see Christ in us and be drawn to Him through His love.
The apostle Paul began his letter to the Romans declaring Jesus as the promised son of David. Rom. 1:3-4, speaking of the gospel of God…
…concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The title, the Son of David, identified the Christ as the promised one. It was God keeping His promise to David when He said through Jeremiah, “For thus says the LORD, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.” Jesus is our king forever. We have been called to advance His kingdom in the power of His love. We are His ambassadors in this world proclaiming that He lives and reigns forever.
Jesus, our prophet, the Christ, and king. May His love empower us today as we live to love with Him for the glory of God.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
