Blessed Sunday

We thank you LORD God for this beautiful day of Your favor, love, redemption, protection and every blessing You have prepared for us in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Mark 15:26 NKJV) "And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS."

Amen, thank you LORD.

The above inscription was written by Pilate to describe Jesus Christ. Before His crucifixion, Jesus was silent before the religious leaders and Pilate despite the many false accusations He faced from them. At some point, Pilate was amazed and in Mark 15:5 (NKJV) "But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled."

I believe Jesus responded to the most important question which was and still is His identity as the King of the Jews. He is the King who came to the world with righteousness, justice and mercy. This King is the Son of God. John 1:16 (NKJV) speaks of Jesus and says, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."

Jesus came into the world and born with His identity as the Son of God and the deliverer of God's people. In the gospel of Luke, Simeon, a devout man and worshipper of God described him as "A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel." (Luke 2:32 NKJV). However, Jesus was not like any other earthly King causing confusion among the ones He was sent to. They knew of the coming of the Messiah but this Messiah did not come in the way they expected. It is important to remember that the children of Israel did not have a king as leader for the LORD God was their leader until they decided otherwise. In 1 Samuel 8:7 (NKJV), "And the LORD said to Samuel, heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them." When the people asked God for a king like the other nations, God heeded to their request and through the prophet Samuel appointed King Saul as their first king.

At the same time, God reminded them that this king would rule over them just like it was with kings from other nations and the people agreed.

Before Jesus' coming, the prophets of old spoke of His coming. God's people gladly looked forward and waited and waited on this promise and in God's faithfulness, the long awaited promise of the Messiah finally came to pass.

However, this awaited King was different from other kings. This King was a servant. This King had compassion on the poor, the sick, the heart broken and the afflicted. This King forgave sins and spent time with sinners. This King rode on a donkey. This King was born in a humble home and in an infamous town where nothing good originated (2:46). This King performed miracles, signs and wonders. This King did not have pomp and escorts but He was popular with the masses and had disciples. This King gave peace and eternal life to all who received Him. Unknown to the people, God was restoring order by giving to His people a King, not based on their lusts and preferences but a King they needed, a faithful King who would shepherd the people according to God's heart and redeem them as Lord and Savior of their lives.

As a result, Jesus' identity as King of the Jews could not be taken away at crucifixion, on the cross, not during His earthly ministry, and most certainly not at birth or when He was rejected in His hometown, Nazareth. Jesus' identity as the Son of God who fulfilled God, the Father's will remained intact because this identity was given to Him by God and not man. As a child of God, just like Jesus, your most prized possession is and will always be your identity that is found in God in Christ Jesus which is the very foundation of your life in God.

I'll end with this word found in 1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: If you would like to receive Jesus and be born again into God's Kingdom, that is saved and have a personal relationship with God as Your Father and you as His child by receiving His Son, Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to say this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

GLORY TO GOD, You are now a new creation in Christ Jesus! In case you have not already, please prayerfully consider becoming a member of a church and get WATER BAPTIZED!