SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/30/2022 9:44 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “The Confession”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
16:16
Message of the verse: “16 And Simon Peter
answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
As we have studied some of the different gospels we
have found out that Peter is the spokesman for the group so it is possible that
Peter was speaking for the entire group of disciples. What Peter was saying here is that Jesus
Christ is the Messiah as that is what the Greek word “Christ” means. Peter declared Jesus to be the Messiah,
whereas the multitudes of the Jews believed Him to be only the Messiah’s
forerunner.
At
the beginning of John’s gospel we read the following in 1:41 and 49. “41 He found first his own brother Simon and said
to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). “49 Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You
are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.’” The disciples also knew that John the Baptist
had borne witness that Jesus “is the Son of God” in John 1:34 and so the longer
that they stayed with Him the more evidence they had of His divine nature,
power and authority.
I
have mentioned in earlier SD’s that in the Old Testament there are two descriptions
of the Messiah, and the one that was the most popular was that of the
conquering King who would come to destroy the Romans and cause Israel to really
bring on the Kingdom that was promised to them.
However as we know from verses like the 16th and 22nd
Psalms along with Isaiah 53 that the Messiah would come to die for the sins of
not only Israel, but the entire world.
We have seen that Jesus refused to use His miraculous power for His own
benefit or to oppose the Roman oppressors, the disciples wondered if they were
right about Jesus’ identity His humility, meekness, and His subservience as
these were totally not what they were looking for. In John 14:45 we read the following words
from Thomas “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” He still did not get it and would not get it
even after the others saw Jesus after He was resurrected, hence the term “doubting
Thomas.”
When
we were studying Matthew 11 we saw that even John the Baptist had doubts about
who Jesus was as he sent some of his disciples to ask Him “Are you the Expected
One, or shall we look for someone else?” (Matt. 11:1-3). Jesus then went out and did a number of
miracles and this showed them that indeed He was the Messiah.
MacArthur
writes “Like John the Baptist, the Twelve fluctuated between moments of great
faith and of grave doubt. They could
proclaim with deep conviction, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know
that You are the Holy One of God’ (John 6:68-69). They could also display remarkable lack of
faith and discernment, even after witnessing hundreds of healings and dramatic
demonstration of supernatural power (see Matt. 8:26; 14:31; 16:8). They were sometimes strong in faith and
sometimes weak. Jesus frequently spoke
of their ‘little faith.’”
Let
us finish this section in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I never doubt that Jesus Christ is my Lord
and Savior, but there are some times of doubt as at times I have difficulties
in getting over problems and desire more help.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to give me the strength to
follow Him and bring glory to His name even in times of doubts.
8/30/2022 10:19 AM
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