For no word from God will ever fail.
Summary: In this meditation, we look back on why Jesus had to become a man and what it means for us.
The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John are all written from the perspective of a first or second-hand account of Jesus’ life on earth by people who knew him. Luke’s Gospel is different.
Luke writes from the perspective of a Gentile historian. He is also a “gentle” historian! He is careful with his research and handles the facts gently.
He begins his account of Jesus’ life with these words:
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“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1: 26-38)
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When we talk about Jesus, it is easy to focus on his humanness. He is, after all, fully human. Yet, this story Luke shares is worth pondering. What does it mean that Jesus is … literally … the Son of God?
People can debate this, but unless God’s Word tells us, we cannot know. None of us has any idea what it is like to be sired directly by the Creator of the Universe.
What we do know from Scripture is that Jesus was without sin.*
What does that mean? Well, that depends on how you define “sin.”
The Bible defines sin as “lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). This definition begs the question, “What is the law?”
Jesus answers that in Matthew 22:37-40, where he says:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus never failed to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind. Not even for a second.
Application: Thinking about Jesus helps us understand our helplessness before God.
Food for Thought: How does loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind change us?
*Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22 , 1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21
How does loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind change us?
I think that loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind changes us in many ways. Two ways I know it changes us are in our words and our deeds. Loving Him completely leaves no room for self-service in our hearts, and thus obeying His Word is our imperative.
God’s grace is a marvelous, powerful thing. He has given us the choice, for now, to pick our Master. Will we serve Him or ourselves? He warns us though, we will be devoted to the one we choose, and despise the other. Choosing Him doesn’t mean we hate ourselves, just that we despise our sinful nature, and seek to allow His Holy Spirit to put that nature to death, knowing that the new nature He creates in us is life. This changes the way we choose to think about most things. When we go to Him in prayer, hidden resentments surface quickly and we must repent, or we find that they only serve to block our awareness of Him. As we go about our daily activities, we want to keep awareness of Him, so we are careful not to invite sin, are careful to take captive or hearts and minds for Him, so that we can obey and enjoy fellowship with Him. Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind changes us because we seek to remain in the fullness of Him.
John 14:15
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Matthew 6:24
24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Thank you, Chris!
I love the gentleness of your explanation.
Thank you for your comment CH.
My simplistic answer is that loving God changes us because of a relationship with Him that changes us to be a little more like Him (that is a little more like Jesus who is God).
2 Corinthians 3: 18: And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Thank you, Rich!
I know that I have learned how to be a better Christ follower from my relationship with you, so that makes perfect sense.
That is humbling to hear brother. And encouraging. I have certainly become a better person by knowing you my friend.
How does loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind change us?
Deuteronomy 6:5, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
We are born as self centered little beings, literally crying to let everyone know, “ We want attention, and we want it now! “
As time passes we are taught to speak with words and actions which will allow each, as self centered bigger beings, to more clearly make our desires known to others. With this physical growth, we can go many directions as we by nature, seek to have our will be done by others. Some will smoothly manipulate, others may demand, but our nature continues to be seeking our will over circumstances, as we seek total control.
1 John 4:19, We love because He first loved us.
John 16:8, When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.
As we grow, God makes His love known to us and we are given an opportunity to receive, and live according to His love and power, or continue living according to our will. All who choose Gods will in all things over their own, will become children of God, seeking true life in obedience to His will.
Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Ephesians 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Thank you, Ron!
Your point about God making himself known to us is a powerful testimony to our Living God. Well said!