What Now?

256px-Christmas_tree_sxc_huChristmas is history. Presents exchanged, meals prepared and much love exchanged by family and friends marked the holiday. All that remains is to pack away the ornaments, throw out the trash and wave goodbye to family as everyone returns home to begin a new year. It’s been busy. Among all the food, frivolity and fun, you paused to think of Jesus. I don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday because the original Christians did not. But I am thankful when people turn their hearts to Jesus. The challenge is to keep thoughts of our Savior alive for the entirety of the year, not just a couple of days.

Thursday was the last time many will think about Jesus until Easter.

Jesus used three descriptions of himself to show the daily necessity to commune with him. In John 4:7-15 Jesus is the giver of “living water.” He said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  No one lives without water. Within a few hours a man becomes dry and uncomfortable and within days he dies. Common water, H2O, quenches the thirst for the moment but the water from Jesus ends our thirst forever. Every man needs the water of life from Jesus constantly.

Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51, 58; John 11:25). Five times in a single chapter Inspiration tells us that Jesus is the bread of life. For man, bread is an essential nutrient. There are other foods available but bread is the basis of life. Like water, man cannot live without bread. Like bread, Jesus sustains man. No one would feed their physical body as rarely as some feed their spirit. In John 6, Jesus reminds us that his bread is different from common bread. A man who eats physical bread will die but he who eats the bread of life will live forever (Exodus 16:15; John 6:48-51).

Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He is the life giver. Through living water and the bread of life, Jesus gives life to all who come to him. In the darkness of Eden a promise of redemption began to glow (Genesis 3:15). In Jesus that faint glow is fanned into a blaze. As Jesus gives resurrection and life! Where once only despair ruled, victory is found in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Our point is simple: Living demands life and that life is in Jesus!

Christmas reminded you of Jesus. The Luke 2 narrative always touches your heart. Now what? How can you carry those warm Christmas thoughts through the year? How can the baby in a manager live with you for the entire year?

Know Him. We come to know a person by associating with them and listening to their thoughts and ideas. We know Jesus by listening to him – not what others think about him – but by listening to his words. The Scriptures are the word of God (1 Peter 1:23; c.f. John 1:1, 14) and they are given so that we might know Jesus.

Show Him. Do not be afraid to declare your allegiance to Jesus. Let the world know that you stand with Jesus (Mark 8:38). It is by our words, our confession, that we are led to salvation (Romans 10:9, 10). Through our actions others will come to Jesus too.

Share Him. The Christian is an evangelist. He speaks the good news of Jesus to all he can. He shares what Jesus has done for him (John 9:18-34). But the disciple also seeks the constant company of his fellow believers. Yes, he assembles with them for worship but he also engages with other Christians daily as he grows in his faith and encourages others at the same time (Acts 2:42-47, esp. 46).

So we ask again, what now? Commit to live every day in the presence of Jesus. Our faith is a daily faith, our Savior is a constant companion. Resolve to make every day a day for Jesus!

 Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at preachersstudyblog.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

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