Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5: 1, NKJV.
Holy Father, Creator, and God, thank You so much for freedom in Jesus Christ Your Son. As we gather around the Word of Life, please help us to love You more, and serve You better. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
The title of our devotional for today, is a saying that is often heard among English-speaking believers in my native Republic of Panama. It is not a negation that Jesus is God. During this thanksgiving season, as we relax with family and friends, it is a good idea to think about the things that make life worth living. Yesterday, we looked at what is going to be our final destination, the Holy City – the New Jerusalem. We were encouraged by the fact, that there will be no more pain, no more death, no more tears, for “the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21: 4c). Thank God! We were also reminded that this is a promise that we can rely on! Yes indeed, the best is yet to come! Today, I would like us to contemplate the One who made all these things possible, Jesus, the Lamb of God!
It is usually at Christmas, and at Easter, that our minds are turned toward Jesus’ coming to our world, and His sacrifice on our behalf. Nevertheless, I believe that it is also a very good idea to “think about these things” (Philippians 4: 8), at thanksgiving, and join with the apostle in declaring, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9: 15), in the person of His Son, Jesus the Christ! My reason for coming to this conclusion, is that without Jesus, there would be nothing for which to be thankful! After all, it is in Him that “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17: 28).
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in Revelation 5: “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (1-7, emphasis provided).
From the portions of Scripture emphasized, you may begin to get an idea of where my fascination lies, in regards to this passage – Jesus’ dual role in our salvation! Having the strength and sovereignty of a lion, He was willing to assume the meekness and vulnerability of a lamb! With His death and resurrection, He earned the right to open the scroll! He gave us physical life through creation, and He gave us the right to eternal life, through redemption! Therefore, we owe our entire existence to the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29)!
Our Scripture for today introduces another dimension of the debt of love we owe to Jesus our Savior: “Liberty!” There are many people who are alive today, but they are not free. Some are slaves of habit, or drug addiction, or circumstances. The slavery that the apostle was addressing was the slavery caused by religious tradition, in which the individual is deceived into believing, that he or she, can “be good enough through their works, to save themselves.” But once we experience the “amazing grace” of God, we become aware, that nothing we do, or can do, could be considered good enough, to take the place, of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13: 8). With His blood, He paid our ransom and set us free! “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8: 36)!
Now, isn’t that something to be thankful for?