He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.—John 12:25-26
The secret to receiving all God has done for you is to embrace Jesus. The words “love/hate” used in this verse are used in a comparative sense. In other words “love more/love less” meaning love Jesus and the life He has provided for you over your natural life. That means embrace JESUS, put Him first, let Him be the center of your life, your marriage, your family, your career, your ministry, etc.
Remember who He is and how big He should be in our lives! Jesus is God personified, wrapped in human flesh! Gaze into the Gospels ad discover His love and compassion for people.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.—John 1:1,14,16-17
He is all we need! He has an inexhaustible supply for whatever we need in life. He covers every aspect of our human existence! Out of His abundance we have everything we need in life! Notice how the Amplified version states the phrase, “grace for grace….”
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received all had a share and we were all supplied with one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift heaped upon gift.—John 1:16 AMP
Now let’s see JESUS through the eyes of the Apostle John, the one who was closest to JESUS in His earthly walk, the one to whom JESUS entrusted the care of His mother at His death. The Gospel of John chapters 1-11 reveals what JESUS has provided for us. I would encourage you to sit and read those chapters in one sitting and embrace all that JESUS has done for you! Let’s take a look…
First off, God saved the best for last! Remember the miracle story of the wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water to wine? The wedding host said, “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” This sign revealed the glory and goodness of JESUS. For 4000 years God was working His plan of redemption through the Old Testament and saved the best for last, His Son JESUS. He fulfills all the promises of the Old Covenant and brings us a New Covenant with better promises. What are those promises?
Jesus brought us a new birth! Jesus breaks the power of sin in our lives by giving us a new nature and identity. The only way to break sin’s power is a reboot! A restart!
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.—John 3:3,5
Jesus satisfies our thirst! He provides a fountain that never runs dry. The women at the well could not satisfy her thirst going from husband to husband, it was only when she embraced JESUS that she found contentment. Only JESUS can satisfy the human heart.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.—John 4:14 KJV
Jesus brings us rest and recovery! He is our Sabbath rest! The purpose for a Sabbath is to bring physical healing and restoration for our souls. Jesus demonstrated this on the Sabbath day to a paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.—John 5:8-9
Jesus meets our every need! He is our provision, our bread from heaven. His Word sustains us!
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.—John 6:32-33,35
Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit! He described it as rivers flowing out of your life. Rivers are not just for you but for the others in your life that need JESUS. Rivers that bring peace, joy, healing, revelation, boldness, and power to flow through us!
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)—John 7:37-39
Jesus brings us total freedom! Here is the secret, He gave us His Word, the truth of who we are through the Apostle Paul’s letters. His truth sets us free from sin’s power and the old life.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.—John 8:31-32,34-36
Jesus gives us spiritual sight! We have eyes to see His wonderful plan for our lives, to see and to know what is ahead ! We were all born blind until we answered the question, “what about JESUS.” The question for every generation is, “do you beleive that Jesus is God?” Until we acknowledge Him we are still in the dark. But when we do acknowledge Him He brings light into our darkness and wisdom and understanding in all of our decision making.
As Jesus passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But it happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.—John 9:1-3
Jesus brings us abundant life! The Greek word for abundant is “Zoe” meaning eternal life or in other words “life as God has it.” He has given us green pastures to live in, an abundance of His peace, His joy, and His righteousness to feed upon!
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.—John 10:9-10
Jesus brings us a supernatural hope! Jesus is coming soon! When we are caught up in the air to meet him we shall receive our new physical body! Imagine retirement in a young youthful body? What an awesome thing to look forward to!
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?—John 11:25-26
With all that JESUS has done for us we should follow Him with all of our hearts! Go deeper, draw closer, and become more intimate with Him! Follow JESUS in 2020!
Finish Strong! 