The Word Once Given
“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." - Matthew 7:28-29
Have you considered that every word that Jesus ever spoke was perfectly holy and divine and timeless and could have even been included in the canon of Scripture?
Jesus never wasted a single word and everything He said revealed the mind and heart of God to us. All the words taught in the sermon on the mount and that are preserved in Scripture give to us "the instruction in righteousness" needed to be complete and "thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). His Word truly endures forever!
Jesus stopped from heaven and fed the people with life-giving words that revealed God's holy heart and the unholy hearts of all those listening. His truth either ignited their faith or exposed their unbelief. As Proverbs 10:21 states, "The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom." Once the words of Jesus were spoken, one thing was always certain, people would be astonished at what they heard!
How about you? Are you astonished and amazed when you hear the Word of God?
The Word once given...
Gives you light to know the way in which you should walk.
Ignites a fire within you to purify your motives and to send you on your mission.
Provides you with the daily bread that reveals God's counsel and heavenly purpose.
Every time we hear the Word of God, we receive His enabling to perform it. His Word settles the issues of our life and provides us with the grace needed to accomplish all that He commands us to do. Consider this: His Word creates something out of nothing and yet equally sanctifies us into the very image of Christ Himself.
"For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations." (Psalm 33:9-11)
If you could hear Jesus speak, you would hear perfect words spoken in perfect tone at the perfect time and with perfect emphasis. WHEN OUR LORD SPEAKS, WE HEAR…
THE GRACIOUS WORD Luke 4:22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” THE COMMANDING WORD Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. THE DIVINE WORD John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. THE LIFE GIVING WORD John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. THE EVERLASTING WORD Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. THE FINAL WORD John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Amazingly, Jesus is the Word that "became 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" (John 1:14). Jesus is God communicating both His truth and His love! He is the truth that sets us free and God's unconditional love that allows us to learn His ways and yearn for His presence in our lives.
HEART WORK
Are you in the habit of daily meditating on the Scriptures?
Do you read God's Word with awe of who God is and what He has done for you?
Are you living the Word? Are you ready to do whatever God commands you to do today?
If you are a doer of the Word, this will include you sharing His Word with others so that you are freely giving out of what you have freely received.