Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion: About Treasure Discovered

Sometimes you discover a treasure so rich and full that it must be shared. Today's devotional from Dallas Willard's wonderful Hearing God Throughout the Year should be a gift to the whole world. So I'm doing my part by sharing this treasure with the seven readers of this blog. In my opinion everyone should own this devotional classic:

Increasing Understanding

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

The New Testament is the story of increasing understanding of who Jesus was. Those among whom he was reared said, "This is Mary and Joseph's boy." His own disciples thought he might be Elijah or one of the old prophets risen from the dead. As Jesus quizzed the disciples on his identity, Peter announced in a flash of divine revelation, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:1 NRSV).

Only in the later parts of the New Testament does the concept emerge of Jesus as a cosmic Messiah: a ruler spanning all geographical and ethnic differences, providing the glue of the universe (Colossians 1:17) and upholding all things by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). Thus he is, as described in the book of Revelation, the Alpha and Omega, the Faithful and True, the Word of God who leads the armies of heaven, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

REFLECT: Consider how the true identity of Christ is unfolding in your life: logical and insightful teacher; redeemer of the world; powerful member of the community of the Trinity; cocreator and sustainer of the universe.

From Hearing God Through the Year by Dallas Willard. ©2004 by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.