February 12 Daily Discovery

Read John Chapter 1

Jesus' Ownership Double Claim

Jesus does indeed have a double-claim on us.

An Illustration

There was a little boy that had been taught intricate carving by his grandpa.  This boy loved to play in the little stream that ran through their town.

He decided to carve a sailboat to play with in this stream.  He worked, with his grandpa's help, for a couple of weeks, every day one summer on this little boat.  Finally, the day came for him to try it out.  He took the boat to the stream and pushed it off.

He watched it float down the stream and celebrated as it stayed upright and was navigated down the stream by the current.  The boat made its way into the fastest flowing part of the stream and was lost.  Now he was heart-broken.  The little boat that he had crafted and loved was gone.

A few days later, he was in town and he saw the boat in a store-front window for sale.  His heart raced and he raced inside and asked the clerk in the store if he could please have his boat.  He told the clerk that his grandpa had shown him how to carve and that he carved it.

The clerk did not believe that this boy could have carved such a beautiful toy and he told the boy no.  Then, the boy remembered that he had carved his initials at a special place on the inside hull of the boat.  He told the clerk this and asked him to look.  The clerk confirmed this, but said that he could not give him the boat because his boss had bought it from someone and it was now for sale.

The boy began to cry.  Now believing the boy, the clerk told him that he would not sell it to anyone else for 30 days, and if the boy could come back with the money for it, he would sell it to him.  This cheered the boy up, and he promised that he would be back in two or three weeks with all of the money.

The boy worked every odd job he could find to earn the money to buy the boat back, returned to the store, gave the clerk the sale price and the clerk delivered the boat to him.

The boy thanked him, held the boat with both of his arms to his chest and proclaimed as he walked out the door, "Little boat, now you are mine twice: once because I made you and once because I bought you."

Jesus the Creator

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ 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.

~ John 1:1-3, 10-14

The Bible is God's written Word, and Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God.  Jesus, the Word was indeed the Creator that spoke all things into existence.

Jesus has a claim on us as human beings and indeed as believers in Him because he is our Creator.

The following passage confirms the fact that Christ is our Creator and also confirms that He is our Redeemer.

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

~ Col. 1:12-21

Jesus the Redeemer

²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

³⁰ This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

³¹ And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

³⁵ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

³⁶ And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

~ John 1:29-36

Jesus was the LAMB OF GOD.  He was not only the Creator, but He was also the Redeemer.  His sinless sacrifice in our place has paid the price demanded by a Holy God in order for man's sins to be forgiven.

Unlike the Hebrew sacrifices made continually and in particular, the annual passover sacrifice that COVERED man's sin for another year, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the SON of God has taken our sins away.  They have not simply been "covered."  They have been removed forever!

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

³ But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

~ Heb. 10:1-10

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See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method