Day 19 - Showing Gratitude
- Pastor b.Side
- May 18
- 3 min read
“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.” - John 3:34-35
Many things prevent people from understanding and recognizing God’s goodness. Much of the issue arises from our ignorance of the scriptures. The Bible clearly explains that God is the source of all truly good things and distributes His goodness in a specific way. Without knowledge of the scriptures, it can be hard to discern what is truly “good.” Without knowing the Bible, recognizing God’s goodness in our lives can be difficult, even when it is prevalent. We don’t want to measure “good” by human standards, confusing ourselves about the truth.
“He whom God has sent…”
The testimony of John 3:34-35 documents John the Baptist, clarifying some confusion among his followers. Many of them were concerned because people stopped following John to follow Jesus instead. That seemed bad. John tried to explain that his goal was never to draw people to himself but to point them to the Savior. John told his disciples that Jesus was the One God promised to send according to the scriptures, so he had no problem pointing people His way. John also explained why the Father sent Jesus. Jesus came to proclaim the Word. While God had previously spoken solely through select men before, Jesus arrived as God in the flesh to verbally articulate and teach His purposes to anyone who was willing to listen. The confusion highlighted the importance of this, proving that God’s transcendence had created a disconnect from people due to sin. The people were oblivious and estranged from God’s Word. Jesus came from heaven to address this issue, publicly showcasing the true nature of God’s goodness.
“God does not give the Spirit by measure…”
How did John know that Jesus came from heaven? Jesus’ preaching and teaching demonstrated that He was uniquely filled with the Holy Spirit. His miraculous works confirmed that He was filled with the Spirit. John also witnessed the Holy Spirit descend from heaven in the form of a dove when he baptized Jesus. Even though Jesus was fully human, He exemplified that the Father is able and willing to connect with His people through His Spirit in ways that transcend our understanding yet are somehow personal and relatable. That’s what makes God so good.
“The Father loves the Son…”
Then John described the flow of God’s work to illustrate why it was good that his ministry was diminishing in certain aspects. The Father loves the Son. In other words, the Father gave of Himself sacrificially to meet the spiritual needs of His creation by revealing His righteousness according to the promises of His Word. Jesus came into the world with all the authority of God, as God, so that He could fulfill the work necessary to save souls from sin, death, and hell. Why would a servant of God confine people to themselves, withholding others from the goodness of God through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ? Here, John illustrated that God’s goodness isn’t just in the relationship we enjoy with Jesus through His provocation but also in the privilege we have directing others to Him so they can experience that same benefit!
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your goodness in a way that transcends this life and even our understanding as recipients of Your blessings! Help us express our gratitude like John the Baptist – by humbling ourselves to exalt You, while directing more people to You for Your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Comments