The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 25 June 2020 – TOPIC: HUNGER FOR JESUS
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TOPIC: HUNGER FOR JESUS
READ: JOHN 1:29-39 (NKJV)
29. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30. “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’
31. “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
32. And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33. “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34. “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
35. Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
37. The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39. He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
THE MESSAGE:
In verses 31 and 33, John the Baptist emphasised this phrase: “and I knew him not.” Somehow, this appears contradictory because he has already identified Jesus, describing His person and mission with the statement: “behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world!” The worry then is, why the emphasis on “and I knew him not?”
Like Paul’s “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”, John thinks that what he knows of Christ is insufficient. He desired a deeper encounter and a deeper relationship. So he yearned for more of Jesus by the seconds. This poses a question to us: Are you satisfied with your present knowledge about Jesus and your relationship with Him? If you stop at this point, you will expire immediately. You need an extra hunger for Jesus; you need more of Him daily.
PRAYER: Lord, please create in me a never-quenching thirst for You in Jesus name.