Jesus the Christ-Our Prince of Peace

Focusing on the Lord and everlasting life can help us not only at Christmas, but through all the challenges of mortality.

As our great Exemplar, Jesus taught us how to live, to love, and to learn. He taught us how to pray, to forgive, and endure to the end. 

Thankful for the Teachings of Jesus

     In my scripture study this morning I was reading John chapter 6 and passages in the companion scriptures of Matthew 14, Mark 6, and Luke 9.  I was pondering the similarity between Jesus and the multitude in the desert [solitary] place being miraculously fed and Moses and the Israelites in the desert being fed manna.  Mark states, “They considered not of the loaves: for their hearts were hardened.”  How often do we forget the everyday miracles we experience?  The scriptures often tell us we need a contrite spirit and we need a broken heart.  Then I came to John 6:22 “The day following…” and verse 27 reads,

“Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man hath power to give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed.”

     Jesus goes on to say that he is the bread that Father gave unto the world.  I know that faith casteth out all fear.  How apropos that the teaching of Peter walking on the water is part of this reading (see Matthew 14:28-31).  May we all partake of the bread of Life.

John 3

Nicodemus Comes to Jesus

     As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He who believeth on him is not condemned: but he who believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God, which was before preached by the mouth of the holy prophets; for they testified of Christ.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.  For every one who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he who loveth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest.  And he who obeyeth the truth, the works which he doeth they are of God.