Thursday · Apr 9
Immanuel, God With Us
What if you wanted to tell someone about God’s love? What example from the Bible would you use?
The best answer, of course, is Jesus. Jesus shows us God. Many verses tell us this Bible truth. But the verse that tells us most plainly is John 14:9 . In this verse, Jesus says, “ ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too’ ” (ERV). Do you want to know more about God? Look to Jesus. His words, actions, behavior, and amazing love show us what God thinks and feels about us.
The Bible gives us four Gospels or stories about Jesus’ life. These stories give us a full picture of Jesus. Matthew was a Jewish writer, who wrote his book for Jews. Matthew shows us that Jesus is the Savior who kept all of God’s promises. Mark shows us Jesus at work. Jesus always thought about other people. He always did what His Father wanted Him to do. Luke tells us about Jesus’ love. Luke’s story helps us to trust what we read about Jesus ( Luke 1:3, 4 ). John tells us that Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth as a man. John shows us that Jesus is who He says He is. This Bible truth fills our hearts with new life. All four Gospels tell us about Jesus. But not everyone thinks alike. So, the four Gospel writers “tell Jesus’ story in different ways. Each writer has his own experience. Each story gives us more knowledge about Jesus. The stories meet the needs of different people.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 105, 1900. What is the last Gospel you read?
In Matthew 1:23 , a special name is given to Jesus. Why is this name so special? How does this name help us understand God’s love? Read Matthew 28:20 . Look at the last part of the verse. Compare Matthew 28:20 with Matthew 1:23 . What do you notice?
The love of God is a big topic. We’ve only talked a little bit about it today. God is more wonderful than we can imagine in our minds. We will learn about Him forever in heaven and on the new earth.
God is worthy of our praise. Take some time to praise Him for who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s doing now. Be sure to praise Him for the things the Bible tells us about Him. (Here is an example: “Thank you, God, for being ____________, as You tell me in [please add a Bible verse of your choice here].”