Who Am I? Part Five

John 3: 16 – 18

Our loving Lord loves us even amid our doubting.  (John 20: 2)

Three days after Jesus died on the cross of Calvary as a living sacrifice for our sins a rumor spread in the early morning that His tomb was empty. Two disciples ran to the tomb. The first one there described himself as “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.”

In a moment when doubts must have cascaded on him John had a sense of who he was. He was an object of Jesus’ love. God honors honest inquiry. John was questioning for an answer not that there was an answer.

When you fully trust in Jesus, you know His love will never fail you. Circumstances may sometimes cause you to feel forsaken. Even then in reality you aren’t.

You may temporarily fail to enjoy the presence of the love of Christ because of your hurts or fears, but His love is still there.  Even if you are in an emotional state of shock, let your mind dwell on the fact you are an object of Jesus’ love.

Circumstances don’t change the reality of Jesus’ presence and love. They may temporarily change your awareness of them. At the tomb initially John wasn’t aware of Jesus’ presence, but he was conscious that even then he was “the disciple Jesus loved.”

You may have been looking for a God who would roll up His sleeves and stride into your life bashing all of your opposition, subduing every opponent, curing every ill, and healing every hurt. He not having done this, you may be beginning to develop doubts.  Don’t!  Fix your mind on facts, not appearances. He is there at work because He loves you.  At the tomb it only appeared He didn’t love them and had abandoned them.

With all of your doubting, don’t ever doubt you are a person Jesus loves. Then set about to interpret your circumstances in light of that reality. Don’t ever question that reality in light of your circumstances.

He loves us in our delights (John 21: 7 & 20).

Twice after the resurrection of Jesus John describes himself as “that disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21: 20). This further identifies John as the one loved by Jesus in the upper room dilemma.

Now on the sunny shores of the Sea of Galilee, in a heady moment of delight, John acknowledges himself to be one loved by Jesus. The circumstance wasn’t the cause but the occasion for this acknowledgment.

The love of Jesus is like the Mississippi River flowing to water a rose. You may be that rose and feeling wilted. You have NO reason to be, the supply is sufficient. You are an awesome spirit being.

When you become aware of who you are out of gratitude you want to help others come to an awareness that they too are objects of Jesus’ love.

Say it to yourself, “I am one who Jesus loves – – – now and forever.”