Principles and Values
«Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 1 19: 105)
There is a common problem that occurs even among professed Christians: the desire of reconciling one’s wishes with the principles of the Word of God. Depending on one’s values, previous experiences, education or personality, expectations are generated, and they are nothing more than wishes, illusions, predictions, and beliefs. But between expectations and reality there may be such a wide distance that can confuse and disappoint people, and may hinder them from knowing the truth.
In the time of Jesus, the chosen people nurtured expectations of earthly greatness with the arrival of Messiah. They expected a liberator from the Roman yoke—a king with strength and power who would raise them to become a universal force. But Jesus came in poverty and humility. The discrepancy between their expectations and reality was so profound that when John the Baptist introduced Him to the crowd as the Christ, most of them did not recognize Him, and many were filled with disappointment and rejection. When things are not what we believe them to be or when the reality does not meet our expectations, it is natural to experience such feelings.
But how did the prophet of the desert recognize Him? What proof did Jesus offer to show that He was the Anointed of God?
In both cases, the main evidence was given in the Holy Scriptures. When the prophet introduced him as Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world» (John 1:29, 36), he was referring to a chapter in the Old Testament where the Messiah was described as the Lamb who gave His life for the sinner (Isa. 53). When John the Baptist doubted because his expectations did not match with what Jesus was doing (if He was the Savior, why did not He free him from prison and the cruel Herod?), he looked at the details of His life and works which corresponded to the prophet Isaiah’s description of the Anointed of God (Isa. 61). To His disciples, Jesus, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, [He] explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself» (Luke 24:27).
Think about this: do your beliefs and expectations on various subjects match the Word of God? Knowing that it is not safe to defend our ideas and embrace any prejudice, we invite you to search the Word of God with faith and prayer.
Jesus said, «You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me» (John 5:39).
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores:Ricardo Vela & Emmanuel Tapia
