Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies.”
John 11:25 (NASB)
Series: Games People Play
Ring, Ring! Remember the game of Telephone? I played this fun game as a kid. I’ve also played it at social events as an adult and have even used it as an icebreaker at my own women’s gatherings.
The game begins with a group of people sitting in a circle. One person whispers a statement or sentence in the next person’s ear. Then that person attempts to repeat what she thought she heard to the next person by whispering in her ear. This continues until the last player in the circle announces out loud to the group what she thought the person whispered in her ear. Most times, the words spoken at the end are not even close to the original statement.
This game of tangled tales reminds me of how we may determine who Jesus is. There are times it may be easier to listen to others rather than doing our own due diligence. What we hear about Jesus may start out being correct. However, by the time we listen to one thing, then another thing, those bits and pieces of information may depict someone totally different from who He says He truly is in the Bible.
The Word of God is not like the Telephone game, where you end up with something that is almost the truth. The gospel is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. God’s word has an absolutely life-altering message.
Jesus declares:
“I am the way and truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (ESV)
Did you notice His powerful statement ends with Me and then a period? The world says there are many ways to God. But as we read in scripture, there is only one way—Jesus!
In this next verse, John teaches another powerful truth:
He (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 (ESV)
Jesus came to die for our sins and bridge the gap that separates us from God. He came to save us! To be our Savior! What a beautiful truth. He is the Savior for everyone who believes in Him. Our most awesome God sacrificed His Son so we can have eternal life.
“For God, so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
Jesus not only speaks truth, but He is the Truth. However, we have an enemy, Satan, who excels at deception. He twists the words and presents false truths in such a way that they seem to be true. Almost the truth. Almost the correct answer is Satan’s telephone game. We must know his tactics and shelter our ears from listening to the whispers that defy the truth about Jesus.
Let us not use the rules of the Telephone game to define who Jesus is. Let’s seek the truth about Him in His word. We need to hear from the Source to help us understand who He is. We won’t ever have to rely on anyone else’s whispers in our ears about Him. Instead, we can shout out to the entire world: “Jesus has come for me because He loves me and has died for my sins. He is my Lord! He is my Savior!”
Holding Fast to Hope,
Patricia
Scripture References: John 3:16, 11:25, 14:6; 1 John 2:2; Romans 838-39; 2 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 12:9; Jeremiah 29:13
