2 minute read.
Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23 ESV, John 13:31-14:14 ESV, Psalm 119:17-32 ESV, Proverbs 15:31-32 ESV
Daily Verse: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” (John 13:33 ESV)
TEKNION (5040): “Only figuratively and always in the plural, is a term of kindly address by teachers to their disciples under circumstances requiring a tender appeal, e.g., of Christ to the Twelve just before His death, Jn 13:33; the apostle John used it in warning believers against spiritual dangers.”[i]
Kindly address
As gently as possible, Jesus tries to explain future events. Christ, speaking to the disciples, loves them more than they know. Even though they can’t follow Jesus now, they will rejoin Him one day. In the meantime, Jesus gave them a mission:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)
Currently, Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, ruling with Him as one (Hebrew 1:3 ESV). Like the disciples, we will one day reunite with the Savior, but until then, we have the same mission as the disciples: love one another as Christ loves us.
Continue the legacy.
Jesus left a legacy behind, which continues today. Christ’s acts of mercy and kindness move forward through history, long after His death and resurrection. When we meet Him again, physical death leads to our eternal life. Our actions today impact the legacy we leave behind.
On the other side of a half-century, I realize I have less time left on earth than what lies before me. Knowing the truth makes me ask myself a question. What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind. My answer remains the same; she loved the Lord.
For people to know I love God, I must love others. My affection for others identifies me as a disciple of Christ. Obedience to Jesus requires me to offer grace and mercy to all I meet, just as He did for me. Continuing the legacy of Christ means dying to self.
Love others for Jesus today, even those hard to love. Find ways to share God’s love with the world, continuing Christ’s legacy for the next generation.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 248) Thomas Nelson
