What is blessing?
How do you define blessing?
What is your understanding of being the most blessed person in the world?
When you strike the lottery?
When you found the perfect spouse?
Let's take some time to reflect upon.
Let's look at John the apostle and examine What he consider to be bless.
According to tradition,the book of John is written by the apostle John.
Let's read the following verse and meditate on it. And see if we are able to discover what blessing is to John
John 19:25-27
New International Version (NIV)
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Life Application Commentary on John 19:25-27
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Even while dying on the cross, Jesus was concerned about his family. He instructed John to care for Mary, Jesus’ mother.
Life Application Bible mention the disciple whom Jesus loved is John.
And John in his own book mention lots of time that he is the most loved disciple.
And that's what I believe he consider it to be his greatest blessing. Feeling that he is the most loved disciple even thought Jesus loves every one equally.
Let us now look at what John's mother believe it to be a blessing. When she make her request from Jesus.
How is her believes contrast with John's believes.
Matthew 20:20-23
A Mother’s Request
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20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, c These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” She did not know that to follow Jesus we have to partake in Jesus suffering
Let's turn to the following verse that talks about suffering along with Christ.
Philippians 1:29
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake."
Romans 8:15-18
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Let's us see what happens to the two son of Zebedee,John and James.
John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and the younger brother of James
Tradition had it that John was exile to patmos and James was beheaded as the following verse suggested.
Revelation 1:9
John’s Vision of Christ
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9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
James who was put to death by Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD
Acts 12:1-2
New International Version (NIV)
Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
Jesue already knew that the two brothers will indeed drink from his cup of suffering. But to sit at his right or left is not for him to grant.
Further Studies
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Romans 9:13
Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
What do you understand by this verse?
As we examine the bible closely, Esau was actually quite bless in my own opinion.
While Jacob was on the way to meet Esau, he prepare many gifts to him. But when Esau saw Jacob he denies his gifts for he was so wealthy that he doesn't need any of Jacob's gift as written in
Genesis 33:9
“I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”
Esau is so wealthy how can God possibly hate him?
On the other hand Jacob always have a hard life. Wrestling with God and been through many difficult time being cheated off by Laban.
And you call that Love by God? And indeed God is shaping him and discipline him to become a man of God. Notice because of the trial he went through, Jacob has grown to rely on God more.
As for Esau,God just let Esau be Esau. He can do anything he wanted to do. He was never corrected, never check,never punish. Esau could just be Esau and had a good time with his life.
Now you are God's people and God will not let go of you until he moulds you to become the man he wants you to be. He will break you into million pieces if he need to so that perhaps you may repent and turn to him. Be sure of this He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-26
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Conclusion:
Before we end the lesson of the day, I would like to encourage you to give yourself some time to mediate upon the lesson we have learn today.
What do you think true blessing is.
Every one here knows God loves us greatly.
But how great we felt God's love for us really depends upon how much we really understands and appreciate his Love for us.
For if one do not want to understand or appreciate someone. No matter what that someone does for you, can never amount to anything of significant.
Thank you for listerning.
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