04- 23-11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (John 3:13-15)
CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF THE BIBLE, OF THE GRAVE AND OF HEAVEN
13- “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15- That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
What a beautiful message in verse 13- “…but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” He came down… which means Jesus was from Heaven. It shows that He has control of everything and as human being, there’s no way we can come down from heaven once you’re up there without the Lord’s intervention. And there’s no way a person can get out of Hell without the Lord’s hand. The Lord Jesus Christ was pictured in the Old Testament through the life of Joseph. He is the center of the story of Joseph’s life. If you will examine the life of Joseph in the Old Testament, It’s very clear that Joseph was Jacob’s beloved son. Joseph as the Son: He was beloved of a father. In (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Genesis 37:3) ”Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.”
Compare this verse with (Matthew 3:17) “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I well pleased.”
Before God the Father talked about Jesus as His beloved Son in the New Testament, He was already talking about Him (Jesus) in the Old Testament through Joseph’s life. Joseph was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. It means you can see Jesus’ life in the life of Joseph in the Old Testament. We can see Jesus in the life of Joseph and the evils that he went through by the evil plots of his selfish brothers. We can see Jesus in the life of Joseph through his sufferings and darkest moments and even his betrayal. He was betrayed by his own brother when they sold him to the merchants. Jesus was betrayed by Judas and Peter and was sold by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. And we can read and see the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament even in the life of Moses. And Moses even said about the Lord Jesus Christ in the Pentateuch and the prophets prophesied about Him in the Scriptures. Jesus sealed it and confirmed it in the Book of (John 15:25) “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” It’s just so amazing how God put the Bible together with Jesus His Son as the Center of it. Can you make Jesus as the Center of your life? (Act 24:14, 15) 14- “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 15- And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
