Jesus Cried Out
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John 12:44-50
44. And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. 46. I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47. If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. 49. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. 50. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me."
Jesus cried out. We don’t read that often. He felt these words were crucial for the listeners, and he wanted to be sure they heard every word and understood clearly what he was telling them. He wanted no question to remain in our minds who he was and why he came, from where he came, and upon whose authority he was preaching this message.
And we are to “be Jesus” to this world now, in the year 2005. We are to cry out to the lost and the hurting and tell them they are not alone. They may have hope in the one who is the source of all hope. The one who came to earth solely to die on the cross—so that we would no without doubt or question, the God in heaven loves us more than his own existence. Jesus lived so that we would know that he understands what it feels like to be human. He experienced pain, suffering, joy, delight, loneliness, love, all the other emotions and feelings that make us who we are. He understood all of it—not just because he was part of God who made us—but because he was one of us.
And Jesus wants to be very clear: hear and believe or perish. It’s that plain and simple. Believe and end up in heaven with him and with his heavenly father—our heavenly father, or turn away; go your own way, do your own thing, and miss out on the future glory.
And we are not to judge others. We are only to tell them the Good News. And we are to pray for them. God will judge them. We are to speak a message of salvation – and let God deal with the details. We are to offer salvation to as many people as we can—by introducing them to Jesus and His message. Beyond that, we may never know the outcome—except that we have done what Jesus cried out to us to do.
I hope today you cry out the Good News to the lost and lonely in your life. And that you speak with the authority of the one who announced the Good News first – 2000 years ago.
Mary
