Jesus Over Everything
A 3-DAY DEVOTIONAL
Day 1: Seeing Jesus
Verses: Daniel 10:1-3,11-12; Matthew 16:13-19; 24:15; Luke 24:13-35; James 1:15; Revelation 1:1,1
The most important thing about us is what comes into our mind when we think about God. Anything that is not true about God is a lie, and entertaining idolatrous thoughts is not something we should do. All of us must answer this pressing question every day: “Who do you say I am?” When Jesus submitted this question to the apostles, the conversation necessarily moved past cultural speculation and community rumors. They had to own what they’d begun to make of the Man before them. Peter answered rightly. Judas probably wouldn’t have said the same thing, even though both had lived and worked with Jesus for considerable time at that point.
Peter’s revelation required the Spirit of the LORD to illuminate what he’d already learned from Scriptures, the living Word of God. We must, therefore, come to everything written between Genesis to Revelation with the kind of humility, prayer, and fasting that Daniel did and submit ourselves to the Word of the LORD. It is only by this practice that we will be met by our Maker, who delights to put His Son on display.
Like the men on the road to Emmaus, our hearts can burn as He opens up all the Scriptures to us. And like John the Beloved in exile on Patmos, we can learn things about Jesus so new and revelatory that we might not recognize Him for a minute—even after decades of discipleship and obedience.
Father, thank You for Your Son. Thank You for Your Spirit to illuminate truth to my heart. Help me believe the truth about who You are.
Day 2: Savoring Jesus
Verses: Psalm 2:7-8; Isaiah 9:6-7; Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 1:15-19
When Paul wrote to the Colossians to clarify the Person of Jesus for them, he did not use weak language. Everything has been made by, through, and for Jesus to this end: that Jesus would be preeminent in all things. Meaning this: Jesus over everything. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “If Christ be anything, He must be everything.”
This means Jesus is meant to have supremacy over every nation, every government, every cultural persuasion, every thought you think, every dream you dream, every emotion you feel, and everything in between. As we see Jesus rightly, we savor Jesus accordingly. When He returns, our Father in heaven will give His beloved Son everything He has been promised as an inheritance. We are part of that inheritance—and we can give Jesus part of His inheritance even today when we choose Him above everything else. This means we obey Him when it defies culture. We choose Him when we want something else. We submit to Him when our emotions try to pull us away from the straight and narrow road that leads to life.
Jesus, You are better than everything else. Help me to love and obey You. I want You to have a rich inheritance in me.
Day 3: Sharing Jesus
Verses: Matthew 28:19-21; Revelation 7:9-10
In the ages to come, Jesus’ throne will be surrounded by people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Everyone around Him will worship and adore Him. In this age, presently, many tribes, untold tongues, and several nations do not even know who He is, and they worship something else instead. This is an injustice against Jesus, and it’s why we’ve been commanded to go into all nations and make disciples. We must obey this command.
Jesus, help Me to prioritize You above everything else, and give me strength to share Your Name to the people around Me. I commit to saying what You tell me to say, and going where You tell me to go. You are the Lord, and I am Your servant.