Encountering JesusSample

DISCOVER

The question being asked in our passage today refers to Malachi 4:5, and the coming of the day of the Lord. Jesus says that Elijah must come before the day of the Lord. The point of this, however, is that Jesus said, “Elijah has already come,” He compares Elijah and John the Baptist, who had some what similar ministries. Luke1:17 says that John the Baptist ministered in Elijah’s Spirit and Power.

LEARN

The prophet Elijah and John the Baptist had been similar in many ways. They rebuked sin, called out sinners, attracted multitudes to their ministry, both fled to the wilderness, and lived in a corrupt time. They stood out as heavenly-minded men in a world that was corrupt in sin and plagued by false religions. They were willing to stand out and didn’t give into the temptations of the world around them.

APPLY

Do you stand out as a follower of Jesus in this world? If someone saw you, would they see something different? Would they see Jesus in the way you lived? We may not have the ministry of John the Baptist or Elijah, but we serve the same God as them. When we serve God whole-heartedly, we can’t help but show it in the way we live our lives. How can you be more intentional this week in how you represent Christ in your everyday life?