His Greatest Promise

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NIV

When man first sinned, God could’ve given up on us and simply allowed mankind to die off, but instead he made this promise. He promised the world a savior, a savior that would defeat death and crush the head of the enemy. This could be our Lord’s finest promise; his promise to come and save us!

We recognize this as a reference to the Messiah, our Lord and God, Jesus, but it’s the same as God, the Father, promising to come.

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. John 14:9-11 NIV

The very fact that Jesus spoke these words to his apostles, as recorded by John, proves that God came as promised.

Now there are many other promises that God has fulfilled.

• His promise to defeat death, and provide for everlasting life
• His promise of hope, of love, and of joy in his presence
• His promise to never leave us or forsake us
• His promise of a wonderful counselor, his spirit, who allows us to walk daily with our Lord until his return!

But is there any greater promise than his coming?

From the moment God made this promise, he offered hope to the world.  The Bible is filled with the message of hope in his first coming, and his return.

Jesus even said:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”  John 8:56 NIV

What are you looking for today? This promise stands, and we know he is coming back. How do we know?

We know because Jesus said:

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22: 12-13 NIV

How great is it, that he promised in the very beginning that he was coming? Then after coming, he left, but only for a season, with the promise that he is coming again……

So, what are you looking for today?

Love one another, as our Lord commanded.

Barnabas

 

Special thanks for this guest submission by Barnabas