Free Daily Devotional ECWA Food for the Day

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

TEXT: John 8:48-59

48. The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

49. Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

50. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

51. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

52. The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’

53. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”

54. Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’

55. But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.

56. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

57. So the Jews said to him, “You are yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

58. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

59. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

(English Standard Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: TO ESCAPE FROM DEATH, KEEP GOD’S WORD

The Creator of heaven and earth is the only one who knows how to escape death and declared it to mankind in today’s reading. The Jews couldn’t understand the statement and kept questioning Jesus (vs. 48-52).

Man can escape eternal death by keeping God’s Word, consulting and putting it into his heart (v. 51) every day.

In Joshua 1:8, Moses told Joshua to let the Israelites know the importance of keeping God’s word in their hearts for success and prosperity. Here, Jesus is also repeating the same thing to the Jews who were questioning Him and His authority.

No matter how much men argue about the person of Jesus, it is appointed unto them once to die (Hebrews 9:27), after this judgment. The judge is no other than Jesus, the righteous judge (Acts 10:42; 2 Corinthians 5:10). He declared that the only way to escape eternal death is to keep the Word in our hearts.

QUESTION: Have you discovered the truth that the only way to escape eternal death is to keep the Word of God in your heart?

PRAYER: Give us grace, O Lord, to keep Your Word in our hearts and live by it all the days of our lives, Amen.