January 27, 2004

THE ONE MIGHTY IN DEED AND WORD

"Jesus of Nazareth... was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19, NSV).

In the Emmaus-road conversation between two disciples and their risen Lord, the disciples spoke of their Master as "a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19, RSV). What an accurate portrait of Jesus!

In this portrait, Christ is depicted as influencing God and all the people by His mighty deeds and words. No one can be unaffected by the extraordinary words and deeds of Jesus, the universal Saviour. His deeds and actions spoke with equal eloquence and power. He went about preaching, teaching, healing, and doing good because God was with Him (see Acts 10:38).

Because Christ lived what He preached, He became mighty before God and all the people. His incomparable parables, miracles, sermons, teachings, and prophecies remain unchanged and unchangeable. Jesus is still "mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19, RSV). His extraordinary impact on humanity is eloquently summed up in these words: "I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that have ever reigned put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life"--Anonymous.

Of the One mighty in deed and word, Ellen G. White wrote: "A sense of our own weakness and frailty will lead us to lean upon One that is mighty to save, whose delight is to impart strength and courage to the humble."--Review and Herald, January 10, 1856.

My Prayer Today: Lord, Your mighty words and deeds continue to amaze all generations. Help me to be transformed by them. Amen.