Thankful heart. (“Okan ope”)

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

SUNDAY BEFORE ADVERT, 22^ND NOVEMBER, 2020

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: Thankful heart.   (“Okan ope”)

TEXT: Psalm 100:4

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praises. Give thanks to him and praise his name”

“E lo si enu ona re ti eyin ti ope ati si agbala re tie yin ti eyin: e maa dupe fun un, ki e si maa fi ibukun fun oruko re”

Psalm 100 is a fitting climax to the collection of royal psalms in the Old Testament scholarship, and it sums up their teachings on God’s supreme rule, goodness to his people, the responsibility of all nation to acknowledge him, and the importance of God’s people showing gratitude to him. (Ps. 95:1-2, 6-7). As Christians, we need to be thankful to God for his sustaining grace over us, especially throughout this Christian year which is coming to an end this week. Our eyes have seen a lot, our ears have heard so much unpalatable news and great evils have befallen us in Nigeria of which the attack of COVID-19 and its effects on our social-economic and religious life cannot be easily forgotten. But in the midst of all these evil attacks, the love and mercy of the Lord have continued to preserve and sustain us and his goodness to all his people are new every morning. For these and many other mercies of the Lord to us his people, I think it is necessary to continually show our gratitude to God, because ingratitude is a great sin before him. I have therefore chosen for our meditation today, Sunday before Advert, the topic or theme which says, “GRATEFUL HEART” and Psalm 100, which contains 3 characteristics of the believer who is controlled by God’s Spirit and God’s Word, as our main text.

1.    Joyful heart (Ps. 100:1&2). The Psalmist here presents the children of Israel shouting joyfully in praise to their great Jehovah (vs. 3&5), but also calls on all the nations of the world to praise God their Creator. Yes! We can easily understand that it was Israel’s responsibility to introduce the Gentiles to the true and living God just as the Church is commissioned today to take the good news about Jesus Christ to all the world. (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15). How glorious it will then be when all God’s Children would gather at his throne from all nations of the earth, from all tribes, all peoples and all tongues? (Rev. 7:9). There shall be great joy and shout of joy on that great day when Jesus Christ shall come to take the Saints home. However, the joy of believers who are already enjoying the goodness of God begins here on earth. This shout of joy of ours ought to lead to real worship of the only true God, and our worship and songs of praise are received in heaven as sacrifices to the Lord. (Heb. 13:15).

2.    Submissive heart (Ps. 100:3) Here believers are called to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and his creating power. It is obvious that we confess openly the things which we have experienced in our hearts and as such we do bear witness of our great God (1King 18:39) He is the One who chose us as his people and constituted us as holy nation just as he did to Israel and was acknowledged by the Psalmist in verse 3 of Psalm 100. (Deut. 32:6, 15; Isa. 29:23). This verse is therefore a simple statement of faith showing that Jehovah is God, Creator, Redeemer and Shepherd, and as his people (flock) we must be submissive to him. Then he will guide and protect us, and will never allow us to stray into danger. Isn’t that enough to move us to burst into unending praises and thanksgiving to God?

3.    Thankful heart (Ps. 100:4&5) God’s Children are commanded to proceed in a worship procession through the gates into the sanctuary of their Father with praise and thanksgiving, because of his goodness, mercy, and faithfulness (Ps. 118:1, 136:1-3) We need to thank God because he is reliable and can be trusted from generation to generation (Ps. 90:1; Ex. 34:5-7) It is therefore important for us to know that the worship and service of parents today will have a significant influence on their children tomorrow. If truly the Spirit of God is in us, it will be revealed in the way we serve and worship God. If I may ask, are we being led by the Holy Spirit in our worship today? Or are we imitating the world? Is the Word of God really guiding our worship? I am optimistic that if our worship is led by the Word and the Holy Spirit, we shall be joyful in the Lord, submissive to the Lord and thankful to the Lord, and the difference will be clear in the sight of the worldly people. Do you even know that God wants our gratitude and thanksgiving? Consider what Jesus Christ said at the cleansing of 10 lepers; “… Didn’t  I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Lk. 17:17&18). Not only that, Jesus Christ taught us in Matthew 25:31-46 that a thanksgiving which is shared like offering among his brethren is most acceptable to him. As you appreciate the goodness of the Lord in your life, try and share what you have with people around you. Feed those who are hungry, give water to those who are hungry, give water to those who are thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, and put joy in face of others. Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, note that a Spirit of thanksgiving can help us to overcome the weight which slows us down on our heavenly race, especially some of the sins which so easily trip us up and often invade our lives such as: pride, idolatry, complaining and ingratitude. Do you know that it was ingratitude behavior of Adam and Eve for what they had that made them listened to and believed Satan’s lie when he said God was not telling them the whole truth (Gen. 3:1-5). This of course led to their fall from grace to grass (sin). Brethren, get a thankful heart, for a thankful heart is a triumphant heart today, and you will not regret that you did.

 

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.

Response to Oppression

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

THIRTY-THIRD (23^RD) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME/TWENTY THIRD (23^RD) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 15^TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: Response to Oppression

          Idahun si iponi loju

TEXT: Judges 4:3

“And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.”

“Awon omo Israeli si kigbe pe OLUWA: nitori ti o ni eedegbarun keke irin; ogun odun ni o si fi pon awon omo Israeli loju gidigidi.”

What brought about oppression in the life of the Israelites? If I may ask. The answer is not farfetched, because verses 1 and 2 of Judges chapter 4 say, “When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim.” The book of judges contains many of such verses with similar situations. Whenever the Israelites repented of their sins and returned to God of their fathers, they had always received forgiveness and restoration. But each time they strayed and did evil (wickedness) in the sight of God, he never hesitated to use their neighbouring kings to punish and oppressed them until they were able to come to their senses and repented of their wicked ways. Today’s text, Judges 4:1-7, which looks like opening of a drama, is one of those scenes which shows that God can raise any leader to discipline his children and teach them some senses

Jabin is the key actor in the opening passage of Judges chapter 4:1-3 which contains the story of a tragic situation that befell the children of Israel after the death of Ehud their judge. God raised Jabin, king of Canaan to discipline the people of Israel when they returned to their sinful ways after eighty years of rest and peace which they enjoyed during the reign of Ehud, the godly judge who had led Israel out of idolatry (Judge 2:10-19; 3:30). Obviously, the life of the children of Israel in the time of Judges illustrates the difference between spiritual revival and religious reformation. The former, spiritual revival, permanently changes inward character, whereas the latter, religious reformation, temporarily alters outward conduct of any people. When Ehud gained victory and commanded Israel as a people to worship only Jehovah, they left idols and obeyed him; but when that constraint was removed, the Israelites obeyed their own mind and did according to their desires. They returned to idol worship. What took place in their lives during the time of Ehud was mere religious reformation and not spiritual revival of the heart. Note that empty heart is prey to every form of evil (Matt. 12:43-45). Because their religiousity only affected their physical life and not their heart and inward character, Israel did evil in the sight of God. They were punished and given to the wrath of Jabin, king of Canaan, who saw it as an opportunity to revenge what Israel, as a nation, did to his fore-fathers whom she chased away and occupied their land (Canaan). With his large army and his 900 chariots of iron, Jabin oppressed Israel for 20 years and was securely in control of the whole land.

When the suffering was much and the people of Israel could no longer bear it, they cried out to the God of their fathers, not for forgiveness, but to relief them of their suffering. Their focus was comfort and not cleansing. They only cried for physical deliverance and not spiritual liberation from bondage (Ps. 51:10) In response to their prayer, God raised a courageous woman named Deborah (“Bee”), the wife of Mr. Lapidoth, to be the judge and leader in the land. It was an act of grace which looked like humiliation for the Jews who lived in a male-dominated society and would always want mature male leadership. In the face of their oppression, God gave them a woman leader in order to treat them like little children, which is exactly what they were when it came to spiritual matters spiritual matters. The Bible says, “As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them (Isa. 3:12). They disappointed God with their wicked deeds and he in turn humiliated them by appointing a woman to rule over them even in a tragic situation. Deborah was a great mother of Israel at this hard time of oppression, even though God saw and called her to be a prophetess and judge over his people. (Judge 5:7) God’s response to the Israelites’ oppression took a new dimension. He chose a woman to lead and champion the cause of their deliverance. Through Deborah God spoke to Barak, a man, who actually led Israelite army to war against Sisera’s troops. The Lord promised to deliver his children and defeat the enemy. Definitely, God would give Israel victory but through a woman. Whenever God wants to glorify Himself through and among his people, he always gives a perfect plan for us to adopt and follow. In this text, he chose the leader of his army (Barak), the place for the battle (Mount Tabor) and the plan for His army to follow (Judge 4:4-7) God also guaranteed the victory.

Men and brethren, let us from today pay more attention to the Lord’s commandments and be obedient. Let us give to spiritual revival which will transform our inward character, and then move unto religious reformation which will bring needed change to our outward conduct. The two must go together but the first (spiritual revival) must be the first. Let us repent from all our wicked ways and become more godly, especially in the face of the rod of discipline in the hand of our Maker. Let us return to the Lord in holiness and righteousness, pray to him, and he will surely heal us and as well heal our land (2Chron. 7:14) Remember that our God has promised us that, “…captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save (Isa. 49:25)”

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.

 

Be ready always

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

THIRTY-SECOND (32^ND) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME/TWENTY-SECOND (22^ND) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 8^TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: Be ready always

          Wa ni imurasile nigbagbogbo

TEXT: Matthew 25:10&13

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming.”

“Nigba ti won si n lo ra, oko iyawo de; awon ti o si mura tan ba a wole lo si ibi iyawo: a si ti ilekun. Nitori naa, e maa sona, bi eyin ko ti moo jo tabi wakati ti Omo-eniyan yoo de.”

The second coming of Jesus Christ is inevitable and also imminent, but no one knows the day nor the hour when it shall be. It is therefore important and imperative for every Christian who wants to be raptureable with Jesus Christ and reign with him at his second coming to be prepared and get ready always (Matt. 24:36, 42-44) To be ready means to be in suitable state for an action or situation, fully prepared.” To be at alert for the return of Christ is therefore an important subject matter for the professing church at a time like this.

The gospel text, Matthew 25:1-13, chosen for this Sunday, 8^th November, 2020 contains the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, one of Jesus’ parables used to teach the Church on how essential it is for all Christians to be ready always for the second coming of Jesus Christ. As readers of the gospel according to St. Matthew and student of the Bible, we are not surprised that Jesus Christ suddenly changed his discussion on the Parousia as it relates to Israel as a nation to His return as it relates to the Church as a whole. The previous discussion which relates to Israel centers on the outward events of the period of his second coming while this section which relates to the Church focuses on inward attitudes. It is true that every true believer is going to heaven with Christ (Jn. 3:16-18, 17:24), but not every Christian is ready to meet the Lord, because of their love with the world and its pleasure.

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins shows clearly that the Church is divided into two; the wise witnesses and the foolish witnesses. Those who are ready for the second coming of Christ and those who are only waiting but not ready. Jesus Christ likened his seconding coming to a bridegroom who had gone for his marriage engagement to claim his bride from her parents. Then everyone was expecting the groom and his bride to return for the wedding feast at the groom’s house, but the time of his return was not known. For more than 2,000years now, the Church has continued to talk about the second coming of Jesus Christ, so many Christians have become lethargie and drowsy. Believers are no longer excited about the parousia and as a result, there is little effective witness given that the Lord is returning (Matt. 25:5). The fire of the Church is not burning as expected because it lacks oil. The oil here is the Holy Spirit who gives power to the Church and makes her active witness of Christ to the world. The foolish virgin who had no oil in their lamps are the Christians whose oil was dried up and thus became powerless in the race.

When the bridegroom and bride suddenly appeared, the foolish maids were unable to light their lamps since they had no oil. “Our Lamps are going out.” (Matt. 25:8), was their cry. But the wise ones who had sufficient oil were able to light their own lamps and keep them shining bright. Not only that they were the Christians found ready to enter the wedding hall with the bridegroom and his bride because they had guided against anything which could hinder them from entering the wedding feast. This suggest that not every professing Christian will enter heaven, because some of us have not trusted Jesus Christ sincerely. Some are empty Christians, living without the Holy Spirit. Some of us do not know the word of God which gives life. Whereas some of us are fully ready for the coming of the Lord, because they trust Jesus Christ for their salvation, they have the Holy Spirit in them and they know the word of God. They have forsaken sin and all works of flesh, ready for the second coming of Christ. How about you? Be wise and get ready today, tomorrow may be too late. To be ready for his second coming, we all need permanent connection with Jesus Christ, presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the sword of the Spirit which is the world of God and constant prayer to remain in communion with God.

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.

We are no longer counterfeit Christians?

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

ALL SAINTS DAY

SUNDAY, 1^ST NOVEMBER, 2020

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: We are no longer counterfeit Christians?

          “A kii se awon ayederu Kristeni mo”

TEXT: 1 John 3:2 & 10

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

“Olufe, omo Olorun ni awa n se nisisinyii, a ko si tii fi han bi awa o ti ri: awa mo pe, nigba ti a ba fi han, a o da bi re; nitori awa o rii ani bi oun ti ri. Ninu eyi ni awon omo Olorun n farahan, ati awon omo Esu: enikeni ti k o ba n se ododo ki i se ti Olorun, ati eni ti ko feran arakunrin re.”

In the world today, there are two type of Christians, if not more, that I know and which I will like to share with you this Sunday. One is the true Christians and the other is the counterfeit Christians. The difference between the two is obvious. It is clear that a true Christian is born of God while the counterfeit one is the devil’s child. The true Christian knows God, but the counterfeit may only talk about God and participate in religious activities, but he or she does not really know God. The one who has been born of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, knows God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Whereas the other does not have any knowledge about the Trinity. A true Christian lives a life of obedience and does not practice iniquity like the other one who knows nothing about the Trinity and this is the group (counterfeit) we belonged to, sometimes ago in our Adamic nature. Today’s meditation is therefore prepared to lead those who are still pretending out of their pretense and help to convert all remaining counterfeit Christians who are still in Adamic nature, among us to true Christians who have been born by water and spirit, and are now wearing divine nature. Those who will fit into John’s clear description of God’s children as contained in our main text – 1 John 3:1-10.

The main verse of today’s text is 1 John 3:10 which establishes the fact that a true Christian practices righteousness and loves his fellow Christians despite all differences. He loves and practices righteousness because he is born of the righteous and holy God (1 Jn. 2:29; 3:9, 4:7), thus the emphasis here is on Sonship. Are you a child of God? If I may ask (Jn. 1:12) According to John, the writer of this epistle, “Whoever abides in Him (Christ) does not sins. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” (1 Jn. 3:6) He explains further that, “No one who is born of God practices sin… he cannot practice sin because he is “born of God.” (1Jn. 3:9) One may ask, What does John mean by the term “to practice sin.” To practice sin here means to commit sin regularly just as a way of life. A Christian is not expected to sin habitually, though he/she may not be without sin (1John 1:8-10) God expects a true Christian to sin less. Great men and women in the Bible are people not without sin. Abraham lied that Sarah was his sister (Gen. 12:10-20) Moses lost his temper and acted against the command of God (Num. 20:7-13) Peter denied Jesus Christ 3 times (Matt. 26:69-75) But the fact remains that sin was not the habitual practice of these men of God, and at each occasion they showed remorse and prayed God to forgive them. In case of a pretender, counterfeit Christian, unregenerated person, he/she lives a life of habitual sin. (Eph. 2:1-3) His/her profession of faith is nothing but fake. Such unsaved person has settled habit of sin. No remorse for wrong acts at all, unlike a true Christian who acknowledges wrong doing, repents of it, confesses it and forsakes it completely.

In John’s view, the power to live a righteous life is not human but divine. Every true believer must live a life of righteousness and holiness, thus John gives three reasons why any true Christian must live in holiness and righteousness:

1.    God is holy and loves holiness and righteous living (1 Jn. 3:1-3) The opening verse of 1 John chapter three reveals how unique God’s love is to us his children, that while we were yet sinners, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and redeem us from death (Rom. 5:8; Jn. 15:13; Jn 3:16). This particular verse (1Jn 3:1) tells what we are (children of God) while the second verse (1Jn 3:2) reveals what true Christians shall be (like Jesus Christ) If this is true, all born again Christians must be holy as our Father in heaven is holy (Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48). It must also be noted that God’s love for us does not stop with being born anew, rather it continues throughout our pilgrimage here on earth and takes us right up to the time of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 3:20-21) John in this epistle does not stop telling us what we are and what we shall be, but he adds what we should be now in verse three. If we are true Christians and not counterfeit and we really want to be like Christ at his second coming, then it is a must for us to keep our lives clean and righteous now. (1Jn. 3:3). Know this, only those who are holy shall see God. Not only that, anyone who had experienced the love of God shown in Christ Jesus has no desire to sin against that love who is God himself.

2.    Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for us to be holy and righteous (1 Jn. 3:4-8) Here John states two reasons why Jesus Christ came into the world and died:

a.    To take away our sins (1Jn. 3:4-6)

b.    To destroy the work of the devil (1Jn. 3:7&8)

For a regenerated Christian to practice sin shows that he/she does not understand or appreciate what Jesus did for the world on the cross. We must all know and understand that Jesus Christ came to the world and died to pay the price of our sin, to set us free from the bondage of sin, take away our sins and destroy the root of sin in us which is the work of the devil. He did all these to make us become holy, pure and righteous. He did them to help us remain holy and live righteous lives. Anyone of us who therefore commits sin deliberately and habitually proves that he/she does not know Jesus and thus cannot abide in him. He/she is nothing but a counterfeit. True Christian must know that Jesus Christ did not only die for him/her, but that he/she has also died with Christ. If truly we are dead to sin with Christ, then we can yield ourselves to him and sin will not have dominion over us any longer. We must be holy and righteous because we are no longer pretenders.

3.    Finally, every Christian born of God must be holy because the Holy Spirit lives in holiness (Jn. 3:9&10). True Christians are people who have been born of water and Spirit (Jn. 3:5). They are people who have gotten new nature within them, and the new nature cannot sin. This new nature is what John calls "God's seed" in 1John 3:9. The true Christian at his new birth experience is made to have the right standing (Justification) before God and a new position (sanctification) which means that he/she is set apart for God's purpose and to live for his glory. (2Pet. 1:4) As believers, we have access to the gift of Holy Spirit which convinces us of our sins, teaches us all things and gives us power to live rightly, and as well be holy. The Holy Spirit prevents a believer from practicing iniquity, but a counterfeit believer cannot help but practice iniquity, because he does not have God's new nature which is given to the believers through the Holy Spirit in them. The Spirit which makes them to live in holiness and rightly. Today check yourself and see whether you are a true Christian with divine nature or a mere pretender. As for me, I am no longer a counterfeit Christian. How about you?

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.

What do you think about the Messiah?

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

THIRTIETH (30^TH) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME/TWENTIETH (20^TH) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 25^TH OCTOBER, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: What do you think about the Messiah?

          Kini o ro nipa Mesaya naa?

TEXT: Matthew 22:41&42

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ?” Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

“Bi awon Farisi ti ko ara won jo, Jesu bi won, wipe, “Eyin ti ro ti Kristi si? Omo ta ni i se? Won wi fun un pe, Omo Dafidi ni”

Matthew Chapter twenty-two verses fifteen to forty-six contained four serious questions; three of them were from the enemies of Jesus Christ, while the last one was from Jesus himself. Having listened to many parables of Jesus Christ with which he had exposed the evil intentions of the Jewish leaders and warned them against the coming judgement, they (the Jewish leaders) felt humiliated before the crowd and were looking for ways of destroying Jesus Christ. They hoped to trap him with words from his mouth so that he could be arrested and prosecuted, hence, the questioned him on public and religious matters, but they could find no fault in him. The Pharisees and Herodians were the first to ask him question about payment of poll tax (Matt. 22:15-22) The second question about resurrection of the dead came from the Sadducees (Matt. 22:23-33) But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together with the Scribes, and a lawyer from among them asked Jesus Christ the third question which focused on the law (Matt. 22:34-40) Jesus used the ‘Shema’ (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 22:37&38), a statement of faith which was recited daily by every orthodox Jews to reply them. He made them to know that the greatest commandment is to LOVE GOD with all that we are and have. And that love for God cannot be separated from love for our neighbours (1 John 3:10-18, 4:7-21). With the question about the law, Jesus had now answered three difficult questions from his enemies, but there is a fundamental question which is more relevant for every child of God to answer today. This is a question about the Messiah himself. The question which Jesus asked his enemies in our text (Matt. 22:41-43) happens to be the focus of our meditation today, ‘What do you think about the Messiah?’

Unlike his question in Matthew 16:15, Jesus Christ took an indirect approach with his enemies when he asked the question. He made it look like a theological question, when in reality it was a personal question they would ever face. It remains a personal question for everyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. It is very important to have the right thinking about Jesus Christ and believes that he is the Messiah, the only Saviour of the world. As trained experts in the law, the Jewish leaders knew the answer to the other question; Whose Son is the Messiah (Christ)? They knew that the Messiah is the Son of David (Isa. 11:1) and they answered correctly. Jesus also raised another difficult question from Psalm 110:1 which they could not answer. Every Jewish scholar knew that this particular verse of Psalm 110 refers to no other person than the Messiah, because only the Messiah could sit at the right hand of God, so no one could query the accuracy of the text as in Matthew 22:43. Yes, the Messiah could be David’s Lord when viewed as God, but when considered as man, he (the Messiah) is David’s Son. The Bible confirms that Jesus Christ is both the root and the offspring of David (Rev. 22:16). This shows that he (the Messiah) is both divine and human.

The two pictures of the Messiah seen in the Old Testament have brought a lot of confusion to the Bible scholars as they found it difficult to reconcile the two pictures. The first showed the Messiah as a suffering Servant, while the other referred to him as a conquering and reigning King. Were there two Messiah? If we should ask. The answer is no, there is only one Messiah and the Saviour of the world. What then do you think about the Messiah? If the Jewish leaders had listened carefully to what Jesus Christ was saying to them, they would have known that there was only one Messiah, who shared both divine and human natures. He was to suffer and die as a sacrifice for sins of the world. He would then resurrect from the dead, ascend into heaven, and will one-day return to permanently defeat his enemies. However, they never thought like this, because they have their own ideas about the Messiah which they would never compromise. Obviously, if the Jewish leaders had accepted the teachings of Jesus Christ, they would have found it essay to accept him as the Messiah, but this is what they were unwilling to do.

Consequently, the Jewish leaders, enemies of the truth, suddenly became deaf and dumb. They pretended not to understand the truth about the Messiah, and they dear not ask Jesus Christ any more questions, not because they had believed the truth, but because they could not face the truth (Luke 20:40) How about you, what do you think about the Messiah? Your thought about the Saviour (Messiah) is very important to your life now and hereafter. Making a personal decision about Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death. The evidence is there in the Bible for all of us to examine. According to the writer of the Bible Expository Commentary of the New Testament, “We can examine it (the evidence) defensively and miss the truth. Or we can examine it honestly and humbly, and discover the truth, believe it and be saved. The Jewish religious leaders were so blinded by tradition, position, and selfish pride that they could not, and would not, see the truth nor receive the truth.” Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters in Christ, the truth is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is the Messiah. He is the way, truth and life, no one comes to the father except by him (John 14:6) Only those who believe and accept him as Lord and Saviour are given power to be called sons of God (John 1:12). Those who believe him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16) Those who believe in him are not condemned and would not be condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they do not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God – the Messiah of the world (John 3:18) What are you now thinking about the Messiah?

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.