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By Mike Caton

John 17:26, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Among the other things that Jesus did when he came to earth was to make God known to man. Man had once enjoyed complete fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden, but sin had marred that relationship. And, as you remember, things continued to get worse until the days of Noah when God wiped mankind from the face of the earth with the flood. And then, God called Abraham and began a covenant relationship with him. But it was through Moses that God gave the Israelites the Law. That went a long way to define the relationship that man and God were to have. And yet, man failed to keep that agreement. God continued to love, care for and discipline his people, and people continued to stray and disobey.

Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh. He was fully God, but he came in a way we could relate to and understand. He was also fully human, but he again came in such way that showed us who God was and what he expected from his people. Jesus came to reveal the love that God has for the people he created. This message was not just for the Jews, but it was going to be for all people. And even though the Jews had a very poor opinion of the Gentiles, God still loved those folks because they were his, he created them just like the created the Jews. There were hints and mentions of this in the Old Testament. And Jesus included the Gentiles in his ministry on occasion. But after the church was established, Peter and Paul, but mainly Paul, shared the good news with the Gentiles. And they realized they were loved by God and that Jesus himself could live inside of them. What great news!

And Jesus says he will continue doing this. That means that even today, Jesus is available to us, that we can continue to learn about him through his word. And it also means we need to be sharing this good news with others. We all need the love God has for us in our lives. And we all need more Jesus, there is no doubt about that.

Father, help me get more Jesus. In his name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works full time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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