Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Authenticity of the Word of God
2 Timothy 2:8-15Vs.8: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel
Paul’s second letter to Timothy is focused on helping Timothy reaffirm the true meaning of the Gospel. Paul gives us a straightforward yet powerful meaning of the Gospel. In Verse 8, Paul states, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. That is my gospel”. It is as simple as that. These words may seem short but have so much deep meaning to them. We often refer to Gospel as the Good News or the Word of God. There is no better time for Good News than the present time. Recently I watched a movie in which there was a statement that Good News doesn’t sell and doesn’t make money. No one wants Good News. On the other hand, Bad News is profitable and can drive droves of customers to the news channel. If we think about it, it’s true. Bad news drives fear in our hearts, creates panic, and somehow we get hooked to it. When that happens, we forget the only Good News that really matters in our life, which is the Gospel.
When we read 2 Timothy vs. 8, it’s good to close our eyes, and imagine Paul talking to us. Then, read every part of it slowly and repeat it if needed.
REMEMBER: The first word is 'remember'. Paul knew Timothy had faith. In chapter 1, Paul mentions Timothy’s mom and grandmother’s faith and affirms that Timothy has the same faith. Yet he used the word remember to start the statement. He wanted to emphasize his words. Remember is the opposite of forget. We have been brought up in faith through the guidance of our church and parents. But even though we have faith, as humans, we focus our minds on many earthly things, and we forget. It’s ok to forget earthly things, but we cannot forget this one thing. So Remember and DO NOT Forget. We are human, and we will fall short and forget. That is where as brothers and sister’s in Christ, we should all do exactly what Paul did and remind each other to remember.
What should I Remember?
- Jesus was a descendant of David. This is a crucial element of the Gospel. Jesus Christ, who is God came in the form of a human. He had no special powers on this earth but was born as a descendant of David, a human.
- The next part of the statement is raised from the dead. This is also an essential part of the Gospel. If the words descendant of David show that Jesus was human, the words raised from the dead affirm that he was God. God came down into this earth in the form of a human, suffered and died for our sins, and was raised from the dead.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death.But Jesus did not sin, so why did he die? That brings us to the most essential part of the Gospel: Love. He did all of this because he loved us. He didn’t die because he sinned. He bore the pain and suffering and died for us because he loved us.
But wait, there’s more within these words. Jesus Christ raised from the dead also means death could not hold him. There is life beyond death. In our life, we will undergo suffering and die, but that is not the end; instead, it’s the beginning.
Paul was suffering and in prison when he wrote these words. Paul was just a vessel of God. He was chained, but the Gospel wasn’t. Even while he was chained, the Gospel was brought to Timothy, and the same is brought to us every time we read these words.
Remember and Do Not forget. This is the Gospel.
Prayer
Lord, help us to remember and never forget the word of God, which is the Gospel. Pray that you will give us the strength to focus only on the Good News and not be distracted by the bad News. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen
Thought of the Day
Do not let anything that happens around you take your mind away from the Lord and his Word.
Jinoj Mathew
Chicago Mar Thoma Church