Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Holy Qurbana: A Foretaste of the Kingdom of God


Bible Reading: Matthew 26:26-29

Key verse: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (Matthew 26:26)


DEVOTION

Matthew 26: 26-29 discusses the salvation of the human soul. God Almighty, who is omniscient, foresaw the fall of humankind and instituted a way of salvation for the human soul even before the foundation of the world. According to Romans 6:23, sin results in death, but God grants eternal life through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth with the mission of giving His life as a sacrifice for humanity’s sins, fulfilling John the Baptist’s proclamation of Him as the “Lamb of God” who takes away the world’s sin (John 1:29). Salvation serves to bring believers into the Kingdom of God, also known as the "Kingdom of Heaven." Jesus conveyed this concept to His disciples using a series of parables, such as the Parable of the Sower, the Tares, the Mustard Seed, and others. These parables illustrate the progression of the Kingdom, both in the world and within the lives of individual believers. The Word of God takes root, grows, spreads, and eventually leads the saved to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Apostle Paul frequently uses the term “in Christ” in his epistles to emphasize the unity between Christ and His followers. This union is also represented in the Holy Qurbana, which Jesus instituted to remind His disciples to remain connected to Him, just as a branch is connected to the vine (John 15:4). Jesus also promised rewards to His followers, including positions of authority in the Kingdom, symbolized by their future role in judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). In 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul teaches that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” At the time of one’s salvation, his/her name is written in the books of heaven. So, at the time the Lord descends to take His church from this earth to His glorious ‘Kingdom’, the dead in Christ will rise first, and those living at that time will be transfigured and will be raptured into the heavens. The salvation that we were mercifully granted by God for believing in Lord Jesus Christ, will come to full fruition at that time and we will be with our Lord forever.


PRAYER
Almighty God, we pray that your Holy Spirit cleanse us and build us to be faithful servants in Your Kingdom so that we may attract and bring in a good harvest for the Kingdom when Lord Jesus returns to the earth. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“The only way Kingdom of God is going to manifest in this world before Christ comes is if we manifest it by the way we live as citizens of heaven and subjects of the King” – R.C. Sproul

Abraham Mammen
Sehion Mar Thoma Church, Dallas

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