October 5, 2022 — They Recognized Him; How About Us?

“I was looking at Mark’s gospel last night,” Stan commented one morning, “and I saw something that raised a question in my mind.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A single verse in the third chapter about unclean spirits. It was about how they responded to Jesus, and it raised in my mind the question of my response.”

“Unclean spirits?” I said, “What do unclean spirits have to do with you?”

“Nothing, I hope,” Stan replied, “in the sense of having any. But what I was looking at is Mark’s statement that whenever unclean spirts beheld Jesus, they would fall down before Him and cry out, ‘You are the Son of God!’ And I was thinking about how and why it took me so long to behold Jesus, fall down before Him, and proclaim Who He is, the Son of God.”

“That seems like a question for just about everyone,” I commented, “at least for all of the people who have not yet come to faith.”

“I think you’re right about that,” Stan replied, “and I also think it could also apply to those who have come to faith.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I know for me ,” he replied, “that it took me a long time to behold Jesus as the Son of God. That’s the part about coming to faith. Then it took me a long time to fall down before Him. That’s the discipleship part where I put Him as Lord of my life.”

“Oh,” I said, “another example of the role discipleship in being a Christian. It seems like most everything to do with being a Christian has to do with discipleship.”

“It does seem like that, doesn’t it?” Stan replied. “Maybe because that’s the way it is, or at least the way it’s supposed to be!”

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Bible verses to consider:

And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out, saying, “You are the Son of God!” Mark 3:11.

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without the preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son so that all who behold Him and believe in Him can have life with you eternally when it is time, along with the eternal life of knowing you and Jesus before then. Thank you for those who brought me to the truth so I could behold Jesus, fall down before Him, and acknowledge Him as your Son. I confess that too often I do not tell others of your free and gracious provision so they, too, can behold Jesus. Please forgive me — and please help me in following every step of your lead so I do all I can to help others behold Jesus and have the opportunity to fall down before Him in knowing Him as your Son and their Lord. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in His name. Amen.

Think on this: Do you have the assurance of salvation and redemption because you have beheld Jesus and have fallen down before Him with the acknowledgement that He is the Son of God? If no, why? What is in the way of such beholding, falling down, and acknowledging? If you are a Christian, how are you doing in acknowledging Him as your Lord? How about in telling others about Jesus so they, too, can have the same opportunity to behold Him? If you sense the need for any change in your life in these regards, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?