The
Power of The Gospel
Luke
19:1-10
CROSSOVER Reflection
Insight #1
Objective: To be able to
understand that the Gospel IS the power of God to draw a sinner to Him for
salvation.
Observation: The story of
Zac is a good illustration to explain that a person with a correct
understanding of God will find himself drawn to encounter Him personally.
Gospel
means “good news” and by that we have the idea that a person who hears it will
surely get happy. By logic, any good news that makes a person sad is not really
good news.
What
made Zac that he wanted to see Jesus? What motivated him to find ways at all
cost just to overcome the surrounding obstacles at hand; the crowd that is
prejudice toward him because he is a tax collector, his stature being short
that he can hardly see Jesus? What prompted him to run that he should pull up
first the skirt of his robe to knee knowing that he would be humiliated by
doing so? What braved him to climbed the thorny sycamore tree and jumped from
one branch to another just to get an angle for him to see Jesus clearly. It was
a no ordinary experience to Zac, really.
Passion
is defined as something that a person is willing to die for. In other words, it
is what we call a “burning desire”! If this is the case, how then it was true in Zac’s life. Was
he the one to develop it within him? I don’t think so…considering the reality
of his whole situation (the spiritual and social aspects)! Zac is totally
sucked…prejudiced, condemned by the public. He is totally helpless. Fearful.
I
see something that answers the question of what made Zac to desire to see
Jesus. I believe it is the GOSPEL that Zac heard that birthed the desire within
him.
Zac
heard about Jesus performing miracles, healing the sick, cast out demons,
touching while healing the leper, loved the unlovable, and the like. Zac could
now have a picture of who Jesus is! He could now imagine how lovely and
gracious the person of Jesus! And finally, he realized that he has now found the answer he has
been looking for.
Zac
not only heard about the gospel, he personally met the real Gospel and He is
Jesus. Zac received salvation! He experienced restoration and a changed life!
HE IS A BRAND NEW CREATION!
Note: RIGHT BELIEVING
LEADS TO RIGHT LIVING!
Grace is unmerited and undeserved
favor of God.
-Unmerited
means not by merit/demerit or by point system
-Undeserved
means for the undeserving!
Jesus made the
undeserving Zac deserving to receive His goodness and favor.
Other references:
Psalm 116:12
Romans 2:4
Romans 1:16-17
16 Dili ko ikaulaw ang Maayong Balita kay kini mao ang gahom sa Dios
aron pagluwas sa tanan nga motuo, una sa mga Judio, ingon man sa mga dili
Judio. 17 Kay gipadayag sa Maayong Balita ang paagi sa Dios sa paghimong
matarong sa tawo ug kini pinaagi sa pagtuo gikan sa sinugdan hangtod sa
kataposan. Sumala sa kasulatan, “Ang gihimong matarong sa Dios mabuhi pinaagi
sa pagtuo.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Mga
igsoon, pahinumdoman ko kamo sa Maayong Balita nga giwali ko kaninyo. Gidawat
ninyo kini ug gibarogan ninyo ang inyong pagtuo. 2 Mao kini ang
Maayong Balita, ang mensahe nga akong giwali kaninyo. Maluwas kamo pinaagi sa
Maayong Balita kon magpabilin kamo niini nga malig-on–gawas kon taphaw lamang
ang inyong pagtuo. 3 Gitudlo ko kaninyo ang akong
nadawat nga mahinungdanon kaayo: kini mao nga si Cristo namatay alang sa atong
mga sala sumala sa nahisulat sa Kasulatan. 4 Gilubong siya
ug sa ikatulo ka adlaw gibanhaw sumala sa nahisulat sa Kasulatan.
