Reflection from Josh Irwin:
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“Always remember that Jesus Christ a descendent of King David was raised from the dead. This is the good news I preach.” 2 Timothy 2:8, NLT
Paul here is encouraging Timothy in his faith, and I feel like this encouragement is so key for us today. He begins with encouraging Timothy to remember, always remember, which is a key theme throughout Scripture. And then he goes on to tell him what he should be remembering, and this is foundational in his faith. Remember this, “that Jesus Christ was a descendent of King David”. He was the promised one. He was the fulfilment of prophecy. Which means that he’s one that can be trusted. He’s one who for many years people were looking forward to this Messiah coming and Jesus is that Messiah, he is that Saviour.
Then he goes on to say, Jesus was raised from the dead. He beat death. He defeated death. He is powerful. So, he is the fulfilment of prophecy, he is the long-awaited King, he also defeated death which means he is both trustworthy and powerful. He is one who we can put our full faith and trust in. He’s also incredibly powerful; he’s defeated death, so any other problem we face in our lives, he can deal with that too.
I love this encouragement because so often I feel like my focus can be drawn to the left or the right, on to all these peripheral issues. Paul here is saying no, no, always remember – in the midst of chaos, in the midst of everything that’s going on in the world – always remember this good news: Jesus is faithful, he’s trustworthy and he is powerful. If I can start my day with that, end my day with that, I know that everything in the middle of it will be okay. When I keep my eyes fixed on this Good News.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much that Jesus is the one who is the fulfilment of prophecy, one who I can trust in, and also one who defeated death. Lord, I thank you that you loved us so much that you sent your son for us, you defeated death for us, and we can give you our full trust. As we had towards Easter, may I remember your sacrifice, your resurrection, and the joy you have in us being reunited with you. We praise you Jesus. Amen.
Author bio: Josh Irwin is passionate about equipping young people to live authentic Christian lives. He is currently the Director of Christian Education at St Philip’s Christian College, Newcastle, where he ministers to students and helps teachers embed the Christian faith in their teaching.