Anointed For Purpose

1 John 3:8: "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (KJV)

Everything in life has purpose. All of nature that God spoke into existence has  purpose. Mankind which God spoke into existence has purpose. Without water all living things will die. Without animals and vegetation, there would not be food to eat. Without mankind, God would not have a place of habitation - for He dwells in you. (Ephesians 2:22) "In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit."

Let’s take a look at the latter part of 1 John 3:8: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."  God sent his Son Jesus to destroy the works of the devil. What are his works? Evil.  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."  He wants to steal your joy and your mind. He wants to kill you and your influence, and he wants to destroy everything and everyone who represents the name of Christ.

Power & Authority Produces a Miracle

  

Text: St. John 6: 1-9

Here we have a familiar story of the Bible taking place at the height of Jesus’s earthly ministry. This is the only miracle story other than the resurrection found in all four gospels.  The fact that it has been repeated 4 times draws attention to its great importance. 

• Matt 14: 13-21 gives it to us in a factual kind of way
• Mark 6: 30-44 talks to us in a little more detail and gets more into conversations that took place
• St. John 6: 1-14 brings us to a more emotional or human side as he gets more into why some things took place.
• Luke version embraces a little style of all the other writers and brings us to a place in which only Luke (the Physician) can. He’s detailed yet human.  He’s factual yet still emotional.

All 4 accounts agree that Jesus fed 5,000 men with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.  The Bible doesn’t include the women and children. If 5,000 men all had wives, that equals another 5,000, and if they all had at least 2 children, that equals another 10,000.  So, it could have possibly been 20,000 people!