FOCUS ON WHAT’S FIRST

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”–1 Cor. 15:3-4

Of all the words in these verses I suspect that the word “first” gets the least attention, which is unfortunate. We need to understand what is of the greatest importance and focus on what is first. An article in “Senior Living” relates the following story:

For many years, novelist Dashiell Hammett worked as a private detective. His experiences during that time supplied him with much of the material he used in his books. On one occasion, the local chief of police sent Hammett a detailed description of a wanted man, even mentioning a mole the man had on his neck.

After the man was captured, Hammett noticed something peculiar about the man and his description. As detailed as the description was, it failed to mention the most distinguishing mark about the man: he only had one arm!

People can sometimes try to convey a message and yet leave out the most important part of it. This happens all too often when communicating about God. Many people talk about God and thank Him for all He’s done, but they fail to mention anything about Jesus.

The truth is, you can’t talk about having a relationship with God without talking about the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. That’s the most important part of knowing God—the lynchpin that holds us together with Him.

Jesus makes knowing God the Father possible. Don’t forget Him!