Remember Jesus Christ

It’s Monday. It’s nearing lunch time as this is posted. Your day has begun, your week at work or home or vacation is getting started. Perhaps you have a full slate of tasks ahead of you, perhaps you have a restful week ahead. You may feel the weight of unfinished business on your shoulders from things leftover from last week; you may be starting fresh and ready to go.

Regardless of the situation you find yourself in this Monday morning, the question for all of us is this: Have you remembered Jesus Christ today?

Did you know that Scripture instructs us (commands us, to be precise) to “remember Jesus Christ”? In 2 Timothy 2:8, we’re commanded to remember—to call to mind, to be careful to not forget—Jesus Christ. So, have you called to mind, have you thought about, have you remembered Jesus Christ today?

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry, to keep him going in the faith, to help him to persevere. And that’s what it takes to persevere in the faith firm to the end—to daily remember Christ. The verse in full reads like this:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.

2 Timothy 2:8

Remember Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior-King. Remember his death and his resurrection for you, that he died for your sins, and that he now lives forevermore. Remember who he is—that he is the long-awaited, promised King, the offspring of David who will rule for all eternity. Remember this good news when you face whatever today brings, whatever this week brings, whatever is ahead of you—remember Jesus Christ.

Have you remembered Jesus Christ today?

How do we do that? Daily, how do we remember Jesus Christ?

First, make it a point to read Scripture every day. But as you do that, keep in mind that remembering Jesus Christ doesn’t mean you should only read the Gospels every day, and it doesn’t even mean you should only read the New Testament every day. The whole Bible points us to Jesus (John 5:39, 46). The point is, whether you’re reading of Solomon’s rise and fall in 1 Kings or of Ninevah’s rescue in the book of Jonah or of the instructions given to the churches of Galatia or Thessalonica or Ephesus, ask yourself: “How does this passage point me to Jesus?” How does it show you your need for a Savior? How does it reveal to you God’s grace? What promises point you to Christ, in whom is the “yes” to all of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:20)? Read Scripture with a Christ-centered focus every day to remember Jesus Christ.

Second, regularly confess your sin. Confession of sin does at least three important things for us: It reminds us of our need for a Savior (Romans 3:23-24); it reminds us of God’s grace to us in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5); and it restores our relationship with God. In confessing our sins, we return to God. “Return to me,” God says in Zechariah 1:3, “and I will return to you.” Are you assuming that you can hide your sin and remain in relationship with God, or are you confessing your sin regularly as a means of returning to God? Are you reminding yourself daily of his forgiveness secured for you by the death of his Son? Confessing your sin helps you remember Jesus Christ.

It’s Monday. And hopefully this blogpost has helped you remember Jesus Christ today. And God’s grace in Christ is ready to be made known to us again tomorrow, and every day after, as we daily remember Jesus Christ.

---

Bert Watts has served since December 2016 as the Senior Pastor at Mountain Creek Baptist Church, where he has been on staff since 2012.

Photo by Quaritsch Photography on Unsplash