Actor Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus in a new movie revolving around the life of Mary Magdalene. In the movie, Phoenix took liberty with one of the miracles of Jesus.
In John 9, Jesus heals a man who had been born blind. In John 9:6, the process by which Jesus heals the man is described as follows: “he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud.”
Originally published December 25, 2017
The message of the gospel is that it is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). That we have sinned, that the relationship with God has been broken and that there is nothing we can do on our own to restore that relationship with a Holy God.
We contribute nothing positive to our salvation. Our good deeds count for nothing. The only works that save men are the works of Christ.
And it’s fitting that even in his birth, in his incarnation, we see an event which could not have happened without divine intervention. The savior of the world coming into the world required a work of God. Humanity could not have made its own savior.
The message of the gospel is that it is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). That we have sinned, that the relationship with God has been broken and that there is nothing we can do on our own to restore that relationship with a Holy God.
We contribute nothing positive to our salvation. Our good deeds count for nothing. The only works that save men are the works of Christ.
Since this weekend, I’ve seen over a dozen Facebook friends share the same video of a high school basketball team manager in New York (who had never gotten to play before) who has autism who was put into a game and hit six 3-point shots.
Through Facebook, people marvel at the accomplishment. They call it “Inspiring” and say that it “brings tears to your eyes.” It’s called “a feel good news story.”
Josh Benner 