Thursday: “Come!”
Daily Lesson for Thursday 25th of June 2026
The invitation is offered to us again, today: “Come.”
Read the following passages and notice His invitation for you to come to Him: Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 55:1-3, John 6:44.
The Holy Spirit wants to draw you to Jesus today. Jesus invites you to come to Him, to abide in Him today, and every day, until He comes. When you respond and come to Him, when your heart is soft and your mind surrendered, you will feel peace because you know that He will raise you up, no matter how unworthy you may feel, on the last day of this earth. Jesus said, “Who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV).
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We should sense the urgency to work with the Holy Spirit to call others to come into a saving relationship with Jesus. “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17, NKJV).
The invitation is free, offered as a gift of grace. When we accept Him into our life and love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), our life here and in the future will be changed forever.
Even as Jesus invites us to come to Him, the last words in the Bible promise this: “ ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20, NKJV, emphasis added).
How quickly? From our perspective, as soon as we close our eyes in death, the next thing we know will be the return of Christ. Considering how quickly our lives pass, that’s how quickly Jesus is coming back for us. Perhaps our first thought at the resurrection will be Wow, Lord, Your coming was soon after all!
Truly, now we see but faintly, as in a mirror. But then we’ll see Him face-to-face. Don’t grow weary in waiting. Keep this desire alive, ever before you, in faith and in trust in the love and goodness of God. Lord Jesus, please come soon!
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Pray right now for the faith to endure, for the faith to allow you to surrender wholly and completely to the One who died for you and is coming back quickly for you, too. |
The invitation to “Come!” comes with a rider. We are to pass it on. We often talk about salvation in personal terms but right from the outset, salvation has always included others.
The very big sin of Israel was that they thought the whole deal was for themselves. They were supposed to extend the “Come!” invitation to others.
If we use the “feast” metaphor for the Gospel of Salvation, how many of us are happy to go to a banquet where we are the only ones who are eating? Only a glutton would enjoy that. A grand meal is something to be shared with others. And extending the meal concept a little further in the Seventh-day Adventist context, are we so concerned in making sure that the feast looks right rather than extending the invitation? The meal is not up to us; Jesus has prepared it!
As followers of Christ, Jesus invites us into partnership with Him in calling others to Him. He does not expect us to pressure or manipulate our friends into believing what we believe; instead, He calls us to represent Jesus well by embodying His love to those around us, trusting that the Holy Spirit will do the work of drawing people to Christ. When we ask others to come to Christ we invite them not to us but to Jesus so that they develop a simple and genuine relationship based on love. John 1:46, “Come and see.” and in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Whether one is a seasoned believer or has never made any sort of commitment to Christ at all, there is always a next step for us to come and see Jesus and to get closer to Him.
The act of Jesus calling us “come” is much more than the physical movement from one location to another. This is more than a mere command to change location. This act is spiritual, relational and transformative. Jesus is inviting us to make a movement of faith. “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). Jesus is telling us to have faith in Him. He is telling us to move towards Him with confidence, and all will be well. The act of “coming” to Jesus implies having complete trust in Him as our Saviour.
Also, when Jesus calls us to come, He is telling us to repent of our sins. Coming is a sign of repentance. The act of the Prodigal Son to come back home was a clear sign of repentance. Before he actually came home, “He came to himself.;Coming home was an outcome of repentance. When Jesus invites us, “come”, He is telling us to come to our senses and see how “dirty” we are and we need cleansing.
When Jesus’ invitation goes out, “come”, He is telling us to have a relationship with Him. After we have come, we must have communion with Him. Salvation is not simply accepting the invitation but having a relationship. Salvation is not a doctrine but a movement to a saving relationship. Also, the act of coming, which Jesus requires us to do, is an invitation to surrender our will to Him. He is telling us to yield ourselves to Him. When Jesus called His disciples, they left behind their nets, boats, occupation, and their way of life for the sake of His kingdom. We cannot come, and it is business as usual. As we come, the world remains behind.
Thus, “come” is urgent, present, critical and has eternal consequences.
Just like yesterday’s lesson that invited us to follow the Lord now in hope that it will culminate into eternal bliss in heaven, today’s lesson is equally appealing to us to come to Him. To “come” precedes to “follow” and both are signs of allegiance and commitment to worship our good Lord, and as we receive from Him, we also propagate His goodness to people around us. Philip invited Nathaniel to “come and see”
“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see” John 1:46 NKJV
Our testimonies as we experienced the faithfulness of our Lord will be;
“Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men” Psalms 66:5 NKJV
I pray that as we come to God daily in prayer, Bible study and singing, we will receive grace and spiritual help to continue following our good Lord anywhere He leads us.
Come and see that the Lord is good!!!!!
It is always good to be reminded what Jesus is doing for us. The language in today’s lesson continues to highlight this important aspect of the gospel message.
We need this perspective to pull us out of the intoxicating miasma of the world.
I’d like to suggest that this perspective is the starting point.
The Gospel invitation is not static but dynamic. That invitation includes growing in our understanding of WHO GOD IS – His character. Additionally, heaven is not just a place it is a community that runs in an ordered and “governed” society – His government.
Our growth leads us from a childish understanding of the Gospel in terms of reward and punishment to an intelligent understanding that enables us to better reveal God’s Character and Government. As Maimonides highlights – doing what is right because it is right, and not for the sake of reward or the fear of punishment.
I like how N.T. Write presents these concepts in his book, Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision:
“The theological equivalent of supposing that the sun goes round the earth is the belief that the whole of Christian truth is all about me and my salvation.”
I like the way Jonathan Sacks describes Christian growth in his book, Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant:
“God is not a tyrant but a teacher. He seeks not just our obedience but also our understanding… Shema (in all of listening’s multiple senses of attending, meditating, reflecting, and acting) is the Torah’s call to moral growth.”
These days, I find myself less inclined to say “Lord Jesus, please come soon”, rather, “Lord Jesus, please wait a little longer… We’re not ready, and others need to see what You’re really like. Help me to know you better and present you appropriately wherever I go – I can’t do it without You.”
The invitation is open to all. There is no one so lost that they can’t be found. I know first hand how true that is for I was once a very lost person and the enemy was tempting me to kill myself. I would have to say that I would have died a lost person. I was running from the only One that could save me. In my desparation I cried out, “God, what is wrong with me?!” Like lightning a thought entered my mind. “You have left me out of your life.” In that moment I knew that He would take me back. I backed away from the edge and wept, feeling the invisible hug of God.
There is no greater feeling than knowing that you are loved with a love stronger than the death of our Savior. No matter where we have been, or what we have done, He will take us back. We weren’t designed to do life on our own. We were designed to live dependent on God and in a relationship with Him. We were made for more than this world offers. I will be forever grateful that He still wanted me. He still wants all of us, from the uttermost to the guttermost. Today if you hear his voice, harden not your heart. Cry out to Jesus, He will hear you and rescue you because He loves you. His arms are still open, the welcome mat is still out. He is still looking for His prodigals to come home.
Tim, your testimony is a reminder of what a difference God makes in our lives.
I just watched the excitement and celebration of Knicks fans after winning the championship (for basketball). There were tears of joy and expressions of overwhelming happiness everywhere. It made me think about how many people have never experienced the even greater joy that comes from accepting Christ’s invitation and knowing His love, forgiveness, and saving grace.
If only we would tell them, and if only they would accept His invitation. The joy of salvation far surpasses even the greatest earthly celebrations
Thanks for sharing that Tim, much appreciated.
Lord, please be thou ever near thy children and deliver them speedily when they call. Amen!
How quickly does time fly? How many times have you reflected on how fast our children grow, or how rapidly the last year passed? Before you know it, the children have graduated from high school and college, they are working as professionals, and you are left wondering, where did the time go?
It will be no different with Jesus’ soon return. All of a sudden, we will realize that He is here! May the Lord keep us faithful and ready for His return.
For some of us, to be truly in love with Jesus and sincerely eager to share Him with others, means; that we would have really taken the time to know Him, to love Him and to trust Him.
Somewhat strangely, although I grew up in the church, I am not that energized, bursting with excitement individual to share the Good News about Jesus. Maybe my demeanour can be better described as calm, cool and collective. The fact is that I have spent a significant portion of my life ministering as well as preparing for ministry – roughly 10 years as a full time Colporteur ; selling Adventist Literature : and roughly 15 years studying part-time at two Universities. The ultimate aim being able to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ with finesse.
And even in the light of all that I have done and accomplished by His grace; the propellant to keep the fire ablaze is that quiet time I spend with Him every day. I am also becoming aware that there is a direct co-relation between the vibrancy of the flame and those quiet times I spend with Jesus.
Jesus is calling, sometimes in a still small voice, like the smile of a 3 month old baby or the wagging tail of a Golden Retriever! At other times He shouts as in the temple, in John ch 7 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.” Jesus was speaking here of His Spirit.
One of the reasons why I am so excited about the gospel is the openness of Christ’s invitation. His invitation is extended to everyone — the rich and the poor, the respectable and the outcast, the morally upright and the vilest of sinners. No one is beyond the reach of His grace and no one is too insignificant to receive His attention.
The beauty of the gospel is that we come to Christ not because we deserve to come, but because He invites us to come. Our past failures, our present struggles, and our lack of earthly status do not disqualify us. The One who said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” also promised that “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
That is what makes Christ’s invitation so attractive to me: it is universal in its scope, personal in its appeal, and limitless in its grace.
How can we reject so great an invitation? And having accepted it, how can we do anything less than invite others to come as well?
There’s an issue also of listening to what he says to us that’s what also enables us to conquer.
Again and again, we find the Scriptures offering help to those who are without hope of comfort – those finding themselves lost in the big ‘Game of life’. They might have been dealt a set of cards difficult for them to play a ‘winning hand’, or they squandered all their privilege because they became drunk with the wine of ‘oppulence’.
John 6:44
”No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
It is the ‘losers’ in life that are invited to take the outstretched hand of God which will prevent them from sinking into the deep waters of despair. He calls to come to Him all who gave up and are helplessly ensnared by the tangles of life. He moves heaven and earth to reach those crying out for help as they are drowning.
Matt.11:28-30
”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
All who are filled with God’s Spirit are called to be the heart and mind, the ears and eyes of God – to be His vessel – for the Holy Spirit to guide us to share the Good News that Jesus saves. All we come in contact with are in need to believe that Jesus Christ saves us regardless of their current estate. Everyone is encouraged when meeting a fellow traveler that loves God with all their heart and shares their love of Him with others.
This lesson reminded me the lost time in seek of marital life. It’s very good to know what we believe as Christians and stick into it. What we didn’t know becomes our master. If we failed to know him, been can easily be manipulated. As a lost sheep, let seek him in our repentance to love him as he has extended his love toward us his children to come and rejoice in his evakasting joy.
Jesus say the one who endure into the end shall see heaven. This a call for each one of us to come to God. Any defect we have let’s go to the feet of Christ to heal us from them. It is important to respond quickly as we have heard the words of calling. Come all who are heavy leaden and I will give you rest
There is a point of convergence in the universe — a place where everything finds unity, meaning, and structure. If all living beings are connected with one another and with their environment, then relationships also need a point of convergence. What truly unites people? Values? Faith? Love? For some, the answer is Christ. In Him, love becomes selfless, faith becomes trust, and values become a way of life. He is the center that draws us together and teaches us how to live in harmony with God, with others, and with creation.
We have spent the whole quarter of discussing of coming to Christ. This lesson today(Thursday) is a summary of getting closer to Christ. Let us see what Matthew, Isaiah, and John says from the Clear Word.
Matthew 11:28-30.
28, Come to me, you who are tired and worried, and I will give you rest. 29, Take up my work and learn from me, for I am gentle and kind, and you will discover an abiding peace in your soul. 30, My requirements are easy and the load you carry will be light.”
Isaiah 55:1-3.
1. The Lord says, “Come! Everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters. You who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come! Buy the fresh juice of the grape. Come and buy milk. It will cost you nothing.
2. Why should you spend money for that which isn’t bread or work for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen to me! Do what I say and your soul will be delighted with the best food there is.
3. Listen to me, my people, and come to me for bread. Listen to what I have to say and you will live and not die. I will renew my covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised David.
John 6:44.
I’m not here to force you to follow me. No one can really follow me unless he first responds to my Father who is drawing him to me. And I will resurrect him at the end of time.