Jesus and Our Words: How Knowing Jesus Transforms Our Speech
January 27, 2022 • by Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser
In 1685, a baby boy named Johann was born to a distinguished musical family in Eisenach, Germany. Like his father before him, Johann was expected to study music as a child and eventually earn his living as a musician. No one anticipated he would grow up to become one of the most prolific and influential composers of all time. Even today, countless musicians and an international fan base are enamored by his music. The impact of Johann Sebastian Bach continues to be seen—and heard—today.
As influential as Bach’s music has been for the last few centuries, an infinitely more significant and powerful influence is heard in the world today: Jesus Christ in and through his people. When Christ ascended to heaven, his work on earth continued. Since the day the Spirit was given on Pentecost, Jesus has actively built his Church with the witness—the words—of his followers. As they have proclaimed the gospel and explained the Scriptures, the Church has grown. Even now, Jesus is building his Church as his people speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15-16).
But you may wonder, “How is it possible that my words could be useful for the building of the Church? How can my conversations contribute to the body of Christ?”
The answer isn’t found in your own ability and wisdom; it’s found in your Savior. In Scripture you have the words of Christ, and as you read and study them with faith, your own speech will begin to reflect the time you spend with Jesus in his Word. Your speech will gradually be transformed—becoming more and more gracious, wise, and bold, like Jesus. In the book of Acts, we read about a similar transformation in Peter and John because of time spent with Christ. They were “uneducated, common men” whose words astonished the religious leaders. When the rulers, elders, and scribes heard Peter and John speak, they “recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
“The answer isn’t found in your own ability and wisdom; it’s found in your Savior. ”
Like Peter and John, Mary and Martha were also transformed by their relationship with Christ. And like the music of Bach, their words reverberate around the world today. By looking closely at one of Mary and Martha’s conversations with Jesus, we can see how knowing him impacted their speech. In the same way, because of Jesus’ life-changing work in us, our words can also become full of faith, truth, and worship.
Words Full of Faith
Martha knew Jesus well, and her words echoed that knowledge. She and her sister had sent for Jesus, their dear friend, when their brother Lazarus was dying, because they believed Jesus had divine power to heal. When Jesus arrived after Lazarus’ death, Martha’s faith was still strong as she explained, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (John 11:22). Soon after, Mary also spoke of her faith that Jesus could have healed her brother (John 11:32).
Because we know the living Savior, we also can speak words full of faith in Christ and in what he can do. With confidence, we can tell the lonely widow that the Lord is merciful and will care for her in her time of need (Heb. 4:16). We can tell the fretful young mom that God will provide her with supernatural peace (Phil. 4:6-7). We can tell the ostracized teenager that God will give her strength to walk obediently with him (Phil. 4:13). In every circumstance, we can remind those we love that nothing is too difficult for the Lord.
Words Full of Truth
Martha told Jesus she believed her brother would rise again in the final resurrection. She had full assurance that one day God would raise her brother to eternal life. She affirmed this doctrine, even though it was disputed by influential religious leaders of her day. Jesus explained to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). He then gave her an opportunity to reaffirm her commitment to this truth. Martha replied, unashamedly declaring Christ’s identity: “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11:27).
Because we have come to know Christ, our words also can be full of his truth, the truth of Scripture. The Lord calls us to speak the truth in love to one another, and when we obey that call, he uses those conversations to bring spiritual strength and maturity. There are times when each of us needs to be instructed or reminded about who Christ is and about his character, works, and promises, and God has graciously given us to each other to reflect his voice in those moments. As we encourage one another to hold fast to biblical truth, we’ll “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
“Because we have come to know Christ, our words also can be full of his truth, the truth of Scripture. ”
Words Full of Worship
Even as Mary and Martha grieved the death of their brother, their faith and the truth they affirmed led them to worship Christ. Martha’s confession that Jesus is the Son of God was a response of praise. When Mary saw the Lord, she fell at his feet in humble submission and acknowledged that only Christ could have preserved her brother’s life (John 11:32). A few days after Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with an ointment of pure nard and wiped them with her hair (John 12:3). Like the fragrance that permeated the room, Mary’s adoration of Christ flowed out of her heart, and Jesus recognized her sacrificial gift as an expression of worship.
Centuries earlier, the psalmist had exclaimed, “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation” (Ps. 111:1). And now, millennia later, we like the psalmist and like Mary and Martha can declare Christ’s praise because we have come to know him. We worship him as our Creator and sing his praises as our Redeemer. We give him heartfelt thanks for his day-to-day guidance and provision. Sometimes our worship is private, but often our worship is with Christ’s people—declaring his glory with one voice! The Lord is near to us and yet highly exalted; he’s our loving Savior and our reigning King. As our hearts meditate on who Christ is, they overflow with expressions of worship and praise.
God is working in the heart of every believer, making each of us more like Jesus. As we grow in our knowledge of him, he transforms our speech to become full of faith, truth, and worship. He’s replacing our doubt, ignorance, and self-centeredness with an increasing devotion to speak for his honor. Like Johann Sebastian Bach, who wrote “Soli Deo Gloria” (to God alone be glory) at the end of many of his compositions, we must devote our lives—and our words— to the glory of God.
Cheryl Marshall (MM, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a wife, mom, Bible teacher, and women’s event speaker. She has over twenty-five years of experience teaching and discipling women, and she currently serves as director of women’s ministries at Founders Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. Cheryl is also the co-author of When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love. You can connect with her at cherylmarshall.com.
Caroline Newheiser (MACC, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte) is an ACBC-certified counselor. She has been a pastor’s wife for over thirty years and is currently the assistant coordinator of women’s counseling at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Caroline’s ministries include counseling, blogging, and speaking to women’s groups. She is also the co-author of When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love. You can connect with her at carolinenewheiser.com.
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.