May 12, 2021
SPEAKING FOR GOD’S GLORY The crowds gathered in the Temple to hear Jesus were amazed at His teaching. They wondered how He had such knowledge and wisdom without training. He responded that His message came from God who sent Him. He did not speak for Himself. He did not seek His own glory, but to
May 10, 2021
JESUS, THE TRUE FOOD FOR OUR SOULS After Jesus miraculously fed the multitude, the crowd looked for Him the next day. When they found Him, Jesus told them that they weren’t really looking for Him, but they were looking for more bread. He said they should stop looking for food that perishes but for food
May 8, 2021
WHOSE APPROVAL DO YOU SEEK? Jesus contrasted His motives with that of the Jewish leaders who questioned His authority. He boldly told them that their approval meant nothing to Him (v.41). For He only sought the approval of His Father in whose name He had come. However, He accused them of only caring for the
May 5, 2021
GO AND TELL THEM TO COME AND SEE The Samaritan woman that Jesus met at Jacob’s well was ready to share Jesus with others after only one encounter. Jesus had given her the clearest statement concerning His identity that He had given anyone, simply saying, “I am He.” The woman ran back to her village,
May 4, 2021
STOP TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF FAMOUS When John the Baptist’s followers worried that more people were going to follow Jesus than their leader, John rebuked them. He recognized that God determined spiritual results. And he also understood that his ministry was to prepare the way for Christ’s ministry. As John said, “He must increase, but
May 3, 2021
WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS MATTERS All of Adam’s children are “condemned already” because of sin and because of sin’s wage, which is death. Every member of the human race is born under the curse of sin. It was this curse, this condemnation that Jesus took upon His own body, so that the judgment that
April 30, 2021
THE WORD THAT WALKED John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence,
June 2, 2020
THE LOVE THAT WILL NOT BE DENIED The night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus had warned. Surely Peter, the “Rock,” was still struggling with his personal failure when the Lord appeared to His disciples for the third time after His resurrection. Indeed, Peter had become
May 31, 2020
THE THIRD WORD OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS WAS A WORD OF CARE Reading the four gospels together, there are seven last words of Jesus recorded. Anyone’s last words are considered important, so shouldn’t our Lord Jesus’ words be even more so? This is the third of Jesus’ last words. It is a word of
May 30, 2020
BEHOLD THE MAN! The Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, brought Jesus out to stand before the accusing crowd. He had been scourged, beaten, mocked, and spit upon. A crown of thorns was pressed down upon his bruised brow and a purple robe thrown across his torn and bleeding shoulders. He stood silently before his