Tag Archives: Jesus

September 29

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Matthew 1:1-25; Luke 2:1-40, 3:23-38

I can never read Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth without hearing the voices of little children. When my nieces and nephews were first graders they took part in their school’s Christmas tradition. The teacher helped the students memorize Luke 2:1-20 every year and the first graders would recite it together at the Christmas concert. Dressed in their white robes and big red bows, their little voices would rise and fall, pause and crescendo at just the right time. Twenty years later they could still recite these precious verses. And I can say with thankfulness my nieces and nephews grew up to love the One who was born in that manger.

Jesus was God at conception. We saw how Elizabeth’s baby reacted to being in his presence before he was born. Today we see where Simeon and Anna recognized this baby would change the world.

What about us? When we read about this baby do we step back and say, “Ah, isn’t he adorable?” like we do when we’re standing in the checkout line behind a stranger’s newborn in a stroller? Or do we gaze into his face, study the shape of his head and the color of his eyes like we do when we look at our own newborn or a grandchild? Do we try to see ourselves in the shape of his nose or chin? How personal is the baby Jesus to you?

This baby does what no other baby can do. He loves you totally. This baby in the manger will grow up to suffer and to die a horrible death because of that love. This baby was born so that you can live. You.

I’m not sure we can grasp the extent of the true meaning behind the birth we read about today. Our holy God who demands holiness of us became a human being so that he could fulfill all of his own demands. He loves us that much. And all he asks of us is that we love him, too. Accept his grace. And live eternally with him with in glory.

I want to see myself in this baby’s face. But not because he looks like me. I want to look like him! 

Dear God, as we consider your Son as an infant today, I pray that we would have a personal connection, understanding that Jesus was born that day because of love for each of us. For me. Thank you for this baby, God with us. It’s an amazing truth I pray we will each hold on to as we recognize how intimate our relationship with you can be. You came to change the world, it’s true. But my prayer is that you will change me. May I look like Jesus, walk like him, talk like him, so others will know him, too.

September 28

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Luke 1

Our journey into the New Testament begins today with Dr. Luke’s account of what happened during the life of Jesus here on earth. Luke wasn’t one of the twelve disciples. But he researched the facts and put to paper what he found to be true, concerned that there were some stories going around that weren’t accurate. As a physician he was used to sifting through evidence. And the result is as close to an accurate account as he could make it.

I’m glad he included the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist and Gabriel’s visit to Mary when she was told God had chosen her to give birth to his son. It spoke to me when Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice and the baby she was carrying “leaped for joy”.

It dawned on me that Jesus lives in me as real as he was as a baby in Mary’s womb. And it made me wonder how that fact effects my friends and family when they hear my voice. Does Jesus in me cause others to rejoice in my presence? It should.

Is Jesus as visible in my life as a protruding belly on a pregnant woman? He should be that recognizable.

We are going to spend the next three months reading about Jesus. My prayer is that as we do, we will love him more, serve him better out of grateful hearts, rejoice in his goodness, and allow him to be more visible in our lives. 

Jesus changed the world. Let him change you.

Gracious God, thank you so much for coming to earth as a baby, living among us and demonstrating your love for us. I pray that as we read the New Testament you will change each of us, regardless of how long we have walked with you. Teach us more about you. Reveal yourself more intimately with each of us. And may spending time in your Word and thinking about your life strengthen us to be the people you would have us be. What a privilege we have of knowing the God of the Universe so personally!

 

September 9

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Zechariah 1:1-6:15

“Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he as roused himself from his holy dwelling”. (2:10-12)

How thrilling was that? God revealed to the people that he himself was coming to live with them right here on planet earth. He would walk on the roads in Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. It won’t be exclusively a Jewish thing, he says. Many nations will become his people. And the world will know the Lord Almighty is in it!

This is a beautiful picture of Jesus, isn’t it?

In chapter 3 God draws another picture, this one of his redemptive work. He clothed Joshua with a clean garment and forgave Joshua’s sins. Sound familiar?

It is the Branch we know as Jesus who promises to build the temple and be clothed with majesty. Jesus, ruling on his throne, doing the work of a priest from that throne.

What a privilege it is to know this One who is our king and our high priest, sitting with the Father and working on our behalf. What an awesome truth that we need not be born of Jewish parents to be included in the family of God through the blood of Jesus. We are the apple of his eye, loved, forgiven, protected, cherished. 

It must have been thrilling for the Old Testament Jews to hear about Jesus’ coming. It’s even more thrilling to live it after the cross!

I pray you know him, that you are included with us who are his people. I pray that you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, realizing your sin and asking him to forgive you. I pray that you worship the King of Kings and allow him to clothe you with his righteousness. That’s why he came. That’s why you were born in the first place.

Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to our world, for walking where we walk and experiencing life like we do. Thank you for understanding our temptations and our sorrows. And thank you for dying so we can live. I pray for everyone reading this blog today. May we bow before you as King, allow you to intercede for us and be our sacrifice. And may we serve you out of grateful hearts, loving you because you first loved us.

August 18

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Ezekiel 31:1-18; Jeremiah 32:1-33:26

The Old Testament Jews probably dreaded it when Jeremiah received another prophecy from God. Usually it was about God’s displeasure and the devastation that was coming because of their disobedience. But I have to think they welcomed what they heard in Jeremiah 33.

God is promising the Jews peace and prosperity. He is telling them they’ll get their city back, bigger and better than before. I can almost see the wives pouring over the latest Lowes catalog and picking out new granite countertops for the kitchens they were going to remodel when the money started rolling in.

But what is it that God is promising? History tells us the city of Jerusalem did regain prosperity. It was a seat of government and commerce. But when God promised a righteous Branch from David’s line he was not talking about a flesh and blood king. When he said Judah would be saved and Jerusalem would live in safety he was not promising the absence of war.

And when he promised a descendant of David’s would sit on the throne forever, he was not talking about a human king. 

Let’s not try to put these prophecies into a material box. The truth here is so much bigger. When history has played out according to prophecy, it was done for one reason… to demonstrate the spiritual truth, to show the world God is who he says he is.

God’s goal in telling the Jews what was ahead was not so they could plan how to spend their money. God’s goal in telling the Jews the future was so that when the future panned out the way God said, all people would recognize God as the One True God and be drawn to him. 

We know the Jews were still looking forward to having that human king take over the world when Jesus came on the scene. Some of them are still looking for that. But God’s kingdom is so much bigger. 

I believe every word in the Bible is true. And if we try to interpret these verses materially only, we miss out on the real message here. Let’s not spend so much time looking at the signs. Let’s look at the goal, accepting God for who he is and his Son as our Savior.

Jesus is on the throne. Forever. With him is peace. With him we have everything we need, more than we can ask for. We have God himself living in us!

Amen.

July 24

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Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; 2 Chronicles 34:4-7; Jeremiah 1:1-19

When was the last time you read the book of Zephaniah? Can you even find it in your Bible? It’s one of those books I have to stop and think where it even falls in the Old Testament.

But reading it today I was reminded that the God of love, of grace, and redemption is also the Mighty Judge. He has the power to destroy this life we know as easily as he created it. 

In our politically correct nation our churches have emphasized God’s loving attributes. But we don’t often hear about his anger. Read Zephaniah and you will see God’s anger toward sin.

God doesn’t take sin lightly and he certainly doesn’t laugh at sin. He never overlooks sin or excuses it on the basis of someone’s intentions. Like it or not, agree with it or not, God is clear about what sin is. Lying, infidelity, homosexuality, dishonesty, greed, gluttony, drunkenness are all sins as identified by God in his Word. 

Yes, all sin is forgivable when confessed. But no sin will go unpunished. That punishment will be paid either by the one who commits the sin or by Jesus on behalf of the sinner. 

The payment for sin is death. Eternal death. The Bible tells us Jesus not only paid that debt but he conquered death itself. We can either accept what he did or face him on our own. And facing him on our own will only turn out badly.

Let’s thank God for his love, for his grace, for redemption. But let’s not forget who we are dealing with here. He is Almighty God, Holy, Holy, Holy. 

And sin makes him really mad.

Holy God, we bow before you today and acknowledge that you take sin seriously. Forgive us when we don’t. I ask that you’ll reveal in each of us today those things in our lives that anger you. May we confess and repent of them and accept Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf. I pray that none of us will hold on to sin or think for a minute that you will excuse that sin in us. May we view sin the same way you do and purge it from our lives. May we walk with you today in the righteousness that is ours through your Son.

July 23

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Isaiah 66:1-24; 2 Kings 21:1-26, 22:1-2; Psalm 82; 2 Chronicles 33:1-25, 34:3

Is it possible for someone to be too sinful for God to forgive? Look at the life of King Mannaseh. During the first years of his reign he undid everything his father Hezekiah had done. He worshiped Baal, consulted mediums, even sacrificed his own son. He turned the temple of the Lord into a place of false worship and encouraged the Jewish people to worship the gods of other nations.

His was a blatant act of disobedience and disrespect toward the God his father had served. But in 2 Chronicles 33 we find out Mannaseh repented. He humbled himself before the Lord and God forgave him.

King Mannaseh spent the rest of his life trying to undo the damage he had done. He worked hard to restore the nation as God’s blessed people.

So the answer to my question is – no. There is nothing you or I have done that God can’t forgive. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Praise the Lord!

Sometimes we might hold back from serving the Lord because of a sin we committed in our past. We convince ourselves that what we did was so awful we don’t deserve to be forgiven. And you know what?

We’re right to think that!

That’s the definition of grace – receiving what we don’t deserved. Grace that is greater than all our sin. 

If a past sin is holding you back because you think God can’t forgive you, think again. Go to him. Humble yourself. Ask him to forgive you. Repent. Forgiveness is yours for the taking because Jesus has already paid the price for that sin. It’s up to you to accept it for your own.

Don’t let Satan’s lies prevent you from receiving what God is offering you today. Remember, God has seen it all. Nothing you say will surprise him. He’s anxious to hear you tell him you’re sorry for what you did so he can wash you with the blood of Jesus.

Yes, even you.

July 20

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Isaiah 51-55

The 53rd chapter of Isaiah paints a picture of Jesus. Read it. Meditate on it. This is the One who loves you more than you can imagine. This is the One who lived and died to give you eternal life. It was God’s will to make Jesus the blood sacrifice for your sin – for mine.

What is our response to all that Jesus did on the cross? We can reject it, ignore it, or we can allow it to change our lives. 

You can accept Jesus and allow his blood to wash away your sin so that you can stand before our holy God clothed in righteousness not your own. You can be clean.

God wants us to come to him. He wants us to experience forgiveness and enjoy a relationship with him. Trust him.

Isaiah tells us God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts and his ways aren’t like our ways. God provides nourishment for hungry souls. And there is joy in following Him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for your willingness to go to the cross for me. You did what I could not. You paid for my sin. May I live today remembering what it cost you. May all that  do and say bring glory to you. Use me today. I trust you.

July 13

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Isaiah 29-32

My sister had dinner with some old friends from high school last night. It had been years since she had seen some of them and it provided a time to reminisce and catch up on each other’s lives.

One of the women told my sister she has no use for organized religion. She said she goes to God on her terms. That makes me sad.

The problem with organized religion, according to Isaiah, is the rules. “The Lord says; These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (29:13)

Churches can get caught up in rules. Women must never wear slacks. Their heads must always be covered. You have to be baptized as an infant. You have to be baptized as an adult. You must be sprinkled. You must be dunked. You must take Communion every Sunday. You must not eat meat on Fridays. You must repeat a prayer ten times. You must not use electricity or drive a car. You must worship on Saturday. You must worship on Sunday. You must not go to movies. You must not drink alcohol. You must not dance.

I could go on. I’m not saying rules are unnecessary. However, God is much more interested in our hearts in his spiritual kingdom.

I think organized religion is a good thing. It is intended to provide a community of believers with teaching and encouragement. It should offer a place where believers go to prepare to share Jesus with their neighbors and friends. It should be a place where God is exalted and worshiped, where Jesus is proclaimed as God in the flesh, and where the Holy Spirit is free to work in the hearts of those who attend. It should not be a place where godless people feel comfortable.

I love attending my church where our denominational identity is in its name. You can know where we stand before you enter our doors. So I think organized religion is a good thing. But let’s not allow the rules to overshadow the real reason we gather. Let’s not make our churches a place where following rules is more important than our hearts’ condition.

Because our hearts’ condition is what God is most interested in. When we meet Jesus face to face he isn’t going to ask us how often we had Communion. He’s going to ask us if we know him as our Savior and Lord. 

I’m praying for my sister’s friend. The Bible is clear that you can’t go to God on any terms but his. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. And that is Jesus. 

I’m praying for you, too. I pray that each of us will attach ourselves to a Bible-believing body of Christians who worship God in spirit and truth. I pray that our churches will provide the teaching and encouragement we need to share our faith with lost souls. May we enjoy the best of what organized religion has to offer and use it to further God’s kingdom.

July 6

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2 Chronicles 31:2-21; Isaiah 18:1-21:17

I wonder what the Jews thought when they heard that Egyptians and Assyrians would worship God, that he would accept them as his own and bless them for their obedience. I can’t think it made them happy.

But as a non-Jew, it makes me happy. God, through the prophet Isaiah, is laying the groundwork for the church. Egyptians and Assyrians, non-Jews, will worship God together. They will make vows to God and keep them. God will protect them and call them his people right along with Jewish believers. No longer a matter of circumcision, but a matter of acknowledging God.

I thank God for his church today. For Jewish believers, American believers, German, Chinese, Iraqi, Russian believers. And I am burdened for those saints in countries where their lives are threatened because of their belief.

We in America don’t know what many Christians around the world know. It’s easy for us to sit in our comfortable pews and forget that there are brothers and sisters who live in real danger today, who suffer unspeakable torture for the Name. And our news agencies have made it easy for us to ignore it by their lack of coverage.

Let’s pray for the worldwide church. Let’s ask God what he would have us do on behalf of those believers who have no voice in their countries. Isaiah tells us Christianity is no longer just a Jewish religion and it is certainly not just an American religion. May we have a heart for our brothers and sisters all over the world.

God, I thank you that your kingdom is spiritual, that I don’t have to have Jewish blood in my veins to be your child. I thank you for Jesus whom you sent to save the world. Forgive us if we live in this little bubble and enjoy our freedom in the USA without remembering there are millions of your people in this world today who don’t have what we have, who fear for their lives because of their decision to follow you. Have mercy, Father. What would you have us do, Lord? May you find us faithful. May you find us willing to obey.

June 30

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Isaiah 7:1-10:4, 17:1-14

Isaiah has some bad news for the flesh and blood kingdom of Israel. Their days are numbered. They will acknowledge God and fear him once again but it will be under some pretty awful circumstances.

Then Isaiah introduces them to Jesus. 9:6&7 promise the King who will sit on David’s throne and reign forever. Isaiah continues to talk to them about God’s wrath which will come to them. But the seed has been planted. Jesus is coming.

As I look for a spiritual application from today’s scripture I am reminded that no matter how bad things get in this lifetime, we who live after the cross realize the precious Truth in the titles Isaiah gives the Savior. Wonderful Counselor! Mighty God! Everlasting Father! Prince of Peace! And he shall reign forever and ever. (Thank you Handel for the beautiful music running through my head this morning)

There is no one like Jesus. There is no God like our Heavenly Father. There is no peace like that which comes from knowing Him as Savior.

I hope you go to church today where Jesus is proclaimed as God in human form, Savior of the world. Let’s just stop and worship God today in all his holiness and splendor. Let’s praise Jesus!