Day 71, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

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Todays’ Reading: Acts 2:1-2:47

Theme: The Day of Pentecost

SCRIPTURE:  43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”

OBSERVATION: The Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost.  This was something described by Jesus while he was still on earth, however, it was still a surprise as to what this was going to look like when the Holy Spirit actually arrived.

verse 43 stated that everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles, truth is this was something that never occurred in the history of the world and they were all astonished as to what was taking place.

APPLICATION: We serve an amazing AWE some God, maybe this has been a statement that has been overused in Christian circles, but the reality is it is True.  Songs have been written about it, people have sung about God’s awesome-ness!  Simply stated God is an awesome God, simple reminder, simple truth.

PRAYER: Jesus thank you for your awe-some-ness in my life, in my home and in my church.  May I continue to see your awe in all the things you do, In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave

Lesson #69

Scripture:  John 20:1-21:25

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. ²¹Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²²And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Observation:  Everything changes when Jesus arrives. His appearance is not expected and there isn’t much warning because it seems that Jesus doesn’t arrive through the front door like He used to. He just arrives and once the group is convinced that this is Jesus in the resurrected flesh they are overjoyed. Jesus’ interaction with His disciples calls our attention how He interacts with us and how we interact with one another through His presence. I call your attention to three things that happen in on the evening of Resurrection Sunday: 1) The Peace of Christ and the Marks of Christ, 2) The Spirit of Christ and the Sending of Christ, and 3) The Grace of Christ and the Church of Christ. Each of these has a blend of spiritual and practical concerns that we should meditate on as we consider what it means to be His disciples.

Application:  1.  The Peace of Christ and the Marks of Christ. Jesus’ first word to His disciples is a greeting, “Peace, be with you.” There hasn’t been a lot of peace among this group up till now. They are an anxious, guilt-ridden, frightened bunch. Peter has publicly rejected his Teacher to save his own skin. All the in-fighting over who gets to be second-in-command seems so petty at this point. No body wants to be a part of the inner circle right now. Some in the group have different ideas about what ought to be done. (Thomas is off doing his own thing at this point and others have already packed their bags and headed off to the country). Some are thinking about Mary’s claim to have seen Jesus and others are probably thinking she is grief-stricken or insane.
So, Jesus brings PEACE. Not the cheap imitation peace derived from self-preservation and maintained by a door latch. This is a real peace that overcomes the world. As proof of this peace, Jesus shows them His wounds. Of all things He shows them His wounds. Have you ever wondered why Jesus still has those wounds? He is resurrected after all. One would think that resurrection might also include a complete healing right? If God can resurrect Jesus from the dead He can certainly mend wounded flesh without a scar right?
I find it rather interesting that the risen Jesus still bears the marks of His crucifixion, and I don’t think it just an accident. There’s something we need to recognize in all this: before there is a resurrection there must first be a death. Death is a prerequisite for resurrection. The resurrection doesn’t erase the reality of the crucifixion – it redeems it and transforms it. Without the resurrection, the crucifixion is nothing more that an unjust tragedy. Redefined by the power of the resurrection it becomes much more. Now the cross is the way of hope. Now suffering is not the final word. The risen Jesus can show us the wounds He suffered unjustly and still bid us peace. Now keep in mind that suffering isn’t simply erased or swallowed up in sunshine and sugar. No, that’s escapism and syrupy optimism and the gospel is much more than that. Suffering, fear, weakness, loss, and shame are transformed by God’s power so that a new way to real peace, joy, and hope is made possible.
If we participate in God’s mission the peace of Christ should be ours even though we may be scared and scarred. We refuse to hide behind a locked door and ignore this angry world because we have been brought near to Christ and witnessed His transformed suffering.  2. The Spirit of Christ and the Sending of Christ. Throughout John’s gospel it is crystal clear that Jesus has been sent by the Father. Jesus is sent to reveal the Father, to teach and to gather disciples. And even in His prayer to the Father before the crucifixion, Jesus makes it clear that He will send His disciples just as God sent Him (John 17:18). But look at this group He intends to send out! When Jesus appears among the disciples the air is stuffy and stale with anxiety, distress, and regret. So He brings the fresh air of the Holy Spirit which enables them to breathe in peace. Real peace and not the cheap imitation manufactured by their urge for self-preservation.
So here’s the question: “How do you send a timid, fretful, remorseful, group like this? Answer: With a lot of help! That help is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ departure from the sanctuary and peace of oneness with the Father must have been in some way like our trial of leaving the zone of presumed safety behind our locked doors - whether they are physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental. Jesus could not have been sent into an place less friendly. The risen Jesus sends His disciples into a world that may be only slightly friendlier and only a little less perilous. The toxic atmosphere of the curse still pollutes the air of this world, but the fresh wind of the spirit is blowing some of it away.
If the disciples who received the peace of Jesus and beheld His wounds needed such power to be sent out for the mission, don’t you think we need it all the more? You have this same empowering.  3. The Grace of Christ and the Church of Christ. Christ’s peace and the Holy Spirit. These are the mysterious keys for unlocking the anxiety and fear that hinders us from being all that God has called us to do. They are gifts of the risen Lord and I am happy to let the Lord keep these keys in His pockets as we enjoy the privilege of following Him through the barriers and barbed wire of this upsidedown world. But there are other keys on the key chain - the ones that lock and unlock forgiveness – these are keys that Jesus wants us to carry. After giving them the Holy Spirit, Jesus says this to His disciples: ” If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
It would be a mistake to assume that Jesus is saying that He cannot forgive anyone we refuse to forgive. That sort of authority is just not ours. But Jesus makes it clear that we have to take responsibility for using the keys of grace. One translation puts it like this …” If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Do we really want to retain sins? Here’s our choice - We can unlock the chain bolt of guilt, shame, bitterness, and remorse; or we can lock it down tightly and retain sin. It’s a good strong lock too. IN fact we can retain all our sins – yours, mine, and everyone we know and in time we will all be bound up in sin because we are not using the keys wisely. We begin to think that we are hiding out behind our protective locked doors when in fact we have just been locked away in the prison cell of sin and death. We had better use these keys wisely.

Here’s the implication for us: The Father sent Jesus to save and not condemn. We are witnesses to the power of God to create new life and transform pain, suffering, and sin. So why would we want to retain sins? As Anne Lamott says, that’s like eating rat poison and waiting for the rat to die. Why retain sins, why bind them on ourselves or someone else when Christ has given us the key to let it loose? Our mission as the Church of Christ is to reveal the grace of Christ; to participate in His mission to preach freedom for captives.

Prayer:  Father, You are truly the light of the world and the hope that we cling to. Jesus, because of the resurrection You have a mysterious ability to move past locks and strongholds. Not simply the chains, hooks, and latches of the front door. You can also move across the padlocks and deadbolts of our minds and hearts. Jesus, when You appear among us in our safety zone, You may find the air stuffy and stale with anxiety, distress, and regret.  Bring us the fresh air of the Holy Spirit Who enables us to breathe in peace. Real peace and not the cheap imitation manufactured by our urge for self-preservation. We love You beyond our human capacity to express it.  Thank You, for the power of the resurrection!  In the matchless Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

Judy

Day 65  E100 Challenge Life Journal

Scripture: John 11:1-57 (Raising Lazarus from the Dead)

Observation:

Jesus’ words:

1. This sickness will not end in death. It is for the glory of God, to bring glory to the Son of God.

2. Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes I was not there so that you may believe.

3.  Your brother will rise and live again.

4.  I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.  Martha, do you believe this?

5.  Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

6. Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me.

7.  Lazarus, come out!

Take the cloth off of him and let him go.

People’s responses:

1. “But Lord, if he is only asleep, he will be all right.”

2. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.”

3. “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming to the world.”

4. “But, Lord, it has been four days since he died. There will be a bad smell.”

5. Many of the people, who had come to visit Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.

6. The leading priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the council and asked, “What should we do? This man is doing many miracles. If we let him continue doing these things, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our Temple and our nation.”

7. Caiaphas, the high priest that year said, “You people know nothing! You don’t realize that it is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

8. That day they started planning to kill Jesus.

Application:

Jesus is purposeful, not only in what He says but also in what He does. He wants people to believe that He was sent by GOD. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was one of the most important events in Jesus’ ministry. To many people that was the point when they started to believe in Him. But to others it was a “That’s it… we need to get rid of this guy once and for all” moment.

Believing in Jesus as the ONE sent by God is a very personal choice. No one can choose this for you but you.

People tried to stop Jesus from letting others believe in HIM by planning to kill Him (which they eventually carried out and succeeded, or so they thought). But Jesus is UNSTOPPABLE! He will accomplish what He wants to do. Jesus is Lord over death! When all is said and done, the question remains… “What are you going to do with Jesus?”

Prayer:

Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God sent into the world that we may have life. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through YOU. Thank you for all You’ve done. I am forever grateful.

tet

Day 64, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

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Todays’ Reading: Mark 5:1-20

Theme: Healing a Demon Possessed Man

SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:8

8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

OBSERVATION: It was the goal of Jesus to defeat Satan and his demonic powers and set free those who are enslaved to Satan. This power over Satan is especially evident in the driving out of demon or evil spirits. Jesus, as I see it is the Real “Ultimate Fighting Champion.”

The Healing of a Demon Possessed Man is a true story with a Hollywood type of plot. What I noticed in this story is that Jesus simply speaks to the demons to flee, and they respond to his authority. The Words of Christ are filled will power and authority to break the bonds on Satan and his influence in this present world. Since, Jesus came to set us free, we are no longer bound with the chains of this world.

Our chains are broken as we wage intense spiritual warfare through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s a few things I’ve learned that we must engage in if we are to be Real Ultimate Fighting Champs as well:

a. Declare War against Satan according to God’s purpose.

b. Enter Satan’s House (any place where he has a stronghold), attacking and overpowering him by prayer and declaration of the Word.

c. Carry off his possessions. Delivering those who have been held captive by Satan’s power and giving them over to God so that they may fully delivered and healed from their situation.

APPLICATION: Our battle is not a conflict against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces and power of evil. We need to continually live before God, committed to his truth and righteousness. Our faith must be rooted in Christ to have the ability to overcome Satan and his schemes against us and realize that each believer has the weapons to fight in this battle.

Our weapons that we can fight with are:

a. Faith in the power of the name of Jesus.

b. God’s Word.

c. Prayer through the Holy Spirit.

d. Fasting.

PRAYER: Jesus thank you for giving us a great example of how we are to fight the spiritual battles we face each day. May we learn to exercise our spiritual authority through the power that you have given to each believer. I praise you in advance for the victories that will be fought and won in the name of Jesus as you teach me how to wage war and be victorious as an Ultimate Fighting Champion. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave

Lesson #62

Scripture:  Matthew 14:22-14:36

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

 ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

 ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

   ²⁹ “Come,” he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Observation:  When we bring observation from this record over into the spiritual realm it looks something like this: The life of faith is inherently a life of risk.  “Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing at all.”  (Helen Keller)

Application:  I challenge you to go back to the Bible and take a look at the men and women who did great things for God.  Almost without exception, they were risk-takers who weren’t afraid to lay it all on the line for God. Consider Peter as our prime example today in our reading.   If we are unwilling to take a chance, we can never discover what living by faith is all about.  If we have to have all the answers before we make a decision, if we’re afraid to take a step unless we know things will work out to our advantage, faith will always be a mystery to us.

We all can get distracted, especially when the storms of life rage around us.  It’s not easy to keep our eyes on Jesus in the middle of the night, when the raging storm of fear threatens to overwhelm us. This text reminds us that not only does Christ control the storm, and not only does He send the storm, He reveals Himself in the midst of the storm.  Very often our purest vision of Christ comes when the storms of life threaten to capsize the tiny boat of our faith.  What do we do then?

Pray for “concentrating faith.”
Focus on Jesus.
Fix your eyes on the Son of God.

Let me say it again.  The wind always blows around us.  The mighty storm comes sooner or later.  We have no choice or control over when the storm comes.  Today the sun may be shining; tomorrow we may find ourselves toiling against the wind and rain, tossed about by adversity.  Life can turn on a dime.  We all know that.  What happened to Peter can happen to any of us.  For a brief moment, he forgets about Jesus and remembers who he is and where he is.  He is Peter, a Galilean fisherman who belongs back in the boat.  In that instant he looks down at his feet and sees nothing but water underneath.  His mind comes to a quick conclusion: “I’m not supposed to be walking on water.  This is impossible.”  When he lost his concentration on Jesus, he began to sink.

Christ calls us to find out what he is doing in the world, and then to fling ourselves wholeheartedly into His cause.

In the end, who looks better?  Peter who tried and sank or the other 11 who didn’t even try?  There’s a reason we don’t preach about the other 11.  They played it safe.  Only Peter took the risk.  That’s why we’re still talking about him after 2,000 years.  I realize that it’s risky to walk on water.  It’s possible that you might sink.  But you’ll never know until you get out of the boat.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, give us the courage that we need that we might be great risk-takers for the kingdom of God.  Shake us loose from the security of staying “in the boat”.  Help us to walk on the waters of faith because we believe that Jesus will hold us up.  Help us to “never doubt in the dark what God told us in the light”.  In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Judy

Day 60 - Reading: Luke 15:1-15:32 Lost & Found

S-cripture:

“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”  Luke 15:32

O-bservation:

The rejoicing of the father that his son had returned was in no way meant to belittle the commitment or obedience of his other son.  In fact the reaction of the father in this story had nothing to do with his older son that had stayed with him all those years.  He was strictly focused on the joy of having a child that he thought was completely lost in world return home, but the response of his older son is typical of any child regardless of age.  He was focused on himself and all that he done & not on the joy that his father was feeling to have his child return home.

A-pplication:

This scripture offers a reminder that everything is not just about “me”!  In this world it seems so easy to get caught up on our own selfish desires and feelings that we forget how to really bear each others burdens and share in each others joys.  So many media outlets and external influences push us to be takers and develop a self-serving mentality, but I think we need to move away that and genuinely embrace the experiences that others go through.  That means taking the focus off of ourselves and offer true compassion, and empathy to others regardless of how we feel about a situation.

P-rayer:

God thank you for your never-ending grace & love that goes beyond all understanding.  Help me to shed my selfish ways and really bear the burdens & embrace the joys of the people around me.  Thank you Father that you continue to work on me day-in and day-out to slowly mold me and improve my image so I can be a closer reflection of who you are.  Amen!

Have a blessed week everyone,

Nina

Day 58, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

Today’s Reading: Matthew 13:1-58

Theme: The Kingdom of Heaven

Scripture: 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (”Matthew 13:18-23 NIV)

Observation: This is one of my favorite teaching sessions Jesus ever taught. The story tells us that large crowds were surrounding Jesus, while his audience stands on the shore. With great expectation, the crowds were hopeful and anxiously waited to hear from Him wondering what will be the topic that day. He jumps on a boat and starts to teach them the new way in understanding about the Kingdom of Heaven through parable. Notice, in Matthew chapter 5 to 6 the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks to his disciples about “blessedness” and how to treat others in a kingdom manner. In chapter 13, Jesus talks about the “Kingdom of Heaven”. His teaching was not limited to His disciples, but to the entire multitude. Verses 18-23 Jesus explains the parable to his audience. The seed sown is his Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom. The soil is the human heart.

There are four kinds of human heart as Jesus described in this chapter:

1. The seed fell on the side of the road – this is the person who hears the Word of God that don’t understand it, who can’t believe it, and won’t be saved by it. Their hearts are like the side of the road. No matter how many seeds you plant there, nothing can grow.

2. The seed fell on rocky ground – this is the person who accepts the Word with joy and it grew quickly, but then dies just as quickly because the sun will scorch it.

3. The seed that fell among the thorny weeds – this is the person who takes the Word to heart, but is so full of worldly cares!

4. The seed fell on the good soil – this is the person that hears the Word and receives it and treasures it. This is the person that produces fruit in his or her life.

Application: As followers of Jesus, we need to examine our hearts and ask ourselves these questions.

- Where am I in this picture?

- Am I that person who hears the Word of God and whose heart is full of pride, stubborn and stiff-

necked?

- Am I that person that loves to hear the Word of God but not deeply rooted so when trials and                temptations come I easily give up?

- Am I that person that takes the Word of God to heart and at the same time living in sin?

- Or am I that person who hears the Word of God that receives it, loves it, and puts it into practice?

Although there are many kingdoms in this world, there is only one that WILL last forever – the Kingdom of God!

Kingdom people are the ones who hear God’s Word and accept them with joy and treasure them in their hearts and lives them and His Word produces fruit in their lives. Kingdom people passionately love Jesus and obey Him in every little thing.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. Your word gives life, wisdom, strength and encouragement to my soul. I love your Word. I love you Jesus!

junn

Day 55, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

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Todays’s Reading: Matthew 3:13-4:1-11

Theme: Baptism and Temptation

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

OBSERVATION: The temptation of Jesus by Satan was an attempt to entice Jesus from the pathway of perfect obedience to the will of God. In each temptation, Jesus submitted himself to the authority of the Word of God rather than the desires of Satan. What can we learn from the temptation of Christ? (1) Satan is our greatest enemy. As Christians, we must be aware that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare with unseen but very real powers of evil. (2) Without the Holy Spirit and the proper use of God’s Word, the Christian cannot overcome sin and temptation.

The following are suggestions on how to use God’s Word in overcoming temptation:

a. Through the Word you have the power to resist the enemy.

b. Memorize the Word of God in your heart and mind.

c. Meditate day and night on the verses you’ve memorized.

d. Declare the verses over your life.

e. Recognize and Obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit to obey God’s Word.

APPLICATION: Let’s begin fighting satan and his tempations by understanding the Word of God and using God’s Word as a weapon to gain victory over our circumstances. The Bible gives us incredible promises which when applied will help us overcome the enemy.

In order for each of us to really have power over the enemy we must learn to Hide God’s Word in our hearts. Here’s a few scriptures to help you overcome satan in the following areas: (Great online tool:  http://www.biblegateway.com/)

immorality (Romans 13:14),

lying (Jn 8:44, Col 3:9),

gossiping (Jas 4:11),

disobeying parents (Heb 13:17),

discouragement (Gal 6:9),

fear of the future (2 Tim 1:7),

lust (Mt 5:28, 2 Tim 2:22),

worry over finances (Mt 6:24,-34; Php 4:6).

PRAYER: Jesus thank you for your example of how to overcome temptation and leaving us with a manual on how to overcome satan in our circumstances today. Help me to apply the Word to each of the challenges that I face and will face in the future. May I passionately pursue your Word and hide it in my heart each day. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave

S:  Matthew 3:13-4:17

The Baptism of Jesus

 ¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

 ¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

 ¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

 ¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

 ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

   “‘He will command his angels concerning you,
   and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

 ⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

 ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

 ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”

 ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

 ¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

 ¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
   the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
   Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
   have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
   a light has dawned.”^[f]

 ¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

O: It is very interesting that the next event in Jesus’ life, immediately following the affirmation by the Father and the presence of the Spirit, is His temptation.  It begs the question, “Why is this here?” 

Sometimes the most penetrating questions or statements come from children, don’t they? Remember the children’s book, The Emperor Has No Clothes?  It was a child who stated what was obvious but unacknowledged by everyone else: the emperor was naked.  Children don’t fully understand the ramifications or the social implications of what they are asking.  For example, one of my nephews once asked an overweight man, “When is your baby due?”  Not good.  This same nephew a few years later asked me,”if Jesus was fully God and fully man why was it necessary for him to be tempted?”  Good question.  He also asked, “if Jesus was fully God then how was it possible for him to be tempted?”  Another good question.  He didn’t fully understand all that he was really asking.

Yet it is a really important question.  Why was Jesus tempted?  How was His temptation similar or different than the temptations that we face?  If He was fully God how is it even possible for Him to be tempted?  Further, if He was God was it even possible for Him to sin?  And what does that mean for His ability to understand what my temptations are like?  I believe there are 4 reasons why Jesus was tempted, and why Matthew felt it was important enough to include in the introductory material of his book.

A:  1.  To show us divinely designed testing.  The wilderness was a place of testing for Israel.  It was where God tested the nation of Israel for 40 years after their refusal to obey the Lord’s command to take the land of Canaan. The parallels between Jesus’ 40 day fast and the fact that all of this takes place in the wilderness cannot be missed.  Jesus is the perfect Israelite and His 40 days of wilderness will prove His obedience.  All of this is part of the divine design.  Jesus didn’t wander into the wilderness, the Spirit led Him there.  And what Satan meant to destroy Him actually served to validate Him.  The Father was in control of everything, including this.    

2.  To uncover the schemes of the devil.  His tactics are to lay before Jesus three short-cuts to the Father’s will.  Satan is going to try to use Jesus’ identity and His power against Him.  He is going to appeal to Jesus’ sense of obedience but offer Him an alternative plan.  In other words the Devil will offer Jesus a short-cut on full obedience.  The devil is so sneaky.  Isn’t it interesting that the Devil’s strategies have not changed?  Even in the Garden of Eden the Devil’s strategy is the same: find the short-cut on obedience. That is what the devil offered to Adam; it is what he offered to Christ, and it is what he continually offers to us.  His scheme is to offer an alternative pathway of what looks like obedience, that seems to make sense, that seems to work—but it is a diabolical trap. 

3.  To highlight the enormous value and power of the Word of God.  We see that even Jesus–fully God and fully man–utilized the scriptures in His battle against satan.  The power of His resistance was not rooted in His divinity but in the Word of God.  The inspired scriptures are more than a collection of ancient writings. There is power here. There is value here.  There is victory here.  The equation is very simple: the devil is defeated by a greater force – the written word of God.

 4.  To demonstrate Jesus’ sympathy.  One of the clear implications of Jesus’ temptation is that He knows what it is like to be human.  The Messiah was not an aloof ruler or leader.  He truly understands.  He is a Savior who cares.  Who do you want when you are suffering?  Do you want someone who has never walked in your shoes or do you want someone who knows what you are going through and has made it?

That is what Christ gives us in his temptation – He identifies with us, not only in baptism, He

identifies with us in our struggle with the flesh.

P:  Gracious and merciful, Father, what a relief to know and understand that You relate to us on a personal level.  You know what it is to be tempted and show us the ultimate way of winning this war.  You have been there and fought and won it for us already.  Help us to realize that fighting temptation is not just a battle but a war which requires the heaviest of weapons…..the Word of God!  And here is comfort for us too:  When we feel hungry or weak or tempted, all of heaven is concerned with our concerns.  And heaven attends to us.  God’s angels and best of all, God’s Son, offer us strength when we are weak and perseverance when we are tired.

We admit our desperate need of You, Jesus!  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Judy

Day 53 - Reading: Luke 2:1-2:40 “The Birth of Jesus”

S-CRIPTURE:

Zachariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen?  I am an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”  Luke 1:18

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May everything you have said about me come true.”  And then the angel left her.  Luke 1:38

O-BSERVATION:

I have read this scripture many times but these two responses have never seemed to draw my attention as they did today.  Both Zachariah & Mary received messages from the angel of Gabriel about the Lord’s plan to bless them each with a child, yet they had very different responses.  Based on each of their circumstances and their individual responses to the messages received it’s clear to me that God has a specific plan for each of us & His plan will be revealed at just the right time - His time.

Similar to what the father said of his son in Mark 9…I believe but help me with my unbelief.  Zachariah had a bit of unbelief because everything in the world around him told him that his wife would not have a child, so when the angel told him otherwise it was unbelievable to him. In that moment it appeared he was focused on what people had said when really Zachariah should have been focused on God’s word that states, “For nothing is impossible with God.”  Although Mary was very young her response reveals her strong belief that Gods word will always prevail.

A-PPLICATION:

From reading these scriptures I am again reminded of the importance of being saturated in word of God.  It is for the utmost importance to be reading the Bible, praying, studying His teachings, and be building my relationship with Christ.  There are so many outside influences that will try to cause me to doubt God’s truth, so I need to aware of this always.  It’s important to not get sidetracked and to remember that nothing is impossible with God!

P-RAYER:

Father help me to keep my eyes & ears fixed on You Lord.  I pray that I always remember the You are in control and all things are possible through you.  In Jesus Mighty name, amen!

Nina