30 Things Said by Jesus An Easter Devotion


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30 Things Said by Jesus An Easter Devotion Day 1 | March 3 - Make Way Matthew 3:15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. At baptism, the common language is, “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Why then did Jesus get baptized? To be immersed in water as a sign of His commitment to Himself? He explained that it was the right thing at the right time to “fulfill all righteousness.” This moment inaugurated Jesus’ earthly ministry. This verse inaugurates our Easter devotional series. Being baptized by water and subsequently confirmed by the voice of God signaled God’s gift of salvation come. Fulfilling righteousness. Meeting the requirements of the law. Offering hope to the world. Today, this verse signals our start in a gospel journey of Jesus’ sayings. Throughout these words of Jesus, He taught, instructed, comforted, led, called, refuted, explained, confounded, astonished and more. He spoke as one with authority. He knew His audience because He created them. He knew His mission because He loved them. His words contain life for us today as much as they did then. Join this journey through thirty things Jesus said and what they mean for us as we seek to know and trust Him more. Leading up to Easter, “it is proper” for us to dive deep and know Him better by His word.

Day 2 | March 4 - Show Me the Love Matthew 22:36-38 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. Jesus responded to the man, quoting scripture that he (the man) already knew. Summing up the entire Old Testament, Jesus said the greatest command of all is to love God. Knowing there are various “loves” in Greek language, one asks, “What type are we to give God?” Jesus’ verbiage in Matthew 22 is the same as His words in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world…” Same root. Same vocabulary. Same meaning. We are to love God the way He loves us. Pharisees were famous for adding layers of rules to the law. The honorable intent was to keep people from offending God. The dishonorable outcome was keeping people from actually seeing God and experiencing His love. Jesus eliminated the legalistic difficulty by explaining that loving God the way He loves us matters most. God’s love is best illustrated sacrificially. He gave His own Son. Christ gave His own life. In what way is our love for God, then, best evidenced? Sacrifice, perhaps? Not in an obligatory, “I don’t want to offend God,” way. But in an, “I love Him so much…I can’t help but give my all,” type of way. Question: How are you showing God the love today?

Day 3 | March 5 - Bonus Matthew 22:39-40 “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Leave it to Jesus to do extra credit. The lawyer only requested the greatest command. Jesus gave him the first without neglecting the second. The two are inextricably linked. This phrase stands out. “And the second, is like it.” What does “like” really mean? Does it mean similar? Sure. Could it mean corresponding? According to the Greek, yes! After years of ministry, the Apostle John helps uncover more of what Jesus meant. Living, breathing, eating, sleeping, sneezing, sweating, in flesh Jesus was no longer on planet earth. Ascension happened decades prior. Eye witnesses were aging and dying, some martyred for their faith-filled leadership. The scattered church needed assurance. The way we love God matters. And according to John, we prove that love best in the way we love others. [1 John 4:11-12] What if “Love your neighbor” wasn’t as much “additional” as it was “supplemental?” What if it wasn’t love God and love others? What if it was love God by loving others. What if that’s the reason why Jesus gave the bonus second command? To give us the best possible recipe for accomplishing the first. Question: Is God feeling loved by how you love others?

Day 4 | March 6 - Gold Medal Winner Mark 10:44-45 “and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Everyone wants to get ahead in life, right? When you stop to think about it, the idea of getting ahead implies something. If you are ahead, someone else is behind. For Jews, the Roman machine of the day trampled anyone and everyone in their way. The Jews were constantly left behind with gladiator boot tracks on their backs to prove it. Today, young adults in America learn a thing or two along the way about being taken advantage of and what it takes to outsmart the system. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” It’s an applicable motto. We are a nation of climbers. Jesus’ words speak to that, reminding us that the truest way to be on top is to voluntarily move to the bottom. To come in first means to pay close attention to the guy in last. Who really wins when one of us gets ahead? One of us. Who wins when we stop to lend a hand? All of us. Jesus wasn’t just waxing words here either. He put His own personal sweat into it, sacrificing His life for the good of others. Question: Are you getting ahead or helping others out?

Day 5 | March 7 - Worry-Wart Matthew 6:31-34 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Warning: unsavory metaphor ahead! Kids think warts on skin come from frogs, right? Who started that rumor? Common warts are actually infections on the top layer of skin. And they don’t just run their course and go away. The viruses must be attacked and suffocated so that they don’t spread. You’ve heard the expression…worry-wart. Is it because worry is an infection? Is it because it’s contagious and can spread? Is it because it’s difficult to suffocate and remove worry from our lives? The metaphor certainly fits. Jesus explained the devaluing effect worry has in our lives. He sought to stamp out worry with perspective. If God cares for birds and flowers, how much more can we depend on Him in our lives. Worry says that we’ve been forgotten. Worry say’s we’ve lost control. Worry says we are alone. Proper perspective insists that God is here and He has us. Worry doesn’t add. Worry subtracts. Don’t be a worry-wart means don’t let your life become infected and infested with worry. Question: Is evidence of infectious worry popping up in my life? Am I taking it seriously enough?

Day 6 | March 8 - No Pain; No Gain Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Did your parents ever offer the expression, “This is going to hurt me, more than it hurts you?” Someone should have helped the Roman government under Nero see that. Launching horrific persecution against followers of early Christians, Rome paid the greater price. Their persecutions hurt the empire far more than they did the believers whose lives they took. When followers of Christ face the kinds of travesty Jesus describes as insults, rejection, and persecution, perpetrators always pay a far greater a price. They miss out on so much. Somehow, in God’s economy, our very souls are blessed in the face of hardship. Why? Perhaps it’s because extreme difficulty helps us identify with the sufferings of Christ. Perhaps it’s because persecution leaves us with nowhere to turn but Christ and Christ alone. Perspective really is its own reward. Ultimately, the enemies of Christ are hurt far more than any injury they cause. They’re missing out on the greatest reward any of us could ever know. Jesus Christ. Any pain inflicted by this world because you are aligned with Him is for your gain. Question: Where are my pressure points and just how willing am I to suffer for Christ’s sake and my reward?

Day 7 | March 9 - Stranger Things John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus said and did a lot of strange things; stuff that just didn’t make any sense to those around Him. He told professional fishermen one day to let their nets down in deep water when those roughnecks knew the fish wouldn’t be feeding. The result? More fish in a day than those guys likely saw in a year. He told an aging religious leader that the secret to eternal life was being born again. And here, in true Jesus fashion, He claimed to have a special water that could satiate you forever. He said that to a woman He had no business talking to when she was gathering water alone because no one else would walk with her. Her void was vast. Nothing could fill it. Until Jesus. This wanton women in a wanting world had experienced a lot of life, but nothing made her whole. Until Jesus. Water is present throughout Scripture. Sometimes it’s a fearful force to be reckoned with. Other times, it’s a respite in an otherwise arid land. Christ is also both. A Creator who we reckon with because He’s a Savior who satisfies. Question: What is leaving me empty and how can Christ fill it today?

Day 8 | March 10 - Big Life John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Thieves don’t come when the father is home. Thieves don’t come mid-day. The very Greek definition of this word implies stealth. We have an enemy in this world who sneakily tries to slip into our lives and steal from us. What is he after? Joy. Passion. Confidence. Obedience. Patience. Faithfulness. Diligence. Ministry. What’s next for the enemy? To kill us. Does that mean murder? Not exactly. It’s thuo in Greek, and it means sacrifice. He wants to sacrifice our lives when Christ has already been ransomed in our place. Why? To destroy us and according to the original language definition, render us useless in service to Jesus. Steal. Kill. Destroy. Not so fast. Christ came to give us life, more than we could ever imagine [blessing]. Longer than we could ever imagine [eternity]. Greater than we could ever imagine [fruitful]. Christ came to give us real, genuine, effective, abundant life. The enemy has a different agenda but Christ came to protect us from his wiles and steer us clear of his attacks. Question: What has the enemy stolen from you? What is he destroying in you? How can Christ’s life give you life and give it to the full?

Day 9 | March 11 - Go and Tell Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” If we are not careful we can read the great commission,”to go into all the world and make disciples” and walk away thinking this is an optional assignment. If you are not too busy or if you can somehow work it into your conversations, that would be great, but if you can’t, no big deal. In reality, the great commission was given by Jesus to all of His followers as a guiding way of life. The commission to go is for the seasoned believer who has been walking with Jesus for years as well for the new believer who may think they have nothing to offer. Your speech, actions, conversations and relationships are to be all about pointing others to Him. And we can do this because Jesus is the one who is with us! He is one giving us the words and the direction and when His message is proclaimed, then and only then are lives truly changed. Question: Are you “going” and if so, where? If not, why?

Day 10 | March 12 - When did we see You? Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was

thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” When we serve the downtrodden of Nashville or walk alongside those who are hurting or stand in the gap for an orphan who has been deemed useless by society, we are doing these things for Jesus. Jesus desired for His disciples to get what it really meant to be about what He was about. The righteous person, in an effort to be right and do the right things, can miss what it really means to serve, and we usually do this unintentionally. We strive to serve Jesus and be on mission for Him and while we are waiting for a sign to show us what He wants us to do countless opportunities to feed the hungry, give drinks to the thirsty and to clothe those needing clothes pass us by everyday! Jesus wants us to see Him in the midst of every interaction we have because when we serve the least and see the least, we are seeing Him! Question: Are you looking at the needs around you and seeing Jesus? And, are the needy around you experiencing Jesus through you?

Day 11 | March 13 - Leaving 99 Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” One of the most awe-inspiring characteristics of Jesus is that He seeks out the one who is lost! From a purely economic principle, it does not make sense to leave 99 well-tended, behaving sheep to find the one that has wandered away. 99 are still fully intact, so you could probably just count your losses… it was only one that was lost. Yet in Jesus’ economy, every life matters and the individual needs of each sheep are always His priority. When we were lost and trying to make sense of our frustrating moments, Jesus was searching for us! When we did not know the next step to take, Jesus was trying to find us to show us the next step. A good shepherd desires to feed his sheep, keep them safe from attack and prevent them from walking off a cliff. Jesus desires the same things for us and there is no mountain He is unwilling to climb to find us and protect us! What a good shepherd He is! Question: When were you “the one”? How did Jesus come for you?

Day 12 | March 14 - Abundant Harvest Matthew 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” When reading this verse, our tendency is to focus on the need for more workers, while missing what Jesus said about the harvest. In reality, there will always be a need for more dedicated Christ followers to step out and fulfill the great commission until Jesus comes back to this Earth! Let us strive to never miss just how abundant the harvest really is. There are people in your midst this very day on your neighborhood street, in your office or sitting next to you on a plane that are ripe for the harvest; people who have been searching for meaning and who the Holy Spirit has been drawing to Himself. Our job is to step into this abundant harvest field and pray for opportunities to share the life-giving message of the gospel! As you look around today, ask yourself, where is the abundant harvest. It might be much closer than you think. Question: Do you have the courage to step out in faith into the plentiful harvest and work the field?

Day 13 | March 15 - It’s Not the Healthy that need a Doctor Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

After seeing Jesus spending time and sharing a meal with a group of tax collectors, the Pharisees questioned Him about why He would be willing to be associated with these “sinners.” We often forget to be intentional about putting ourselves in situations where we are surrounded by those who don’t know Christ. But Jesus went out of his way to be in the middle of groups who were far from God or didn’t even know about Him. Jesus gives us a perfect example of creating and taking opportunities to share the hope of salvation by meeting people right where they are - like sitting around a dinner table. Our call is to seek out those who don’t know the hope of the Gospel and pursue relationships where we can start these spiritual conversations. We know that it is important enough for us to be passionate about it - this is life changing stuff and our lives have been forever changed because of Jesus. Let’s be intentional about taking these opportunities today! Question: You’re eating dinner, right? With who? Are there opportunities you are missing to meet and eat and share the Gospel?

Day 14 | March 16 - Finding Peace Luke 19:41-42 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Jesus is coming into Jerusalem for what He already knows will be the week that He is crucified. As He is arriving, the crowds are praising Him saying “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” Their hope was that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah that would bring an earthly peace and freedom for their nation. But Jesus came to bring a peace that would far surpass anything that they could imagine or hope for - this peace would offer them forgiveness, salvation and eternal hope for their future. Often times we place our hope in things that we think will satisfy us and bring us joy and contentment. It might be having a successful career, excelling in school or having the “picture perfect” family. However, true peace is only found in the One who will never fail us and gave His own life so that we could find peace in Him. Question: What substitutes have you tried in life to find peace? How did Jesus triumph over those?

Day 15 | March 17 - Who is Jesus For? Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. As Jesus’ ministry continued, His name and His message started to become well known. Crowds of people would gather who wanted to hear what He had to say, wanted to be around Him, and hoped for some of His time and attention. In the midst of that, we see some people go out of their way to bring a group of children to Jesus, simply so that He might “pray for them.” Even though the disciples were quick to question this and attempted to get the children to leave, Jesus welcomes them. What we learn from Jesus’ response is that His message is not just for the older crowds with more life experience and ability to understand, but for all people. Children had no rights. Instead, they were the basic property of their parents and far to inconsequential to come near a prophet or rabbi like Jesus who was growing in popularity; or so the disciples thought. Jesus valued people of all stages of life, backgrounds and social status, even when that was controversial. We can be challenged to make sure that we are showing value to and sharing Jesus’ message with every person. Question: In what ways are you stepping in to the next generation and helping them get closer to Jesus?

Day 16 | March 18 - Heart of the Gospel Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” If we could sum up the heart of the Gospel this is it: Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  This is the good news.  Jesus is after us and there’s nothing we can do to earn His salvation.  He’s the giver of the best gift ever—eternity with Him.  Every other religion in the world has His message backwards.  But our good God has sought out His people with passion

and a fierce love.  There’s a song we’ve been singing lately that says, “the reckless love of God…it chases me down, fights till I’m found, leaves the 99.”  The honest truth of the gospel is Jesus would have died for the one, but the better truth is that He died for us all. Question: have you shared this good news lately?

Day 17 | March 19 - Who is Your Enemy? Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Who is your enemy? Often times we read the word enemy and our minds go to war.  We think of people fighting enemies in great movies like “Saving Private Ryan,” etc.  We think of epic movie scenes, where good guys are fighting against enemies in battle. What Jesus means, talking about enemies, is people who oppose you, snub you, who try and harm you or have ill intentions towards you.  He’s asking us, through His power and strength, to love them—to pray for them.  Frequently, in our flesh, we want our enemies’ to suffer the way they have caused us to suffer, “an eye for an eye.”  But Jesus is calling us into a different way.  He’s calling us to love, because that’s what His family is all about.  John Piper says, “loving your enemy doesn’t pay for your birth into God’s family; it proves you’ve been born into God’s family.”  Question: Name your enemies. And are you loving them well and praying for them often?

Day 18 | March 20 - Rest Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” One of the most treasured passages in the New Testament.  Jesus is addressing the people of Israel who are weighed down and burdened with the legalism of the Pharisees.  The Old Testament law, be it holy and righteous, was dependent on man.  It left people with feelings of never being enough, reddened with guilt.  Jesus extends the invitation to “come.”  It’s the loving invitation from a Savior, knowing He is the answer to their legalistic ways.  A relationship with Him, the living God, is the cure for their weariness.  He is asking them not to be “yoke-less,” but to take on the yoke of Christ because it is “easy” and “light.”  Jesus is not simply telling people to trade their heavy load for none at all, but to take His upon them because it’s useful and not overbearing.  This is the call to discipleship with our Savior. Question: Have you taken on the yoke of Christ or are you clinging to your old burden?

Day 19 | March 21 - Mission Impossible Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The disciples were astonished at Jesus’ statement on how hard it will be for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. They asked who can be saved? Jesus responded “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” In man’s economy, it’s work, work, work to earn what we can call ours. In God’s economy, its come as you are, believing in Jesus as the way, truth and life, realizing that all human effort could never afford us what Jesus give us so freely. We can take comfort in knowing Christ is the only piece that can fit in the equation of salvation. Riches, talent, good deeds, church partnership….nothing is enough. It’s impossible to get to God our Father on man’s merit but with Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, all things are possible. Question: What part of your effort do you feel should be good enough? What helps you realize that it isn’t, nor will it ever be? Do you take Christ-honoring comfort in that?

Day 20 | March 22 - Branch Man John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” When we are in alignment with the Holy Spirit, our works through Him will bring much fruit. Our effort can birth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. On our best days, apart from Jesus, using our absolute best efforts, we might bring a moment of happiness but definitely not a joy that sustains or a peace that surpasses understanding. That is only through the power of Jesus! Good news is, He wants to use us. We are the branches. But, in order to bear fruit, we must remain close in Him. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. He is the life changing power we are the branches. Question: Of the nine fruits, which is most evident in your life? Least?

Day 21 | March 23 - Shine a Light! Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Jesus said that we are to be a light in the world. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. Jesus asks us to let our good deeds be seen so that you can point people to glorify your Father in Heaven. Fine line, though. Good deeds on display can come across as arrogant. Good deeds on display can puff up our pride. Good deeds on display can get us views, likes, shares and comments. Jesus says that when we let the world see our good deeds, it’s so they can know and recognize the one those good deeds are intended for. If the heart and sometimes words point to Him, then He receives glory. When He receives glory, He draws people in to know and follow Him too. So shine, go do good deeds and let the world know why you are doing it! Question: Is part of your light hidden? Why? Is ensuring humility keeping you from shining brightly in His name?

Day 22 | March 24 - Fisher(of)men Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Nets? Hooks? Bait? What exactly does a person use to catch people? It was an illustration that needed unpacking but one that connected with the sea-faring economy in northern Galilee. Luke’s version of this same account includes a mid-morning miracle. Jesus spotted men cleaning their nets following a terrible night on the water. Literally, no fish. Jesus instructed them to go back out into deep water and drop their nets again, this time in an area of the lake and time of day when fish wouldn’t normally be biting. The load was so great, the boat almost sank. Jesus has a similar load for us. It may take us off the ordinary path using the obvious method. It will require faith-filled obedience and a willingness to take risk. Fishing for people won’t look at all like fishing for fish, but the load will be far greater as Jesus miraculously multiplies our efforts and helps us reach people with the good news of His gospel. Question: Where are people currently biting? And what gospel net are you casting?

Day 23 | March 25 - Take Heart John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus began to prepare His disciples for when He would no longer be with them. He made it very clear as He spoke that life was going to be difficult for them. He compared their future troubles to that of a women giving birth, very painful but when the baby is born the anguish is forgotten because of the new life that has come into the world. Yes, you are going to have trouble in this world, but our God has overcome the world. Jesus has conquered death, and even though we will experience pain on earth it is nothing compared to the overwhelming joy we will experience in heaven. We all are going

to have troubles in this world. God never promised or even hinted that the life of a disciple of Christ would be easy. In fact, He said the opposite, it’s going to be harder. When the trouble comes don’t be surprised, instead be at peace, and take heart that our God is in control. Question: What kind of troubles are you facing in your life now, and how can you trust God in the difficult seasons?

Day 24 | March 26 - The Good Shepherd John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and explaining to them who He is, but the Pharisees, as usual, weren’t getting it. Then Jesus says, “I am the gate whoever enters through me will be saved.” Jesus makes it clear in John 10 that salvation comes through Him, and that as the good shepherd, He was going to lay down His life for His sheep. In full disclosure, I should tell you that I have never herded sheep before. However, I cant imagine that I would ever care so much about a sheep that I would lay my life down for this smelly dumb animal, especially if the animal didn’t listen to all my commands and wandered off. But Jesus is the good shepherd; He would and already has laid down His life for us even though I’m just a smelly dumb human who often times just doesn’t get it and is prone to wander off. Take some time to today to give Jesus praise for being the good shepherd. Question: In what way are you wandering off? How do you hear and sense the Good Shepherd coming after you?

Day 25 | March 27 - Priority One Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” One day Jesus was teaching and the Pharisees and teachers of the law came from all over to hear Him teach. Some men heard Jesus was there and carried their paralyzed friend on a mat so that Jesus could heal him. There was a large crowd surrounding Jesus and the house He was in, and they could not get to Him. But the men didn’t give up. They went to the roof and lowered their friend down through the roof in front of Jesus. What is interesting is when Jesus saw this man and his faith He didn’t say get up and walk you are healed. He said “your sins are forgiven.” The friends brought this man for physical healing but Jesus started with priority one, Spiritual healing. The Pharisees and teachers were all thinking blasphemy in their hearts when Jesus told them that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. Jesus then told the man to get up and take his mat and go home, and he did. Because of the faith of these men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus and would stop at nothing to get him there, this man was now physically healed. But more importantly he was spiritually healed. We all need to step out in faith and bring the lost people around us to Jesus. Question: Who in your life needs to know Jesus? What can you do about it?

Day 26 | March 28 - The Map John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In Jesus’ day, there were plenty of world views opposing The Gospel of Christ. Even within the Jewish faith, there were different sects claiming to be the “true way.” It is in that cultural climate that Jesus says to His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In this statement, Jesus points the way to heaven and sets Himself apart as the physical map that offers humanity a way back to the life they were created for. God’s enmity against us could only be satisfied by God Himself. So…enter Jesus—the substance, the purpose and the culmination of the Old Testament scripture. The Word now in flesh. The Way. The only way that leads to abundant life here, and eternal life in heaven. The world will always push empty substitutes to achieve happiness, peace, well-being, knowledge, security, comfort etc. But there is only one way, one map, that leads us to the place our heavenly Father provided in the beginning. A place in His presence for eternity. Communion with Jesus, The Father and the Holy Spirit now in this present life, and also in the glorious life to come. Question: What map are you following?

Day 27 | March 29 - The Promise Matthew 26:26-29 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” The Old Testament is full of references to the Son of God, His suffering and His sacrifice. The backdrop for the Lord’s Supper had long been set. The Old Testament Passover sacrifice was established to celebrate and remember when God passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared their homes when He struck down the Egyptians. (Exodus 12) When Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness in route to the Promise Land, He provided for them manna. (Exodus 16:4-36) Manna is described as “bread from heaven.” This manna held the promise of something greater, Jesus, the bread of life. (John 6:35) The Passover Feast also held the promise of something greater, the Lord’s Supper. It was the fruition of the Passover Feast that had been celebrated for generations. The Lord’s Supper establishes the sacrament in which we remember the breaking of His body and the pouring out of His blood—becoming the Passover sacrifice by which atonement is made for those who believe. (1 Corinthians 5:7) His body broken to be perpetual sustenance for His body of believers. His blood a pouring out as a perpetual Passover covenant promise. All the Old Testament promises now brought to fulfillment in a new promise—the promise of abundant life in Him; eternal life with Him. Question: What does this promise mean to you?

Day 28 | March 30 - This Ain’t Over Mark 9:31 Because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” The disciples had seen Jesus perform great miracles—turn water into wine, heal the sick, cast out demons even raise Lazarus from the dead. And now, Jesus predicts His own death for the second time. How stunned the disciples must have been that He would talk this way. How could it be that mere men could put to death the Son of God? There was a bigger story unfolding. Yet, the ones Jesus walked with most closely could not understand the fullness of what was about to happen. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) This Old Testament passage from the prophet Isaiah could not be played out more emphatically than in the coming moments as the disciples watched the Messiah experience the unthinkable. Jesus would suffer brutally and die. But that was not the end of the story! God was not finished, in fact, He had only just begun! He restored man unto Himself and created a passageway for a personal relationship. The truth is, the Lord works regularly in our lives for His glory and our good; and the evidence is not usually realized unless we look back to where we have come, and forward to where we are going. Question: Can you see evidence of God presently working in your life?

Day 29 | March 31 - Done John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. We don’t understand John 19:30 to be Christ’s last words. We look at the Great Commission or even Acts 1:8 before His ascension as Jesus’ final admonition to His followers. Even after then, He spoke (notably to Paul and certainly to others, too.) Even today, Jesus speaks. This sentence, recorded by John, does offer finality, though. It is a final word. It’s a final word regarding the covenant mankind could never keep. It’s the final word against the consequence of sin mankind could never escape. It’s the final breath of a suffering servant who completed the work God sent Him to do. It’s the final second in the reign of death our enemy was allowed to impart. While the timeline of eternity marches on to Revelation, what Jesus finished…what Christ accomplished…what God gave…in that moment didn’t just changed the world. It sealed the fate of everyone who would ever (past, present and future) put their hope in the substitutionary atoning death of God’s son. Question: Has that part of Christ’s work been made complete (i.e. finished) in you?

Day 30 | April 1 - A Day for Fools John 17:1-3 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; Or people so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent — Jesus Christ. Many countries observe April 1 with an air of folly. Regarded as April Fools Day in the States, it invites those of us with thick skin and keen wit to employ practical jokes and silly tricks. When it falls on an observance like Easter, there is nothing silly about it…or is there? There must be some cosmic sense of laughter looking at our futile lives that the great God of this universe would find fit to love us beyond our faults. There must be some sense of irony that the God who required death as payment for sin would offer His own Son as the final measure of remuneration…in the place of a people who could never earn it or deserve it. And this Jesus…considering the price He would pay for us spent His final moments praying over us. Knowing full well what He was about to give up for us, Jesus asked of God to glorify Him. Why? So that He might give to us. And who is us? The faith-filled souls who would believe it. The world may call us fools and in a manner of speaking, the world is right. The one true King traded places with a death-row inmate so that the guilty man might live forgiven and free and forever. Glory to God and to Jesus, who God sent, for saving fools like us. Question: Are you ready to make that prisoner exchange and live forgiven, free and forever with God?