“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples…but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” – John 20:30-31
The message of the miracles is the miracle-worker himself.
Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24
We know Leonardo da Vinci as the renaissance man. His intellectual prowess led to advances across multiple fields of study and the arts. Yet Leonardo journaled of “these miserable days of ours” and lamented that we die “without leaving behind any memory of ourselves in the mind of men.”
“While I thought I was learning how to live,” said Leonardo, “I was learning how to die.” He was closer to the truth than he may have realized. Learning how to die is the way to life. After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday; see John 12:12–19), He said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (v. 24). He spoke this about His own death but expanded it to include us all: “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (v. 25).
The apostle Paul wrote of being “buried” with Christ “through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:4–5).
Through His death, Jesus offers us rebirth—the very meaning of renaissance. He has forged the way to eternal life with His Father.
By: Tim Gustafson
How do you measure the value of your life? How might you need to change those values?
Dear Father, I can find meaning and purpose nowhere else but in You.
Before going to the cross, our Savior prayed for the disciples—and He included us too John 17:20-21
After washing His disciples’ feet and commissioning them to go out into the world—not as conquering kings but as loving servants—Jesus shared His intimate thoughts. He helped them see what this task would look like and the type of troubles they’d face. He helped the men understand what “kingdom of God” meant and why He must leave them for a while. He promised that while He was gone, the Comforter would be with them. And though Jesus said they’d certainly have trouble, He then encouraged them, for He had overcome the world.
Can you imagine sitting at that table, eating that dinner, and looking into Jesus’ eyes as He broke the bread, drank the wine, and shared from His heart?
Then, Jesus prayed one last time for His friends. And not only that—amazingly, He also prayed for all who would believe based on their word (John 17:20). Friend, that means you. That means everyone who’s trusted in Him—Jesus was praying for us, and we have His very words. What could be more precious?
On that terrible night—Jesus’ last night before dying—the one thing He asked was for us to remain unified. For us to be knit together in love so the entire world would recognize Jesus in us. It is a sacred invitation, as important today as it was then.
“Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 118:26)
This is the climactic verse of Psalm 118, one of the great Messianic psalms. It was fulfilled, at least in a preliminary way, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a small donkey just one week before His resurrection, thereby acknowledging that He was fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy: “behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding…upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).
As He rode into the city, many “took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). Many Christians even today still commemorate that occasion on what they call Palm Sunday, one week before Easter.
But most of the people—now as well as then—doubted and soon repudiated Him altogether, crying out for Him to be put to death. He knew, of course, that this is what would happen, and He had already said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate:…Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:34-35).
The prophecy applied especially to the nation as a whole, but the principle certainly applies also to individuals. When anyone sees in his mind’s eye the Lord Jesus coming, if he will welcome Him gladly rather than turn Him away, then Christ will indeed come into his heart, “having salvation” and bringing “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8), and he can say with deep thanks: “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” HMM
A sinking ship: “Master, we are perishing!“
A naked maniac: “And seeing Jesus, he cried out with a loud voice… “
A dying daughter: The father “fell at Jesus‘ feet and began to entreat Him… “
A bleeding woman: She “came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak… “
All helpless — and in grave need of the Master’s touch.
“Man‘s extremity becomes God‘s opportunity.“
The Gospels are silent however, about any dramatic life changes among the faceless masses who seemed to view Jesus simply as a nice idea. To them, observing and being around Christ was something like a spectator sport. “WATCH BUT DON‘T GET TOO INVOLVED.”
By contrast, Christ extended His compassion to those souls fortunate enough to have run out of options — people who were at the end of their rope.
So:
Today, if you are in serious need of the Master’s healing or helping hand, understand that He awaits your cry for help. By faith appropriate Him now.
Luke 1:26-33, 35, 38-40, 46-55
The birth of the forerunner being near, it was now time for the Lord himself to be spoken of.
Luke 1:26-33, 35, 38-40, 46-55
The person chosen to be the mother of the Lord Jesus was a lowly maid, but she was also a godly woman of no mean ability of mind, for her song is written in the highest style of poetry. To the humble and devout the visitations of the Holy Spirit are granted. The manner in which the angel saluted Mary was highly honourable to her, but affords no ground for the superstitious reverence of the Papists, for “he saluted her as a saint, and did not pray to her as a goddess.” Mary confessed herself a sinner needing salvation, for she rejoiced in God her Saviour; it never entered into her mind to claim the homage of mankind.
It is a great blessing that in answer to earnest prayer the Holy Spirit will come into our hearts, and make us sing as joyfully as Mary did. Christ will dwell in our hearts by faith, and we shall be numbered with those favoured ones of whom Jesus said, “The same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
My spirit doth rejoice;
To thee my Saviour and my God
I lift my joyful voice.
Down from above the blessèd dove
Is come into my breast,
To witness thine eternal love,
And give my spirit rest.
Hark, the glad sound, the Saviour comes,
The Saviour promised long!
Let every heart prepare a throne,
And every voice a song.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heaven’s eternal arches ring
With thy beloved name.
By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place. (Hebrews 9:12)
I think most of us remember with assurance the words of the Charles Wesley hymn which was his own personal testimony:
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God!
Wesley testified here and in many other hymns to an inner illumination!
When I became a Christian, no one had to come to me and tell me what Wesley meant. That is why Jesus taught that whosoever is willing to do His will shall have a revelation in his own heart. He shall have an inward revelation that tells him he is a child of God.
Too many persons try to make Jesus Christ a convenience. They reduce Him simply to a Big Friend who will help us when we are in trouble.
That is not biblical Christianity! Jesus Christ is Lord, and when an individual comes in repentance and faith, the truth flashes in. For the first time he finds himself saying, “I will do the will of the Lord, even if I die for it!”
StopAndPrayTV 
You must be logged in to post a comment.