Day 55 - Romans 9-11

There has been much debate about some of the verses in chapter 9 of Romans. It is true that they can certainly make us feel a bit uncomfortable. Some have tried to take the "uncomfortable" verses and reinterpret them so that they "sit" better with human reasoning. I think that is quite unfortunate. Paul knew that what he was writing was difficult and quite controversial. Why else would he have included verses such as vs14,19? Of course this is difficult to comprehend, but then again, we must realize that we're dealing with the mind and purpose of an infinite, sovereign God here! We shouldn't be surprised that it's difficult, but rather expect it to be so! In all of this difficulty, let us glory in the wisdom of God and His grace toward us who believe. Let us not get so caught up in trying to make all the connections here fit together in a nice, neat box (you'll never get there anyway) and instead praise the Lord that He has shown mercy to us! Let's let God be God and trust Him. He knows what He is doing!

If chapter 8 of Romans contains the "Golden Chain of Salvation" (8:29-30), then chapter 10 contains the "Golden Chain of Evangelism" (10:13-15). Starting in reverse order, Paul speaks of those who are "saved" (vs13). How did they get there? Well, they called upon the Name of the Lord. Why did they do that? Because they believed (vs14). Why did they believe? They heard (vs14). How did they hear? Someone preached the gospel to them (vs14). Why did those who preached preach? Because someone sent them (vs15). So the order goes like this: God sends all of His people to preach the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). While they are going they preach. There are those who hear the preaching and as a result, they believe. The outward manifestation of that inward belief is a calling on the Name of the Lord unto salvation. Let us all do our part in preaching this good news about Jesus Christ so that many may hear, believe, call and be saved!

Chapter 11 of Romans contains Paul's reminder to the Gentile believers in Rome that they are "wild" olive branches. The Jewish people are the natural olive branches. Some unbelieving national Jews were cut off (vs20), and some believing Gentiles have been grafted in (vs17). Paul's charge to these Gentiles is "do not be arrogant" (vs18). The reason is this, "You are not the root. You are only branches, and wild grafted branches at that!" (vs18). How thankful must we be for the kindness of God toward us "wild" branches (vs22)! Therefore let us continue in His kindness and so prove to be a genuine part of His people!

This chapter ends the "doctrinal" section of the book of Romans. Before moving to the "practical" section, Paul includes a doxology to close out the first section. It truly is a "word of glory" concerning our great God. Take a minute to reread this portion of Scripture. Pray this to our God from your heart:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Day 54 - Romans 7-8

There is a lot of talk about being free from the Law. Unfortunately, what many people think the meaning of that phrase is that they can now act however they please. Romans 7:4 absolutely annihilates that line of reasoning. True, we are dead to the Law through the death of Jesus Christ, but not in the way that some would have us think. The Law no longer has power over us to condemn us because Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly on our behalf. Notice, though, the purpose of the death of Christ in this verse--"so that [we] may belong to another." The point is not that we are free to whatever we please, but that we now have a new master--Jesus Christ. No longer are we bound to the old master (the Law) that would condemn us, but we now are bound to a new Master who has redeemed us with His blood so that we would in turn "bear fruit for God." This is the end of our salvation--that by the power of our new Master, we would be fruit-bearers for the God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us!

Right on the heels of that, Paul launches into the inner struggle that each of us has as we seek to bear fruit in the power of our new Master (vs15-25). How true this is of our current condition. We have been given a new nature at salvation, yet that new nature still exists in a fleshly body. Our new nature gives us new desires, yet our old fleshly body so often gets in the way. This is why sometimes we do the things that we don't really want to do and we don't do the things that we really do want to do. There is a constant struggle in the Christian life to live out these new desires while still clothed in the flesh. But thanks be to God who gives us grace and strength to live new lives in the power of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 8 is just jam-packed with wonderful truths. I would like to point out some powerful verses and just make some brief comments about them:
8:1 - When we are "in Christ" there is no longer any condemnation for us because Jesus Christ took our condemnation in our place - Praise the Savior!
8:17 - Since we are the "children of God" that makes us heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ! We get what He deserves because we now are His brothers and part of His body!
8:18 - We all suffer. Sometimes we even suffer because we are doing the right thing, but all of this suffering pales in comparison to the glory that God is working in us through the suffering.
8:28 - What a comforting verse this is particularly during those difficult times! God always has our best good in mind in ordering the events of our lives. Let us trust Him! He knows what He is doing!
8:29-30 - This "Golden Chain" of salvation demonstrates that salvation truly is all of God from the beginning to the end. Therefore, we can be confident and assured that what God has begun, He will complete!
8:31-32 - God is "for us." What an amazing thought! Consider the fact that at one time we were alienated from Him. We were His enemies! But now, in Christ Jesus, He is "for us." And since He was "for us" in giving His Son to save us, He will continue to be "for us" in giving us everything that we need for life and godliness!
8:35-39 - I don't know if there is a more precious passage than this in the entire Bible! God loves me and nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus! His love is a persistent, triumphant love.

Day 53 - Romans 4-6

Paul's argument in chapter 4 is that justification (our being declared righteous before the Judge of the Universe) is NOT based on works, but rather it is base on grace that comes to the individual through faith. If it is based upon grace, then this precludes salvation on the basis of works! It is impossible for salvation to be by grace and by works at the same time. These two ideas are mutually exclusive! Therefore, since it is by grace through faith, that faith cannot be a work! The other point that Paul is emphasizing here is that the promise of God to justify sinners by grace through faith came to Abraham before the external rite of circumcision was even established. Therefore, this promise is valid to both Jews and Gentiles! Therefore, this promise is not contingent upon external conformity to a ceremonial code, but rather on the heart of the individual.

There are so many very precious verses in the first part of chapter 5! We can be at peace with God because of Jesus Christ (vs1). God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (vs5). God didn't just love us, He manifested that love by giving Jesus to be our Savior Substitute when we were still His enemies (vs8). These are wonderful truths, but I'd like to focus a bit on the last part of chapter 5. It is in these verses that the somewhat controversial subject of "Original Sin" is discussed. This is the idea that because of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, all those that have descended from Adam are born sinners. In other words, a person doesn't even have to commit an actual sin to be considered a sinner by God. The reality is that we don't become a sinner when we sin, but rather we sin because we are sinners. For some, this is troublesome because it seems to put all men at an unfair disadvantage right off the bat. None of us had a chance even from our birth. It seems to hold all of us accountable for something that we had no part in. However, though this is true, the contrast here is simply glorious. Just as all who are in Adam are condemned, so also all who are in Christ are justified. You see, for those who would say, "If Adam did it, then why am I guilty?", I respond, "If Christ did it, then why are you now innocent?" The point I'm trying to make here is that if you have a problem with a "federal" view of condemnation where one man's sin "ruins" it for all others after him, then you will have a problem with the "federal" view of justification where one man's obedience secures justification for all who are in Him. If you reject this "federal" view, then you are first of all denying what the Bible clearly teaches here in Romans 5, but also, secondly, you end up making it necessary for you to earn your own righteousness for your salvation, something in which we all miserably fail! Paul's argument is clear here in this chapter--all in Adam die, all in Christ are made alive! Praise the Lord for the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ!

Chapter 6 takes the truths of chapters 3-5 and gives them legs! In other words, all this talk about the inability of man to save himself, the fact that salvation is not by works, but by grace through faith, the fact that we are at peace with God because of Jesus Christ did for us on our behalf, all this talk is not just window-dressing. It's not just something to sit around and admire. These truths have an effect on the way that we live our lives! This effect is namely that we should therefore no longer live in the sin from which we have been saved! The transformation that occurs at salvation is so radical that it not only changes us inside, but it changes us outside as well. While this outward change is not the means to our salvation, it certainly is an outflow of our salvation! Therefore, if there is not an outward change, one must wonder if there really has been an inward change. Examine yourself to see if you really are in the faith! Let's be diligent in considering ourselves dead to sin an alive to God as servants of righteousness!

Day 52 - Romans 1-3

OK, here we go! There is absolutely no way that I can do justice to these chapters! A full blog post could be written on just about every verse! I'll just be pointing out a few things or else these posts are going to get really, really, really long.

Romans 1:16-17 contain the thesis of the book of Romans. It is about the Gospel--the good news about Jesus Christ. More specifically, it is about the saving power of the Gospel. Even more specifically, it is about believing (trusting, resting, etc.) in the saving power of the Gospel. The reason that there is saving power in the Gospel is because in it the righteousness of God is revealed. Our greatest need is righteousness in the sight of a holy God. The Gospel takes care of that need. It both cancels out our debt (our sin) and gives us a credit on our account in the form of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. This transaction happens as we abandon our trust in our own works and place our entire trust on the finished work of Jesus Christ--that is where true saving power resides! It is what causes the just (those justified by faith in Christ) to live!

Romans 1:18-32 is a powerful description of the fallen condition of man. It it not a pretty picture. Whenever you come across a portion of Scripture such as this, it is a good time to take some time to examine your own life. If this characterizes the normal activity of your life, then you need to repent of your sin and turn to Christ by faith, because this type of sin manifested on a regular basis in your life gives the testimony that you do not belong to Christ! These portions of Scripture are not just to show us how not to live, but rather they exist to show us our need of Jesus Christ to save us from this type of lifestyle!

As we read through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we noticed on a regular basis the harsh words of Jesus against the external religion of the Pharisees. Paul continues this theme in chapter 2 of Romans. The conclusion of this chapter (2:28-29) explains the point that he has been attempting to make throughout the chapter, namely that external conformity to the letter of the Law is not what God demands from people, but rather inward heart transformation. It is for this very reason (as we shall see throughout the rest of this book) that salvation is all of God, for not one of us can "circumcise" our heart! This is the work of God!

Romans 3 contains another description of fallen humanity, yet this time, the point is to show not just the sinfulness of mankind, but also to utter inability of mankind to save himself. How can one come to God for salvation if he has no understanding, if he doesn't even seek after God of his own will, if he doesn't fear God? This condition of inability is pervasive notice the number of times the terms "all," "none," and "no one" are used! Because of this utter inability to save ourselves, salvation (also justification) is by grace--it's a gift, not something that we earn. But just as all gifts cost the giver something, this wonderful gift cost Jesus His life! God put forth Jesus "as a propitiation" (vs25). This means that Jesus bore the wrath of God that was against our sin. This is how God can remain just (He punished our sin in Christ) and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus (vs26). This is the wonderful truth of double imputation! Our sin was imputed to Him, therefore He died; His righteousness was imputed to us, therefore we live! He died in our place receiving what we deserved. We live in His place receiving what He deserved. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Day 51 - Acts 27-28

Today is a momentous day in this trek through the NT! This is the last day of narrative. Tomorrow we begin the epistles in which we will spend almost 30 days and then spend the last 10 days in future "history"! I hope you'll keep until the end!

The story of Paul's shipwreck is recorded in chapter 27. It's interesting to see the progression in the reaction of the ship's sailors to the words of Paul. At first there is complete rejection (vs11), but by the end of the chapter there is complete compliance (vs31-32)! The same centurion that ignored Paul's counsel at the beginning is the same one who practically saves Paul's life in the end (vs43). In the middle of all of this, Paul addresses the ship's passengers and sailors (vs21-26). In this address, he refers to God as the one "to whom I belong and whom I worship" (vs23). These are two ideas that we should consider well. First, we belong to God! We are His! We are not our own. We do not belong to ourselves. We have no rights. We've been purchased. We are owned, not independent. If we would get a handle on that concept and live our lives accordingly, so many areas of our lives would get straightened out! Second, we are to worship God. God is seeking for worshipers (John 4:23). We must worship only Him and we must worship Him in His way--in spirit and truth. Our whole lives must be an act of worship to Him!

On Paul's journey to Rome, they stopped in the city of Puteoli on the western side of Italy, about 170 miles from Rome. Some Christian brothers heard of Paul's being there, went to see him and were a great encouragement to Paul (vs13-15). Isn't it amazing how our oneness in Christ can transcend distance and culture! This is the beauty of the body of Christ! Wherever you go, when you find true believers, you have to opportunity for fellowship and mutual encouragement. This recently happened to me on a trip to Disneyland. While walking with my daughter to go to a ride, I noticed a young man wearing a sweatshirt that displayed a theological seminary's name. He was just sitting on a bench reading a book. I stopped and had a brief conversation with him, and both of us were greatly encouraged! I'd never met him before, yet we were able to have true, spiritual fellowship one with another because of our oneness in Christ!

This book ends with Paul finally at Rome. What does he do? He calls for the Jewish leaders of that area to come and talk with him. He shares with them the good news about Jesus Christ and some believed while others disbelieved. He then makes the statement that "this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen" (vs28). Are you one who has listened? I trust that you have! Paul, undaunted by the rejection of so many of the Jewish leaders, continues to share the Gospel faithfully and with boldness to all who came to him. O that we would follow his example and share the good news of Jesus Christ with all who come to us!

Day 50 - Acts 25-26

Before Paul makes his defense before King Agrippa, while being questioned by Festus, he appeals to Caesar - right given to any Roman citizen. He did this, no doubt, thinking that there was no way for him to get a fair trial back in Jerusalem (exactly what Festus was suggesting - 25:9). After this appeal, Paul does get a hearing with King Agrippa. Here are a few things that jumped out at me in his defense.

First, it is often said of Paul that he pursued the establishment of the church of Jesus Christ after his salvation just as passionately as he had pursued the persecution of the church before his salvation. The truth of this is seen in 26:11 where he relates how his persecution of the church extended beyond Jerusalem "even to foreign cities." Of course, it is well known of Paul that God used him to spread the outreach of the church far beyond the confines of Jerusalem (the headquarters of the Apostles) to foreign cities such as Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica and Colossi.

Second, Paul never tires of telling people of his conversion and how God miraculously intervened in his life to bring him to faith in Jesus Christ. He related the same story before the Jewish Council back in chapter 22. We should never tire either of telling others of what wondrous things God has done for us!

Third, Paul had been ministering, not in his own strength, but rather by "the help that comes from God" (26:22). This was the key to his success thus far. Had he attempted to establish churches in his own strength, he would have failed. Here, again, Paul is a good example for us. May we minister by means of "the help that comes from God"!

Day 49 - Acts 22-24

Paul was no dummy! His "smarts" are truly on display in these chapters. The first thing is that after being falsely accused, his Roman captors are preparing to beat him, and Paul nonchalantly brings up the fact of his Roman citizenship to get himself out of an unnecessary beating (22:25). A belief in the sovereignty of God does not preclude the use of our brains! Just because God had allowed this travesty that was taking place didn't mean, in Paul's mind, that he needed just to sit back and let the thing play out. The second demonstration came when Paul realized that his Jewish accusers were made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. Knowing that these two groups of people had differing opinions about the idea of "resurrection," Paul capitalized on that fact and used it to bring this "circus" court to gridlock (23:6-10). The third instance is Paul's securing a hearing for his nephew with the tribune (23:16-22) in order to expose the plot to kill Paul. There is a reason that God gave us brains and the gift of His wisdom. The challenge always comes in balancing the proper use of those alongside faith and submission to the sovereign will of God that He is working in our lives. This is another area where wisdom is necessary!

In Paul's initial address to Felix, he makes the statement that he "always take(s) pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man" (24:16). It was this very reason that he was able to stand with confidence against his accusers. The only thing of which they could rightly accuse him was belief in Jesus as the Christ and calling others to come to Him. This is the result of living a life of integrity. May our accusers come to the same fate! May they only be able to accuse us rightly of being followers of Jesus Christ and encouraging others to join us!

Day 48 - Acts 20-21

Paul's farewell speech to the Ephesian elders is remarkable in many ways. Paul was able to say with confidence that he was innocent of their blood (20:26), meaning that he had fulfilled his responsibility with regard to their spiritual well-being. He could say this because he "did not shrink from declaring to [them] anything that was profitable" (20:20), he "did not shrink from declaring to [them] the whole counsel of God" (20:27), and "that for three years [he] did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears" (20:31). There was helpfulness, completeness and passion in his ministry. Even in his final words to these people we find him more passionate about the ministry of the gospel than he was about his own life (20:24). We find him teaching the elders how to continue the ministry (20:28), and warning them of the false teachers that would come (20:29-30). What a model that is for us today!

Paul's resolve continues to be demonstrated into the next chapter as he was determined to go to Jerusalem even if it meant his own death for the cause of Christ (21:13). After giving his report to James and the elders at Jerusalem, his path to his own death begins. Even after observing a ritual of purification, some Jews that were angry with Paul accuse him of things that were simply not true. Ultimately, Paul gets arrested because others were trying to beat him up and even kill him. The amazing thing about all of this is that God used this "travesty" to do several wonderful things. First, it gave Paul the chance to have interaction with certain individuals that he never would have had an audience with had he not been a prisoner (we will read about some of these in the upcoming chapters). Second, it "slowed" Paul down enough to write the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon - some of the best loved of Paul's epistles). Third, it wound up sending him to Rome, where Paul had the opportunity to lead some of Caesar's household to Christ (cf.Phil. 4:22). This just shows how the sovereignty of God works to bring the best good out of all circumstances.

Day 47 - Acts 18-19

It's interesting to notice the activity of Paul in his ministry in chapter 18. He reasoned (vs4,19). He tried to persuade (vs4). He was occupied with the Word (vs5). He was testifying (vs5). He taught the Word of God (vs11). He strengthened the disciples (vs23). Very soon we will get to see exactly how he did all of these things when we get into his epistles. You will see his reasoning. You will sense he attempt to persuade. You will read how much of the Word (the OT) he uses in his writing. You will read his testifying. You will be taught the Word of God and you will be strengthened. His activity continues to this day!

Paul's ministry continues in chapter 19 as he entered Ephesus. His was a permeating work. In two years, everyone in the surrounding area had heard the word of the Lord (vs10). No doubt this took a lot of hard work. He did this even in the face of consistent opposition. O, that we too would have the same boldness and work ethic that Paul had so that all around us would hear the word of the Lord!

The story of the seven sons of Sceva has long been a favorite, entertaining story of mine. This is one of those events that I would love to see, if there is "video play-back" in heaven! Here these impostors are trying to copy Paul by attempting to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and the demon replies, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who in the world are you guys?!" Then the man jumps on these guys and beats them to a pulp. No doubt these seven sons learned their lesson. But the thing that I think is really interesting is this--the name of Jesus is not some magic word that anyone can use to accomplish great things. The important thing is not just that you use the "name" of Jesus, but that you know this Jesus and are ministering in His power!

Day 46 - Acts 15-17

Well, we are on the other side of the hill, as it were. We are beginning the 2nd half of the NT as we have finished 45 days' worth of reading. I hope you will be faithful until the end! Don't give up...let's finish strong!

Chapter 15 contains what is called by many the "Jerusalem Council." Apparently, some Jews came to Christ and were willing to accept Gentiles as fellow brothers, but yet they wanted to impose some aspects of the Mosaic Law on these Gentile converts--namely circumcision. After a long discussion, it was determined that this was not something that they should require of these Gentile brothers, but yet there were certain things that were suggested that the Gentiles observe (see vs20). These things were more readily seen by others than circumcision and were encouraged to be observed for the sake of the Gentiles' Jewish brothers in Christ. The main points to understand from this account is that the ceremonial law is not necessary to follow for salvation or even growth in sanctification, yet while some things are not necessary, they are encouraged for the sake of the conscience of other fellow-believers.

The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas concerning John Mark was certainly unfortunate, yet isn't it amazing how God used this to further His Kingdom?! Now, instead of just one missionary team, there are two doing the work of the ministry! It is also interesting that by the end of Paul's life, he was asking for John Mark because, by that time, he was profitable to Paul for the ministry.

The question of the Philippian jailer to Paul and Silas was probably not what it looked like on the surface - "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (16:30). In reality, he was probably asking them how he was going to make it through this sticky situation without losing his physical life. Paul, in the same manner as Jesus, answers a different and yet certainly more important question relating to this man's spiritual, eternal life! The answer he gives is simple, "Believe in the Lord Jesus!" Simple faith is what is needed for eternal life.

Paul's speech on Mars Hill (17:22-31) is truly amazing. He reads his environment by noticing the inscription to the "unknown god." He uses this as his launching point to give them the gospel. He starts by talking about how amazing this God is: 1) He made the world and everything in it, 2) He is entirely self-sufficient, needing nothing from us, 3) He is a good God, providing everything for His creation, 4) He is near us because He is omnipresent, 5) He is longsuffering by overlooking previous ignorance, but now 6) He commands everyone to repent! This repentance is necessary because judgment is coming (17:31) and the one who is judge is Jesus Christ who has died and resurrected. At that point, the people had a decision to make. Some of them outright rejected his teaching, others wanted to hear some more, while others believed and became followers of Jesus Christ. A good question to ask yourself right now is, "Which group am I in?" I trust that by God's grace you are in the final group--those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ!

Day 45 - Acts 13-14

So often, as we read in the book of Acts, we see the apostles imitating the ministry of Jesus Christ. There is similarity in works - healing, etc. There is similarity in words - preaching repentance, etc. Here in Acts 13 we see the similarity in dealing with false religious leaders. Just as Jesus was very direct and harsh against the Pharisees who were leading people astray, so Paul, here, is extremely harsh in his reaction to the false teaching of Elymas (vs8-11). False teachers are not people to be soft and accommodating towards, but rather, they are people to be singled out and exposed for who they are and soundly denounced publicly.

Paul's sermon in Antioch in Pisidia is powerful! What a wonderful recounting of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of this sermon in the synagogue, Paul makes an ironic statement (13:27). He says that the Jews and their rulers, since they did not understand the Scriptures (of which Jesus was the fulfillment), ended up fulfilling other Scriptures regarding the Messiah by condemning Jesus. In other words, the ones who were denying that Jesus was the Christ, ended up confirming that He indeed was the Messiah by their rejection of Him and subsequent crucifixion. This is the amazing sovereignty of God on display that He could take the very actions that were intended to disprove that Jesus was the Messiah and use them to confirm Jesus' identification as that very Messiah!

A couple of other brief observations in this chapter: 13:39 - the gospel is better than the law - the law condemns us as sinners, the gospel frees us from sin! 13:52 - a Holy-Spirit-filled person is a joyful person!

Chapter 14 is a good reminder that there are two extremes to be ready for in the gospel ministry. The first is opposition. Paul and Barnabas were the focus of much opposition in this chapter, even to the point of Paul's being stoned - vs19 (he probably actually did die, yet God raised him up - just my opinion). Any time you try to do something in the service of God, you will face opposition. If you never are opposed by anyone, then you might want to examine what you are doing to make sure that it truly is Gospel ministry! The second thing to be aware of is over-exaltation. The people in Lystra wanted to elevate Paul and Barnabas to the status of "gods." They were ready even to offer sacrifices to them (vs13). Paul and Barnabas rightly restrained this inappropriate "worship." We too, whenever we are met with success in our ministries, must deflect the praise and credit to God. We must warn the people to whom we minister not to put us on a "pedestal" as it were, and remind them that "we also are men, of like nature with you" (vs15).

Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone be the glory!

Day 44 - Acts 11-12

The truth of the Gospel ends racism! That's the message of the first part of Acts 11. You can just sense the racist tendencies of the Jews to whom Peter is reporting. But by the end of the report from Peter concerning the conversion of Cornelius, the Gentile centurion, their attitude had changed completely. I love how Peter concludes his explanation of what happened, "Who was I that I could stand in God's way?” (vs17). Luke then records how the Gospel was being advanced among Jews and Gentiles alike.

This chapter also records the beginning of the connection between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas was the instigator at first. He went and found Paul (vs25-26). Their first ministry together was in Antioch, and it was here that the followers of Jesus Christ began to be called "Christians." This is a wonderful term for it literally means, "little Christs." In other words, these people were acting like Jesus--they were exhibiting Christlikeness. Unfortunately, this term has lost a lot of its significance in our present day. It now refers to someone who claims to believe in Jesus rather than someone who actually is Christlike. I trust that if you call yourself a "Christian" that you will live up to its true meaning.

The persecution of Christians in the first century continued as Herod killed James and imprisoned Peter, intending to have him killed as well. The story of Peter's release is miraculous, but if you remember, it's not the first time that Peter has been able to "escape" from prison (see 5:17-21). With this in mind, you'd think that the early church would have been praying not only "earnestly" (vs5), but also expectantly. However, when Peter is freed from the prison by the angel (in answer to the earnest prayer of the church), the ones who have been praying don't believe that their prayers have been answered (vs15)! How often do we merely go through the motions of praying without the expectancy and faith that God will work?!

The result of the release of Peter angered Herod (and cost the sentries their lives vs19). Herod's anger continued, but this time against the people of Tyre and Sidon. In their attempt to appease Herod, they showered him with accolades (vs22). The result was that the pride of Herod increased, so God brought him down to the grave (and in a quite gruesome way at that! - vs23). So, the man who had been trying to persecute Christians and hinder the spread of the Gospel has now been executed by God Almighty, and "the word of God increased and multiplied" (vs24). How poignant is the inclusion of that verse at this point in the chapter! No matter what man may do, God and His truth continues to increase and multiply! Soli Deo Gloria!

Day 43 - 8-10

These three chapters signal the beginning of a shift in this book. The shift is further away from Jerusalem and Judea to Samaria, and expanding beyond just ministry to the Jews but also to Gentiles. This is quite precious to me, seeing that I myself am a Gentile (in a physical sense). Without what happened in these chapters, people like me would never have been included in the Gospel invitation!

There have always been people who are only interested in the Christian faith for the power and recognition that they can achieve in the "ministry." This started very early with the "Simon" in chapter 8. How silly it is to think that you could "buy" the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter's strong condemnation (vs20-23) demonstrates that the "believing" of Simon (vs13) was merely an external ritual and never truly changed his greedy heart.

There is an interesting contrast between the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius and Saul (later called Paul). The eunuch and Cornelius were searching for truth and were very welcoming to the presentation of the gospel from either Philip or Peter. On the other hand, Saul was persecuting the church and God appeared to him in Person, as it were, to call him to Himself. God uses different approaches to draw different kinds of people to Himself. We should be sensitive to the people to whom we present the gospel and confront them in the way that they need to be confronted.

It is also interesting to me how in both chapter 9 and chapter 10 there are individuals who "argue" with God. Ananias argued about God's command to go to Saul (9:13-14). Peter argued about God's command to eat the food that was set before him (10:14). In both cases, though, obedience followed along with wonderful results - Saul was commissioned to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and the household of Cornelius came to faith in Jesus Christ. What blessings await us if we would not argue with God and simply trust and obey!

Day 42 - Acts 6-7

Chapter 6 records the selection of the first deacons of the church (or at least the men who performed the function of a deacon). The situation that led to this appointment of these men was that there was a physical need that the apostles thought it better to be handled by a separate group rather than themselves. This was not because they thought it was too little of a thing to occupy their time, it's just that their primary role was a spiritual one. The wise delegation of this matter to qualified men resulted in the fruitful ministry of the apostles (vs7).

Chapter 7 is the record of Stephen's speech to the council. It is his response to the accusations leveled against him in the last verses of chapter 6 (vs11-14). In those verses, Stephen was charged with speaking blasphemous words against God, Moses and the Temple. In recounting a brief summarization of the history of Israel, Stephen demonstrates that he believes wholeheartedly in the God the OT and that he holds Moses in the highest regard. He then moves to issue of the Temple. The religious leaders had elevated the Temple to an unnecessarily high position, so Stephen quotes from Isaiah (ch66) to demonstrate that the dwelling of God transcends the mere location of the Temple. He then levels his accusation against the religious leaders by telling them that they are just as hardhearted as the Jews of old who persecuted and even killed the prophets because they have done the same thing to the Lord Jesus Christ (vs51-53). The ironic thing is that Stephen himself was about to be added to the number of those who have been martyred for the sake of the truth! What is amazing to me about the murder of Stephen is his response, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (vs60).

Day 41 - Acts 4-5

Chapter 4 begins with Peter and John before the Jewish Council. Apparently, they were not too supportive of the teaching and preaching of the apostles. When asked about the power and authority by which they taught and did miracles, once again Peter deflects the attention away from himself and onto Jesus Christ (vs10). In this deflection, Peter makes a statement that didn't go over very well then and still doesn't to this day. He makes the assertion in vs12 that the only way of salvation is through the Name of Jesus Christ. In other words, Christianity is exclusive. This is a continuation of the teaching of Jesus in John 14:6 when Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father.

After their release and reunion with the other believers, they had a time of corporate prayer. This was the source of their strength. They acknowledge the sovereign hand of God and ask Him for boldness to continue to proclaim His truth (vs29). This prayer was answered immediately and in dramatic fashion (vs31). The filling of the Holy Spirit was immediately demonstrated in the boldness to preach the Word.

The story of the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira is chilling! They conspired to sell some property for a price and then keep some of it, yet tell the church that they were donating the entirety of the profit. The result was immediate, divine execution! One wonders why this type of immediate, severe judgment does not continue to the present day. Maybe the reason is that the early church needed to understand the seriousness of situations like this, and all it took was one illustration and that was sufficient for the rest of church history. It certainly had an immediate effect on the early church (5:11). May it continue to affect us as we seek to live lives of integrity both in the church and in the world.

The arrest of the apostles in chapter 5 has some very humorous twists. They were imprisoned because their teaching and healing were calling so much attention to themselves that it made the religious leaders of the day jealous (vs17). Then they are miraculously released from their imprisonment (vs19). So, what do they do? They go right back to doing the very thing for which they had been arrested and imprisoned. How shocked must the religious leaders have been when they figured all of this out?! So, they bring the apostles back into custody and put pressure on them to quit their preaching. I love Peter's response here - "We must obey God rather than men" (vs29). This is a wonderful principle by which we must live our lives as well.

The council was debating what should be done, and Gamaliel spoke some very powerful words. He mentioned other uprisings that quickly abated and said that this one will be just like the others that came and went if it is only of man. However, he rightly asserted that if this was a movement of God, then it would impossible to overthrow it (vs39). And here we are, almost 2,000 years later, and this movement is still going strong! Praise the Lord!

Day 40 - Acts 1-3

The word "witness" is a very important word in the book of Acts. It occurs more in Acts (13x) than all four Gospels combined (5x) and more than all of the epistles combined (12x). It occurs three times in the first three chapters of the book of Acts. The first occurrence is in 1:8 where Jesus tells His apostles that their job is to bear witness concerning Him in Jerusalem (their home town), Judea (their surrounding region), Samaria (their neighboring region) and to the end of the earth! We will see this progression laid out for us throughout the book. It is a good pattern for us to follow as we seek to bear witness to Christ ourselves. We should start first with those who are near us and then seek to expand that witness incrementally, both through our own personal efforts as well as encouraging and funding the efforts of others (e.g. missionaries).

Chapter one gives the account of the apostles seeking to fill the vacancy among the twelve left by the betrayal and death of Judas. They do so by seeking qualified men (1:21-22), narrowing it down to two (1:23), seeking direction from God (1:24-25) and then by casting lots (1:26). I think this is a good mix between using wisdom and reliance upon God (although, I'm not really comfortable with using the "casting of lots" as a regular and normal way to determine the will of God on a particular matter). The bigger question is this, did Matthias truly take the place of Judas among the 12 apostles? Some would argue, "Yes." However, it seems interesting to me that we never hear of him again, yet the majority of the book of Acts tells the story of the conversion and ministry of another apostle, the Apostle Paul, whom God used to start many churches and write a good portion of the NT. It seems to me that Paul would most likely be the one to fill the position of Judas, although it certainly is possible that there were to have been more than 12 apostles.

The record of the events of the day of Pentecost reveals the glory of God in so many ways. First, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe this to be the start of "the Church" - the coming of the Holy Spirit to remain on those who would repent from their sins and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Second, the result of this particular filling was their ability to speak in tongues - in this instance, these were actual languages that the apostles did not already know, yet they were able to communicate the truth of the Gospel to all kinds of men in their native tongues. Third, the result of this powerful, supernatural proclamation resulted in a massive conversion about 3,000 souls! Fourth, the result of conversion was the unity and fellowship of these first believers (2:42-47). In all of this, I see the centrality of the Word of God. It was the Word of God that was proclaimed in tongues. It was the fulfillment of the Word of God that was the focus of Peter's sermon. The Word of God, as taught by the apostles, was the primary focus of this newly reborn group of people. The Word of God must be central to our communication with both unbelievers and believers alike!

When Peter healed the lame man in chapter 3, he could have taken the credit for himself. From all outward appearances, this miracle was done by Peter. But Peter used the opportunity to deflect the attention away from himself and onto Jesus Christ. He proclaims very clearly that the reason this lame man was healed was because of faith in the Name of Jesus (3:16). In this proclamation of Peter (as well as the one in the previous chapter - 2:38), repentance is the central theme in his exhortation (3:19). This is a continuation of the theme of repentance in the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus and the disciples as recorded in the Gospels.

Day 39 - John 20-21

Well, we've come to the end of the Gospels. I trust that this journey has been a fruitful one for you as it has for me thus far!

I never tire of reading about the resurrection of Jesus. What an amazing fact! Other people have been raised to life (e.g. Lazarus, the widow at Nain's son, etc.), but none like Jesus. All others who had been resurrected ended up suffering death once again. Only Jesus was raised never to die again. Our future resurrection will like His (cf. Rom. 6:5). Jesus' resurrection body was, no doubt, a bit different than before He died. Twice it is recorded that He entered a room although the door had been locked (20:19,26). Also, in 21:4,12, there seems to be some uncertainty about the physical appearance of Jesus, though by vs12 His power and authority made Him quite easy to identify! The resurrection of Jesus, though, was a bodily resurrection, for He had hands and feet to touch (20:27). Our resurrection bodies will be like His (cf. Phil. 3:21). What hope the resurrection brings to us!

Chapter 20 contains another one of those verses where I see myself specifically mentioned. It is verse 29. Thomas had voiced his doubt concerning the resurrection of Jesus, even though the other disciples were bearing witness to it. He said that he would not believe unless he could see and feel the resurrected body of Jesus for himself. When Jesus does appear to him, he believes. Then comes verse 29. Jesus points out how Thomas would not believe until he saw, and then Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who believe without seeing. That's me! I believe in the resurrected Messiah and I've never seen Him physically (although I can't wait to do so!), therefore I am blessed! Praise the Lord for the blessing of faith!

Much has been written and said concerning the final interaction between Jesus and Peter in 21:15-19. I still am not completely certain about a number of things. Why the change in the word for "love"? Why did ask Peter three times if he loved Him? Was it to give Peter a chance to "redeem" himself because he had denied the Lord three times? What I am certain about is that what Jesus questioned Peter about is exactly what all of us need to do - love Jesus ourselves and not worry about the responsibilities of others!

Why did John write concerning all of these wonderful signs and teachings of Jesus? He recorded all of this so that the ones reading would "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (20:31). I trust that in your reading of this book, you have come to believe this truth and have received the life that comes through His Name!

Day 38 - John 17-19

John 17 contains the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus Christ. It is the longest recorded prayer that we have in the Scriptures. It truly is a treasure for us. Books could be and have been written on this chapter alone! Here are some wonderful truths that jumped out at me:

• We are a gift from the Father to the Son (vs2,6,9). What a privilege that is for us not only to receive the gift of eternal life, but also to be a gift to the Son. I think this is what the hymn writer was getting at when he penned these words, "Why should I gain from His reward?"
• Jesus' incarnation was all about the glory of God. Notice how many times the word "glory" or a form of that word appears in this chapter. The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1). We are called to do all to the glory of God (1Cor. 10:31). But the clearest manifestation of the glory of God is seen in the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
• Jesus prays for us in this prayer. I've said this before on this blog, and I'll continue to say it--I love seeing myself in the Bible! 17:20 is probably my favorite verse where I see myself. This is the case probably because in this verse Jesus is praying for me! I am one who did (and still does) believe in Him through the word of the apostles. This is not the last time that Jesus prayed for me. Hebrews tells us that He ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). We truly have a great High Priest!

On a side note, to those who would say that Jesus didn't come into existence until His birth, how do you explain verses like 17:5? - "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." Doesn't seem to work there does it?!

Chapters 18-19 launch us back into the narrative of the last days of Jesus. John doesn't record as much as the synoptic Gospels regarding Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane. But one thing that he does mention that others don't is the initial reaction to the voice of Jesus in 18:6. What power! But that is what you expect from the Word who made all things (cf. John 1:3). What strikes me is the persistent stupidity of the soldiers! They've just been knocked over simply by the voice of Jesus, and yet they get up and try to get Him again! If Jesus had wanted to, He could have done that all night long! But then He would never had made it to the cross--the point of His incarnation.

The hypocrisy of the religious leaders is so glaring in 18:28. They are sinning by falsely accusing Jesus and inciting the people to riot against Pilate's attempts to release Jesus, yet they won't dare defile themselves by entering Pilate's headquarters! Another example of their straining at a gnat while at the same time swallowing a camel (Matt. 23:24).

When Jesus was before Pilate, He consistently surprised Pilate by His responses. My favorite is in 19:11. Jesus frankly and rightfully told Pilate that the only reason that he had authority over Him was because the Father had delegated it to him. The implications of this are huge! The Father sovereignly delegated the authority to Pilate to put Jesus to death, therefore, the Father was in control of this whole process and was ordaining the outcome so that we might be saved! What a glorious truth! What love!

Another pointer to the sovereign oversight of this whole process is seen in how many times John points out the fulfillment of prophecy in these chapters. 18:9 - Jesus asks for the release of His disciples to fulfill prophecy. 18:32 - The Romans put Jesus to death by crucifixion instead of the Jews (by stoning) to fulfill prophecy. 19:24 - Jesus' tunic was of one piece so that the soldiers would cast lots for it to fulfill prophecy. 19:28 - Jesus cries out, "I thirst," to fulfill prophecy. 19:36 - Jesus' death on the cross occurred much sooner than usual, therefore the soldiers did not break His legs in order to hasten death. This too guaranteed another prophecy would be fulfilled. Most of these are seemingly trivial things, but they demonstrate the careful supervision of this entire event by God Himself.

Day 37 - John 14-16

There are so many very familiar verses in these chapters. I hope you didn't rush over them quickly just because they were familiar! They are familiar because they so clearly communicate such wonderful truths about our Savior and who He is and what does. A very familiar verse, yet somewhat misunderstood, is 14:2. Earlier versions use the word "mansions" to describe what is in the Father's house. This is an unfortunate translation, as the word really only means "a dwelling place." It also doesn't make a whole lot of sense to say that a "house" is full of "mansions." A better translation is "rooms." The whole "mansion" idea has spawned way too much "heaven-is-about-me" expectations with people arguing over how big each others' "mansions" are going to be. Now don't get me wrong, the "rooms" in my Father's house are going to be exquisite, because they are being prepared by Jesus Himself! However, the glory of heaven will not be how nice my room is, but how wonderful and glorious my Savior is! Jesus also adds these words of comfort and encouragement, "I will come again and will take you to myself." This is a wonderful hope for us!

The exclusivity of the Christian faith has been much maligned particularly as relativism has swept our modern culture. However, the reason for being exclusive is not to make much of ourselves, but rather to believe what Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way.

Do you love Jesus? I mean really, really love Him? I am amazed at how so many people claim to love Jesus and yet they ignore the things that He Himself taught! Jesus said that if you love Him you will prove it by the way that you keep/obey His commandments! Jesus repeated this reality several times in this passage (14:15,21,23,24). The depth of our love for Christ is measured by our faithfulness if obeying His commandments!

The illustration of the vine and branches is powerful. So many implications for our lives! How dependent must we be! Without Him we can do nothing (15:5). If we are attached to the Vine, then we will bear fruit and thereby prove to be His disciples (15:8). This is the way for us to glorify the Father. This is why He chose us (15:16), so that we would bear fruit that remains. We who are His servants, though He calls us "friends" (15:15), are to be faithful workers bearing fruit for the Kingdom.

It is better to have the indwelling Holy Spirit than the physical presence of Jesus. That is was Jesus said! “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (16:7). This is not the way we think. We tend to think that if we could only have Jesus right here with us, things would be different…better. But Jesus said that it is more advantageous for us if His physical presence is gone and the Spirit comes to be with us. Amazing! What we have in the indwelling Holy Spirit is better than the physical presence of Christ! Maybe that is the case because the physical presence of Christ could not be with every believer at every moment due to the physical limitations that Christ endures being in physical form; whereas the Holy Spirit does indwell every believer in every location on this earth. Or maybe it is because the indwelling Holy Spirit does for us what the physical presence of Christ was never intended to do. Either way, we are better off now because we have the indwelling Holy Spirit!

Day 36 - John 12-13

Chapter 12 contains the conclusion of Jesus public teaching ministry. It begins with the symbolic anointing of Jesus' feet in preparation for His burial, which is just days away. Judas' objection is quite hypocritical. He didn't care for the poor (vs6). He was just putting on a display of self-righteousness.

It is interesting that the chief priests were seeking not only to kill Jesus, but Lazarus as well. We saw in the last chapter how Jesus powerfully raised Lazarus from the dead. Because of that "sign," many were believing in Jesus. This caused the jealousy of the chief priests to seek to put an end to the "believing" by removing the one who's life pointed to the power of Jesus. However, wouldn't that have been a bit self-defeating? Hadn't Jesus already shown that He had the power to resurrect Lazarus? If the chief priests had put Lazarus to death, what made them think that Jesus wouldn't have just resurrected him again, with the result of even more people believing?! This just shows how blinding sin is in the human heart!

Vs20-50 record the final public address of Jesus (chapters 13-17 are in private with His disciples). In this address, we see the glory of Jesus Christ predicted in His coming death. He speaks of being "lifted up." To "lift up" can refer to being put in a place of prominence, but it can also refer to being lifted up on a cross to die. The reality is that both of these definitions apply with Jesus. He was lifted up to die and in doing so, He was lifted up to the prominent place of being the Savior of the World! When He was lifted up, He drew all men to Himself--not just Jews, but Gentiles as well. In the middle of this teaching from Jesus, John puts in an aside (vs37-43). In this aside, he quotes from Isaiah, showing how Jesus fulfilled these prophesies. The powerful point in this comes in vs41 - "Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him." It is powerful because the passages in Isaiah that John quotes are attributed to Yahweh. Therefore, vs41 tells us that Jesus is Yahweh in the flesh. Another extremely clear proof of the Deity of Jesus Christ!

Vs42-43 are really tragic. There were some of the religious leaders that did believe in Jesus, but they did not admit this publicly because "they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." How sad! Yet how many times do we commit this same sin?! Let us not be paralyzed by the fear of man. Let us be liberated by the fear of God!

Chapter 13 takes us into the final private teaching of Jesus with His disciples. He begins this time with a wonderful display of humility. He washed the feet of His disciples. This was the task of a lowly servant, and yet the Lord of the universe took it upon Himself. The primary point that Jesus was demonstrating was humility, and in the middle of it He gives a lesson on forgiveness of sin. In response to Peter's request to have a bath, as it were, Jesus says that one who is clean needs only to wash his feet. The picture is that once a person has been regenerated initially ("washed"), then the continued cleansing from sin that he needs is the daily forgiveness of sins that he commits along the way ("washing his feet"). The beauty of this picture is that both types of forgiveness come from the same source - our Savior, Jesus Christ!

The "new commandment" that Jesus gives (vs34-35) is not a completely "new" commandment. The command to love one another surfaces throughout the OT. The newness of this commandment is the "pattern" for loving one another. In the OT, the Jews were commanded to love their neighbor "as yourself." Here Jesus says, "love another as I have loved you." So, the newness is that no longer is it "enough" to love your neighbor as yourself, but now the bar is raised. You are to love others the way Christ has loved you! Truly, we must have God's grace to be able to obey such a command! And when we do, we prove to be His disciples (vs35).

Day 35 - John 10-11

What a wonderful Shepherd we have! Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He calls His sheep by name and leads them (10:3). He knows His sheep (10:14). But most importantly He lays down His life for the sheep (10:11,15,17,18). It was this laying down of His life that secured the abundant life that He gives to His sheep (10:10). In the midst of all this there is another favorite verse of mine - vs16. The "other" sheep that Jesus has that are not of this fold are the Gentiles - that's me! I love how He says, "I must bring them also."

The words of Jesus in 10:27-30 have been the ground of assurance for many. It is clear that once you become a sheep, you remain a sheep. No one can remove you from this safe haven in the hands of Christ and the Father. While these words are comforting, they have also proved to be quite controversial, both in Jesus' day and until the present day. For in these verses, Jesus claims to be "one" with the Father. As much as some would like for us to think that this "oneness" was merely a oneness in purpose and not a oneness in nature, the people who actually heard Jesus' words were not confused about what Jesus was claiming. They picked up stones to stone Him because He had claimed to be God (10:33)! The fact of the matter is that Jesus didn't just claim to be God, He was God, or rather, He IS God! While some would charge me with denying monotheism (the belief that there is only one God), I do believe that there is only one God. I just believe that this one God exists in three persons--Father, Son and Spirit. Whether or not that makes sense, it is clearly what the Bible teaches, and therefore, I will believe it even though it may go beyond the finite limits of human reason!

In the next chapter, we see the divine power of Jesus demonstrated in raising Lazarus from the dead. Just like the last "sign" in chapter 9, Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that the glory of God could be seen in his subsequent resurrection (vs4). In the midst of being "confronted" by Martha, Jesus gives one of His great "I am" statements. Here He says, "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25). He has the power of resurrection because He has life within Himself (cf. 5:26). And once again, we see the importance of believing in Him. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be able to die, and yet still live (11:26).

Day 34 - John 8-9

OK, here's the second post of the day...

John 8 is one of the strongest cases for the oneness of Jesus Christ and the Father. In vs16-17 Jesus' judgment is the same as the Father's. Jesus claims that if you know Him, then you know the Father (vs19). Jesus speaks the same things as the Father (vs28). It is because of this "oneness" that Jesus can say with confident truthfulness, "I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (vs29). Of course, the most striking statement in this regard comes at the end of the chapter when Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (vs58). In this statement, He identified Himself as Yahweh of the OT (cf. Ex. 3:14).

Here again we see the importance of believing in Jesus. If you don't, you will die in your sins (vs24). Some do believe (vs30-31). The result of believing is that you become one of His disciples. Jesus makes it clear what true discipleship looks like. A true disciple abides in His word (vs31). A true disciple is no longer enslaved to sin (vs34-36). A true disciple loves God (vs42). A true disciple keeps His word (vs52).

Chapter 9 contains one of my favorite stories in this Gospel. Jesus and His disciples encounter this man who had been born blind. His disciples wrongly attribute this tragedy to specific, individual sin, but Jesus corrects their thinking--it's about God and His glory (vs2). Jesus then displays the glory of God by healing this blind man. Notice the reactions by different groups of people. The "people" in general were shocked (vs8), curious (vs10), scoffing (vs24-29), disbelieving (vs18), and rejecting (vs34). The Pharisees were divided (vs16): some denied that Jesus could be from God, while others were hinting that there is no way He couldn't be from God. The most interesting reaction is the progressive reaction of the man that was healed. He starts off as an "obeyer" (vs7). Then a mere reporter (vs11,15). Then he becomes more of a bold proclaimer (vs17,25). This leads to an act of defending Jesus (vs30-33). Finally, it is demonstrated that he is a believer and a worshiper (vs38).

It is interesting to me that in this story we see a blind man who is made to see because of the Light, but at the same time, there are "seeing" people who are blinded by the same Light!

Day 33 - John 6-7

Well, I missed a day. My family spent the entire day at Disneyland yesterday because our annual passes expired today, and we wanted to get one more family day in. So, I will post two days today. Here's the first:

Wow! John 6 is a very powerful chapter. So many wonderful truths to consider. Jesus starts by demonstrating His power and greatness by two more "signs." He uses a young boy's 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed over 5,000 people and has 12 baskets of food left over! Only Jesus can take what you give Him and leave you with more than you started with! He further demonstrated His power not only by walking on water, but also by transporting the disciples and their boat immediately to the shore (6:21).

The reaction of the people is interesting. They are following Jesus because He fed them, not because of who He was (6:23,26). How tragic it is when we only go to Jesus to get our physical needs met and not because of spiritual desperation. Jesus wastes no time in pointing out what they really should be seeking--food that endures to eternal life (6:27).

Jesus listens to these people ask Him several questions, but He never gives them the answer that they are looking for. Instead, He tells them what they really need to know. First, they ask Him what they need to do to do the works (plural) of God. Jesus responds, not by telling them what they must do, but rather by pointing out what the work (singular) of God is--namely, to bring people to faith in Jesus (6:29). Second, they ask Him about the manna that God gave to Israel in the wilderness. Jesus responds by telling them of the true bread that came down from heaven--Himself (6:35). This really confuses them, first because He says that He came down from heaven, but they "know" that He came from His father, Joseph (6:41-42). They are also confused as to how they can literally eat His flesh (6:52). All along, Jesus has been using this imagery of "eating" and "drinking" His flesh and blood to stand for coming to Him to believe in Him (6:29,35,37,40,44,45,47).

All of this was just too much for some. It was a "hard" saying (6:60) and so some left Him (6:66). I love the response of Peter to Jesus' question, "Do you want to go away as well?" Peter says, "Where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life!" This is still true today!

The confusion and disagreement concerning Jesus continues into chapter 7. Some say He is good, while others say He is misleading people (7:12). They wonder how He knows so much since He never attended the religious schools of the day (7:14), and some explain this by accusing Him of being possessed by a demon (7:20). Some believed (7:31), while others sought to have Him arrested (7:30,32). Jesus once again makes a startling claim (7:37-38)--full satisfaction for those who come to Him by faith. The turmoil among the people really hits a fevered pitch. "He's a Prophet." "He's the Christ." "He' not the Christ." "None of the Pharisees believe in Him." What is interesting is that they all saw the same things. They all heard the same things, yet some believed and other did not. This just highlights all the more how necessary the work of God (see 6:29) is in the lives of people.

Day 32 - John 4-5

Chapter 4 records the meeting between Jesus and the woman of Samaria. It is interesting to me how easily Jesus is misunderstood. When Jesus offered the woman "living water" she wanted it so that she wouldn't have to burden herself by coming continually to the well to get water (vs15). Jesus ignores her request in order to reveal His greatness to her. Soon she realizes that she is in the presence of a "prophet" (vs19). So, she asks a controversial question regarding the proper place of worship. Instead of answering her question about the place of worship, He teaches her (and us!) about the nature of true worship. It is in spirit and truth. The main point of this teaching is that worship is not relegated to a place, but should be encompassing all of life! Jesus also teaches the necessity of "seeker-sensitive" worship. Of course, in this case God is the seeker (vs23), and therefore we should be sensitive to the worship that pleases Him! The aftermath of this encounter is truly amazing. Here is this terribly sinful woman bearing witness about Jesus, the Messiah! What's even more amazing is that people believed her (vs39). Many more also believed because of the word of Jesus Himself (vs41).

This chapter also includes another miracle of Jesus--the healing of the official's son. What's interesting is that the Apostle John never calls these works of Jesus "miracles." He calls them "signs" (if your version uses the word "miracles," it is not the best translation of this Greek word). What is the significance of a "sign"? It points to something other than itself! Think about this. When you see a sign, you think of some other greater reality. When Jesus did these miraculous "signs" He did them not to call attention to the sign itself, but so that they would point to the greater reality--His power and glory! As we read about these signs, let us beware not to be more enthralled with what Jesus did than we are with who Jesus is!

In chapter 5, Jesus gets Himself "in trouble" with the religious leaders of the day. First, He heals someone on the Sabbath Day and tells that person to carry his bed (vs8), something that would have been prohibited on the Sabbath. Second, He claims that God is His "Father" making Himself equal with God (vs18). He doesn't do anything to get out of "trouble," but instead, He gets in deeper and deeper because what follows is just a clearer admission of "oneness" with the Father. He does the same things as the Father (vs19. He deserves the same honor as the Father (vs23). He has life in Himself (this is a claim of self-sufficient self-existence) just like the Father (vs26). What is amazing to me is that this teaching and these claims of Jesus got Him in so much trouble with the Pharisees because they knew that He was claiming to be God, but yet today, so many people of false religions preach that Jesus was not God and never claimed to be God!

I'll close with a few miscellaneous observations. 5:20 says that the Father "loves" the Son. This word "love" translates the Greek word "phileo" which so many preachers say is a lesser form of love than "agape," yet it is used of the love of the Father to the Son. These two words are different from one another, but we need to be careful not to put one over the other as being more valuable. 5:39 - The Scriptures are the place to go to find life. The reason this is so is that it is there that Jesus is revealed--the One who gives life. 5:45 is a powerful condemnation of the Pharisees. The thing that they had set their hope on was the very thing that was condemning them!

Day 31 - John 1-3

Well, we've finished 1/3 of the NT and all three of the synoptic Gospels. Today, we start the Gospel of John. This is significantly different than the first three Gospels. Some events are repeated, but most of this Gospel is unique.

There is so much that could be said about these three chapters, but I'll try to summarize their contents by pointing out some general themes.

The supremacy of Jesus is clearly the theme of all of the NT, the Gospels in particular, but the Gospel of John just might have the strongest emphasis of this theme than any other Gospel. This theme is seen in the eternality of Jesus (i.e. He has always been). In 1:1 He is the eternal Word who has been from the beginning. Later in vs30, John the Baptist describes Him as being "before" him. This of course doesn't make sense from a physical standpoint seeing that John the Baptist was born before Jesus. It must then be referring to the fact that Jesus, as the second Person of the Trinity, has always been. The supremacy of Christ is also seen in the titles that are given to Him. He is the Word (1:1,14), God (1:1), only Son (1:14), the Lamb of God (1:29), Messiah (1:41), and Son of God (1:49). Some of these titles continue to be used of Him throughout the book. The supremacy of Christ is also seen in what He does: He creates (1:3), He gives life and light (1:4), He gives grace and truth (1:17), He makes the Father known (1:18), He takes away the sin of the world (1:29), He baptizes with the Spirit (1:33), He turns water into wine (2:6-11), and He saves (3:17).

It is because of this supremacy that we should be diligent in making Him known in this world. John the Baptist was a "witness" to the supremacy of Christ. Six times in chapter one John bears witness of Christ. He was pointing others to Him. Andrew and Philip did the same thing. After meeting Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother, Peter, and brought him to Jesus (1:41-42). Philip went and found Nathanael and told him about Jesus (1:45). This is the natural reaction after a person meets Jesus--he wants others to know about Him as well!

Another important theme that gets repeated throughout this Gospel is "believing." Be on the look-out for how many times this pops up. In these three chapters it is mentioned 11 times! Believing in Jesus is the result of the witness of John (1:7). It gives people the right to be called the children of God (1:12). The disciples believed in Jesus after seeing the miracle of the water turned to wine (2:11), and others believed after seeing other miracles (2:23). Most importantly, believing in Jesus is path to avoid condemnation (3:18) and to receive eternal life (3:15,16,36).

Day 30 - Luke 23-24

King Herod had long desired to see Jesus (23:8). On the surface this seems admirable. Isn't it a good thing to desire Jesus? Normally, I would say, "Yes," but in this case the answer is, "No." Why did Herod desire to see Jesus? Because he hoped to see Jesus perform a miracle. Even that, in and of itself, is not completely wrong. However, you get the impression that the only reason that King Herod wanted to see Jesus was so that he might be entertained. This is the wrong reason to desire Jesus. This is made clear in that Herod was disappointed with Jesus, He simply didn't answer Herod. Let us desire Jesus for the proper reason and worship and glorify Him even if He doesn't give us what we were expecting!

The thief on the cross seems to be relegated in religious discussions to the lack of the necessity of baptism for salvation. However, there is much to be learned from his interaction with Christ (23:39-43). First, he knew he was a guilty sinner and Christ was innocent. Second, he asked in faith for salvation. Third, his request was granted far beyond what he imagined. He asked if Jesus would "remember him," and Jesus said "you will be with me." He asked that this remembrance take place in the future, "when you come into your kingdom," and Jesus said "Today!" He asked for remembrance in the "kingdom," and Jesus promised him "Paradise." Isn't that just like our Savior, giving us far more than we can ask or even think!

After Jesus' resurrection, there was much confusion (which doesn't really make sense since Jesus had told His disciples that this would happen time and time again). The two on the road to Emmaus were no exception. Jesus' communication with them consisted of connecting the "dots" from the OT revelation (Moses and the Prophets) to the realities of Himself. What wonderful teaching that must have been! When the eyes of these two were opened to understand that Jesus was indeed the one speaking to them, He disappeared. Their reaction wasn't one of amazement that He disappeared, but of astonishment concerning His teaching. Then, notice what they did--they went all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. It was already late (24:29), but they knew that such wonderful news needed to be delivered. What a wonderful pattern for us to follow--be urgent in spreading the good news about Jesus!

When Jesus appeared to His disciples, after proving to them that He was really there in person (e.g. showing His hands and feet, eating solid food), He opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures (once again, another proof of the need for divine illumination). Then, He lays out the Gospel message that these disciples are to be spreading. It consists of the facts of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also consists of a call to repentance and a promise of forgiveness. Why is it that so many leave out that middle part? They proclaim the vicarious death, triumphant resurrection and loving forgiveness, but so often nothing is said of repentance. Yet, here it is in Christ's final directive to His disciples. Let's not neglect this important aspect of the proclamation of the Gospel!

Day 29 - Luke 21-22

The story of the widow's offering makes a powerful point - sacrificial giving is not so much about how much you give but about how much you have left over!

Jesus told us in 21:17 that we will be hated by all for His Name's sake. What He is telling us is not just that people won't like us because of our personality, but they will hate us because we are living for the sake of His Name! With that in mind, why do so many so-called Christians spend so much time trying make themselves "likable" by the people of this world? And if the people of this world do "like" you instead of "hate" you, one wonders whether or not you are really living for the sake of His Name! I'm certainly not advocating living in such a way that intentionally provokes others to hate you just to provoke them, but if we are truly living for the sake of Jesus' Name, then it should not surprise us that the people of this world get upset with us.

Jesus' instruction to His disciples to pray that they may not enter into temptation should still ring true for us today. Obviously, Jesus was telling His disciples this because they would be tempted to deny Him (e.g. Peter) and forsake Him in the face of persecution. We will not face exactly what the disciples faced, but we will face temptation! Jesus has given us good instruction in order to strengthen ourselves in the face of temptation--Pray! How important this aspect of our Christian lives is! Pray that you enter not into temptation!

22:61 is rather poignant. Peter has just denied three times that he knew Jesus. The rooster crowed pointing out to Peter that he had done exactly what Jesus said he would do. Then there was the look of Jesus at Peter. What must that look have been like? Was it a look of "see, I told you so"? Was it a look of condemnation? Was it a look of disappointment? Was it a look of compassion? Was it a look of reassuring forgiveness? The Bible doesn't tell us specifically, but I tend to think it was the last two--compassion and forgiveness. If it had been the others, Peter might have had the same reaction as Judas! But instead, Peter's response was one of repentant sorrow. Isn't it the kindness of God that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4)?

Day 28 - Luke 19-20

When I began reading chapter 19, I almost broke out into song, "Zacchaeus was a wee little man...", but I didn't. What I did notice was the way Zacchaeus responded to Jesus--he received Him joyfully (vs6)! The indicator that this receiving was more than a simple reception into the home was demonstrated in the change of heart that Zacchaeus had--he gave away money instead of taking it! This is a picture of true conversion--a changed life!

In the next parable, there is quite a different response to Jesus--rebellious rejection (vs14). What is striking is what happens to these rebellious people in the end--full and final judgment (vs27). How much better it is to submit ourselves to a loving ruler than to reject His rule and suffer for that rejection for eternity!

I've already commented about all of the events/parables of chapter 20 in other posts covering the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. One thing, though, did stick out to me in this chapter and that is the difficulty of understanding Messiah. The Jews knew that a Messiah would come, yet they didn't know it was Jesus. It's clear from this chapter that part of the reason was the irony of His person. He was rejected, yet chosen (vs17). He was David's "son" yet at the same time He was David's "Lord" (vs41-44). These things are quite clear to us as we look back on them, but it is quite understandable why there would be confusion even among those who "knew" the Scriptures. These "ironies" are actually wonderful truths. Jesus was indeed rejected by the religious leaders of that day, yet it was that very rejection that qualified Him to be Messiah and to carry out the purpose of Messiah--a vicarious sacrifice for the sins of His people. Also, Jesus was a "son" of David in that He came into the world through the house and line of David, yet because He was also God in the flesh, He was worthy of being called "Lord" by David in his prophetic Psalms. Both of these are truly beautiful pictures of the wisdom and sovereign plan of God.

Day 27 - Luke 17-18

What are you to do when your brother sins? Tell someone else about it? Tell the pastor or elder so that they can deal with his sin? NO! You go and rebuke him for his sin! Further, what do you do when he repents? Continue to hold it against him? Refuse to fellowship with such a sinner? NO! You forgive him. What if he continues to sin? Continue to forgive even his imperfect repentance. Isn't this what God does with us? We sin, He convicts, we repent, He forgives. Then the cycle repeats. What a patient, longsuffering God we have! We must follow His example and be forgiving, even when we see imperfect repentance!

Do you ever get a big head because of all that you do for God? Do ever look at others with contempt who aren't doing what they're supposed to do while you strive to obey God? If so, Jesus' message in 17:7-10 is for you. When you do what you've been commanded to do, you don't get "brownie points." You simply fulfill the obligations of a bondservant of God! We are for too easily impressed with our own performance. We ought to look at ourselves as unworthy servants, even when we've done what we've been commanded to do!

The parable of the persistent widow (18:1-8) argues from the lesser to the greater. If an unjust judge can grant justice to a persistent widow, how much more will a righteous God give justice to His children when they ask Him?!

Are you a Pharisee? Are you puffed up in your self-righteousness externalism? How we need to have the attitude of the tax collector! Humble repentance is what God desires from us, not proud self-righteousness. The ironic thing in this account is that the Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the tax collector when that is exactly what he should be like!

Day 26 - Luke 15-16

The three parables in chapter 15 are very precious to me. They are given in response to the Pharisees' objection to Jesus' receiving of sinners. The first question that comes to my mind is "Why were sinners drawing near to hear Jesus?" It seems to me that the reason is that the message of Jesus was a message of hope - "Come to me, and I will forgive your sins!" Who would respond to such a call, but those who acknowledge their own sinfulness! The second question is this, "What is the source of the joy that comes in response to the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son when they are all found?", and "to what is the corresponding joy in heaven referring?" The joy in the first parable is from the shepherd who found the sheep. The joy in the second parable is the woman who found the coin. The joy in the third parable is from the father who received his son back again. Many would say that the corresponding joy in heaven is from the angels, citing 15:10; however, look at vs7. It merely says that there will be joy in heaven. Also, look at vs10. It says that there is joy before the angels of God. If we take our clue from the parables just mentioned, the one represented by the shepherd, woman and father would be God! I would submit to you that the joy in heaven over one sinner that repents is the joy that comes from God Himself! How much more precious is it to know that God rejoiced over your conversion and not just the angels. Of course, I do believe that the angels rejoice as well. Why would they not? How inappropriate would it be for God to be rejoicing in heaven in the presence of the angels and yet the angels remain unmoved?!

One other thought about the closing statement of vs7. It is not as if there are people in this world that do not need to repent. God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). The point is that there are plenty of self-righteous people (e.g. the Pharisees) that think that they don't need to repent! Woe to those who feel that they are "good enough" to please God!

Chapter 16 closes with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. I say a "story" and not a "parable" because first of all the Bible doesn't call it a parable and second of all parables do not refer to people by proper names. So, we can take this account of the rich man and Lazarus to be an actual event in history. Therefore, hell is a real place and heaven is real as well. Once you are in one place, there is no getting to the other (vs26). There is torment in hell and comfort in heaven (vs25). These are all significant truths for us to consider, but the most important part about this story is Abraham's answer to the rich man's request that Lazarus go back and warn the man's family. Abraham's answer is not just "no." He says that there is something sufficient to warn the people of this life to flee the judgment of the life to come that is more powerful than if a dead man were raised to warn them. That "thing" is the Word of God, here referred to as "Moses and the Prophets." The Word of God is sufficient for many things, but the most important of all is its power to convince men of their sin and show them the way of salvation! This is what we must hold up to sinners as we plead with them to repent and come to Jesus Christ!

Day 25 - Luke 13-14

Chapter 13 opens with an interesting teaching from Jesus. The basic premise is this - tragedies happen, people die, and if you don't repent you will perish as well. Some years ago someone wrote a book entitled, "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People." Apparently, Jesus would rather have the title read, "Why Bad Things Don't Happen to All Bad People." What is clear from this text is the mercy of God. God is longsuffering. He is allowing time for people to repent of their sin before the final judgment. The call to repent is clear. The themes of the mercy and patience of God with sinners continues in the next parable of the fig tree as the owner of the tree allows time for the fig tree to produce fruit after cultivation. God, thank you for your mercy! May your goodness lead many to repentance and subsequent fruit-bearing!

After the insight Jesus gives on the invitation to the nation of Israel to come and their rejection of the invitation at the end of chapter 13, the next chapter has a parable of the great banquet. The picture couldn't be clearer. The first ones invited to the banquet were the Jews, yet they did not come. The ones who were invited later are the Gentiles--that's me and probably you too!

Again, Jesus points His disciples to the great cost of following Him. In this section, Jesus uses some pretty controversial words. Whoever does not "hate" his family cannot be His disciple. Of course, Jesus is not advocating "hate" in the sense that we generally think of it, but rather He is saying that the one who would follow Him must be ready to put Him first, far above any other relationship. He must be supreme!