As a Child!
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, When you read the verses below, I want you to notice My interactions with My disciples regarding a rich public official who turned away from following Me. I challenged My disciples to think through his rejection of My call and focus their attention on those who are worthy of their emulation: Don’t you realize — the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all. Religion gets far off track when the focus becomes a question of who is most important, most religious, and most deserving of the Father’s love. I came to you as God. The rich public official in the story below missed this truth. He called Me “good” and only God is truly good. So I challenged him to listen to Me as God. I told him that he needed to drop his religious game of trying to earn the Father’s love. He needed to quit trying to outdo all the others around him in his religious practices. He needed to look deep into his own heart and see that there was an idol he held as more important than obeying the voice of the Father. However, he dismissed what I said. He refused to give up his idol — his great wealth — for two reasons: He didn’t think of Me as God. He dismissed what I said as just more religious teaching. He didn’t accept what I said as the very commands of God. He was rich and his idol — his real god — was his money. Unfortunately, he thought he could earn the Father’s favor just like he had earned his money. Sadly, he walked away from Me and from the joy of My kingdom because he couldn’t give up what was false. Just before the description of this rich public official’s visit with Me, you meet children who are the model for the kind of heart that receives My kingdom. Just after this official, you meet My disciples. In childlike amazement, they wonder how anyone can be saved if someone who has lived a good life, like this rich public official, couldn’t find his way into My kingdom. I reminded them that they were thinking in human terms. And in human terms, it is impossible. But We — Father, Son, and Spirit — make the impossible possible. All that My disciples had to do was look at themselves and what they had given up. You see, nothing is impossible for the heart totally yielded to Me. You cannot give up more for Me than you will receive many times over in the age to come (Matthew 19:29). However — and this is a huge “however” — you have to be willing to follow Me as a child. So come, dear precious one, and follow Me! Verses to Live During My time on earth, children were not an important part of society. They were trained, loved, nurtured, and apprenticed at home. They were not important in adult society. For Me to hold them up as a good example of a disciple was shocking. To elevate children above a rich, devoted-to-the-law public official was shocking. Sometimes, My precious one, shocking is good. Listen with your heart. Invite the Holy Spirit to attach these words to your soul. I AM the good teacher. I AM God among you. I AM the One teaching the eternal truth. You either renounce all of your idols and follow Me as a child, or you walk away from Me with a sad heart. If you leave, you forfeit your hope of enjoying My kingdom. Some people brought infants to Jesus, hoping He would touch them to bless them. The disciples rebuked them for doing this. However, Jesus reacted strongly to their rebuke. Jesus: Let the little children come to Me. Never hinder them! Don’t you realize — the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all. Public Official: Good Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit the life of the age to come? Jesus: Why did you just call Me good? No one is good but God — only God. You know what the Hebrew Scriptures command: “Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” Public Official: I’ve already been doing these things — since I came of age. Jesus: One thing you still lack — one thing; sell all your possessions and distribute the proceeds to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Then you can come and follow Me. The man heard these words and sadness came over his face, for his wealth was considerable. Jesus: What a hard thing it is for those with much wealth to enter the kingdom of God! In fact, it would be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God! Listeners: Then who can be liberated? Jesus: Remember, what is humanly impossible is possible with God. Peter: We have left our homes and followed You. Jesus: I’m telling you the truth: there is nobody who leaves his house or wife or siblings or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive more than he has given up — much more — in this age and in the age to come. He will receive eternal life. (Luke 18:15-30) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, I thank You for Jesus being among us in His earthly ministry as Immanuel — God with us. I confess that I sometimes try to win Your approval by compiling a list of things I
Questions Out of Focus
Note from Jesus Dear Believer, Have you noticed how people sometimes ask the wrong questions? Those questions reveal their assumptions about reality and their place in it. Religious people are not immune to asking the wrong questions. The two parables that I told in the verses below challenge you to think about the assumptions that lie behind your questions. In the first parable, the implied question of My people is this: “Will God hear my prayers and answer my repeated pleas to bring justice and deliverance for us, His people?” My response is the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. In story form, My answer is clear. An unjust judge can be swayed by a powerless widow who will not give up asking him for help. Surely you know that your loving Father in heaven will hear you. He will lovingly hear your earnest and repeated prayers and answer according to His gracious purposes for you. That answer will not be haphazard; it will come at the best possible time for your wellbeing and for the wellbeing of the fallen universe in bondage to decay. However, I want to remind you of an even more important question: “[W]hen the Son of Man comes, will He find anyone who still has faith?” That Son of Man is Me! You must live for Me with urgency anticipating My coming at any moment. You need to be full of anticipation regardless of how it seems your prayers are heard. The Father hears and cares about your hurt. He cares about the delay you feel in His response to your prayers. So please, be patient and faithful, knowing that I AM near. In the second parable, the self-righteous man’s implied question is this: “How can I display to others that I am a person of righteousness and honor when I go to pray in the Temple?” My answer is this: The Father doesn’t want you to try to make yourself look honorable and righteous to others when you worship Him or try to honor Him. Instead, the Father wants you to focus on a question of deeper significance about His love for you: “O Father, how can You be so gracious as to forgive me and to be merciful to me, a sinner?” Going home having been made righteous by the Father is much more important than appearing righteous. Your questions, even when they are legitimate, often have their focus on you and your circumstances. Shouldn’t your questions focus on the Father’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace? Shouldn’t your questions focus on how blessed you are because the Father has chosen you to share in His grace? Shouldn’t your perspective include the needs of the lost around you? Shouldn’t your questions show amazement at the Father’s great love for you even when you were a rebellious sinner and so prone to abandoning your faith? Verses to Live Please remember two things as you read the following verses: First, at the heart of sin, is an “I” problem. People focus too much on themselves! Even when times are hard and persecution becomes increasingly dangerous, don’t give up and don’t lose heart. Be like the persistent widow in My parable. The Father is listening and will answer you! Second, God’s faithfulness, mercy, love, and grace are reliable. You can trust in them because you trust in Him! He [Jesus] told them a parable, urging them to keep praying and never grow discouraged. The parable went like this: Jesus: There was a judge living in a certain city. He showed no respect for God or humanity. In that same city there was a widow. Again and again she kept coming to him seeking justice: “Clear my name from my adversary’s false accusations!” He paid no attention to her request for a while, but then he said to himself, “I don’t care about what God thinks of me, much less what any mere human thinks. But this widow is driving me crazy. She’s never going to quit coming to see me unless I hear her case and provide her legal protection.” Did you catch what this self-assured judge said? If he can be moved to act justly, won’t God bring justice for His chosen people when they cry to Him day and night? Will He be slow to bring them justice? Mark My words: God will intervene fast with vindication. But here’s the question: when the Son of Man comes, will He find anyone who still has faith? He told another parable — this one addressed to people who were confident in their self-righteousness and looked down on other people with disgust. Jesus: Imagine two men walking up a road, going to the temple to pray. One of them is a Pharisee and the other is a despised tax collector. Once inside the temple, the Pharisee stands up and prays this prayer in honor of himself: “God, how I thank You that I am not on the same level as other people — crooks, cheaters, the sexually immoral — like this tax collector over here. Just look at me! I fast not once but twice a week, and I faithfully pay my tithes on every penny of income.” Over in the corner, the tax collector begins to pray, but he won’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He pounds on his chest in sorrow and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Now imagine these two men walking back down the road to their homes. Listen, it’s the tax collector who walks home clean before God, and not the Pharisee, because whoever lifts himself up will be put down and whoever takes a humble place will be lifted up. (Luke 18:1-14) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I confess that I sometimes place myself at the center of my spiritual universe and do not consider the long-term implications of my influence. Forgive me for my impertinence in prayer and the selfishness sometimes found in my
The Gathering Storm
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, If you have been following along with My story in the gospels, you know that I am headed for Jerusalem. You also know that I am on a collision course with the Jewish and Roman leaders there. When I raised My friend Lazarus from the dead, all the attention I received intensified the whole situation. Lazarus’ resurrection occurred very close to Jerusalem. The news of My miraculous sign spread quickly. As you read the verses below, notice all the different reactions to Me and My work. Before you pass judgment on any of the people who fit the following descriptions, try to place yourself in their situations and think through what you would do. You believe in Me and see Me raise Lazarus from the dead. You doubt Me, but can’t quite get Me and what I’m doing out of your head. You don’t believe in Me, so what are you going to do about the Lazarus incident? You are a Jewish religious leader trying to preserve Jerusalem, the Temple, and your role of importance in the whole political, social, and religious environment. You are a Roman leader expected by Caesar to keep the peace, and you keep hearing rumors about Me and My growing following. You are a gawker always looking for the next big thing to come along, and so you find yourself fascinated by all the rumors and crowds who gather around Me. After the resurrection of Lazarus, something was going to happen. My presence would no longer be something that could be overlooked. Lightning had just struck with the resurrection of Lazarus. The gathering storm would only intensify a few days later when I entered Jerusalem to the cries of “Hosanna”! Yet in all the speculation, rancor, scheming, and questioning, Caiaphas spoke the Father’s truth. He uttered a statement in panic with murderous determination that on another level was God’s inspired truth: …it’s better for you that one man should die for the people so the whole nation won’t perish. And in case you missed the truth, John comments on it with these words: As high priest that year, Caiaphas prophesied (without knowing it) that Jesus would die on behalf of the entire nation, and not just for the children of Israel — He would die so all God’s children could be gathered from the four corners of the world into one people. In that moment, they [the Jewish leaders] cemented their intentions to have Jesus executed. So there you have it. Lazarus’ resurrection was the final straw that made the Jewish leaders determined to carry out their long-held desire to execute Me. My journey to the cross becomes even more definite because I raised a dead man back to life. My time had come according to the Father’s plan. My death was necessary from the viewpoint of the religious leaders who feared and hated Me. Those who hold Me as their enemy will have to work out the details, but My future, My purpose, and My trip to the cross are now in motion. As we continue to share My journey to the cross over the next few days, notice: how I conduct Myself, what I say, with whom I spend my time, how I handle – those who are determined to kill Me, – those who cannot decide about Me, – those who have put their faith in Me. Trials don’t develop character; they reveal it. Notice My character as I journey to the cross and give My life to redeem the world — and you — from the grip of sin and death. Verses to Live I’m sure Martha and Mary had no idea how big a storm would follow the death of their brother Lazarus. They were grief-stricken. When I raised Lazarus from the dead, they were overjoyed. Little did they know how big a threat that their resurrected brother could be to the leaders of Jerusalem. These leaders weren’t content with killing Me; they felt they must kill Lazarus, too! Then, the man who was dead [Lazarus] walked out of his tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud. Jesus: Untie him, and let him go. As a result, many of the Jews who had come with Mary saw what happened and believed in Him [Jesus]. But some went to the Pharisees to report what they witnessed Jesus doing. As a result of these reports — and on short notice — the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the high council. Pharisees: What are we going to do about this man? He is performing many miracles. If we don’t stop this now, every man, woman, and child will believe in Him. You know what will happen next? The Romans will think He’s mounting a revolution and will destroy our temple. It will be the end of our nation. Caiaphas, the High Priest That Year: You have no idea what you are talking about; what you don’t understand is that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people so the whole nation won’t perish. His speech was more than it seemed. As high priest that year, Caiaphas prophesied (without knowing it) that Jesus would die on behalf of the entire nation, and not just for the children of Israel — He would die so all God’s children could be gathered from the four corners of the world into one people. In that moment, they cemented their intentions to have Jesus executed. From that day forward, Jesus refrained from walking publicly among the people in Judea. He withdrew to a small town known as Ephraim, a rural area near the wilderness, where He set up camp with His disciples. The Passover was approaching, and Jews everywhere traveled to Jerusalem early so they could purify themselves and prepare for Passover. People were looking for Jesus, hoping to catch a glimpse of Him in the city. All the while, some Jews
Presuming on Grace?
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Caiaphas spoke treacherously about Me. At the same time, he also unwittingly spoke God’s truth about My mission: Caiaphas, the High Priest That Year: …it’s better… that one man should die for the people so the whole nation won’t perish. … As high priest that year, Caiaphas prophesied (without knowing it) that Jesus would die on behalf of the entire nation, and not just for the children of Israel — He would die so all God’s children could be gathered from the four corners of the world into one people. (John 11:50-52) Many of My own people would reject Me (John 1:10-11) and have Me crucified by the Romans (Acts 2:22-23; Acts 3:13-15). However, My death and resurrection would draw all kinds of people — Jews and non-Jews alike (John 12:32-33) — to Me as disciples. I didn’t die just for one group, but I died for the sins of all people (1 John 2:1-2). I want you to hear My loving, but firm, words of truth. No group, no race, no country, and no region can grow calloused and presume they are the only recipients of heaven’s grace! We — Father, Son, and Spirit — called Abraham to be the father of a new nation. This nation was to live in a special relationship with Us and be a blessing to all nations of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham and his descendants, the Israelites, received Our promises and shared in the blessings of Our covenants. We called Israel to be a light to the nations. Israel was to be a blessing to those trapped in the darkness of sin, paganism, and ignorance. Yet throughout Our long history of loving patience with Our chosen people, you will find exceptional person after exceptional person who was not an Israelite by race. And each of these remarkable people became part of Israel’s great story of faith — people like Rahab, Ruth, and several centurions you meet in the New Testament. So as I near My chosen city that is about to reject Me, you shouldn’t be surprised by the thankful outsider in the story below. This outsider is the only one who returns to thank me. Years earlier, Moses had repeatedly warned the Israelite people never to forget all that their great I AM had done for them. Regardless, how quickly they did forget. So I ask you not to presume on the grace you have received. Don’t assume that Our blessings are yours by national privilege, racial preference, religious heritage, or your own righteousness. As Hosea declared and the apostle Paul repeatedly pointed out, My righteous people will live by faith. What’s more, that faith will motivate them to take the grace they have received and share it with others. Verses to Live As you read the verses below, think back on the blessings that you have received. Ask yourself if you are more like the nine insiders who didn’t offer thanks for their healing or the one outsider who returned to thank Me. Jesus was still pressing toward Jerusalem, taking a road that went along the border between Samaria (considered undesirable territory) and Galilee. On the outskirts of a border town along this road, He was greeted from a distance by a group of 10 people who were under quarantine because of an ugly and disgusting skin disease known as leprosy. Lepers (shouting across the distance): Jesus, Master, show mercy to us! Jesus: Go now and present yourselves to the priests for inspection of your disease. They went, and before they reached the priests, their skin disease was healed, leaving no trace of the disease that scarred them and separated them from the community. One of them, the instant he realized he had been healed, turned and ran back to Jesus, shouting praises to God. He prostrated himself facedown at Jesus’ feet. Leper: Thank You! Thank You! Now this fellow happened to be, not a Jew, but a Samaritan. Jesus: Didn’t all ten receive the same healing this fellow did? Where are the other nine? Was the only one who came back to give God praise an outsider? (to the Samaritan man) Get up, and go your way. Your faith has made you healthy again. (Luke 17:11-19) Response in Prayer O Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. I want the reign of Your grace to completely capture my heart and continue to change my attitudes, my words, and my actions to reflect my deep appreciation for the grace You have given me. I recognize that I am saved by Your grace. I trust that Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection defeated the power of sin and death, purchasing my pardon and making me Your child. May I never presume on Your amazing grace, O Lord! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Unbound
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Yesterday I talked to you about the importance of My grace leading you to forgive those who have wounded you. That is hard. Today I want to talk to you about one of My greatest enemies (1 Corinthians 15:24-26) and one of the primary reasons I came to earth and walked as God among you. I came to defeat the power of sin and death and the hold they have over you. Please know I hurt when grief rips apart your life and tears huge and gaping holes in your heart. My weeping at Martha’s and Mary’s pain, detailed in the verses below, is a reminder to you. While you shouldn’t “grieve like people who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT), death still can wound you even when your faith is rich and full. I knew that I was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, yet the grief of his two sisters tore at My heart. I know the great resurrection life I will share with everyone who dies and belongs to Me, yet the grief of each person’s family and friends still tears at My heart! There are many things about John’s account of My raising Lazarus to life that can bless you and challenge you: The fact that people die doesn’t mean I do not love them and those who love them. People’s death is not a sign that I don’t hear the prayers of their loved ones. People who die with faith in Me have not really died; just their bodies die. They are still connected intimately to Me and will be with Me throughout eternity. I hurt deeply with the death of those who love Me, and I hurt and I am intensely troubled for their families’ pain as well. There are even more messages for you to hear, but one clear message from Me to you today is this: death should not hold you hostage if you belong to Me! Listen to the last words in the verses below referring to Lazarus, who had been dead, and let them reverberate in your heart: Untie him, and let him go. Verses to Live Before you read the account about Lazarus, I want to remind you of two passages in your New Testament that speak to the truth that death should not hold you hostage. I want you to hear both of them so that you have their echo of My truth in your heart as you read John’s account that follows: Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NLT) Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death — the devil — and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive. (Hebrews 2:14-15) I hurt when you hurt because of grief, but please know that all grief for those who belong to Me will ultimately be caught up in glory on the day when the Father will wipe every tear from your eyes (Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4): There was a certain man who was very ill. He was known as Lazarus from Bethany, which is the hometown of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary did a beautiful thing for Jesus. She anointed the Lord with a pleasant-smelling oil and wiped His feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus became deathly ill, so the sisters immediately sent a message to Jesus which said, “Lord, the one You love is very ill.” Jesus heard the message. Jesus: His sickness will not end in his death but will bring great glory to God. As these events unfold, the Son of God will be exalted. Jesus dearly loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. However, after receiving this news, He waited two more days where He was. Jesus (speaking to the disciples): It is time to return to Judea. Disciples: Teacher, the last time You were there, some Jews attempted to execute You by crushing You with stones. Why would You go back? Jesus: There are 12 hours of daylight, correct? If anyone walks in the day, that person does not stumble because he or she sees the light of the world. If anyone walks at night, he will trip and fall because he does not have the light within. (Jesus briefly pauses.) Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep, so I will go to awaken him. Disciples: Lord, if he is sleeping, then he will be all right. Jesus used “sleep” as a metaphor for death, but the disciples took Him literally and did not understand. Then Jesus spoke plainly. Jesus: Lazarus is dead, and I am grateful for your sakes that I was not there when he died. Now you will see and believe. Gather yourselves, and let’s go to him. Thomas, the Twin (to the disciples): Let’s go so we can die with Him. As Jesus was approaching Bethany (which is about two miles east of Jerusalem), He heard that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Now many people had come to comfort Mary and Martha as they mourned the loss of their brother. Martha went to meet Jesus when word arrived that He was approaching Bethany, but Mary stayed behind at the house. Martha: Lord, if You had been with us, my brother would not have died. Even so I still believe that anything You ask of God will be done. Jesus: Your brother will rise to life. Martha: I know. He will rise again when everyone is resurrected