'Jesus' Tagged Posts

'Jesus' Tagged Posts

Daily Devotions

Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.” vss. 7-8 Mark 11:1-11 Sometimes on what used to be called Palm Sunday, congregations would gather first outside the church, palm fronds would be distributed, and everyone would process into the sanctuary, waving the branches and singing. Very occasionally an enterprising pastor…

Daily Devotions

Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say— ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.” vs. 27 John 12:27-33 In John’s gospel the coming of the Greeks is a signal to Jesus that the end of his mission is near, and he knows that this will mean his crucifixion. While it may seem that this is all part of the plan and that all things are…

Daily Devotions

Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’” vs. 23 John 12:20-26 We might like to know about the Greeks who sought out Philip and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” but the gospel writer doesn’t tell us a thing. John had a larger purpose in mentioning them. For him the coming of the Greeks was a signal to Jesus that the hour of his death was at hand. Very soon he…

Daily Devotions

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.” vss. 1-2 Ephesians 2:1-3 We aren’t exactly sure who Paul is talking about when he spoke of the “ruler of the power of the air,” but we can make a pretty good guess. Chances are he’s referring to Satan, or…

Daily Devotions

Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.” vs. 6 Numbers 21:4-9 It’s not uncommon for people to wonder why awful things are happening in their lives. And for people of faith the wondering is often accompanied by the question, “Why is God doing this to me?” Behind the question lurks the popular assumption that when we sin, God will arrange for our punishment, maybe not with poisonous snakes,…

Daily Devotions

After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” vs. 22 John 2:19-22 As he concludes the story of how an angry Jesus cleansed the temple precincts by chasing off the merchants and the moneychangers, the gospel writer John gives some clues about how the gospels were written. First he reminds us that it was after the resurrection that the disciples remembered…

Daily Devotions

Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” vs. 15 John 2:13-17 If we were asked to describe Jesus we would likely use words like wise, charismatic, loving, humble, and gentle. Yet passages like this one from John would indicate that we should also add the adjective “angry” to the list. Because many struggle…

Daily Devotions

For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” vs. 25 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 When Jesus was crucified, as far as the Jewish leaders were concerned, that was the end of his claim to be the messiah. But they hadn’t reckoned with the resurrection! As far as the disciples were concerned, his crucifixion was all part of the divine plan, and the cross became their rallying cry. They gloried in the message of…

Daily Devotions

And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” vs. 21 1 Peter 3:21-22 The story of Noah and the Ark had special significance for early Christians. It was here that they saw the first evidence of God’s saving grace, and they began to use the Ark as a symbol for the Church. In their estimation baptism…

Daily Devotions

As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.” vs. 11 2 Kings 2:9-12 Some have suggested that this little story from the Hebrew scriptures is an ancient account of an alien abduction, that the chariot of fire was a spacecraft of some sort, and that Elijah was carried off to some unknown planet in a faraway galaxy. While that claim is…

Daily Devotions

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him.” vss. 35-36 Mark 1:35-39 Mark tells his readers that the morning after being besieged by the crowds in Capernaum, Jesus got up early, and went in the dark to a deserted place for prayer. Because the geography of Galilee has changed little in 2000 years we know that he…

Daily Devotions

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door.” vss. 32-33 Mark 1:29-34 Many congregations now have parish nurses on their staff, and people appreciate having skilled persons who can help them with the myriad of health issues that plague us as we age. Healing services are held regularly as a part of worship and people are glad for the opportunity to receive prayers,…