'resurrection' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.” 4-5a Micah 5:4-5a After Jesus’ death and resurrection his followers searched the scriptures for clues that he was indeed the messiah they’d been waiting for. When they read these verses…
Daily Devotions
Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.’” vs. 39 John 11:38-44 Ever the pragmatist Martha objected when Jesus ordered the stone to be rolled away. She knew how long Lazarus had been dead, and she knew that his body would have begun to decompose. The stench would have been overwhelming. That’s how it was with death and Martha…
Daily Devotions
He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more…” vss. 3b-4 Revelation 21: 3-6a Many people wonder about their loved ones when death occurs, and questions abound. We would love to have concrete answers but the best we can do is speculate. Some are comforted by accounts reported by folks…
Daily Devotions
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.” vss. 1-4 Hebrews 1:1-4 After Jesus’ death and resurrection, it took a couple of generations for his followers to sort out their differences and arrive at some sort of common understanding of his significance. Initially the greatest conflict…
Daily Devotions
For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.” vss. 28-29 Psalm 22:25-31 The psalmist had an expansive sense of the Lord’s dominion. In his estimation no part of the universe was outside God’s control and rule. Even all the people who had died, all those who slept…
Daily Devotions
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” vs. 16 John 12:16-18 We can’t be sure what is intended by this reference to sheep of another fold. Like other obscure verses in scripture though, people have had a field day making various speculations. Some say it refers to the original inhabitants of North America, an idea popular…
Daily Devotions
So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’” vs. 25 John 20:19-25 Thomas missed out. He wasn’t with the other disciples when Jesus appeared and breathed his spirit on them. And rather than accepting their testimony, he added tension by adamantly…
Daily Devotions
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vs.23-24 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 After Jesus’ crucifixion, reports immediately began to spread of his resurrection, a few of which are recorded in our gospels. Convinced by…
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
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
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth…” vss. 10-11a Isaiah 55:10-11 The prophet had made some bold promises to the exiles in Babylon. Speaking for the Lord, he tells them that they will return to their native land…
Daily Devotions
No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.” vs. 13 Romans 6:12-16 Paul implies here that the folks in Rome had an option to present themselves either to sin as instruments of wickedness or to God as instruments of righteousness. His words resonate with our own observations of the world and our…