Month: January 2022

They tried to keep him from leaving them. But [Jesus] said, “I must proclaim the good news.”
Luke 4:43

An Eternal Agenda Uncovered

Jesus had it all. The people were coming from everywhere to see him. He was a charismatic and engaging speaker. And he could do amazing things. Demons and diseases answered to his demands. Injuries, illnesses, and ailments listened when he spoke. And word began to spread about him.

The lines of people waiting to see him grew longer. The time he spent helping and healing stretched from sunrise to sunset—sometimes even longer. And the people were excited. This could finally be the one. This could be the Messiah, the Savior, and deliverer they had been waiting for.

And who wouldn’t want a Savior like that? One who could solve problems like cancer, cataracts, or COVID. One with whom you would never be hungry or thirsty again.

If we had been there, wouldn’t we have been right with the crowds? “Don’t leave, Jesus! You make our life in this world easier. We want you to stick around.”

And why wouldn’t Jesus want that kind of love and attention?

But Jesus uncovered a different agenda. He said, “I must proclaim the good news.” Jesus didn’t come primarily to feed the hungry or heal the hurting. Jesus came to share the good news. Good news that there’s more to life than what we see. Good news that he came to rescue us from hunger and hurt permanently by giving us eternal life in heaven.

Even though we easily chase after worldly happiness, Jesus wouldn’t let fame or fortune distract him from his divine agenda. He was willing to face rejection, ridicule, and pain on his way to suffer and die for every greedy intention and desire we have. And because he did, we can look forward to something so much better than an easy life in this world. We have the perfect life waiting for us with him in heaven, a life that will never end!

Jesus loves us and cares about our problems in this life too, but his real agenda was to accomplish and proclaim the good news of eternal life for us. And that’s just what he did! Believe it! Celebrate it!

Prayer:
Jesus, your agenda is so much better than mine. Thank you for staying the course for me. Amen.

The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah 1:4-10

The Lord Will Be With You

You know you must talk to the other person. You even know what you have to say. You know it’s what God wants you to say. But it doesn’t look easy. You’ve never had to do something exactly like this before. You’re feeling awkward, almost like a child.

Does it help to know that the Lord knew you would be in this situation even before you were born? He has equipped you for this moment. He has led you to a clear understanding of his Word. He has given you a humble spirit of repentance and faith in Jesus, your Savior.

Does it help you to know that the Lord will be with you? He is everywhere, of course, but when you speak his words, he promises his special presence. He will not abandon you; in fact, he will strengthen you at that moment.

Does it help you to know that the word of the Lord is powerful? It uproots and tears down, destroys and overthrows, builds and plants. You can count on it accomplishing exactly what the Lord wants it to.

Prayer:
Lord, give me the confidence to speak your truth faithfully. Amen.

[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read.
Luke 4:16

As Was His Custom

“As was his custom.” It’s pretty easy to read past those words, isn’t it? But the reality is, there’s a world of good news in those words. Remember, Jesus came to this earth because you and I needed a Savior. We’re sinful human beings who deserved to be sent to hell. So Jesus came to this earth, and he died on the cross, paying for our sins.

But that’s only half the story.

Why so? Because God’s standard for going to heaven isn’t merely that our sins be taken away. God also requires that we be positively perfect and completely holy. And you and I must say, “I’m in trouble!”

But you’re not in trouble at all. You have a Savior who not only died for you but who also lived for you. He lived perfectly, in every sense of the term. He perfectly loved God; he perfectly loved his neighbors. He was perfectly kind, just, fair, loving. In the Bible verse for our devotion today, we’re reminded that he worshiped God perfectly: “as was his custom.”

And here’s the really good news—You get credit for what Jesus did. Yes, you get the credit not only for Jesus’ death, but also for his life—the way that Jesus perfectly loved God. God has credited that to your account so that now God considers you to have loved him perfectly, too. Jesus loved his neighbors perfectly: God now considers you to have loved your neighbors perfectly, too. Jesus worshiped perfectly: God considers you to have worshiped perfectly, too, for you have been credited with that perfect life of Jesus.

So, there’s a world of good news in that phrase “as was his custom.” It’s a reminder that in the eyes of God, you are perfect and holy because of Jesus. What a phrase! What a truth!

Prayer:
Lord God, remind me of my status, that you’ve credited Jesus’ perfect life to me, that I might be filled with quiet confidence. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God.
Isaiah 61:6

Some Want Silence

There is lots of support in the world for silencing anyone who speaks about Jesus and his work. Some people don’t like his morality. Others are offended by his gracious offer of unearned forgiveness. People who simply say what the Bible says encounter skepticism and hostility. Many would prefer that Christians simply remain silent.

But God does not remain silent. His word remains powerful. And he gives a couple of titles to people who speak tell others about him.

He calls them priests. Priests in the Old Testament were honored members of society. They served God at the Temple in Jerusalem by making the animal sacrifices that were a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do—sacrificing himself for the sins of the world. After making the sacrifice for the people who brought the animal, the priest would assure them that their sins were forgiven.

Do not be silent. Assure your friends and your family that their sins are forgiven. Nothing is more important.

The other title that God gives to people who speak on his behalf is minister. God says that when you say what he wants you to, you are ministering to people, that is, taking care of them and their needs. They need to hear that God loves and forgives them. You can tell them that, and you will be named ministers of our God.

There will be pressure for you to be silent. But you can speak confidently because you know that God’s message is powerful.

Prayer:
Lord God, open my lips, that my mouth may declare your praise. Amen.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Isaiah 61:1

Captors Do Not Take It Well

When I was a kid, I had a long discussion with my friend about what we should ask for if we ever found a magic lamp with a genie in it. We talked about asking for wealth, world peace, or whales to be protected from pollution. If I remember the conversation correctly, we settled on asking for the devil to be converted to being a follower of God, figuring that many other problems in the world would be solved by that.

But the devil will not repent. He will not be converted. Our wish was really rather foolish.

As we grow older, we realize the folly of our youth, and we see how often we should have thought, said, or done something else. An honest reckoning of our lives can easily lead us to be brokenhearted as we realize the opportunities, we have often missed opportunities and the lack of love we have often showed.

Jesus was sent to bind up the brokenhearted. He proclaimed freedom for the captives. He won the release of prisoners from the darkness.

Sin, death, and the devil try to hold us captive, but Jesus sets us free. Our enemies can rage all they want. Jesus overthrows them for our good.

Prayer:
Let me see the freedom I have in you, dear Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Isaiah 61:1

Good News for the Poor

Why do rich people often have a hard time listening to the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus? One theory is that they think they have everything they need already, so they don’t realize their need for a Savior.

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah said that he was chosen to proclaim good news to the poor—people who realized that they needed good news! When Jesus began his preaching ministry, he said that those words were written about him. He told people the good news that they were spiritually poor enough to need a Savior and that he was their man.

Jesus is your man too. Whether you live in a mansion or under a bridge, whether what you drive is shiny and new or old and rusted, whether your bank account is full or nearly empty, you were born spiritually poor. So poor, in fact, that you had nothing in your spiritual account. But that is why Jesus came. He came to fill your account with his perfect life. He came to pay your spiritual debt by dying on the cross.

That is good news! It’s the best of news, really. It means you are all paid up with God. It means that through faith in Jesus, you will inherit heaven one day. You who were once poor are now wealthy beyond measure in Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for making me who was poor, rich. Amen.

“Truly I tell you,” [Jesus] continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” . . . All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.
Luke 4:24,28

Locals Do Not Take It Well

When Jesus was growing up, he never sinned. It’s hard to understand how he could go through childhood and teenage years without ever doing anything wrong, but that’s exactly what happened. Jesus was a model citizen. But when he returned to his hometown as an adult to tell the people all about the truths about God, they rejected him. He had never done anything wrong to them, but they were still skeptics. Jesus saw their problem, and he told them, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Did that make them sorry for doubting him? Nope! They were furious when they heard what Jesus told them.

Don’t be surprised if you get the same reaction when you mention anything about Jesus. His perfect life is your righteousness, your ticket to heaven through faith, but rather than marveling at that truth, people remain skeptical. His death took the punishment for your sin, but rather than thanking you for that information, people roll their eyes as if it’s a cliché.

Don’t give up. One famous skeptic in the Bible, a man named Saul, was converted by the power of the word of God. He became one of the most famous missionaries in all of history. He may never have preached in his hometown, but he founded congregations in many other places and trained many other witnesses to the truths of the faith.

You are able to be a witness to the power of the word of God in your life as well. Stick with Jesus until you share the hometown of heaven with him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when people reject what I say about you, forgive them and strengthen me to serve you faithfully all the days of my life. Amen.

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.”
Acts 4:25,26

Rulers Do Not Take It Well

The Bible tells us about a young man named Timothy who was mentored by a famous missionary named Paul. There are even two books of the Bible—1 Timothy and 2 Timothy—named after him. Both books are letters written to him by Paul.

Timothy’s life wasn’t always easy. For example, we know that he was imprisoned for being a Christian. Hebrews 13:23 says, “I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released.” That’s not commonly talked about when Timothy is remembered, but it shouldn’t surprise us. David, who lived a thousand years before Jesus died, said that kings of the earth rise up against the Lord. Just twenty years after Jesus rose from the dead, rulers banded together to have Timothy and others arrested.

It is still going on today. Whole nations rage against the Lord, rejecting the morality of the Bible and scoffing at the news of forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.

But not so with you. Like Timothy, who remained faithful to the end, you have no reason to rage or plot against the Lord. Instead, you can take comfort that God is stronger than any nation, king, or ruler. When government officials thought they had put an end to Jesus’ work by killing him, he rose from the dead and demonstrated how God uses even powerful opposition to carry out his purpose.

God’s purpose is to love you. God’s purpose is to save you. No ruler can prevent him from doing that for you.

Prayer:
Lord God, I do not have power over governments, but you do. Grant us a peaceful society where we are free to learn about your love for us in Jesus. Amen.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.
Isaiah 61:1

Help for Your Heart

There are a lot of heartaches in our lives. We would like to have the world be a better place. But doesn’t it seem like things are just getting worse? Our lives get weighed down with many cares and concerns. Sometimes matters are so serious that it just breaks our hearts.

What difficulties are you facing that are almost too much to bear? What troubling circumstances surround the days that keep you awake at night? To whom can you turn for help?

You can turn to Jesus. God sent him “to bind up the brokenhearted.” He knows you; he understands you. And most importantly, he helps you. He came to remove the greatest weight that crushes your heart. He is your Savior who took away the guilt of all your sin. And now, no matter what things are breaking apart in your life, you have a relationship with God that is unbroken. As a result, you can count on God, who loves and saves you, to help you with all the matters in your life that are breaking your heart.

Prayer:
Jesus, I lift up my heart in praise to you because you came to bind up my heart broken by sin. Help me to grow in my trust that as you loved me to be my Savior, you will also be with me every day to help through the difficulties and troubles that I face. Amen.

“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My hour has not yet come.”
John 2:4

Perfect Timing

Waiting for the perfect time is what Jesus did throughout his ministry. It didn’t make any difference what the situation was. He waited for exactly the right moment so that everything was done right and according to God’s saving plan.

Jesus said as much when he responded to his mother’s request for more wine at the wedding in Cana. The same concern for timing can also be seen when he taught, when he performed miracles, or even when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Everything was done at exactly the right time.

The same concern for the perfect timing can be seen in his decision to go to Jerusalem. When the time was right, Jesus went into the city. The timing had to be perfect to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and rescue all people from the curse of sin.

It is Jesus’ perfect timing that provides a double comfort. The first assures that we have been rescued from the punishment deserved because of sin. Jesus went to the cross and offered his body and blood as the sacrifice God required, so we are cleansed of guilt and set free from punishment. The second comforts us every day. Every need, every prayer, and every detail of our life is under Jesus’ loving care, his watchful eye, and his perfect timing. This assures us that everything will always happen for our good and at the best possible time.

Prayer:
O gracious Savior, Jesus Christ, my times are in your hands. Teach me to not only turn my heart to the promises you give me in your Word but teach me also to trust that you will do everything for my good according to your perfect timing. Amen.