Perfect Gifts: A Promise

The promise of Christmas is an example of God's faithfulness.

Romans 1:1-4  This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.

 3 The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David's family line, 4 and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

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We have all made a promise that we knew when we made it that we wouldn't even try to keep it sometimes we have our fingers crossed when we say it as if that is a mute button that gets rid of the promise. Our promises and our decision to keep them tell a little bit about who we are. One of the ways that we can learn more about God is to study his promises made and his record for keeping his promises.

Paul said in the book of Romans that he was sent out with the good news that God had promised long ago. God fulfilled hundreds of promises when Jesus came into our world. If you take the time to study God's record for keeping promises you will find that you should be able to believe that he is actively involved with our world and that he cares for you.

Since God kept his promise to send his son the first time we should be expecting him to send him back to us. And if he is coming back then you should be concerned about your relationship with him when he returns.

John 14:3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Christmas at its best is a glimpse of something that is still on the way. The beautiful decorations, the angelic music and the tastiest food give us great pleasure but it is nothing compared to what is on the way for God's children.

Every child of god should be anxious for the promise that some day we will live forever with our Savior and we will know perfect love, peace and joy that will never end.

Best Savior Ever

What an amazing Savior we have!

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a Child! She will give birth to a Son and will call Him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

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It isn't difficult to realize that man will never be good enough to qualify to live eternally with God. We haven't gotten any better than the original sinners that were thrown out of their garden home. You would probably say that we have only gotten worse than Adam and Eve as their one sin has grown into a long list of sins. How can we possibly think we can be good enough to make it into Heaven without God?

All of the world religions are based on the idea that man can reach a better state but true Christ followers admit that they may become better people by man's standards but it isn't enough for God. We may become better citizens of this world but we will not be good enough to become citizens in God's kingdom.

Jesus Christ is the best Savior ever, the only real Savior, the only source of salvation that is good enough by God's holy standards. Since it is all about Jesus and his perfect goodness and it isn't about me, I can be sure that my eternal destiny is secure, without Jesus I will always fail to be good enough but with Jesus I don't have to be.

Hallelujah! What A Savior
✔ Almighty Saviour to liberate us (Psalm 106:21) ✔ Bruised Saviour to redeem us (Acts 5:30, 31) ✔ Comely Saviour to adorn us (2 Peter 1:1) ✔ Divine Saviour to bless us (Titus 3:4) ✔ Eternal Saviour to secure us (Jude 1:25) ✔ Faithful Saviour to keep us (Phil. 3:20) ✔ Great Saviour to deliver us (Isaiah 19:20) ✔ Holy Saviour to sanctify us (Isaiah 43:3)

See the rest of the list at: F. E. Marsh - Hallelujah! What A Savior

There must be a perfect Savior to meet the demands of a Holy God, the only answer was for God the perfect judge to also become God our perfect redeemer, there is no other way for us to measure up. We celebrate God with us on earth because it is the only way for us to be with him for eternity.

Have you met the best Savior ever?

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Wonderful, Merciful Savior

You offer hope when our hearts have hopelessly lost our way.

Selah - "Wonderful Merciful Savior" (Official Video)

Wonderful, merciful Savior

Precious Redeemer and Friend

Who would have thought that a Lamb

Could rescue the souls of men

Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper

Spirit we long to embrace

You offer hope when our hearts have

Hopelessly lost our way

Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace

Our hearts always hunger for

Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father

Faithfully loving Your own

Here in our weakness You find us

Falling before Your throne

Oh, we're falling before Your throne

God's Undeserved Kindness

Romans 3:22-25  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.  24  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.

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Palm Sunday - Jerusalem Welcomes The King

Welcome Jesus as your Messiah and as your King.

 

Matthew 21:1-11  As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.  

2  “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.  3  If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”  4  This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,  5  “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’”  

6  The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.  7  They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.  8  Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  

9  Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!”  10  The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.  11  And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

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Jesus' popularity was at an all time high, not long ago He healed two blind men and raised Lazarus from the dead, maybe the crowd thought that this is the moment that they have been waiting for. Surely Jesus would use this surge in the polls to His advantage and prove that He is the new king of the Jews. (Matthew 20:29-34, John 11:1-44)

The people of Jerusalem are looking for a ruler that who would give them some relief from the rule of the Romans, so when Jesus came riding into town looking like a king they were ready to sing His praises. They were so ready that they missed the symbolism, the fact that Jesus rode a donkey meant that he hadn't come to war against Rome, but still they were hungry for change and their hopes were high. Many of them wondered if king David's throne about to be re-established.

The crowds reacted according to the custom of the day, they spread their outer garments on the road as an act of royal homage and the Palm branches were used in celebration of victory. (2 Kings 9:13, Revelation 7:9) It is very rare to see Jesus receiving the worship and praise that He deserves.

Zechariah 9:9-10  Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey--riding on a donkey's colt. I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

The king has entered the city of Jerusalem but the cheering crowds were not going to last for too long. What a surprise it was when Jesus let all of this momentum and excitement from the crowd go to waste.

Talk about an anti-climatic moment! Jesus doesn't throw anybody out of the temple, he doesn't speak out against Rome or even give a stirring speech. He just looks around and leaves, the crowd calms down and it is all over, talk about a lost opportunity! The crowd would never be as pro-Jesus as they were that day and by the end of the week they would be cheering for His execution.

It's true that Jesus came to help them but not with the temporary problem that they wanted help with. His mission was to help them with an eternal problem that nobody else could fix. They didn't realize that Jesus entered Jerusalem to accomplish his real reason for being "God with us."

Isaiah 29:13  “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

The crowds welcomed a Jesus that wouldn't ask for much of them. They welcomed a Jesus that would serve them and give them a better life now. They wanted help with their physical burden but Jesus was there to give them relief from their spiritual burden.

I have welcomed Jesus as my Messiah but that's not all, I also have welcomed him into my life and allow him to reign as king, He didn't come as the Messiah so that I could go to heaven without any personal sacrifice. My life needs to be devoted to my king and my loyalty to him should be obvious in the way that I serve him and give my life for his agenda.

Have you welcomed Jesus to your life? Did you welcome him for who he really is or for who you wanted him to be?

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My Sin And My Savior

Recognizing my need and the one who fixes my need.

John 4:15-26  "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water."

16  "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her.

17  "I don't have a husband," the woman replied.

Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband  18  for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!"

19  "Sir," the woman said, "You must be a prophet.  20  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?"

21  Jesus replied, "Believe Me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.  22  You Samaritans know very little about the One you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

23  But the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.  24  For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."

25  The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming, the One who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us."

26  Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!"

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Jesus has been talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, he has told her about a source of water that is way better than what she is going to get out of the well that her ancestors dug. She is anxious to receive the living water that Jesus is talking about but he doesn't just give it to her right away.

Who wouldn't want the benefits that Jesus has told her about? This water sounds awesome! So far the woman has seen that she has a need but she hasn't realized what it is and who can fix it. It's like when we witness to somebody and have them say a magic prayer. If they are saying the prayer as a way to avoid hell then they haven't really understood.

You know, so many people think of conversion like that. You know, they think: I want, I want, I want. That's not it. You know what it is?

It's "I repent...I sorrow...I am undone...I hate my sin...I sacrifice...I give myself to Christ, it's I give, I yield, I trust, I repent. It's a different thing.

- John MacArthur

All of a sudden the conversation turns into a new direction, out of the blue Jesus asks to see her husband, he had a purpose in moving the conversation forward, Jesus takes her to the point where her sin is crystal clear to her. Jesus wants her to realize that she needs him, he doesn't save us without full knowledge of what we are being saved from. We need to come face to face with our sin and come to the point of hating it.

Now it's the woman's turn to redirect the conversation, she is thinking "enough about me and my sin, let's change the subject and talk about what religious teachers always want to talk about, religion." Or maybe she realizes that she needs to get right with God but she doesn't know where to go to get right. Maybe she wants to know what rituals she needs to perform in order to get right with God.

The history of the religious establishment was very messy, the Jews taught one thing and the Samaritans taught another and then there are all of the pagan countries all around them with their own ideas about God, who can really know what is right? Worship is the important thing, a right attitude and a right relation with God, it doesn't matter to God where it happens. In fact it should happen everywhere on any day at all times.

When you read this portion of scripture it is just a simple dialog, we don't have any definite idea of what the woman was feeling and what she was thinking. I imagine that at this point in their conversation this outcast was even more down on herself than ever. Jesus didn't leave her hopeless, he finally reveals himself to the Samaritan woman, after she has seen her sin and her need for a savior he shows her the solution.

Regret is that activity of the mind (intellect) that causes us to say, “Why did I do that?” Remorse touches us a little deeper causing us to feel disgust and pain (involving both the intellect and the heart), but not causing us to change our ways.

True repentance brings in the third aspect of our minds – our will. To truly repent one must have a change of will. “Godly sorrow” is the catalyst that brings us to true repentance.

- Warren Wiersbe, Be Reverent, p. 149

Wiersbe says that a distinction must be made between regret, remorse and repentance. The woman at the well probably felt the pain of regret everyday, she may have even felt remorse but she didn't have the Godly sorrow that prompts a change of will. Remorse should not be confused with repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

That is the process that we all need to go through. We need to see our sin with the same disgust that God has. We need to agree with God instead of seeing sin as fun and desirable. Our carnal nature is opposed to seeing sin the way that God does.

Most of us come to Jesus with selfish motivations, we want to avoid hell or we want Jesus to fix the disasters we have created in our life, that's a good place to start but God wants you to grow in him and realize that true repentance requires us to have a change of heart which changes our will to sin.

God Gives Great Gifts

The surest way to receive nothing from God is to be satisfied with less.

Luke 1:46-55 Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49  For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.  50  He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him.  51  His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.  52  He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.  53  He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54  He has helped His servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.  55  For He made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever."

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Do you want God’s blessing in your life? Can anyone honestly say, “Nah! I’m not interested in that!” Yet we don't always see God's plans for our life as a blessing.

We all need and want God’s blessings. We all want to receive good things from God. He made us and therefore He alone knows what we need most. As a loving Father, He is ready to give His children the best gifts. But sometimes his plans are not our plans and he may be leading us to a huge blessing as we are reluctantly going along with what he is doing.

God doesn't hand out gifts to everyone indiscriminately. If your children are on the naughty list they don't get as much as they might if they were on the good list. God has criteria for gift giving and even though you cannot manipulate God you should have certain characteristics that will make your life "blessable."

God satisfies the spiritually hungry with good things.

In Luke verse fifty-three Mary tells us that God "has filled the hungry with good things.”Obviously God isn't preparing a buffet for us to quench our physical hunger. God is interested in satisfying the appetite of the spiritually hungry.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

With the abundance of food that most of us have we don't fully get the picture of how spiritually hungry God wants us to be. There are a couple of things that are true of hungry people, they are focused on how to satisfy their hunger and their satisfaction doesn't last for very long before they want more. We pay a lot of attention to satisfying physical hunger and God wants us to be just like that about spiritual matters.

How often do you get spiritually hungry and long to fulfill that desire?

Satisfaction comes from God alone, he made us, he understands us, he knows what we really need and what we yearn for. He knows my deepest need and he wants to meet it completely. We will never have that hunger fully met before we step into God's presence in Heaven. We will hunger and thirst to know him more than we ever will in this body.

God sends the self-satisfied away empty.

The surest way to receive nothing from God is to be satisfied with where you're at. If you are looking at your own ability to take care of yourself or if you are looking anywhere else for satisfaction then God will send you away. Do you look at yourself and feel that you are okay without God? Are you satisfied with what you know about him and what he wants to do in your life or do you want more?

The Jews probably would have guessed that the Messiah would come through the chief priest or one of the many rabbis but God chose a poor carpenter and his wife. a couple that didn't have any significance. Those in Jerusalem who thought that they were spiritually “rich” were overlooked.

Mary says that God “sent away the rich empty-handed.” In this world, the rich are the full and the hungry are the empty. But in God’s order, the rich are the empty and the hungry are the full.

Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

It reminds me of the church of Laodicea. This church was in a prosperous city, the saints there had the impression that their material wealth was a sign that God was okay with them. They were saved and satisfied, they didn't have any desire for spiritual growth, they didn't have any idols and there wasn't any immorality mentioned but they still received a harsh message from God.

There isn't any room for pride when you are approaching God. I must see myself in the same condition as God sees me, he knows how wretched and despicable that I am without Jesus blood, I need to appreciate what he has done for me that I could never deserve and I could never do on my own.

The cares of this world, riches, pleasure and self fulfillment are sure ways to miss the greater gifts that God wants to give us. (Luke 8:14) The worst thing that could happen to anyone is to be full of the passing pleasures of this world, but to be empty-handed when you stand before God at the judgment. He promises that those who are focused on their spiritual hunger are the ones that will truly be satisfied.

Revelation 3:20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

This same church received an offer from God. He is willing to be their friend, he wants to draw near, he wants to develop a closer relationship with them. We must come to God on his terms, see ourselves the way that he sees us and then we will be able to receive great gifts from him.

Dear God, I want to seek for satisfaction in you alone. Thank you for the great gifts that you give, especially the gift of your son, help me to never forget my miserable condition without the gift of salvation.

Rejoice!

Does the baby thrill you?

Luke 2:20  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Luke 2:37-38  Then she (Anna, a prophet) lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.

38  She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:9-10  After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

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The people that missed Christmas did so for many different reasons. They had a very different reaction when they found out about this little baby. Among them the innkeeper was too busy, Herod was too scared, the religious leaders didn't care and the Romans were so busy with their idols that they didn't need to have another god.

A lot of people get excited about Christmas but for those that are spiritually minded it goes way beyond what is waiting for them under a decorated tree. It means far more to them than pretty decorations, parties or delicious treats. For these people the baby is more exciting than Frosty, Rudolph and Santa!

The devil has a very good replacement for Jesus, it is easier to like Santa than it is to like Jesus, Santa has a lot of power but he doesn't demand too much from us:
What is remarkable about Santa is that his supposed power is eerily similar to God’s. He’s a transcendent being, not limited by the physical laws of this world. He can fly around the entire planet in a single night, stopping at every house along the way. Santa is also omnipresent—he sees you when you’re sleeping. He’s omniscient—he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake.

The mythological Santa operates in a paradigm of benevolent promises and benign threats. If you’re good, you’ll get gifts. If you’re bad, you won’t. But, really, aren’t we left with the sense that everyone is rewarded with a gift, and any naughtiness is forgiven with a wink of Santa’s eye?John MacArthur - The Christmas Intruder

There were two groups of people in the Christmas story two thousand years ago and it is still that way today. There are still a lot of people that miss Christmas and get caught up in the worldly view of Christmas. They continue to live for themselves instead of living for Jesus.

The people that were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah were excited when they heard the good news. All of them reacted with a sense of wonder and awe that God would come and be with us. The shepherds, Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38), the wise men and even the baby in Elizabeth's womb (Luke 1:39-45) were all thrilled.

Does the Messiah thrill you?
Luke 19:37-38  When He reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.  38  "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!"

God's people should get excited when they think about the birth of Jesus, we are the people that realize that we were in a desperate situation without hope, finally there is a reason to expect to have a bright future for eternity instead of the punishment that we deserve.

God's people cannot be indifferent or refuse to give Jesus control of their lives. If you are spiritually minded then you will realize that Jesus wants all of you, you cannot worship Jesus and self, you cannot worship Jesus and other things. Let's get excited and rejoice about the real reason for the Christmas season!

Related articles

• Mary And Joseph: Reflecting On The Wonder Of Christmas (discoveryseries.org)
• The Light Of The World (discoveryseries.org)
• Digging The Word Post Tagged: Christmas (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

More Evidence That God Sent His Son

Who was Jesus? Does it really matter? Consider the evidence for yourself.

John 3:16-17  "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  17  God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 1:2-4  God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.  3  The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David's family line,  4  and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8  But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

1 John 4:9-10  God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.  10  This is real love--not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

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Who was Jesus? Does it really matter? Many people think that indifference is the right way to react to Jesus but if the things that have been said about him are really true then indifference is a very dangerous reaction.

In the previous post "God Sent His Son" we saw that Jesus arrival was:

✔ Predicted with great detail long before it happened.
✔ Announced and celebrated with a lot of heavenly delight.
✔ Marked with a supernatural sign in the sky.

In this post I want to look at Jesus life for more evidence that Jesus was God's son.

Jesus claimed to be equal with God.

John 17:21 I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one--as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me.

There has been a lot written on this topic, after doing a great deal of research, many people have come to the conclusion that Jesus had to be who he said that he is or he must have been the greatest liar or the craziest lunatic the world has ever known. In his book "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis says:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell."

"You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."

There isn't any middle ground with Jesus, you either love him as Lord or you reject him as a madman.

A voice from heaven told us who Jesus is.

Matthew 3:16-17 After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy."

Luke 9:35 Then a voice from the cloud said, "This is My Son, My Chosen One. Listen to Him."

How much more obvious can God make it?

Jesus sinless character.

John 8:46 Which of you can truthfully accuse Me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe Me?

If God became a man what characteristics would that person have?

You would expect him to be sinless, speak profoundly with great wisdom, have an effect on the people that were around him, do miracles, know the future. Jesus did that!

Jesus friends testified about him.

John 3:31-36 "He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else."

32 "He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but how few believe what He tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts His testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit."

John 6:66-69 At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "Are you also going to leave?" 68 Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God. "

These are just two examples, John the Baptist and Peter, of Jesus friends testifying about who Jesus is.

The early church testified about Jesus.

Acts 4:23-28 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.

24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, Your servant, saying, 'Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? 26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against His Messiah.'

27 "In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, Your holy servant, whom You anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to Your will.”

Jesus friends worshiped him.

John 20:28-29 "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me."

The people that knew Jesus best knew his true identity and they were not afraid to worship him. 

Jesus miracles supported his claim.

John 20:30-31 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

Jesus’ miracles recorded in the New Testament were not for show, he wasn't trying to impress us, Jesus used miracles to help us believe his claim to be God's son. Could anybody else raise a dead man from the grave? Could anybody else fix body parts that never worked? How about walking on water?

Demons knew who Jesus was.

Matthew 8:28-29 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met Him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area. 29 They began screaming at Him, "Why are You interfering with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torture us before God's appointed time?"

There were many times that demons referred to Jesus as the Son of God. Even the Devil and his demons can't help but tell the truth when confronted with Jesus.

Jesus death and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:4-8 He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then He was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him.

Acts 13:27-33 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the One the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned Him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets' words that are read every Sabbath. 28 They found no legal reason to execute Him, but they asked Pilate to have Him killed anyway. 29 "When they had done all that the prophecies said about Him, they took Him down from the cross and placed Him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead! 31 And over a period of many days He appeared to those who had gone with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to the people of Israel. 32 "And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, 33 and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: 'You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father. '

The eyewitnesses were so convinced of his resurrection that they were willing to suffer and die because of their belief.

Jesus departure was as big as his arrival.

Acts 1:9-11 After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him. 10 As they strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!"

Many people down through history have claimed to be a god or the son of God, yet only one person has the proof, the evidence in favor of Jesus being God's son is awesome. God knew that there would be skeptics, he knew that we would want a logical explanation, thankfully he has revealed the truth to us so that we can believe.

Thank you Lord for loving us and allowing us to know you.

Immanuel

God with us!

Video: MercyMe - God With Us

Who are we

That You would be mindful of us

What do You see

That's worth looking our way

We are free

In ways that we never should be

Sweet release

From the grip of these chains

Like hinges straining from the weight

My heart no longer can keep from singing

All that is within me cries

For You alone be glorified

Emmanuel

God with us

My heart sings a brand new song

The debt is paid these chains are gone

Emmanuel

God with us

Lord You know

Our hearts don't deserve Your glory

Still You show

A love we cannot afford

If you realize your spiritual condition then it will be mind boggling to you that God would want to be Immanuel (God with us). We walk away from him and go our own way just like God's children in the Old Testament did. Yet he still wants to have a relationship and spend time with us. (Isaiah 53:6, Psalm 16:11)

Thank you Lord for wanting to have a relationship with me and going so far over the top to make it available to me. Without you my life would have no meaning.

Love Your Savior - Lenten Bible Readings

We are always turning our back on our best friend.

Exodus 20:1-8  Then God gave the people all these instructions:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.  3 “You must not have any other god but me.

 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected, even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

 7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

 8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

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We cannot start to imagine what it would feel like to be on death row waiting for our sentence to be carried out. What would it feel like to have an exact date? How would I feel when the moment was just hours away?

That's where we all are without Jesus, we don't have anything to look forward to but with Jesus we have been given an undeserved pardon, we have been given far more that we could ever earn. It makes you wonder how we could be so unfaithful to the greatest friend that we could ever have. When we look at how much that has been done for us it makes us look like losers when it comes to being Jesus friend. If my friend received a pardon for his crimes then he should call me his best friend, we would never keep friends around that did so little for us and yet Jesus shows us love and compassion without getting much in return. 

God gave out some basic guidelines to help us to know how to treat him, he told his people: he is the only God, don't make any other gods, don't misuse his name and keep the Sabbath. It doesn't seem like it would be difficult to keep these basic rules but we all too easily make a u-turn and head off in a different direction.

As Easter approaches I need to remember that I have a friend that is true to me (Proverbs 18:24) and he will always treat me better than I could possibly treat him. I need to do everything that I can do to be pleasing to him.

Isaiah 45:21-23 For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.

Lord God you are an awesome friend and Savior! I want to treat you with the love and respect that you deserve, I pray that I will be a more loyal friend and give you the allegiance that you deserve.

Our Savior Is Risen!

What a Savior we have! 

Revelation 1:5-8 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.

6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. 7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him--even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One."

Revelation 1:12-18 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. 14 His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. And His face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living One. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

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We have an awesome Savior:

• He is the first to rise from the dead
• He is the assurance that we will rise from the dead, we will be given new life. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
• He is the ruler of all rulers, far above any other authority (Eph 1:20-22)
• He has been given all power and glory forever and ever (Jude 1:25)
• He is the beginning and the end (Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12)
• He will be seen by everybody some day (Matt 24:30)

It will be so overwhelming the first time that we see Jesus, John was overcome and all he could do was fall down like a dead man, who knows what we will do when we first see Jesus face to face. He doesn't want us to be afraid of him (Luke 24:37-39), but it is difficult to imagine that we wouldn't be as we remember all the things that we could have done better, all the impure motives, all the opportunities that we missed.

Our Savior doesn't want us to be overwhelmed with the thought of all the wrong that we have done, the only reason that we would have for fear is if we were going to receive God's wrath, but there is no wrath for those of us that know the Savior. Surely we will not dread his appearing if we are saved. Who dreads the coming of one that comes to bestow favor on him, who would dread the jailor that comes to serve your pardon, who would dread a loving parent that offers healing ointment for our wounds?

My Savior is alive, he always has been through all the times past, and he will live forever. Beside being alive I know that he is coming again to get me as his child, the giver of life will return and give me life eternal.

God Raised Jesus From The Dead!

Journey To The Cross Series

Acts 2:22-24 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through Him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and His prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. 24 But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.

Acts 2:32,36 "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!"

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During his ministry years Jesus proved himself every day, it seems that there wasn't a single day that went by that he didn't perform a miracle of some sort, if he wasn't walking on water or healing somebody, then he was feeding a multitude from a lunch box. All a part of the plan!

Does it look like the plan failed? Jesus was betrayed, turned over to the jealous religious leaders, passed on to the ruthless Romans so that Jesus would be nailed to a cross. All of which was predicted by the prophets hundreds of years ago.

No the plan hasn't failed, this was just the next step, the ultimate proof! Jesus Christ is raised back to life!

Just a couple of months before Peter preached this sermon, Jesus was seen many times, there were plenty of witnesses, plenty of people that were around town that could have been asked. The people that heard this sermon didn't have to believe a story that Peter made up, they didn't have to have very much faith to believe that Jesus came back from the dead, the news was all over town.

Let there be no doubt! Jesus came back from the dead and he is our Lord and Messiah. Jesus proved in his life and through his death that he is the Messiah. God's plan to build a bridge to us was completed!

Romans 4:25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.

Jesus Told Us To Love One Another

Journey To The Cross Series

Matthew 26:62-64 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent.

Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

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There were six parts to Jesus’ trial: three stages in a religious court and three stages before a Roman court. On the night of Jesus’ arrest, He was brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and then an assembly of religious leaders called the Sanhedrin (John 18:19-24; Matthew 26:57).

After this He was taken before Pilate, the Roman Governor (John 18:23), sent off to Herod (Luke 23:7), and then back to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12), who finally sentenced Him to death.

The trials were illegal for many reasons: (1) No trial was to be held during feast time. (2) Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation. (3) If the death penalty was given, a night must pass before the sentence was carried out; however, only a few hours passed before Jesus was placed on the Cross. (4) The Jews had no authority to execute anyone. (5) No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn. (6) The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none. (7) The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions, but Jesus was asked if He was the Christ.

The first three trials included beating the defendant (John 18:22-23), inconclusive testimony of the witnesses (Mark 14:56-59), and finally a verdict that he was guilty of blasphemy (Luke 22:66-71).

The trials before the Roman authorities started with Pilate (John 18:23). After Jesus was beaten the charges are made and they are a lot different from the charges in His religious trials, the Roman government didn't care about blasphemy, they had to make up a new charge. This time he was charged with inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their taxes, and claiming to be King.

Pilate found no reason to kill Jesus so he sent Him to Herod (Luke 23:7). Herod had Jesus ridiculed, but wanting to avoid the political liability, sent Jesus back to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12). This was the last trial as Pilate tried to appease the animosity of the Jews by having Jesus scourged, but to no avail.

Our Savior was treated as poorly as a man could be treated, deprived of his right to a fair trial, which would have cleared him of all of the charges.

Jesus fought against injustice, told us all to love God and our neighbor but the world didn't listen. They hated him and his message. Yet he died for everyone of them people standing there that day, even the ones that tore his flesh and beat him. And yes he died for you and I.

I pray Lord that I will love you as much as I should and that I will appreciate as fully as possible, how much you have endured for my benefit.

Credit for a lot of this information goes to Chuck Swindoll.

Satan’s Panic Attack

Be careful, the battle is still going

Mark 1:23-28 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 "Why are You interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One sent from God!"

25 Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," He ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. 27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey His orders!" 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

Mark 1:32-39 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and He cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who He was, He did not allow them to speak. 35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 36 Later Simon and the others went out to find Him. 37 When they found Him, they said, "Everyone is looking for You." 38 But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came." 39 So He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

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It looks to me like Satan is running scared. There were so many demon-possessed people around, even in the synagogue, it looks like Satan is desperate and he is prepared for a show down. Satan's purpose was to distract, he wanted to distract those that needed to know the Messiah and keep them from hearing the gospel message and he wanted to distract Jesus from his mission.

Jesus didn't allow the distraction to work, Satan's plan was about to backfire and Jesus would use the opportunity to prove his power over Satan and the entire demonic army, Satan was desperate to thwart God's plan. There is spiritual warfare going on all around us, the devil will use people in our church to distract the preacher and distract the listener as well.

What better proof could you possibly get than the testimony of Satan's army, they knew without a doubt that Jesus is the Promised Messiah and on many occasions they let it be known.

I need to keep in mind that Satan has lost the war but he doesn't know that he lost already. He is trying to distract the church from being effective as possible, we need to remember that we are fighting in spiritual combat.

Help us Lord to persevere and keep on telling the good news despite the distractions that Satan throws in our way. Help the church to realize that we are fighting a spiritual battle that isn't about the physical fighting that we can see.

What Do You Think?

Who is Jesus?

Matthew 22:41-46  Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question:

42 "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?" They replied, "He is the son of David."

43 Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah 'my Lord'? For David said, 44 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at My right hand until I humble Your enemies beneath Your feet.' 45 Since David called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" 46 No one could answer Him. And after that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

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Here we go again, the religious leaders decide to take Jesus on again, all of the religious parties teamed up for a confrontation with Jesus. All of these groups put together their best thinkers and attempt to go against Jesus in order to trap him in a legal question, they all consulted with each other on how to answer him, they had every advantage and yet Jesus still defeats them.

They came at him wanting to trap him on legal matters such as paying taxes and marriage, they are so full of legalism that they cannot see the Messiah, so full of works that they cannot see grace.

It is amazing that they saw the lineage of Jesus from David as recorded in Matthew chapter one, nobody ever disputed that he was David's descendant, they stated that Jesus was a descendant but they still couldn't call Jesus Lord and concede that he is the Messiah that David prophesied about.

There was no way to answer the question other than admitting that the Messiah was divine as well as human; that he had an existence at the time of David and yet he is a descendant of David, the very descendant that was prophesied to be the Messiah, our Savior.

I must answer the question for myself: "What do you think about the Messiah?"

Thank you Lord for the over whelming evidence that proves who you are, you have revealed your son to us and made it so obvious that he is our Savior.

Respect For The Savior

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John 11:55 It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?” 57 Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

John 12:1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

observation

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Every good Jew is making their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover celebration, people are wondering if Jesus is going to be there, would he dare to come around here when all the religious leaders are trying to arrest him.

Jesus is going to the Passover and on his journey he stops at Bethany, just a short distance from Jerusalem, where he is invited to a dinner party at the home of Simon the former leper (Matthew 26:6).

Simon, out of contempt for Jesus had committed some social blunders, he had not given Jesus any water to wash his feet, nor had he given him a drink of water and he certainly didn’t consider anointing his head with oil. As strange as it may sound those were the three things that you do when your guest arrive, David even mentions it in Psalm 23:5:

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

What a contrast in the way Jesus was treated, Simon had no respect for who Jesus is but this lady has complete reverence and respect for who Jesus is and what he is about to do. In the morning when he wakes up he is going to complete his trip to Jerusalem, where he will be arrested, the crowd will sing his praises as he enters the city but later that night he would be arrested and everybody would treat him with the same contempt that Simon had.

application

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He is my Savior and he should be treated with enormous respect, don’t forget he is the creator of the universe and he didn’t need to do anything for me.

prayer

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 Thank you Lord for loving your creation and for enduring the way that you were treated while you were on this planet.

Consider The Evidence

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John 10:22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” 33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.

observation

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How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.
After all this time, after all the evidence, after all the previous assertions that Jesus made…just tell us one more time, maybe this time we will believe you. I don’t think so! Get out a red letter edition of the New Testament and see what he has been saying about himself, he has told them over and over again that he is the Messiah and better yet he has proven himself by his works, one miracle after another.

Talking a good talk is not as important as walking the walk. What you believe affects how you behave, if you believe murder is wrong then you don't murder, if you think that robbing the bank is wrong then you don't do it. If you believe in the teachings of Christ then it has to affect your behavior. Jesus said believe in who I am because of the things that I do, how many times does our behavior testify against who we claim to be as a child of God, Jesus said:

John 10:37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence

Here is what the problem is, you are not my sheep.
The evidence is there he told them plainly that he is the Messiah, the “I Am” the one that they have been waiting for so long to see. Then Jesus tells them what their real problem is, “I have told you who I am but the real issue is that you have a hearing problem.”

If you can’t hear the masters voice then you must not be his sheep, His sheep hear his voice and they follow him wherever he leads them to with complete trust, they don’t think that there must be a better way or a short cut, he speaks and they follow. If we would just give up control and follow the voice of the shepherd he will lead us to eternal life, and we will never perish.

“John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” The question is what did John say?

John1:23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!” Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”

26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

application

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Can you tell from all the miracles and the testimony that Jesus is the Messiah? The evidence is irrefutable.

Am I acting like a sheep? I need to be faithful in follow Jesus and I have to be careful that my actions don’t refute what I claim to believe.

prayer

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Thank you Lord for saving this lost sheep, I want to follow you everyday so that others can see the evidence and there will be proof of what I say that I believe.

Who Was Jesus?

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John 7:25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

28 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. 29 But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” 30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

observation

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“Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be.”It is amazing that the people that had direct contact with Jesus could still be unsure of his identity. They even quoted scripture that stated that the Messiah would be “born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born” and yet they were still skeptical, it is mind boggling that they could be so close to the truth and still miss it.

One of their reasons for not believing that Jesus was the Messiah was that they believed that the Messiah would suddenly appear and nobody would know his parents or his siblings, they believed that since they knew Jesus home town then he couldn’t possibly be the Messiah, that’s not anywhere in scripture. So who did Jesus claim to be?

Sinless John 8:28-29 The only way to God John 14:6 Able to forgive sins Luke 5:20-21 The giver of living water John 4:10 The light of the World John 8:12

Able to offer eternal life John 10:28-30 Conquer death Luke 18:31-33 Returning as our judge Matthew 24:27-30 The true vine John 15:1 The great "I Am" John 8:58

The Son of God Matt 26:63-63 One with the Father John 10:30 The bread of life John 6:35 The good shepherd John 10:11

application

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Do you know who Jesus is? The people were so close to figuring it out when they said “For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” It is incredible that they had so much information and yet they still missed it.

prayer

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Thank you for your love and for caring about us enough to make a simple plan for us to spend eternity with you. I pray that people will be open to the truth found in your word.

Finding The Lost

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Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

observation

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The Pharisees were always confused about Jesus, didn’t he know that associating with the wrong people would ruin his chances of fulfilling all the requirements of the law, you know the law that they had been adding more and more rules to, everybody was being held in bondage because of these guys.

Jesus made his reason for being here quite clear, he was here to be around the “sinners,” and his reason for doing so was so that he could find a lost “sheep,” he wasn’t interested in hanging out with the religious people, he came to search every street corner, highway and ditch until he finds the lost sheep.

Finding the lost is job number one for Jesus and when the lost become found there is a great celebration:

I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

application

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There are too many Pharisees even today, people that are afraid to be around those sinners that might tarnish their reputation, but if we are going to be like Jesus then we cannot stay away from those "sinners."

prayer

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Help us to accept the challenge to go to where people are that need you the most. Help us to get off our pew and get out there looking for lost sheep.

Preparing For Jesus Arrival

scripture

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Luke 1

11 And he saw an angel of the Lord in his place on the right side of the altar. 12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear came on him.

13 But the angel said, Have no fear, Zacharias, for your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your wife Elisabeth will have a son, and his name will be John. 14 And you will be glad and have great delight; and numbers of people will have joy at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord; he will not take wine or strong drink; and he will be full of the Spirit of God from his birth. 16 And through him great numbers of the children of Israel will be turned to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of fathers to their children, and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness; to make ready a people whose hearts have been turned to the Lord.

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin who was to be married to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. 28 And the angel came in to her and said, Peace be with you, to whom special grace has been given; the Lord is with you. 29 But she was greatly troubled at his words, and said to herself, What may be the purpose of these words? 30 And the angel said to her, Have no fear, Mary, for you have God's approval. 31 And see, you will give birth to a son, and his name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be named the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his father. 33 He will have rule over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

38 And Mary said: I am the servant of the Lord; may it be to me as you say.

observation

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Good news Zacharias, your wife is finally pregnant and better yet your son is going to have the power of Elijah and his ministry is going to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Even better news for Mary in that she will give birth to the Son of God.

The moment that the prophets had proclaimed for so long has finally arrived. Was Zacharias ready? Do you think that Mary was? Is any parent ever completely ready for a newborn? All of a sudden there are two very important babies on the way and both families have been caught off guard.

application

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Being ready is a requirement the next time that Jesus comes, there will be no excuses for not being prepared. Do not let him catch you off guard.

prayer

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Thank you Lord for coming to be our Savior, I wish that we would all be ready for your return.