Category Archives: 2 – New Testament
Choosing Between Two Masters
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 10,11; 2 Chronicles 9, Romans 6
Today’s Key Passage – Romans 6:15-23
I read a story today from John Kenneth Galbraith’s autobiography, A Life in Our Times, about the devotion of his family’s housekeeper Emily Gloria Wilson. On one particular afternoon, Mr. Galbraith told Ms. Wilson to hold all of his calls while he took a nap. During his nap, President Lyndon Johnson called and asked to speak to Mr. Galbraith. Ms. Wilson explained to the President that Mr. Galbraith was sleeping and asked not to be disturbed, but the President insisted that she wake him. To this, she responded, “No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you.” Ms. Wilson had a choice in who her master was going to be. She could choose to work for Mr. Galbraith or she could choose to work for the President, but she knew that she could not do both at the same time. She had to make a choice, and once she did there was nothing that would get her to change her direction.
In today’s key passage, the Apostle Paul talks about choosing your master. See, all of us have a master whether we know it or not. Each of us has a choice to make in life – we can either be a slave to sin or we can be a slave to righteousness. We can choose to make God our master or we can choose to make sin our master. Moreover, while we are free to make our own choice between these two masters, we are not free to change the consequences of our choice. If we choose sin as our master, the only possible outcome is death, and if we choose God as our master, the only possible outcome is eternal life in Christ Jesus. (Vs. 23) Before we were saved, sin was our master. We were enslaved by the guilt and condemnation of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. When we chose to follow Christ and “wholeheartedly obey” Him (Vs. 17), we were freed from the chains of slavery to sin and became enslaved by righteousness.
Many people like to believe that there is a third option here. They do not like the idea of being a slave to sin, but they also do not like the idea of being a slave to God. These are the same people who claim there is no God, or believe they can get to Heaven with their works, or think that Jesus was a “good man” but not the Son of God. They like to believe that there is a middle ground between these two options – a place where they can sometimes choose God and other times choose sin. The simple fact, however, is that we only have two choices. There is no middle ground and there is no way to be neutral about this topic. We must choose to serve either God or sin. Just like Ms. Wilson, we must realize that we cannot choose to serve both masters. My question for each of you today is a simple one – who is your master going to be? Will you choose God, or will you choose sin?
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- A Slave Of Christ Jesus (bummyla.wordpress.com)
- Christ Glorified In The Mist of Trials (christianholisticcenter.wordpress.com)
- Paul’s Prayer for Us (dailybibleplan.com)
- Jesus Gives the Great Commission (dailybibleplan.com)
- The Parable of the Vineyard Workers (dailybibleplan.com)
How Suffering Produces Hope
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; Psalm 136; Romans 5
Today’s Key Passage – Romans 5:1-11
I wish I were better at golf. I have played since I was a child, but despite my efforts, I have never been very good. For the most part, I can play without embarrassing myself too badly or slowing down play for everyone behind me, but I am certainly never going to win any tournaments. The problem with my golf game is really a matter of commitment. I do not spend nearly enough time practicing to ever be very good. I am sure that if I got some lessons and spent countless hours practicing the different elements of the game, I could probably improve dramatically. Who knows, with enough time and practice, I might even become quite good. The problem is that I simply do not want to expend that much time and energy on the sport, even though I know that the only way to ever get better is with extensive practice. In this regard, most things in life work a lot like golf. In most matters, if we want to improve we need to practice. If I want to be a better golfer, I need to golf more. If I want to be a better cook, I need to cook more. This concept is also true with character. If I want to become more patient, I need to endure times when my patience is tested. If I want to worry less, I need to endure times when I am tempted to worry. If I want to have more faith, I need to endure times when my faith is tested.
This concept is carried over in today’s key passage as Paul explains how suffering produces hope. He says, “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Vs. 3-4) Most people do not like to suffer, but as Paul explains, we can actually rejoice in our suffering not because we like pain, but because we know that God is using our suffering to produce hope. Imagine if you will a flow chart that begins with suffering. The suffering that we face in terms of life’s difficulties or attacks from the enemy produces perseverance in much the same way that practicing golf makes you a better golfer. The more we suffer, the more perseverance we build. This perseverance strengthens our character by building our trust and our faith in God, because the more we suffer, the more we must lean on God’s strength to get through difficult times. As our faith and trust in God builds, our hope will also build as we gain greater and greater confidence in our future. In this way, though it might sound counterintuitive, suffering produces hope.
The next time you face suffering, think of it in these terms. Instead of wondering why God is allowing you to suffer, thank Him for giving you the opportunity to build your perseverance, character, and hope. Thank Him for helping you grow and mature. Thank Him for loving you enough to give you hope.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Why Persevere Through Pain and Trials? Because God Perseveres with Us (chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)
- Into this Grace in which we stand (leadmeintheeverlastingway.com)
Like this:
The Self-Righteous Christian
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalm 98; Romans 2
Today’s Key Passage – Romans 2:1-16
One of the easiest things for most people to do is to become self-righteous. No matter where we are in our lives or in our walk with Christ, we can always find someone we consider to be not as “well behaved” as we are. When we compare ourselves to the standard set by the other person, we feel like we are doing pretty well in the way we are living our lives. Many people of varying faiths feel that they are going to Heaven because they are not “immoral” like others. They reckon that since they are not adulterers, murderers, or bank robbers, God will probably judge them as worthy. In fact, when they see other people who are adulterers, murderers, or bank robbers they find fault with them, and consider themselves to be in some way “above” those people. There are also many born-again Christians who feel like they are “better” than other Christians or other denominations. They decide that their church attendance is better than others, they pray more than others, or the places they choose to go or not to go are better than others. All of these things are examples of self-righteousness, and all of them are very dangerous to a follower of Christ.
In today’s key passage, Paul confronts the self-righteous people in the Roman church. Near the end of Romans 1, Paul spoke about the wickedness of men. He talked about various sinners and sins that were taking place outside of the church. Likely, the Roman audience of Paul’s letter would have considered themselves to be well above that kind of behavior and far better than these people described in Romans 1. In our text, Paul confronts the person who felt that he would get to Heaven because he was not like those sinners mentioned in Romans 1. He shows in our passage that the self-righteous person is just as guilty in the eyes of God as the blatant sinner is. If Paul were writing to Christians today, he might point out that going to church or living an outwardly moral life is not going to get you into Heaven. He might point out that just because we might “feel” self-righteous as compared to some other people, we are not actually viewed by God as righteous based on our own actions. After all, “God does not show favoritism.” (Vs. 11) The simple truth that Paul later points out to the Romans (and to us) is that because we are all sinners in one degree or another, we are all in need of a Savior. We need someone to take away our sins, and that person is our Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe today’s key passage serves as a reminder and a warning for those of us who know we are saved that we have no right to stand as critics of others, regardless of what they do. So often we can all have moments when we are critical of others. We can all have moments when we feel “justified”. We can all have moments when we feel “self-righteous”. It is vitally important, however, that we are careful when it comes to being critical of other people or believing we are in some way “better” than they are. Put simply, God is the only one that has the right to judge, and as followers of Christ, we can rest in the comfort of knowing that one day, He will.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- The Lord Our Righteousness (sabbathsermons.com)
- Are You a Christian Coward? Am I? (crossonmyback.wordpress.com)
- A Gospel Presentation (discerningchristianity.com)
- What Is the Gospel? (allsufficientgrace.wordpress.com)
- The Gospel Challenge (sparksofreformation.wordpress.com)
Like this:
The Emotional Keys to Evangelism
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1
Today’s Key Passage – Romans 1:8-17
For many people, sharing the Gospel can be difficult. There are many things that make it hard for us. Sometimes we might feel like it will be uncomfortable. Sometimes we might feel like we do not know enough. Sometimes we might feel like we do not know where to begin. Sometimes we just feel tired. It is in these moments when the enemy tempts us the most, and it is in these times when it can be easy for us to abandon our mission. I am sure that there were times in the apostle Paul’s life when he felt these challenges. There were likely times when he felt uncomfortable or tired, or simply did not know where to begin. In today’s key passage, though, Paul outlines three emotions that he felt that made him such a great evangelist. As I read this passage today, I realized that one of the keys to effectively preaching the Gospel lies in these three emotions. When we feel these three things, we will be able to overcome all of our fears and doubts about sharing the Good News about Christ.
Obligated - Paul says in verse 14 that he was obligated to share the Gospel. As followers of Christ, we share in this obligation. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our salvation. He took all of our sins upon Himself knowing that we could not carry that burden alone. Because of His sacrifice for us even though we did not deserve it, we should feel obligated due to our complete love for Him to follow His commands. Moreover, Jesus clearly commanded that we should share the Good News with the world.
Eager - Though we are obligated by our love for Christ to serve him, it is not enough for us to simply share our faith based on that obligation. If the only emotion we feel is obligation, we will never be successful in preaching the Gospel. In verse 15, Paul mentions the second piece of the puzzle, which is eagerness. When we are eager to share the Gospel with others, we are more likely to do it with heart and with love. This eagerness will make our witness for Christ more powerful, and at the same time, it will keep us focused on our mission of reaching people.
Unashamed - The final emotion Paul mentions in verse 16 is feeling unashamed. Even if we feel obligated and eager to share the Gospel, if we feel ashamed on any level we will not be successful. Either we will fail to share our faith at all, or we will do it in such a timid way that we will not be able to help anyone find Jesus. As followers of Christ, the world will not always agree with our views. We might face persecution. We might face mockery. At the end of the day, though, these temporary problems are nothing compared to our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus is an important part of Christianity, but it is one that many people are afraid to do. By trusting in God to help us feel obligated, eager, and unashamed we can overcome our fears and doubts. If you are struggling with the idea of boldly sharing your faith with others, I pray that you will seek these three emotions. I pray that you will seek God’s strength to help you fulfill your mission of reaching people for Christ.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Fanning the Flame (5gsandacupofjoe.net)
- Obligated, Eager, and Unashamed (the1stfollower.com)
- Evangelism is not….apologetics, social justice, personal testimony… (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)
- The Epistle of Joy and A Theology of Suffering (thereformedwesleyan.com)
Like this:
Paul’s Prayer for Us
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalm 95; 2 Thessalonians 1
Today’s Key Passage – 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
I really like reading Paul’s writings in the New Testament. One of the things I especially like is that more often than not Paul prayed for the various churches to which he was writing. In verses 11 and 12 in today’s key passage, Paul wrote, “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul was praying for three main things for his brothers and sisters in Christ in Thessalonica, and I believe that if he were talking to us today he would pray for the same three things for each of us.
First, Paul prayed that God’s power might strengthen us. God’s power is evident in the wonders of His creation, and it is evident repeatedly in the Bible. God displayed His power in the parting of the Red Sea, in the healing of the blind, and in paying the ultimate price for our sins through His Son Jesus Christ. That power that is so miraculously on display throughout the Living Word is also available to each one of us today. It is available to us when we are facing trials. It is available to us in overcoming our fears and worries. It is available to us in everything we do as long as we seek it. Paul is praying that the awe-inspiring power of God would give each of us strength.
Secondly, Paul prayed that God’s purpose would be fulfilled in us. While the strength of God is wonderful in helping us overcome trials or temptations, that same strength is also available to help us fulfill God’s purposes in the world. Each and every one of us has a distinct purpose in this life. Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, you were put on this earth for a reason. God has a purpose for you. Maybe you have not found it yet. Maybe you are still searching for it. It does not matter how old you are. It does not matter what sinful things you have done in the past. It does not matter what position you are in right now. God has a purpose for you, and Paul’s prayer is that His purpose will be fulfilled in you.
Finally, Paul prayed that God would be glorified through us. One of God’s purposes for each of our lives is that He will be glorified through us and in us. He wants our lives to be a living reflection of His glory. To truly glorify God in our lives, we must live our lives like Jesus Christ himself. In everything we do, we are to live a Christ-like life, and we are to let His light shine through us for everyone else to see.
When you put it all together, you can see the full picture of what Paul is really praying for each of us. Paul is praying that God’s power will strengthen each one of us, and by that power, we will be able to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives, with one of those purposes being the glorification of God through us. It is a beautiful prayer for the Thessalonians, and it is a beautiful prayer for each one of us.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Jesus IS Lord in Colossians, and 1st & 2nd Thessalonians (defendingcontending.com)
- Taking a Moment to Kneel with Abraham (ptl2010.com)
- Ephesians 1-3 (mybiblereadingplan.wordpress.com)
- How to Pray for Purity (purehopeblog.net)
Like this:
Becoming an Expert Witness for Christ
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4
Today’s Key Passage – 1 Thessalonians 4:7-12
In a court of law, an expert witness is one who others in their field recognize as an expert. According to the law, this expert is able to appear before the court and is able to justify his or her professional opinion under cross-examination. People do not become expert witnesses overnight. It requires years of hard work to gain the respect of others in their field before they will be recognized as expert witnesses. Every person on this earth who claims to be a Christian is a witness for Jesus. Some are good witnesses, and some are bad witnesses. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul provides them with some tips on how to strengthen their witness. In essence, Paul is teaching the Thessalonians to become expert witnesses for Christ.
Becoming an expert witness for Christ is a lifelong process. It begins with understanding that Christianity is not something you practice for an hour or two every Sunday. Living the Christian life is something that we do every second of every day. We should be constantly reminded that, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (Vs. 7) In addition, God teaches us to love each other. The love referred to in our key passage in verse 9 is the Greek word “phileo” which refers to brotherly love. We show this love to others as we recognize we are all part of the same family of God. It is the love that comes from knowing that we all have the same Heavenly Father. Paul commends the Thessalonians on their love, stating that they love all of their brothers in Christ throughout Macedonia, and then Paul urges them, “to do so more and more.” (Vs. 10) To become an expert witness for Christ, we should strive each day to love others more. Love is the cornerstone of an effective witness.
Paul continues by giving the Thessalonians three more pieces of advice to become expert witnesses. He tells them, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands”. (Vs. 11) Some of the Thessalonians were a little lazy and were relying on others for handouts, so Paul told them to live a quiet life and to work hard, which is still good advice for us today. It is also good advice to “mind our own business” in the sense that we should not participate in gossip or become a busybody.
Paul gave all of these tips to the Thessalonians so that their, “daily life may win the respect of outsiders”. (Vs. 12) To truly be an expert witness for Christ, those we are trying to reach have to respect us. When we follow Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians, we can start to gain that respect and can be more effective in reaching the lost. When we follow his advice, we can become expert witnesses.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Bible Verse for the Day (momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com)
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 (beautifulunion.wordpress.com)
Like this:
Chosen by God
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1
Today’s Key Passage – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10
There are a few concepts in Biblical Christianity that can be difficult if not impossible for human beings to fully understand. There are three concepts that immediately come to mind. The first is the Trinity. It is difficult for us to fully comprehend God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit completely one and also completely separate. Another example is the concept of eternal life in Heaven. Think for a second about what it will be like to live for eternity. If you think about it long enough, you will find that your mind will be running in circles because eternity is an idea that our human minds simply cannot fully understand. The final example that immediately comes to mind is the doctrine of election. In today’s key passage, Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you” (Vs. 4). He is telling the Thessalonians that they were chosen by God. Simply stated, the doctrine of election holds that before the creation of the world, God predestined certain people to be His chosen people. In Ephesians 1:3-6 we read, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” It can be difficult for many of us to simultaneously understand the concept of God choosing us and our human responsibility of choosing to follow Him. It is almost impossible for us to understand how these two seemingly opposite things can both be true at the same time. Like the other examples above, our minds simply cannot fully understand all of the ways of God.
Now before we get too deep into a discussion of the five points of Calvinism, my point today is to simply ask you to think about one thing. If you are reading this and have been saved by God’s grace, then you are one of His chosen people. Before you even existed, God chose you to be one of His children. He chose you to be saved. He chose you to live for eternity with Him in Heaven. How does that make you feel? When we truly begin to embrace this idea of election, we cannot help but to be simply awestruck by God’s grace. We cannot help but to feel completely blessed. We cannot help but to feel totally loved. We cannot help but to want to obey Him and serve Him. Think about God’s election of you today, and thank Him for choosing you as one of His children.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Chosen by the Father (loopyloo305.com)
- A Marvelous Thing (sparksofreformation.wordpress.com)
- 1 Thessalonians 1 (saltthroughlight.wordpress.com)
- Jesus IS Lord in Colossians, and 1st & 2nd Thessalonians (defendingcontending.com)
- Chosen by the Father (thechristiangazette.wordpress.com)
Jesus Gives the Great Commission
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 19,20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 28:16-20
Following Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, he spent time with His disciples here on earth. Right before He left this world and returned to the right hand of the Father, He left the disciples with a parting command. Most followers of Christ have heard of the Great Commission, and most of them can even paraphrase the verse if not quote it verbatim. Interestingly, though, for some Christians there seems to be some confusion as to what Jesus really commanded us to do. In verses 19 and 20 of today’s key passage, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” It sounds fairly straightforward, but there is a slight problem. Many times, as followers of Christ it can become easy for us to start focusing on the wrong word. We tend to focus on “Go”. We spend our time “going”, trying to do things for Christ. We try to “go” to show our love for Him. We think that “go” is the verb in Jesus’ sentence, but in the sentence, “Go and make disciples of all nations”; the word “go” is not the verb. This is not the action Jesus is calling us to do. The verb in the sentence is “make”. The action Jesus is calling each and every follower of Christ to do is to make disciples.
What does it mean to make a disciple? Does it mean leading people to Jesus? Absolutely. But it also means a lot more than that. When Jesus first called the twelve disciples, He did not simply introduce Himself to them and then walk away leaving them to fend for themselves. He did not tell them everything about Himself and then release them out into the world on their own. What Jesus did was He walked with them. He met with them regularly. He answered their questions. He taught them more about God. He showed them the path they should follow, and then He took them down that path Himself. This is how He made them disciples. When we read the Great Commission, and we begin to focus on the real goal of making disciples, what better example do we have to follow than the example set forth by our Lord? Introducing a lost soul to Jesus Christ is great. Answering his or her questions about Christ is wonderful. Leading them to salvation is awesome. But to truly make a disciple, we have to keep going – we have to walk with that person.
There are three more quick points I would like to share about today’s key passage. First, keep in mind that this is the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. Making disciples is not optional. This is a command to every one of us who call Jesus our Lord and Savior. Secondly, Jesus told us to make disciples of “all” nations. We are not to pick and choose who gets to hear about Jesus or who gets to come to Him. The homeless man or the ex-prostitute who walks into the church should be greeted with joy and thanksgiving and we should do everything we can to make them disciples. Finally, Jesus commanded that we teach others to “obey everything I have commanded”. Just as we are not to pick and choose who can come to Christ, we cannot pick and choose which parts of Jesus message we should be teaching others to follow. Many times, it can be easy to preach a “health and wealth” message, and leave out the parts about carrying our cross daily or dealing with persecution. Teach others everything Jesus commanded, not just the things we think they will want to hear.
My prayer today is that each one of you reading this will take some time out of your busy day to stop and think about the Great Commission. How are you doing with it? Are you focusing on the right words? Are you making disciples?
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Go, Make Disciples (anotherchristianblog.org)
- The great commission (wordsofgrace.wordpress.com)
- We are called to obey “The Great Commission” (sharinhislove.wordpress.com)
Like this:
Pilate Washes His Hands of Jesus
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 18; Psalm 56; Matthew 27
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 27:11-26
In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals in the world lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of “childbed fever.” A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there, he made his way to the hospital to examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death of the new mothers. His own practice was to wash with a chlorine solution, and after eleven years and the delivery of 8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers–about one in fifty. Though none of his colleagues believed him at the time, we know today about the importance of washing our hands. In today’s key passage however, we see a different kind of hand washing. The religious leaders were calling for Jesus execution, and Pilate was feeling the pressure. He knew what he should do. His own conscience told him that Jesus was not guilty of anything, and his wife confirmed his suspicions, but Pilate knew that if he released Jesus he would have a possible revolt on his hands that could cost him his job. Since he could not come up with a solution that would make everyone happy, he decided to make no decision at all. We read in verse 24, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘“It is your responsibility!’” Pilate wanted to simply walk away from the decision and not take responsibility for the outcome, but in the end, he still allowed Jesus to be crucified. In the end, he was still guilty.
There are many times when we can all feel tempted to simply “wash our hands” of a situation. When we see people who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, we may be tempted to not deal with the question of who He is. When we see temptations in our lives that may lead us to sin, it is often too difficult to cut those temptations out of our lives completely. When we see other believers sinning, it is often easier to stay quiet instead of correcting them in love. When we see someone in need, it is often easier to walk by him instead of stopping to help. I could fill this page and probably a couple more simply listing out examples of when we might be tempted to “wash our hands” of a situation instead of dealing with it, but the point is that in each of these examples there is one common truth – washing our hands does not make us innocent. Walking away and choosing not to deal with a problem does not solve it, and in the eyes of God, we will still be found guilty. When you are tempted to wash your hands of a situation, instead ask God for His guidance. Allow Him to lead you to the right answer. Allow Him to lead you down the right path.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Easter Reflections: The Darkest of Days (graceformymess.com)
- The Fifth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate by Mark D. Roberts (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)
- Saturday, May 5, 2012 @ Mark 15-16 (phyllisbenigas.wordpress.com)
- Matthew 27 Questions for Reflection (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
- Treasure in the Arms of Christ – Matthew 27:1-10 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
Mary Anoints Jesus with Perfume
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 17; Psalm 71; Matthew 26
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 26:6-13
In today’s key passage, we find the story of Mary of Bethany. Mary actually has three different stories in the New Testament. The first story is found in Luke 10:38-42 when Jesus visits her home. While her sister Martha spends her time running around trying to serve Jesus, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to every word He has to say. We see Mary again in John 11:1-44 when her brother Lazarus dies and Jesus resurrects him. Her final story is found today in our passage, which is also located in Mark 14:3-9 and John 12:1-11. Jesus is only days away from His crucifixion, and he stops at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. While in this home, Mary came to Jesus with a very expensive jar of perfume and poured it over his head as He was reclining at a table. In John’s account of this story, she also poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet and washed them with her hair. (Please note that this is not the same event found in Luke 7:36-50 in which a sinful woman anoints Jesus’ feet. This is a separate, although fairly similar event, and should not be confused with Mary’s story found in today’s passage.) The disciples were not happy about Mary pouring this perfume on Jesus, as it was very expensive. In fact, the disciples point out that the perfume could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money could have been given to the poor. Jesus, however, was pleased with Mary’s gesture, and said, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”(Vss 10-13)
I think we can learn a lot from Mary’s story. Mary knew that there was a time and a place to worship Jesus, regardless of the cost. She did not seem to care that the perfume was costly. She did not seem to care that the disciples would criticize her sacrifice. The only thing she cared about was spending time worshiping Jesus, and she worshiped Him in the best way she knew. Like Mary, it is important that we take the time to stop everything and worship Jesus. We should spend our time with Him in prayer, and we should spend our time reading God’s Word. For many of us, this might prove to be costly. To really spend time with Jesus on a daily basis, we might have to get up early or stay up late. We might have to spend our lunch break with Him instead of going out to lunch with the group from the office. We might have to skip watching our favorite television show to make time to spend with Jesus. There might be many things we need to sacrifice to make a time to worship Him, but all of these sacrifices are well worth it. Though the disciples seemed to disagree at first, Jesus confirmed that Mary had her priorities straight. When it comes to worshiping Jesus and spending time with Him, it is important that we have our priorities straight as well. Do not allow anything to keep you from spending time worshiping Him daily. As we spend more time with Jesus, we will continue to grow and mature in our faith, and we will find that we are better able to serve Him in all that we do.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Saturday, April 28, 2012 @ Mark 13-14 (phyllisbenigas.wordpress.com)
- Moment Three: Anointing (contemplativechristians.com)
- John 12:1-11 – The Anointing at Bethany (readingacts.wordpress.com)
- SHE WASHED JESUS FEET AND HE WASHED THEIRS by Roberta Pierce, WTS Senior (thepersistentvoice.wordpress.com)
