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Post by Parker on Jan 30, 2023 7:24:26 GMT -8
Day One
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. EZEKIEL 36:26–27
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9–10)
During a wedding ceremony, two people make a commitment to be together for life. They vow to choose each other every day from that day forward. They leave behind an old life of living for themselves and move forward in a new life together as they are pronounced husband and wife.
It would be ridiculous for the bride and groom to walk back down the aisle, look at each other, and say, “Thanks for the great wedding day, but I’m going to do my own thing now.” Or, “That was a great one-day experience, but it does not change me or my life.” No! The newlyweds celebrate with a honeymoon to grow closer. They share a home and a life together. Their wedding vows are the starting point of their life together, not the end. They commit to continue to grow in unity.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
If you believe Jesus died and rose again to forgive you and to give you true life, if you have asked him to forgive you, if you have asked him to come into your life, then hooray! You have begun an incredible journey with the Lord of the universe. No longer do you have to worry about whether you’re good enough for God, because in Christ you are God’s own child! Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. When you feel alone or when you experience guilt and shame, you can turn to God instead of running away from him. You are forgiven!
A relationship with God is better than any other relationship or anything you can buy. It’s permanent and will change you more than anything else in your life. Welcome to the beginning of a lifelong journey. (Spoiler alert: this one ends in happily ever after.)
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Post by Parker on Jan 31, 2023 5:20:48 GMT -8
Day Two
WHAT DOES FREEDOM REALLY MEAN?
You are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:7)
Have you ever said, “It’s my life. I’m free to do whatever makes me happy”? After a while, whatever you choose to pursue—popularity, alcohol, relationships, living selfishly, or trying hard to be perfect—becomes something that controls you instead of you controlling it. Soon the choice doesn’t feel like a choice at all. Instead of being free, you’re a slave.
Before we commit our lives to Jesus we are slaves to sin. Even if we try to be good, we still aren’t free. Freedom is an illusion. We are tangled up in our sin, and it is impossible to set ourselves free. When we commit our lives to Jesus, we are freed from our slavery. Only God brings real freedom. He frees us from everything we’ve been controlled by. Only God—who is absolutely perfect and all-powerful—can make us his children and save us.
Jesus forgives us. Jesus heals us. Jesus makes us whole. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see instant change. The more you know God, the more you will become the person God created you to be. He knows what your purpose is, what is best for you, what you are good at, and how your experiences will be used in the future. He will help you get past what holds you back. He will make you whole.
During the next few weeks we are going to be learning about the story of the Bible, who God is, and how to have a relationship with him.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Feb 2, 2023 5:47:04 GMT -8
DAY THREE
WHY IS THE BIBLE IMPORTANT?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
Have you ever drawn a line only to find it’s not straight? Your freehanded line might look good, but when you put a ruler against it, you discover it’s crooked. A ruler helps you realize what’s straight and what’s not. The Bible is like a ruler for us. Something might look right to us, but when know what the Bible says, we can see that it’s actually “crooked.”
The Bible is the word of God. We can trust it! It was true when it was written, it is true today, and it will be true forever. The Bible is the standard for Christian faith and action. When we aren’t sure if a belief or action is true, we should look at what God says in Scripture. God never contradicts himself. “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Christians need to know the Bible, to study and memorize it. Psalm 119 calls the Bible a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In showing us who to follow, it guides who we are and what we do. It builds up. It corrects us. It trains us in the way we should go. God’s word is powerful. It’s not empty, but instead it accomplishes what God desires.
The Bible teaches the history of God’s people and the history of the King and Savior, Jesus Christ. This history is for all believers, even for us today. The Bible shows us who God is and what he has done, still does, and will do. It also shows us who we are and how we should live. Because Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, and the devil, we know that this victory will be ours!
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 23, 2023 8:31:39 GMT -8
DAY FOUR
GOD’S CREATIVITY FROM THE BEGINNING
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said.… And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:1–3, 30–31)
When God created the world, he was pleased with what he made. It was good. He created something out of nothing, which is hard for us to understand. God needs nothing and is truly self-sufficient. Yet he made the earth and everything in it, demonstrating his power and creativity.
He was particularly excited about the first people he made, Adam and Eve. “God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them.” (Genesis 1:26–28).
God created Adam and Eve differently than all the other creatures. He created them in his own image.
Imagine what it was like to be Adam and Eve! No insecurities, achy muscles, or tired brains to slow them down. And God gave them the coolest jobs: naming the animals, exploring the garden, and enjoying his creation with him.
Obeying God was good for Adam and Eve. They were perfect and fulfilled. They weren’t lonely or insecure. Every need was met. They lived with purpose in the best relationship with God and with each other. God clearly told them the consequence of disobedience: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). Choosing God is choosing life!
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 24, 2023 4:56:14 GMT -8
DAY FIVE
OUR CHOICE
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 JOHN 1:8–9
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)
In Genesis 2:16, God said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Adam and Eve faced a choice: to obey God, trusting he knows best and has a perfect plan for them, or to do what they want.
The serpent (Satan) knew what to say to get Eve to doubt God. “ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’ ” (Genesis 3:4–5). She began to wonder if God was holding out on them. Was God as good as they thought? Maybe life would be better if they took things into their own hands. These doubts led to disobedience. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6).
When they ate the fruit, Adam and Eve were immediately filled with fear. They realized that by their disobedience they had broken their perfect relationship with God. In place of freedom and openness, they felt shame and guilt. Instead of running to God, who loved them, they tried to run away and hide. Worse yet, when God confronted Adam about eating the fruit, Adam avoided responsibility, blaming God and Eve. “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12). Eve, in turn, blamed the serpent.
When we turn away from God as Lord, we sin. God is holy, and he can’t tolerate sin. It has to be addressed. Eating fruit doesn’t seem like a big deal—Don’t we need to eat? It’s only fruit. Should it really change the course of human history? But their actions revealed that they loved their own lives more than obeying God. Adam and Eve thought they knew better than God. They chose death.
Death, hard work, jealousy, pain, loneliness, and separation from God resulted from their choice. Because of sin we live in a broken world, but it’s not supposed to be this way. Everything God made was good. And God has a plan to restore his creation. Before he told Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin, he cursed the serpent and promised future life to Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve wouldn’t see the whole plan unfold in their lifetime, but God already had his plan in motion to save his people.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 25, 2023 5:03:10 GMT -8
DAY SIX
THE LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD
The life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. (Leviticus 17:11)
God loves his people and wants a relationship with them, even after they sinned. But God is holy. He cannot ignore our sin; it must be dealt with. The only suitable consequence for sin is death. But God does not abandon us, even when we abandon him. After Adam and Eve sinned, “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). God killed an innocent animal to cover the guilt, shame, and nakedness of his people. God loves his people and wants a relationship with them.
God later taught his people to make sacrifices. To reestablish a right relationship with God, a person killed an animal as an offering to God. The animal’s blood (life) covered the person’s sin and shame (death)—just like the animal garments covered Adam and Eve’s sin. It symbolized the removal of sin and reconciliation with God.
While his people made animal sacrifices, God had his perfect plan in place. He would someday make a sacrifice that would go beyond all other sacrifices. Instead of animals giving their lifeblood to make us right with God, he would send his Son to shed his blood and give his life as the final, perfect sacrifice. Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). All Old Testament sacrifices point to Jesus.
God’s plan to send his Son would not only temporarily cover sin, but Jesus’ death and resurrection would remove sin. Forever. Jesus is the only truly innocent and perfect sacrifice. Only through his death and resurrection are we made whole. Jesus forgives us and brings us peace, joy, and true life.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 26, 2023 6:14:00 GMT -8
DAY SEVEN
THE NIGHT THE LORD PASSED OVER
The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)
The Israelites spent 430 years as slaves in Egypt. (Genesis 37–50 tells how they got there.) Pharaoh was determined to keep the Israelites as slaves, but God had promised to rescue them and bring them to the promised land (you can read this promise in Genesis 15:18). He struck Egypt with nine plagues, but Pharaoh still refused to obey and let the Israelites go. Ultimately God will do what he says he will do. He was determined to rescue his people.
The last plague was the death of the firstborn, recorded in Exodus 12. The Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a perfect, spotless lamb. Each family smeared the blood of that lamb on the doorpost of their home to show that a lamb had died in place of the oldest son. The sacrificed lamb showed they were God’s protected children, and the Lord passed over their home. They were spared from judgment and death. Then, they cooked the lamb’s meat to give them strength—they were about to flee Egypt and would need it for the journey ahead! The Israelites celebrated this night of judgment and mercy as a yearly feast called Passover.
God is the holy and supreme Judge, who punishes sin. At the same time, he is our Rescuer, who loves us. Passover points to Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus is God’s own. “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Jesus covered the doorposts of our soul with his own blood to save us from judgment.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 27, 2023 5:08:24 GMT -8
DAY EIGHT
THE LAW AND THE WILDERNESS WALK
Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ ” Exodus 19:3–6
God chose the Israelites to be his special people. He gave them the Ten Commandments to reveal his perfect character. He demanded that, as his people, the Israelites live in a way that reflected his holiness. “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). The Israelites couldn’t keep these commandments—and neither can we. Even when people fail, God is faithful. He wants a relationship with us. “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:12).
The Israelites learned that God is their powerful provider. They fled Egypt after the tenth plague. God led them by pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud by day. He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites but drowned the pursuing Egyptian soldiers. The Lord made undrinkable water drinkable and provided water out of a rock. He provided bread from heaven every single day. Again and again God showed his faithfulness. Again and again he provided the impossible.
Yet the Israelites doubted God’s power and provision when they saw the people who were living in the promised land. They panicked, thinking they couldn’t defeat these mighty people—and they didn’t believe God would equip them to defeat these enemies and take possession of the land he had promised to them. Because of their unbelief they wandered for the next forty years in the desert.
The Israelites spent those forty years learning they couldn’t do life without God. They tried making idols, fighting their own enemies, and solving their own problems only to fall flat on their faces. They learned to repent of their sin—to be truly sad and turn away from it. They learned that obedience leads to blessing and that the presence of God is everything. They learned to pray, worship, care for one another, to be warriors, and to hear the voice of God.
At times you might feel like you are wandering in the wilderness. Remember that God is always powerful and in control. He will use your journey—like the Israelites’ journey thousands of years ago—to draw you closer to himself and to show you his faithfulness. “The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 28, 2023 5:12:17 GMT -8
DAY NINE
THE PLAN FORETOLD
I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. LEVITICUS 26:12
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5–6)
Written more than five hundred years before Jesus’ birth, these verses in the Old Testament describe Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. God gave these words to the prophet Isaiah. Prophets were people who proclaimed and interpreted God’s word. Sometimes they explained God’s promises. Sometimes they explained God’s judgment.
Sometimes they described future events. In fact, the psalmist and the prophet Zechariah described that Jesus’ hands and feet would be pierced, even before crucifixion was invented! These prophecies had a fuller meaning than what the prophets themselves may have understood.
God had a plan to save us before the creation of the world. Sending his Son was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. God knew what would happen from the beginning. Although we all have turned our backs on God and sinned against him, God took our suffering on himself and became our sacrifice. Jesus is the Suffering Servant. He willingly went to the cross to die for us. Instead of complaining or leaving us in our own helplessness, he allowed himself to be pierced and killed for our sin. He rose from the dead and shared his victory over sin and death with us. Because of him we have a new, restored relationship with God!
These prophecies excited God’s people. They knew something big was going to happen, and it would bring them freedom. They knew it would give them a closer relationship with God. They didn’t know exactly how or when it would happen, but they believed God would keep his promise.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 29, 2023 14:02:47 GMT -8
DAY TEN
THE PLAN UNFOLDS
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:4–7)
For centuries, the Israelites had read the prophecies about God coming to free them. Many had memorized these passages and were eagerly waiting for the Messiah. But many expected a glamorous and mighty king who would conquer their oppressors and bring political freedom. As a result they expected that, as God’s people, they would gain respect and power. They thought the Messiah would act like other powerful earthly kings.
But God’s plan was different. God came to earth as a defenseless baby in a smelly barn. His parents were humble, ordinary, faithful people. Angels declared his birth to grubby shepherds and foreign wise men, not to politicians or religious leaders.
Jesus didn’t come to add rules, hang out with religious people, or act like a normal king. He came to fulfill God’s law, hang out with sinners, and die and rise again to cover our sin with his righteousness and forgiveness. He came to help people who desperately needed his help. He came for the hurting, the fearful, the guilty. He came to make us whole, to teach us, to comfort us, and to make us his. He came for you and me! By his wounds he heals us. By his death he gives us life. By his word and Spirit he transforms us to become like him.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 30, 2023 10:07:42 GMT -8
DAY ELEVEN
REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HAS COME NEAR
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” (Matthew 3:1–3)
God gave John the Baptist an important job: to prepare people for Jesus. John’s message was simple. He didn’t hand out checklists telling people, “Straighten out your life! Jesus is coming!” He knew Jesus was going to do something much deeper than make people look religious and moral. He wanted to address the condition of their heart, not their actions. To prepare for Jesus, repentance comes first.
Repentance is an action, not a fickle feeling. It’s not just apologizing, feeling guilty, or being sorry for getting caught. Repentance is turning away from our wrong thoughts and actions and turning toward Jesus. When we repent we are deeply sad over our sin and the hurt it has caused. We are grieved that our sin breaks our relationship with God. We apologize and ask for forgiveness. It doesn’t mean we suddenly become perfect. We understand we can’t make things right or fix it without Jesus. We need to ask Jesus to help us change our hearts and our behavior by his Spirit.
John taught we can’t just do our best to be good Christians or try to clean up our life before we ask God into it. We can’t jump into doing good things for Jesus and skip repentance. The religious people in Jesus’ day wanted a gold star for their good deeds, but Jesus turned everything upside down. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick,” he said. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Our relationship with Jesus starts with acknowledging that we need him. Apart from Christ, we can’t honor God or be in right relationship with him. We ask him to forgive our sins and to make us like him.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Mar 31, 2023 7:47:38 GMT -8
DAY TWELVE
JESUS IS ONE PERSON, FULLY GOD AND FULLY HUMAN
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5–8)
Jesus is fully God and fully human. The Bible teaches that Jesus is both God’s Son and also Mary’s son. The One through whom all things were created was born as a baby. He who sustains the world was sustained by his mother’s milk. He satisfies our every need, yet he experienced hunger and thirst. He who alone grants growth grew. Jesus, who comforts us, experienced pain in every way—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We pray to him and he prayed to our Father in heaven. He has always been and always will be!
Remember that the animal chosen for sacrifice in the Old Testament had to be without blemish, perfect, the best of the flock? That sacrifice points to Jesus, who was the perfect sacrifice for us. We weren’t bought with cash. We were purchased out of our empty, sin-filled life by Jesus Christ’s own blood to live a full, grace-filled life.
Only Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, could be this perfect sacrifice. In order to be an effective mediator between us and God, Jesus had to be human so that he could identify with us and sinless so that he could die to pay the penalty for our sins (and not need a mediator for his own sins). The mediator had to keep the law perfectly. Only God is perfect. So the mediator could only be God! The mediator also had to be able to share our nature, so that we can share in his victory. So God became man for us. Jesus, true God and true man, reconciled sinners to the one holy God—by dying and rising again. He came as a humble baby, and he conquered sin, death, and the devil!
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Apr 1, 2023 7:53:11 GMT -8
DAY THIRTEEN
JESUS’ MINISTRY ON EARTH
JOHN 14:6
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:23–25)
Jesus came to earth with great purpose: to proclaim the kingdom of God, to die, and to rise again. By his death and resurrection, he defeated death, forgiving our sin and granting us true life. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension are gifts for us, and they’re also examples to us. Jesus shows us how to love God and others.
Jesus’ earthly ministry kicked off with his baptism in the Jordan River. It was an incredible sight. As Jesus came out of the water the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and God’s voice could be heard saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). After his baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, praying and preparing for what was to come. During those forty days Satan tempted Jesus to try to get him to use his power for his own worldly benefit instead of staying in line with God’s plan. However, Jesus resisted Satan with Scripture and won, standing firm against temptation.
When Jesus returned from the wilderness, he preached the kingdom of God, cast out demons, and performed miracles. His message was simple: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Jesus chose twelve disciples, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom and perform miracles. He also taught them about God’s blessing, the law, prayer, judgment, and truth.
During his ministry on earth, Jesus rooted his actions in his message of love and forgiveness. His actions and his message stopped people in their tracks. With power and authority Jesus commanded demons to flee, wind and weather to be calm, the sick to be well, the crippled to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, and the dead to rise.
Jesus’ message and might made the political and religious leaders uncomfortable and suspicious of him. He was a threat to their power! Worse yet, he openly confronted their abuse and oppression. He spoke against their hypocrisy and stopped them from ripping people off in the temple, reestablishing it as a place of worship. Jesus knew that his words and deeds would upset the political and religious leaders who were in power. He warned his followers that he would die, but that they should not fear because he would rise from the dead.
Jesus’ miracles and message are the same today. We believe in him, knowing that he is in control even when our circumstances look different than we expect.
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Apr 2, 2023 12:21:24 GMT -8
DAY FOURTEEN
JESUS’ DEATH ON THE CROSS
The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:27–31)
Jesus died in a way reserved for the worst criminals: on a cross. Crucifixion was a humiliating, ugly, horrific, public way to die.
Jesus was betrayed by his closest disciples. One of them turned Jesus into the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. Another denied knowing Jesus at all when things began to heat up. Jesus was falsely found guilty at an unfair trial. He was beaten severely. People mocked and taunted him, insisting he was powerless. The crowds demanded his death, shouting, “Crucify him” and, “His blood is on us and our children” (Matthew 27:22, 25). He was executed between two criminals on a cross for everyone to see.
Three times Jesus warned his followers about his coming death and resurrection. But they didn’t understand. They seemed to think that Jesus’ kingdom would be like other earthly kingdoms—thrones, armies, vanquished nations, and plunder. They responded to Jesus’ warnings with disbelief, grief, and a desire for power. They dismissed his words, because they were convinced their own idea of victory would transpire. Contrary to their expectations of worldly glory, Jesus died a terrible death. The disciples questioned everything Jesus had said and done. They fled, fearing for their own lives.
Jesus suffered for us on the cross. He set aside comfort and earthly dominance to be the perfect sacrifice. He wasn’t interested in the temporary but in our eternity with him. His death was a gift: he bore our sins to heal us. His death was also an example for us: despite insults and false accusations, Jesus didn’t retaliate. Instead he entrusted himself to the one just Judge, his Father. By his death Jesus broke the power of death and the devil, freeing us for true life with God.
And the story doesn’t end with Jesus’ death! “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11).
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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Post by Parker on Apr 3, 2023 10:04:49 GMT -8
DAY FIFTEEN
JESUS’ RESURRECTION
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.… The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:1–9)
After Jesus’ death his followers were shocked and scared. Grief and fear turned the disciples’ lives upside down. Many were terrified; they gathered secretly behind locked doors, fearing they would be executed next. Many were disappointed, saying, “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Some even returned to their old way of life, as if Jesus’ life and ministry had never happened. They were grieving and trying to make sense of all that had happened.
On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. He sought out his grieving and disillusioned followers to encourage and comfort them. He shared his peace with them and told them not to fear. Again he patiently showed them how Scripture explained his death and resurrection. This time they were able to listen to him. He sent them to make disciples, to proclaim the good news that death and sin had been defeated in him, and to obey his commands.
Death has no power over God. When Jesus rose from the dead, he revealed the victory he had won over death. God and Satan are not equal. Good and evil are not equal. Jesus was not crucified because people were more powerful than he was, but because he chose to die to be a sacrifice for us. Even when death looked to be winning, God’s plan for salvation was still ahead. The nightmare had ended. Jesus is alive! He was right all along.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55).
Shilo Taylor, Brand New: A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ
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