Life, Death, Resurrection
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Morning friends! Greetings to you this the day that the Lord made! May we know that above all else you are here with us in every moment. Jesus’ life was like no other; raised as a boy, taught to be a carpenter, yet he taught God’s word in the temple at age 12! He told his parents he needed to be about His father’s business; already on a path recognized only by himself and God. His parents knew He would become the man God called him to be, though painful it would also be. In only three years, He fulfilled the prophesy by going, teaching, preaching just as it was told. He lived a sinless life to lead by example; calling those few disciples from their regular lives into a journey of Godly knowledge. Though they followed and learned; they would then deny, hide and be filled with fear. Their fear led them to where Christ would appear to them again! They knew, yet they couldn’t fully understand until they saw with their own eyes! In the world, we find we cannot truly believe until we see it; but true believing is knowing faithfully that we can see, hear and understand with our hearts. We don’t have to see God to know He is there, but because we believe, He will provide our needs. Jesus told his disciple, the one that people say doubted, in John 20:29, “…Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” I don’t believe he doubted, I believe he grieved deeply and he actually didn’t want to hurt more if the Master didn’t show up again. He was passionate, understanding the true purpose of Jesus’ death, finally, wholeheartedly. Know that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection serve a deep spiritual purpose; they give us hope in a hopeless world, faith in a faithless world, love in a loveless world, and an eternal home one day with God. Imagine a world where everyone loved everyone; a world of peace, tranquility. Live each day as if the next day, and the next, etc., leads you to a home in heaven.
Scriptures:
Read: Isaiah 53:3-11, Acts 1:11, John 11:25-26, Revelation 21:4, Lamentations 3:32, Psalms 147:3, I Corinthians 15:42-44, Psalms 49:15, John 14:1-3, I Corinthians 15:52-53, Philippians 1:20-21, Philippians 3:20-21, Hebrews 2:14-15, Isaiah 25:8-9, Ecclesiastes 3:11,14-15, I Thessalonians 4:16-18
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the life, death, and most assuredly the resurrection of your son Jesus! Thank you for the salvation we can receive by giving our lives to you. Please help us daily to live a life that is pleasing to you and will lead others to want the same life. Please Lord, continue to bless us with your presence though we might not see you physically, but that we may feel your loving presence in our hearts. Amen.