I AM: Discovering the Nature of Jesus!
Monday, February 23, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for who You are, and for sending Jesus into the world to let us know the extent of Your love for us! I praise You that Jesus was willing to give up the comfort of heaven in order to glorify You and Your plan to save us from sin and death. I pray this day that You will fill me with the Holy Spirit that I may live boldly and confidently in Jesus’ name, and that I may be willing to live out the implications of my relationship with Him as my Lord. I pray that I will not only affirm what He asks me to do in words, but that I will live it out in my life. I pray that You will give me opportunities today to speak up for You, or to act as one of Your followers in some situation that will influence a non-believer to trust in You. I ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word Today
John 6:28-29
28They replied, “What does God want us to do?”
29Jesus told them, “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Acts 4:13-20
13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14But since the man who had been healed was standing right there among them, the council had nothing to say. 15So they sent Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
16“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny they have done a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their propaganda. We’ll warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18So they called the apostles back in and told them never again to speak or teach about Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.”
Reflecting on God's Word
What has obedience to Jesus meant to you in everyday life?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What is God’s basic desire for our lives according to today’s first reading? (6:28-29)
What distinguishing characteristics did the Jewish leaders note about Peter and John? (4:13-15)
How did Peter and John respond to the Jewish leaders’ instructions to them? (4:16-20)
Understanding God's Purpose for Us
In what way is believing in Jesus fulfilling God’s purpose, according to today’s Scripture?
Why do you think that the Jewish leaders were surprised at Peter and John’s boldness and confidence in the situation?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
In what area(s) of your life do you need to let your decision to serve Jesus as Lord be more evident in your words and actions?
Thoughts...Believing and Doing
After Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000, the people wanted to make Jesus king, or to follow where He led them. Jesus told the crowd that what they really wanted was a “meal ticket.” He told them that they needed to stop emphasizing physical things and to pursue the things of God. In response, the crowd asked a vital question, “What does God want us to do?” Isn’t that THE question for anyone who is serious about following God—how do we do that? Jesus’ answer is, “Believe in the one He has sent.” Jesus is the one God has sent, as we all know. Jesus tells us that THE activity of our lives is to believe in Him! That means more than acknowledging that Jesus exists. It means believing in such a way that it impacts all that we think, say and do! The apostles Peter and John give us a perfect example of what believing in Jesus means, as we read about their boldness before the Jewish leaders in Acts 4. They knew that Jesus was (and is!) the Son of God. They knew that He alone was worthy of obedience. Therefore, when they were told to stop speaking about Jesus, they said, “No way! We must obey God rather than people!” Amen! So must we if we truly believe in Him!
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