Bible Prophecy

Bible Prophecy

Read John 19:23, 24 (see also Matt. 27:35). What prophetic significance does the Bible give to what happened there, and why is it important?

This bible lets us know that this event was a fulfillment of bible prophecy. Long before this event happened it was written of in the scriptures. This lets us know that Jesus was truly the Messiah, and His entire life was a manifestation of bible prophecy. The fulfillment of these details in Jesus’s life reveal who He really was. Jesus did not want us to have any doubt in our minds about his first coming or his second coming.

What biblical prophecies have you found the most faith affirming, especially in times of need, especially in times when trials have tested your faith?

The bible prophecy that is most striking to me is the prophecy of Daniel chapter 2. When I first read this story I was amazed at how history could be found in the bible. This prophecy lets me know that if could could predict the future then He knows what is going to happen in my life. Because God knows the future I can trust him with my future, and my today.

Prayer: Father thank you for bible prophecy. Thank you for letting us know ahead of time about Jesus so that we could be prepared. Help us to put our trust in you. Thank you in Jesus name amen.

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Bible Prophecy

Related posts:

1. The Spirit of Prophecy
2. Fulfilled Prophecy
3. Suffering Servant – Garments of Mockery

Righteous indignation

Righteous Indignation

Read Matthew 26:59–68. What can we read into the high priest's rending of his garments in response to Christ's answer to him? See also Mark 15:38, Heb. 8:1.

The high priest could not believe what what he heard from Jesus. When Jesus confirmed that He was the Messiah at once the high priest ripped his garments. When individuals would tear their garments it was a sign of righteous indignation. When the high priest did this it showed what he believed about Jesus.

The lesson makes this point

The symbolism of that rending was profound. This was the beginning of the end of the entire earthly sacrificial system and priesthood. A new and better one was soon to be inaugurated, with Christ as the new High Priest ministering in the sanctuary in heaven.

The ripping of the high priests  garments was not only a depiction of righteous indignation, but also a foretelling of what God would do. The ripping of the kings  garments also showed how Jesus would have to die for the sins of the word. Also just as the high priest tore his garments, Jesus’s death would tear the veil of  the sanctuary and inaugurate a new order of things.

In what ways could we be so caught up in our own sense of self-righteousness, our own sense of moral and spiritual superiority, that we could be blind to the important truths that the Lord wants us to learn?

The pharisees are a perfect example of a group of people who missed the point of religion all together. The pharisees desired to be completely morally correct, but in their correctness they push out the Christ. We should never seek to be so moral that we stop being Christian. There is noting wrong with exhibiting zeal in righteous indignation but we must be sure it is for the right reason.

Prayer: Father please teach us to be balanced. Help us to exhibit true Christianity wherever we are. Father we thank you for your love an grace, in Jesus name amen.

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Righteous indignation

Related posts:

1. Faith Healing "Who Touched My Clothes?"
2. A New Set of Clothes
3. The Priesthood

Suffering Servant

Suffering Servant

"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matt. 27:27–29). Think about what is happening in these verses. What terrible irony do you see? What do these verses tell us about human ignorance, cruelty, and foolishness? How do these verses, in their own dramatic way, symbolize what the world does to its Creator and Redeemer, even today? See also Luke 23:10, 11; Mark 15:17–20.

These individuals did not realize what they were doing, they were mocking the king of the universe. Jesus at this point showed His true character as God and, they also showed the true character of humanity. Jesus was a true suffering servant. He did not raise a hand in defense but He took the shame and humiliation for humanity. The same way today we mock Jesus. We use Jesus’s name in vain and we also joke about religious things. Even though we do not literally beat Jesus as the soldiers did, we symbolically do it with our words and actions.

How do you respond when treated unfairly? What can you take from His example that could help you deal differently the next time it happens?

Often times when we are treated unfairly we want to immediately retaliate and stand up for ourselves. Sometimes we need to take a loss of pride an suffer for the sake of the kingdom. I don’t believe that we should be pushovers but we should pick our battles wisely. Even though Jesus was treated unjustly He suffered for us.

Prayer:  Father thank you for Jesus and the example that He left for us. Please teach us to be humble and meek as He was. Thank you in Jesus name amen.

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Suffering Servant

Related posts:

1. Atonement Announced – The Servant of the Lord
2. Foot Washing – He "Laid Aside His Garments"
3. A Question of Faith

Faith Healing?

Faith Healing

Read Mark 5:24–34 and Luke 8:43–48. What significance can be found in the fact that the woman believed all she had to do was touch Jesus' garment to find healing?

First we have to understand what was the situation of this woman. The bible tells us that she suffered bleeding for twelve years, and she suffered many things because of her bleeding. This woman had been to every doctor in town, and spent all of her money but she still found no healing.

It was when she was at her wits end that she decided to go to a man named Jesus. The woman heard that Jesus was amazing, and had done many miracles. The woman believed that Jesus could heal her, and she went to Jesus expecting this faith healing.

There was nothing special about Jesus’ clothes, it was the woman’s faith which touched Jesus. Her faith did not touch His clothes, but her faith touched His divinity. The woman came with an issue of blood but she left with her faith healing.

Why would Jesus ask who touched His garment?

Jesus asked this question because He recognized that this woman touched Him differently than all the other people in the crowd. In addition to this Jesus also wanted to share the testimony of the woman’s healing with the crown. There may have been others in the crowd who also needed healing, and this testimony would inspire others.

How can we learn to come to the Lord, as did this woman, in faith and submission, aware of our own helplessness? More so, how can we maintain faith and trust in Him when the healing that we ask for doesn't come as we want it to?

For some things there are not any steps to accomplishing them, you just do it. Faith is like a muscle and it grow when you exercise it. When must trust God with the little things, and as we see His faithful care in these things we will be able to trust Him in greater things. We must develop a relationship with Jesus, and obey Him by faith. When things do not go as we expect we must remember what God has done for us in the past.

Prayer: Father thank you for this story of faith healing. Teach us to trust in you despite the apparent severity of our condition. Grant us the faith of this woman we pray, in Jesus name amen.

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Faith Healing

Related posts:

1. Faith and Miraculous Healing
2. "If I May Touch His Clothes . . ."
3. A Question of Faith

Foot Washing

Read Matthew 20:20–28. What important lesson had the disciples totally failed to grasp, even after all this time with Jesus?

I always laugh when I read this story because it reveals to us so many dynamics about the human nature. James and John really wanted to be first, so much so that they had their mother to come and speak with Jesus. James and John hey did not really know what the were asking. By being on Jesu’s right and left they expected a position of power and authority, but it was really a position of servant-hood. Jesus’s kingdom involved a cross and all those who reigned with him must be crucified. James and John did not understand this concept.

Read John 13:1–16. What lesson is Jesus giving here? Why is this in so many ways key to what it means to be a follower of Jesus?

The thing that was so striking about Jesus’s example was the fact that foot washing was something for servants. Jesus took it upon himself to do the foot washing that no one else wanted to do. Jesus showed that true leadership and greatness is seen in servant-hood not authoritarian rule. The way to greatness was paved with humility and service. To be a disciple of Jesus we must be willing to serve other , Jesus left us this example.

How "low" are you willing to go for the good of others? When was the last time you "took off your outer garment" in order to minister to the needs of those around you?

The question that I have to ask myself is what would I want someone to do for me? When I am in a difficult situation or I need hope what would I want done for me? When we think of this it should be the measure for the extent to which we help another. To extend ourselves for others may be risky, or even risque , but we must serve as we would want to be served.

Prayer: Father thank you for you example in foot washing. Teach us to lay aside our garments and become servants for you. Thank you Father in Jesus name amen.

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Foot Washing

Related posts:

1. Leadership Crisis in the Early Church
2. Servanthood