Category Archives: Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Church / Body of Christ, Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers, Hearing from God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Jesus’ Appearance Was Transformed

In Matthew 17:1-13, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to a high mountain to be alone and what they witness is amazing. For these three disciples it is another incredibly personal exposure to God. Jesus clearly wanted them to be witness to these events.

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man[b] has been raised from the dead.”

10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?[c]”

11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Jesus clearly wanted Peter, James and John to witness this event, even though He did not want them to tell anyone until after He was raised from the dead. Jesus is not seeking personal glory in His earthly ministry. God confirms that He is pleased with the life of Jesus, reaffirming that Jesus’ earthly ministry is the example of how God wants us, as His followers, to live.

We see again reference to the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man rather than one or the other. God refers to Jesus as His “son” and Jesus refers to Himself as “Son of Man”.

We also see that when God reveals Himself directly to His people it can actually make people afraid. This is a theme that repeats throughout scripture in other examples like when God appeared to His people at Mt. Sinai and when God’s messengers, angels, appear to people. It can be an overwhelming experience.

At the close of the scripture we are also reminded that those who claim special knowledge  because they are in positions of religious authority often get it wrong. They not only abused and persecuted just about every prophet God sent, but completely missed the role of John the Baptist… even though they were looking for the return of Elijah as part of their own teaching. They completely missed the role of Jesus even though they were looking for the Messiah as part of their own teaching as well!

Many who were less “educated” or who were not in positions of religious authority could see clearly when the Pharisees and Sadducees could not. We are not called to blindly follow our religious leaders, but rather study scripture and get to know God’s word ourselves. We are not only to participate with other believers in a congregation but also study and seek God prayerfully in families and small groups to ensure a solid  foundation to living out our faith. Then when we are actually better positioned to help our faith based leaders and to discern which should be followed and which should be rebuked.

Reflect on what it would be like to be on the mountain top with Peter, James, and John as they experience that event. Would that change your life… making you more confident and bold in studying scripture, praying humbly, submitting your life to Jesus,  and sharing the good news of the gospel with more passion?

Jesus wanted us to know about this event after He died and rose again! That is why He brought the disciples and why it is in the Biblical text. Jesus wants us to accept it every bit as much as if we were there with Him on the mountain top!

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Character of God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-20 directly confirms that Jesus is both man and God. He self identifies as the Son of Man and then also praises Peter when Peter identifies Jesus as the Son of the living God.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[c]

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[d] the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,[e] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[f] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[g] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid[h] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[i] on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

We could have an interesting discussion on why Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah at this time. Ultimately we can only speculate on this but perhaps a simple explanation is just that it was not yet time to reveal His full identity. In His later ministry He no longer warns people not to tell that He is Messiah… in fact He openly admits He is God.

Jesus makes a strong statement that He is founding His church upon a rock… a solid foundation. Observe that in context of how Jesus refers to church in the gospels He is not referring to a single congregation of believers or a building. Jesus refers to the church as those who accept Him as God, wherever they are across the world and across time.

Further, the rock, which is the foundation of the church can not be simply one man, Peter. Jesus did not come down to live and die among us for Peter to be the foundation of the church… the eternal fellowship of believers in Jesus as God. In context of other scriptures, we know that Jesus is the head of the church, not Peter. In another scripture, Jesus is presented as the groom and the church as the bride… once again clearly putting Jesus as the leader of the church.

The rock upon which the church is built, which all the power of Hell can never conquer is simply the truth that God revealed to Peter and Peter just used to answer Jesus a few moments earlier.

  16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[d] the Son of the living God.”

The rock that is the foundation of the church is that Jesus is the son of the living God… that Jesus is God.

One might also observe that Jesus did not say the church will not be challenged, but rather that it will not be conquered… destroyed. The church is always challenged and attacked… often by those who claim to be part of the church.

Reflect for a few moments…

  • How have you been thinking of Jesus’ earthly ministry? Did you realize He was fully man and fully God?  As you think about His earthly ministry, does this bring forth any new insights? What are the implications?
  • The most foundational principle for the church is that Jesus is God revealed to us. All Christians fundamentally accept this as fact… or they are not Christian.  Does this truth direct the choices you make in your life? Do you study His word daily? Seek Him in prayer as He instructed? Do you submit to Him or plan your own agenda?

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Show Me A Sign To Prove Your Authority

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Jesus performed many miraculous signs throughout His earthly ministry, the most miraculous being His death and resurrection. Some saw and believed in Him as God and some rejected Him, despite the evidence they themselves witnessed.

In Matthew 12:38-45, we saw Jesus cast out demons only to be accused of being prince of demons and then immediately after that He is asked to show a miraculous sign. It is almost unbelievable that some are so convinced in their unbelief that they are not open to objectively evaluating the case for Christ, even when He Himself was right in front of them.

In Matthew 16:1-4, we see that the Pharisees and Sadducees once again come to demand a sign from Jesus. They have thus far ignored or attacked Him for every other miracle He has performed… but now they demand another.

16 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times![a] 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.[b]” Then Jesus left them and went away.

Jesus points out that they are smart enough to assess signs around them and draw correct conclusions. He gives an example regarding weather patterns. But then He rebukes them for not interpreting the signs and miracles He is performing all around them. His next comment about an evil and adulterous generation is likely specific to the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding a sign as they ignore the ones He  provided or worse, attack Him for the signs and miracles He has already given. Bottom line is that they are choosing to reject Jesus as God, despite the evidence.

Jesus once again, as He did in Matthew 12, points to the sign of Jonah, which represents His death and resurrection… a miraculous and publicly witnessed and well documented event.

Whether 2000 years ago or today… Jesus has provided and documented for us many signs for us to look to for evidence. Why do so many quickly reject the signs He provided only to ask God to give them a sign?

Each of us should reflect periodically on the following questions.

  • Do I really accept Jesus as God?
  • If not, why not? What is holding me back?
  • If so, does my life reflect that through my actions, thoughts, and priorities reflected by how I spend time and money and how I treat people? Be careful not to measure yourself against what others are doing or say you should be doing. The correct measuring stick is to compare ourselves to what God says we should be doing and the example Jesus set in His earthly ministry.
  • Are you still looking for a sign before you fully commit? Have you devoted time to really studying God’s word and other historical evidence to evaluate the signs He already provided?

To get a quick start on studying, please visit our Study the Word  section of our website for recommended resources, many of which are available online for free.

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Study the Evidence of the Resurrection Objectively

We see examples in scripture where Pharisees and Sadducees make up wild explanations to explain away the miracles Jesus was plainly doing in the name of God right before their very eyes. People today who do not want to believe in Jesus continue to do the same today.

There is strong evidence of the following, for those who are willing to genuinely study it with an open mind, seeking truth rather than seeking to justify positions they already hold that reject Jesus.

  • Jesus was a real historical figure who performed many miracles
  • Jesus claimed to be God
  • Jesus was brutally tortured, crucified, killed, and buried in a tomb
  • On the third day, the tomb was empty despite guard by Roman soldiers
  • Jesus appeared before many witnesses after His death
  • The disciples were transformed through the death and resurrection of Jesus from those who would hide or deny Him (e.g. Peter) to those willing to suffer and die to proclaim Him.

It is difficult to capture the detailed study of each in a devotional or post. Each of these points can be, and have been, more fully developed by Christian scholars in a variety of books. There are also additional evidences including fulfillment of prophecy that are powerful testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ as God.

I encourage each of you to spend time studying objectively to convince yourselves where the evidence really leads. Even if you believe and already follow Jesus,  studying the evidence can better prepare you to share testimony with non-believers or just to strengthen your own faith for trials that may come your way.

Couple recommendations to get a quick start…

  • Christianity on Trial: Does the Christian faith hold up under scrutiny? What does science tell us about the plausibility of a god? Can we trust the alleged eyewitness testimony of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
  • The Third Day, by Hank Hanegraaff, examines factual evidences from the fatal torment and empty tomb to Christ’s appearances and transformation in a way that builds Christians’ confidence in sharing the truth of the gospel.
  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi, describes a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity including the friendships, experiences and investigation that led to conversion.
  • Josh McDowell Ministry, at www.Josh.org. As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith.

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Evidence in Scripture, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles

Jesus Heals the Mute, Crippled, Lame, and Blind!

Matthew 15 is filled with inspiring record of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus talks about inner purity, the importance of following God’s law instead of man’s tradition, and responds in compassion to the request of the gentile woman to cast out a demon. What follows next in Matthew 15:29-31 is nothing short of amazing.

29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

It is all too easy to read quickly over these few lines of scripture. But if we intentionally pause and dwell on this scripture we see another amazing record where Jesus performed His miracles in front of large crowds. It was certainly no slight of hand or trick, but the power of God Himself. Those who could not talk could now talk… the lame, the blind, the crippled… all healed in front of large crowds that had known these people and known that they were truly suffering with these conditions before Jesus healed them.

There will always be those like the Pharisees, who make up wild reasons to rationalize Jesus was not God. They look at the evidence and then choose to make up explanations to avoid the natural and obvious conclusion that Jesus is God. Some major world religion is based on logic such as this… rejecting the accurate record of the Bible and creating new records that just make up a new story about Jesus to say He is only a prophet and that He did not die for us and come back from the dead… despite irrefutable evidence of the public and brutal execution and the empty tomb and the many witnesses who saw Him for 40 days after He rose from the dead.

Jesus was clearly recognizable by the crowds and they saw in mass the miracles He performed during His earthly ministry. As His followers, we can know that He is God… just like He said. He does not ask us to just take His word for it, but rather came down to live among us and leave us much evidence.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hearing from God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News

Jesus Was Not Honored In His Hometown or Amongst His Family

Matthew 13:53-58 reveals to us how Jesus was rejected in Nazareth despite people observing that He had great wisdom and power to do miracles. The scoffed at Him and dismissed Him… some were deeply offended by Him.

53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. 54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph,[f] Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

It is common for us to tend to dismiss those we know as having special wisdom or relationship with God and instead look to strangers. Similarly human nature sometimes leads us to trust those that are like us and reject those that are different from us based on appearance or language or home country. We should always challenge ourselves to test what a person teaches against scripture itself, not against our biases or opinions of where they were from or what they look like or whether or not we know them.

There is also much encouragement for those who follow God’s instruction to share the gospel with others. Do not be discouraged by those who come against you or dismiss your efforts telling you “Who are you to teach people?” Look and see that Jesus received the same treatment. He did not let it discourage Him. Study the word, as Jesus did, to learn greater depth and understanding. Continue to proclaim God’s word boldly and share the gospel with others.

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Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Wickedness / Evil

Parable of the Fishing Net

Jesus continues to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven through  parables in Matthew 13:47-52 using a comparison to a fishing net.

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

It is important to recognize once again that not all of us will go into heaven to spend eternity with God. We must choose the offer of grace through Jesus which also leads to repenting from our sin and changing our behavior and thoughts. We can not just keep sinning and ignoring God or outright rejecting Him and then expect Him to accept us into heaven.

We must not claim to be His followers and wear the label Christian, but then not submit to His leadership and follow Him. God calls us to change our behaviors to be righteous, not to change the interpretation of scripture or laws of man to accept our sins.

The good news is that we do not have to be perfect! We can put our faith and hope in Jesus Christ and genuinely repent of our sins (yes, imperfectly) and seek to follow Him wholeheartedly. We can proclaim His message loudly and try to bring others with us to Jesus.

One final observation… Jesus calls out the teachers of religious law that become disciples of Kingdom of Heaven… these are two separate things. Many who are or just seem knowledgeable as religious leaders are not disciples in the Kingdom of Heaven. Even Satan knows the word of God very well. The difference is a matter of the heart and the desire to serve God or serve themselves.

Praise God for those teachers and church leaders who are disciples of Jesus! They are messengers bringing joy to the world.  Please look for opportunities to thank and encourage those who teach God’s whole word according to the Bible. Many will reject them for it, but the encouragement is great when receiving it genuinely from their flock.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Parables, Righteousness / Serving God

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like A Mustard Seed

Jesus continues teaching in parables in Matthew 13:31-35.

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Jesus is not providing a lesson on plants, so do not get distracted by the fact that there are smaller seeds and larger plants. He is using memorable word pictures to help people understand and remember His message. This parable applies to the church, those who submit to and follow Jesus. From something small and seemingly unimportant… a few disciples… comes forth a body of believers that is large and significant and impacts many in a positive way.

Jesus continues with a separate, similar parable to continue driving the point home.

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Once again the parable of the yeast reminds us that something small and seemingly insignificant, a small body of followers of Jesus, can affect the whole loaf… or known world.

Both of these parables convey the rapid growth of the church from seemingly irrelevant to wonderfully significant. They may also be thought of in terms of our individual faith and service to God. When we each as individuals accept Jesus and begin on our journey toward living for the kingdom of God, we start with but a little part of us reflecting Jesus but given time and effort we can grow our faith to guide our entire l lives.

34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables.
    I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[c]”

Jesus speaks in parables to reveal truth about the kingdom of God for those who will hear it and accept it. Others will dismiss it as stories and miss the point.

Ask yourself… “Am I allowing God’s instruction to affect all aspects of my life? Why not? What area(s) am I holding back and not submitting to God?”

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Suffering / Adversity

Sharing God’s Word – Parable of Farmer Planting Seeds

Jesus prepares us for sharing God’s word through the parable of the farmer planting seeds in Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus Himself even provides the explanation at the end to describe what the parable means.

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’[b]

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I find great encouragement in this parable. I am reminded that my role is to be the farmer planting seeds and I have the opportunity in some cases to help the plant grow by watering or fertilizing with more discussion about the gospel and prayer or sharing personal testimony. I am not responsible for the plant to grow… I can not accept Jesus on someone else’s behalf.

I should not expect that every encounter where I share the good news of Jesus Christ will result in transformed lives, but I keep on planting seeds for those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Praise God for giving us His written word! Praise God for coming to walk among us as man in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God and how to relate to Him! Praise God for dying for our sins! Let us help as many as we can to come to know Him.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Share the Good News

Salvation In Jesus Through Grace Alone

We gain important insight into salvation in Romans 10:1-15.

10 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[c] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.”[d]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[e] 12 Jew and Gentile[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[g]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[h]

A few key comments that strike me from this passage:

  • As followers of Jesus, we want God’s people to be saved. We want them to do more than claim the label Christian, but to understand God’s word and change their lives and hearts to seek Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • Often even people with zeal for God end up on the wrong path, seeking to do things their way instead of God’s way. This is true of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus when this scripture was written and is true today of people who accept their sin or the sins of others and ignore the Bible because they do not want to change or cannot see the need to change.
  • None of us can meet God’s holy standard for salvation by ourselves, our sin comes between us and God.
  • God loved us enough to make a way to reconcile and forgive that sin through grace alone. We are to openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. 
  • We are all called to be messengers of the good news of the gospel, the news of forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ with the world.  

We must ask ourselves… Do we really believe? Are we sharing the good news? Are we proclaiming Jesus Christ as our lord and savior? Does our life… our behaviors and thoughts … reflect our submission to Jesus and His teaching? Are we in fact living differently from the world of non-Christians and people who claim the label of Christian but live the lifestyle of the world?

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