Jesus loved children…He loved all ages, from babies , to teenagers. And they loved Him back! That’s why the Disciples were always shooing away little ones from around His feet. The children were constantly clamoring for His attention, wanting to crawl up in His lap…drawn by His gentle and trusting ways. Waiting for a hug, a smile, and a kind word from Jesus. Maybe today…you too need a hug and a smile from your Savior…He’s waiting for you to climb up in His lap.
Tag: jesus
John 19:40 ” Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.”
Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were members of the Jewish Council, but both were also secretly disciples of Jesus. Observance of the Law caused Joseph to boldly ask Pilate for the body, for it was Preparation Day, and the sun was quickly setting…they didn’t want the body of Jesus to remain on the cross during the Sabbath. So these two Teachers of the Law carefully prepared their Lord’s body according to custom, but pondering all the while what Jesus had said was to come.
Mark 14:10 ” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.”
Mark made a special point of showing that Judas had been one of the Lord’s trusted Disciples…that he had lived, traveled, and watched Jesus perform countless miracles over the span of those three years…but chose in the end to abandon Him for monetary gain. All of us would think to ourselves, “I’d never do such a thing to Jesus!” But every time we’re unfaithful to His teachings – we’re betraying Him. Every time we sell Jesus out for the things of the world – we’re turning our back on the Lord. Judas may have gone down in history as the great betrayer, but we’re all as guilty as he.
Mark 9:33-34 ” They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”
Pride and arrogance rears its ugly head in the oddest of places, with the least likely of people. Here were the Lord’s Disciples, who had lived and been mentored by Jesus for almost three years, disputing amongst themselves who was the greatest. I can only imagine Jesus just shaking His head in disbelief…wondering if they had retained anything He had been teaching… about servanthood and self-sacrifice…about putting others first before themselves…about being humble.
Hebrews 13:15 ” Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name.”
When was the last time you confessed Jesus as Lord? When was the last time you celebrated with public praise -(which is what confess means)- for what He’s done in your life? Not only does it build up your faith, but it builds up the faith of those around you.
Today, practice public praise!
John 11:44 Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes, and let him go.’ “
The Lord was standing at the open grave of Lazarus…it had been four days since he had died, but that didn’t deter Jesus. In a loud voice He had called out, “Lazarus, come out!”
And out he walked – slowly, awkwardly, still covered with the burial shroud. Many times this happens to new Believers…Jesus calls them from death unto life, but they’re still bound up by “things” of the world…things such as addictions, and thus can’t be totally free. But Jesus desires that we all be free from the hindrances that bind us to the past…He wants us also to be loosed from our grave-clothes.
Mark 8:29 ” But what about you? He asked, Who do you say I am?”
If Jesus had asked you this question, how would you reply? Would you speak of your relationship with Him, or tell of how He impacted your life for the good? Or would you simply just say…You are my Lord and Savior, and by Your shed blood I have been saved.
John 4:50 ” Jesus replied, ‘ You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at His word and departed.”
Jesus healed in many ways. Here, He did not even see or touch the royal official’s son…He just spoke life into his dying body. But it’s what the father did that was truly amazing – he believed Jesus. No demanding of proof…no questioning of methods – he simply took Jesus at His word that his boy would be healed, and headed home. So when he met his servants on the way back, hearing that his son was alive and well, he inquired as to the exact time it had happened. “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” At that moment, he knew that he knew, Jesus was the Messiah…and it says that the entire household put their faith in Christ.
Mark 11:14 ” Then He said to the tree, ‘May no one eat fruit from you again.’ “
Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, when Jesus stopped to look for figs in this tree…but there weren’t any, which was very odd. Fig trees in this region of the world usually had fruit on them year round. So the next morning , as they passed by the fig tree again, they saw it was withered up. Jesus had cursed this tree to make a very pointed comparison between it and the fruitlessness of Israel. As Isaiah lamented…”All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good.” (Isaiah 65:2)
II Corinthians 3:18 ” And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
What do you see when you look in the mirror? You see an image, a reflection of yourself. But if you confess Jesus as your Savior, you have been spiritually transformed into His image also. So when people look at you…they should see Jesus.
Safetypinlove 