Key Passage
"The person that can accept me is blessed."
— Matthew 11:6 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
John's question to Jesus about his Messiahship helps prepare us for the road that lies ahead in Matthew's story of Jesus. Jesus will be repeatedly rejected and criticized for healing activities that follow. Hostility intensifies between Jesus and the religious powerbrokers of his day. They reject him. But underneath this repeated pattern is another pattern of even greater significance. While Jesus continues to heal and care for the crowds, he intensifies the training of his disciples. All that he warned them about when he sent them out to minister now comes true in his own ministry. Clearly Jesus is preparing them for the dark times ahead while at the same time placing the truth of God in their hearts to sustain them. For nearly every believer who honors Jesus as Lord, there will come a time of darkness and struggle. In those moments of doubt in the Savior's presence and grace, this statement in today's Scripture should always be a reminder that some roads the Savior walks, some roads the Savior leads us down, are hard. Some may even end in a cross, but even then, they also lead us to glory.
Prayer
Most holy and powerful God, through your Spirit please help me understand the full range of Jesus' ministry. I don't want to conform Jesus to my desires. I want him to be Lord—not just on my lips, but in my heart and soul and mind. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan. God knew those people before he made the world. And God decided that those people would be like his Son (Jesus). Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.
— Romans 8:28-29
We should always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus is the leader in our faith. And he makes our faith perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But Jesus accepted the shame of the cross like it was nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God's throne. Think about Jesus. He was patient while sinful men were doing bad things against him. Think about him, so that you also will be patient and not stop trying.
— Hebrews 12:2-3
Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles. Jesus criticized those cities because the people there did not change their lives and stop sinning. Jesus said, "It will be bad for you Chorazin. It will be bad for you Bethsaida. I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, then those people in Tyre and Sidon would have changed their lives a long time ago. Those people would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they were sorry for their sins.
— Matthew 11:20-21
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
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"The person that can accept me is blessed."
— Matthew 11:6 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
John's question to Jesus about his Messiahship helps prepare us for the road that lies ahead in Matthew's story of Jesus. Jesus will be repeatedly rejected and criticized for healing activities that follow. Hostility intensifies between Jesus and the religious powerbrokers of his day. They reject him. But underneath this repeated pattern is another pattern of even greater significance. While Jesus continues to heal and care for the crowds, he intensifies the training of his disciples. All that he warned them about when he sent them out to minister now comes true in his own ministry. Clearly Jesus is preparing them for the dark times ahead while at the same time placing the truth of God in their hearts to sustain them. For nearly every believer who honors Jesus as Lord, there will come a time of darkness and struggle. In those moments of doubt in the Savior's presence and grace, this statement in today's Scripture should always be a reminder that some roads the Savior walks, some roads the Savior leads us down, are hard. Some may even end in a cross, but even then, they also lead us to glory.
Prayer
Most holy and powerful God, through your Spirit please help me understand the full range of Jesus' ministry. I don't want to conform Jesus to my desires. I want him to be Lord—not just on my lips, but in my heart and soul and mind. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan. God knew those people before he made the world. And God decided that those people would be like his Son (Jesus). Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.
— Romans 8:28-29
We should always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus is the leader in our faith. And he makes our faith perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But Jesus accepted the shame of the cross like it was nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God's throne. Think about Jesus. He was patient while sinful men were doing bad things against him. Think about him, so that you also will be patient and not stop trying.
— Hebrews 12:2-3
Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles. Jesus criticized those cities because the people there did not change their lives and stop sinning. Jesus said, "It will be bad for you Chorazin. It will be bad for you Bethsaida. I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, then those people in Tyre and Sidon would have changed their lives a long time ago. Those people would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they were sorry for their sins.
— Matthew 11:20-21
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
