Key Passage
"On the judgment day, you people that live now will be compared with the people from Nineveh, and they will be witnesses to show that you are wrong (guilty). Why? Because when Jonah preached to those people, they changed their hearts and lives. And you are listening to someone greater than Jonah, {but you refuse to change}! On the judgment day, you people that live now will also be compared with the Queen of the South, and she will be a witness to show that you are wrong (guilty). Why? Because she traveled from far, far away to listen to Solomon's wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is right here, {but you won't listen to me}!"
— Matthew 12:41-42 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus makes two emphatic claims to his religious skeptics: (1) in the past, foreigners recognized the greatness and wisdom of God's leaders and responded to the truth that they spoke, but Jesus' skeptics did not come to him—they will have to face judgement for being so hard-hearted; (2) Jesus says that he is greater than Jonah or Solomon and his skeptics have rejected him—so their judgement is more than deserved. Jesus is greater! He is greater than Moses, greater than angels, greater than Elijah, greater than John the Baptist; he is greater. To reject him is to reject God's greatest message and our greatest hope.
Prayer
Loving Father, today I want to pray for several of my friends who have not come to faith in Jesus. They have rejected his salvation either by neglect or by a conscious decision. Please open their hearts and work in their lives so they will have another opportunity to come to know Jesus as their Lord and respond to that opportunity. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through Jesus!"
— Acts 4:12
In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. God spoke to them many times and in many different ways. And now in these last days God has spoken to us again. God has spoken to us through his Son. God made the whole world through his Son. And God has chosen his Son to have all things. The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God's nature. The Son holds everything together with his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of the Great One (God) in heaven. God gave him a name that is a much greater name than any of the angels have. And he became that much greater than the angels.
— Hebrews 1:1-4
Jesus answered, "The things I teach are not my own. My teaching comes from him (God) who sent me. If a person wants to do what God wants, then that person will know that my teaching comes from God. That person will know that this teaching is not my own.
— John 7:16-17
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
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"On the judgment day, you people that live now will be compared with the people from Nineveh, and they will be witnesses to show that you are wrong (guilty). Why? Because when Jonah preached to those people, they changed their hearts and lives. And you are listening to someone greater than Jonah, {but you refuse to change}! On the judgment day, you people that live now will also be compared with the Queen of the South, and she will be a witness to show that you are wrong (guilty). Why? Because she traveled from far, far away to listen to Solomon's wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is right here, {but you won't listen to me}!"
— Matthew 12:41-42 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus makes two emphatic claims to his religious skeptics: (1) in the past, foreigners recognized the greatness and wisdom of God's leaders and responded to the truth that they spoke, but Jesus' skeptics did not come to him—they will have to face judgement for being so hard-hearted; (2) Jesus says that he is greater than Jonah or Solomon and his skeptics have rejected him—so their judgement is more than deserved. Jesus is greater! He is greater than Moses, greater than angels, greater than Elijah, greater than John the Baptist; he is greater. To reject him is to reject God's greatest message and our greatest hope.
Prayer
Loving Father, today I want to pray for several of my friends who have not come to faith in Jesus. They have rejected his salvation either by neglect or by a conscious decision. Please open their hearts and work in their lives so they will have another opportunity to come to know Jesus as their Lord and respond to that opportunity. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through Jesus!"
— Acts 4:12
In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. God spoke to them many times and in many different ways. And now in these last days God has spoken to us again. God has spoken to us through his Son. God made the whole world through his Son. And God has chosen his Son to have all things. The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God's nature. The Son holds everything together with his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of the Great One (God) in heaven. God gave him a name that is a much greater name than any of the angels have. And he became that much greater than the angels.
— Hebrews 1:1-4
Jesus answered, "The things I teach are not my own. My teaching comes from him (God) who sent me. If a person wants to do what God wants, then that person will know that my teaching comes from God. That person will know that this teaching is not my own.
— John 7:16-17
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.