Matthew opens his account of Jesus’ resurrection with faithful women. Matthew 28:1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. [1] John was the only disciple at Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:26). The rest were behind locked doors in fear. But the …
Jesus wept over Jerusalem even as the people praised Him. Luke 19: 41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your …
The Pharisees wanted Jesus to hush the crowd. But Jesus told them the stones will cry out if the crowd kept quiet. Luke 19: 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst …
When we don’t understand God’s plan, it should not stop us from trusting Him. It is often only in retrospect that we realize why God unfolded His plan as He did. Sometimes, we may never understand God’s plan for our lives on this side of eternity, and we must be okay with that. When the …
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, what was the reason for praising Jesus? Luke tells us that His followers began to praise God for all the miracles that Jesus had done. The people rejoicing over Jesus were most likely Jewish pilgrims on their way to the Temple for the Passover celebration. Much of Jesus’ ministry had been …
Following God takes obedience, which is simple but profound. Adam and Eve failed to obey the Lord and fell into sin that continues to have repercussions. When asked to build the Ark, Noah did not question the Lord but began to build a boat on dry land when it had never rained. Abraham obeyed when …
Trusting God with our resources is His desire for us and grows out of our relationship with Him. As we grow in faith, we also trust the Lord to guide our lives even when it doesn’t seem logical. Martin Luther King Jr. said this about faith. “Faith is taking the first step, even when you …
When following the Lord is difficult, we may question God or want to take an easier way. A friend was a Hindu until he came to know Jesus as his Savior. Later, when he told his family, they beat him and threw him out of the house, and so began his journey of following the …
Can salvation be lost? People have asked this for centuries. During Holy Week, Jesus taught many significant truths in Jerusalem. In the Parable of the Three Servants, one servant fell away, giving us insight into salvation. According to their abilities, one servant received five bags of silver, a second two bags, and a third one …
Giving an account to God sounds a little ominous. God loves us and died for our sins, but He will also call us into account for the gifts He has given us, including the gift of salvation. The Lord illustrates this in the parable of the Three Servants as He taught in Jerusalem during Holy …