The cross changed everything when Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Think how faith in Jesus has changed your life now and in eternity. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, it did not catch the Lord by surprise. Paul says that God had a plan to redeem humanity, an extension of His …
Jesus reveals Himself through actions, showing He is the Messiah as He begins His ministry. In the Old Testament, Isaiah the prophet spoke of the signs the Messiah would do when He came. Isaiah 35:5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame …
Even John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus. John was in prison because the governor, Herod Antipas, didn’t like what John said. John had seen the Spirit descend and the Father speak at the baptism of Jesus. Yet, John seems puzzled because Jesus may not be the Messiah he expected. Luke 3: 16 John answered their …
The ministries of Jesus and John differed. This may be one reason John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the one they were expecting. John’s mission was to call the Jewish people to repent and prepare their hearts to receive Jesus. He was uncompromising in calling out sin in his preaching. …
In the story of a man healed by the Pool of Bethesda, we see a man who accepted the gift but ignored the giver. Jesus seemed to specifically pick this man to heal. When Jesus told him to stand, pick up his mat, and walk, the man did immediately. The miraculous healing enabled the man …
Don’t miss the gift of salvation. I had preached this on Christmas Eve several years ago. People who may not know the Lord come to worship with family and friends at Christmas. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, people may hear the message of salvation for the first time. I remember one gentleman sitting …
Look for God at work around you, and don’t be surprised how fantastic He is. As we go through life, sometimes we don’t lift our heads long enough to smell the roses and see what God is doing. While Jesus was going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Holy Days, He ministered to a man …
The story of the healing by the pool shows a problem of religiosity. According to Miriam-Webster, religiosity is intense, excessive, or fervent religiousness. [1] John 5: 9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to …
Jesus gives us more than we ask because God is generous. Paul writes about this generosity. Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. [1] Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote …
Jesus asked a curious question to an ill man. John 5: 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” [1] This man had been seeking healing at the pool of Bethesda, along with many others. He had been ill for …