Author: Kerry

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

Path to Becoming Our King

Daily Devotion – March 30, 2021

Devotion based on Philippians 2:5-11

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Jesus’ path to becoming King of your heart started long before Holy Week. He had announced his “candidacy” at different times. Months before his death and resurrection, Jesus told his disciples exactly what would happen. Decades before that, the Christmas angel announced a campaign slogan of sorts: “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” And centuries before that, our Savior-King released “press statements” of his promises through the prophets sent in his name.

The path Jesus took reveals much about his character. While every other person on earth gets caught up with self-promotion and “looking out for number one,” Jesus truly held the interests of others always ahead of his own. Rather than cling to his glory as the Son of God, he humbly set it aside so that he might serve us.

His path also tells us much about what he came to accomplish. His journey to the cross was both purposeful and fruitful. He was “obedient to death” so as to pay for the sins of all mankind. His name is above every name because “there is no other name on earth by which we must be saved.”

Finally, Jesus’ path to kingship reveals what it means to live in his kingdom. His is a kingdom that is never-ending but was brought about by death. Our king was cursed; we are blessed. In his kingdom, there is no place for shameless self-promotion, but only selflessness and self-sacrificial love for one another.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, grant me the same self-sacrificing attitude as you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Mark 11:9,10

Sing Hosanna to Our Savior King

Daily Devotion – March 29, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 11:9,10

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The crowds in Jerusalem that gathered for the Passover festival were riding a spiritual high. They were singing hosanna, waving palm branches, and acclaiming Jesus as their King and the promised Messiah. But by Monday, they were already starting to slip. By Tuesday, they weren’t so sure anymore about this Jesus fellow. And by Friday morning, many were screaming for his blood. Their Sunday “hosannas” were so quickly forgotten.

“Hosanna” is a Hebrew word which evolved in meaning and usage over time. Originally, hosanna was a kind of prayer, something like “Please save us!” But by the time of Jesus, it was mostly used as a joyful acclamation, like saying, “All hail!” So when the crowd shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” many were caught up in the moment of splendor and nationalistic pride, trying to recapture the glory days of King David.

Hosanna was, in fact, the word that should have been on their lips—not in boastful pride, but rather as a fervent plea by sinners who know they have no way to rescue themselves.

Like the crowd in Jerusalem, we so easily forget what we need Jesus for. It is essential that we understand this if our hosanna is going to last longer than a day. We must understand that the reason Jesus came was because of our sin. He didn’t come just to be worshiped and praised, but we praise, worship, and serve him because he came to die. Humbly laying down his innocent life to pay for our guilt, Jesus opened up heaven to all who repent and believe. When we keep all this in mind, our hosannas will ring truer and remain on our lips longer.

Prayer:
Blessed are you, Jesus, who came in the name of the Lord to save us! Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9

See Your King

Daily Devotion – March 28, 2021

Devotion based on Zechariah 9:9

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It was a very strange parade, a one-man procession into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. In today’s reading from the Bible, we view that Palm Sunday parade through the eyes of a prophet who lived five hundred years before the event occurred, yet he writes as though it’s already happening. The prophet Zechariah says, See your king.

We need Zechariah’s encouragement. We would never have put this king first in our hearts. We would have paid attention only to the events and the people who make us feel good about ourselves. We would have done so without ever noticing that our preoccupation with the things of this world is false worship, the worship of created things rather than of the One who created them. We would have dedicated ourselves fully to the here and now, and we would have forfeited the eternity God has in mind for us. Even when we know Jesus, we still struggle to appreciate him.

See! Says, Zechariah. Your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey. The approaching Savior rides a donkey, not a warhorse. He is gentle. He rides into Jerusalem to be betrayed and arrested and sentenced and crucified, all without putting up a fight. At the same time, he is righteous and having salvation. This gentle king is God’s Son from all eternity. With his death, he will take the rap for every sinner who has ever lived. This isn’t just a king on a donkey. This is the King on a donkey. This is the one who holds the universe in his hands, and he is at your service.

Rejoice greatly! Jesus has done what he came to do. By his death on the cross, Jesus has rescued you.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, by your death and resurrection you have rescued me from sin and death. Lead me to praise you with everything that I am and with everything that I have. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31,34

Memory Loss

Daily Devotion – March 27, 2021

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31,34

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Don’t you hate it when you can’t remember something? The car keys you just set down take an hour to find. The purpose for the errand escapes you. The appointment you made last week is missed. Memory loss, no matter what your age, sure can be frustrating!

Isn’t it ironic that while we can forget some things, other events remain crystal clear in our minds? Especially if we have been wronged, abused, or sinned against. These crystal-clear memories can bring resentment, bitterness, and a desire to get even. Imagine if God would keep a record of wrongs against him? What if he would save them in his mind only to eventually lash out in anger against us for them?

Thankfully, that is not what God has done. Instead, God promised, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” The prophet Jeremiah wrote these words to the nation of Israel that had many times sinned against each other and the Lord. As they turned to the Lord in repentance, what comfort it was for them to know the Lord would remember their sins no more! How could he do this? The Bible says that the “Lord has laid on Jesus the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Our record is clean. God’s memory of our sin is gone! What true and lasting comfort we can have as we turn in repentance to the Lord to hear him tell us, “I have forgiven your wickedness and remember your sins no more.”

Prayer:
Thank you, gracious Lord, for forgetting my sins. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord . . . “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:33,34

A New Covenant

Daily Devotion – March 26, 2021

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:33,34

See series: Devotions

Passover begins at sundown tomorrow. Passover is a commemoration of God rescuing the people of Israel from being enslaved in Egypt. When the people slaughtered a lamb for a meal and put some of the blood of the lamb on their doorframe, the Lord passed over their homes and did not allow death to come to them on the same night that he allowed death to come into the homes of the Egyptians who were enslaving them.

People who observe Passover tomorrow will partake of a meal that includes lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and wine. They will be remembering the old covenant of the Lord. In that old covenant, the Lord had Moses lead them out of Egypt toward the promised land of Israel. The Lord told them to obey his commandments as a way of thanking him for his deliverance.

Sadly, God’s people were never able to keep his commandments.

Anticipating that failure, the Lord provided someone to keep his commandments on behalf of every person who has ever lived. That commandment keeper, Jesus, didn’t just live a perfect life. He also shed his blood to take the punishment for all those lawbreakers.

When Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, he said that shedding his blood was a new covenant—something that had been anticipated by the prophet Jeremiah 600 years earlier. In the new covenant, the Lord would forgive everyone who had ever broken any of his commandments. He would forgive their wickedness and forget their sins.

You are living in the new covenant. The Lord has promised forgiveness for you through faith in Jesus regardless of how well you have kept the commandments. Let this assurance be your motivation for keeping his commandments, thanking him for delivering you from your sins.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for your new covenant and for delivering me from my sins. Help me keep your commandments this day. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:10

A Superior High Priest

Daily Devotion – March 25, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 5:10

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The position of high priest in the time before Jesus lived was an important one. The high priest was the one who went to God on behalf of the Jewish people. He was the go-between.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christians recognized that Jesus is the ultimate high priest. In the book of Hebrews, Jesus is compared to the Old Testament high priests to show all of the ways he is superior to them. For example, Old Testament high priests sacrificed animals, but Jesus sacrificed himself. Also, the previous high priests entered the Most Holy Place in the Temple once a year to sprinkle the blood of an animal ceremonially as payment for the sins of the people. Year after year after year the high priest did this. Jesus, however, shed his blood on the cross once for all the sins of the world.

Aren’t you glad you have a High Priest who gave the ultimate and only necessary sacrifice for your sins? What a comfort to know that those sins weighing heavy on your heart have been forgiven. Revel in that forgiveness today. Praise and thank Jesus, your great High Priest!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice so that I can go to heaven and be with you in that most holy place. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” [Jesus] said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
John 12:32,33

Lifted Up

Daily Devotion – March 24, 2021

Devotion based on John 12:32,33

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The Romans weren’t the only people who used crucifixion as a punishment, but they perfected it. The Roman writer Cicero called it the most cruel and hideous of all tortures. Sometimes bodies would be left hanging on crosses for days so that everyone could see them rot. The Romans used crucifixion to force social conformity. The public display was meant to send a message: commit a crime, and the same thing could happen to you. Famously, after the uprising of slaves led by Spartacus, 6,000 crosses lined the highway to Rome.

Jesus was no criminal and had done nothing wrong. But he was crucified publicly for everyone to see. There was no doubt that he was lifted up, nailed by his hands and his feet to a cross. There was no doubt that he died while hanging on a cross.

Jesus knew that was the kind of death he was going to die. But he didn’t mind it being public. In fact, he wanted everyone to know about it because his death was for everyone. Jesus took the punishment of death and hell for all people, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.

Jesus draws all people to himself through faith without regard for nationality, ethnic affiliation, status, age, or gender. No matter what has happened in your life, no matter how good or bad it’s been, Jesus draws you to him.

The Romans meant death on the cross to be shameful. But there’s no need for you to feel ashamed of Jesus Christ. He was lifted up so that you would be drawn to him as your Savior.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, draw us to thee, for then shall we walk in thy steps forever and hasten on where thou art gone to be with thee, dear Savior. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
John 12:23,24

Planted to Be Glorified

Daily Devotion – March 23, 2021

Devotion based on John 12:23,24

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Dealing with the death of someone you love is difficult. You know that everyone dies, but even when you know it’s coming, it can be surprisingly difficult.

When the time came for Jesus to die, he knew it would not be easy for the people who loved him. They knew he did not deserve to die. He was human, but he hadn’t done anything wrong. He seemed so young and vibrant—powerful in both word and deed.

So Jesus explained that his dying would be like planting a seed in the ground. It seems a shame to bury a seed, but when you see what happens, you realize that there’s a greater purpose. A seed is meant to go into the ground so that it can grow and produce fruit with many more seeds.

When Jesus died and was buried, it paid the appropriate price for the sin of the world. Jesus suffered hell so that his followers would never have to go there. Instead, they will spend their eternity in heaven. They are the seeds Jesus was referring to. His death meant eternal life for many.

It must have been difficult for Jesus’ friends and family to see him die. But now, how glad they are he did as their souls celebrate with him in heaven.

You can be sure Jesus’ death was for you too. Follow him. Trust in him. And spend your eternity celebrating with him in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for being willing to die so that I might live. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
John 12:20,21

We Would Like to See Jesus

Daily Devotion – March 22, 2021

Devotion based on John 12:20,21

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I was once invited to preach at a different church. When I went into the pulpit to preach, I saw a message written on a piece of wood, a message that only the preacher could read. “Sir,” it said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

I recognized that the words are from the Gospel of John, chapter 12. Jesus in Jerusalem, just a few days away from dying on a cross. Some Greek people who were visiting Jerusalem found one of Jesus’ disciples. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

When I saw those words written in the pulpit of that church, I knew why they were there. It’s a tremendous privilege to be asked to preach, and there’s a lot of freedom in what a preacher can say from a pulpit. Lutheran pastors understand that with great freedom comes great responsibility. Lutheran congregations expect Lutheran pastors to preach only the Word of God, and the only way to preach the Word of God correctly is to recognize the Savior at the center of it. “Sir,” say Lutheran listeners, “we would like to see Jesus.”

The Greeks who asked that question did not just want to see Jesus. They wanted to interview him, talk to him, hear him speak, understand him.

They aren’t the only ones. When I see how special Jesus is, when I hear the extraordinary things he did for me, when I understand that he loves me and forgives my sins, I want to get to know him more and more.

I hope that’s the case for you, too. Like those Greek people in Jerusalem that day long ago, may you desire to see Jesus and know him more and more.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for letting me see you and know you in your Word. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Matthew 11:25-27

Know It All

Daily Devotion – March 21, 2021

Devotion based on Matthew 11:25-27

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Do you know someone who is a “know-it-all”—the person who usually doesn’t accept your ideas or plans but thinks that he knows better and pursues his own way? That can be frustrating for you, and it may lead you to stop discussing your thoughts with that person who thinks that he is wiser than you are.

In a way, that’s the kind of situation that Jesus is talking about in these verses. God, his Father, hides his truths of salvation from those who have rejected him and think that they know better. In their wisdom, they regard God’s Word as unimportant for their lives. They reject God’s plan of salvation through Jesus because it doesn’t make sense to their learned minds.

Jesus warns us not to be “know-it-alls” when it comes to the truth of salvation that God gives us in his Word. Be like little children who hear and believe. The Word we have is from God; the plan of salvation is revealed to us from “the Lord of heaven and earth.” Who are we to think that we know better! We are not so wise to know the way to the Father on our own, and it is impossible for us to find him and please him no matter how learned we strive to be. So God came to us; the true God in the form of a man—Jesus! “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). In the Bible, God has revealed his love for us through Jesus, to make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

How greatly God loves us to open up our minds to know him and our hearts to believe in Jesus as our Savior!

Prayer:
Thank you, heavenly Father, for revealing yourself to me through Jesus. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.