Author: Kerry

For the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

The Joy Set Before Him

Daily Devotion – March 26, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 12:2


See series: Devotions

An athlete in a race needs to keep their sights set on the finish—not just in the race but in the days, weeks, months, or even years of preparation that go into that competition. Keeping your focus on the finish is important for many other difficult tasks in life, too—a big project or hard assignment, physical therapy following an injury, or grueling treatment for cancer or some other disease. Individuals and organizations who keep the goal or mission in mind tend to be more successful and find greater joy in the difficult journey to get there.

Jesus came into this world knowing that the road would be rough. The challenges would be great. The pain would be almost unbearable. What he would have to endure would be more difficult than any race, task, assignment, or mission we will ever face. And, when it got the most difficult, there would be no one by his side cheering him on. He would have to go through it completely alone.

This week that we call Holy Week, we see Jesus enduring that dreadful mission with a singular and undivided focus. Knowing what was coming, Jesus went willingly to the cross, where he literally suffered hell he didn’t deserve.

What kept him going? Our Bible verse for today says, “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame.” Jesus focused on the finish. He saw the end.

But it wasn’t just that it would be over soon, and life would be happy again after he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. The joy set before him was joy for you. It was the joy of knowing that because he suffered hell, you would never have to face hell for your sins. It was the joy of knowing that, through his suffering to forgive our sins, he would open up heaven for you to live with him in perfect peace forever. Love for you that saw what his suffering would accomplish for you is why he willingly endured the cross and scorned its shame. He loves you that much!

Prayer:
Jesus, your love for me is beyond words. Thank you. Amen.

His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
Zechariah 9:10,11

Real Strength Rules to Rescue

Daily Devotion – March 25, 2024

Devotion based on Zechariah 9:10,11


See series: Devotions

If you were to list the most powerful rulers in history, men like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, or other leaders of powerful empires would surely be part of the conversation. Their strength was not just in political savvy but in eliminating opposition, controlling the people, and intimidating or destroying enemies.

History teaches us to expect great strength to be used in wicked ways. Lord Acton, a 19th century British historian, wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.”

Just days before he died, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. This royal ride was predicted by the prophet Zechariah centuries earlier. As people remembered those prophecies, they began to sing his praises. They knew that Zechariah also foretold that this King’s rule would extend to the ends of the earth. They may have imagined a mighty warrior destroying nations to establish his empire and bring them peace and prosperity.

But as King Jesus came to rule, he didn’t come to destroy but to save. He didn’t come to enslave but to rescue and release. Jesus’ strength was not in the bloodshed of his enemies on the battlefield or the death of those who opposed him. His strength was in his blood—the innocent blood of the Son of God who came to save. He would lay down his life for friend and foe to conquer the devil—the spiritual enemy that enslaves and oppresses all people. By riding into Jerusalem to bleed and die, King Jesus would free us from the pit of our sin and guilt to live as blessed citizens of his eternal kingdom.

The most powerful man in the history of the world used his strength to resist the temptation to use others for himself. Instead, he humbly gave himself up and shed his blood to set you free forever.

Prayer:
King Jesus, by the power of the blood, you have set me free from sin and death. Give me strength to use that freedom to serve you and those around me. Amen.

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. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Zechariah 9:9,10

Your King Comes to You

Daily Devotion – March 24, 2024

Devotion based on Zechariah 9:9,10


See series: Devotions

Think of the traffic slowly snaking its way to a sold-out concert or opening day baseball game. Crowds of people inch their way closer to the stadium.

Compare that to the crowds who sang praises to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Except Jesus wasn’t stationary. He wasn’t waiting for them to move. Zechariah said it well in his prophecy, “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation” (Zechariah 9:9).

Jesus, a King, comes to those who cannot come to him because of sin’s power to hold them down. He takes the initiative. He gets caught in the traffic jam of insults and beatings. He gives up a dark afternoon. He breaks through death’s doors to bring us new life. Now, he bids us to follow. Where?

Heaven, of course! But on the way, won’t we come to others still stuck in sin? As Jesus has already come to us who were waiting for hope, watching for rescue, many are still waiting and watching who need us to come to them.

Prayer:
King Jesus, you came to my heart’s home and set up your throne there. As causes cry for my allegiance, let it always be given to you first before them. Hear my praises that bless and honor you, and in the midst of my joy, direct a portion of my zeal to those still without your love. Amen.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

Sin Never Seems Far Away

Daily Devotion – March 23, 2024

Devotion based on Psalm 103:12


See series: Devotions

“How far can you throw it?” That question was often asked in my neighborhood growing up. It resulted in several kids lining up and taking turns to see who could throw the football the farthest. It provided a way to measure ourselves against the other boys. But even as we grew older, the football never made it more than a few backyards away.

Our sins never seem all that far away, either. We try to forget them by thinking about something else. We try to rationalize our sins and make excuses for them. We try to pass the blame to others. We try to pretend that they never happened. But try as we might, we just can’t seem to throw them too far away from us. They weigh on our conscience. They float around in our minds and keep us up at night. We are often reminded of our sins by the hurt feelings and comments of others. Sin never seems too far away.

That’s where Jesus came in. He didn’t just pick up our sins and throw them a few backyards away. He has removed them “as far as the east is from the west.” Who can measure the distance from east to west? You can travel thousands of miles in either direction and still have just as far to go. God’s forgiveness for you in Jesus is immeasurable. His supply of forgiveness will never run out. When God removes your sin, he removes it completely. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, your sins are gone for good. They are not coming back. And trusting in Jesus as your Savior, you have an eternity in heaven to look forward to.

“How far can you throw them?” When it comes to sin, the answer is “not very far.” Our human ways of dealing with sin will always ensure that they keep coming back. Instead, lay your sins on Jesus and let him throw them away “as far as the east is from the west.” You are forgiven for all of your sins. In Jesus, they are nowhere to be found.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior from sin. In your grace, through Word and sacrament, continue to remind me that all my sins have been removed completely. Amen.

[Jesus said] “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
John:12:27-29

Jesus is Committed

Daily Devotion – March 22, 2024

Devotion based on John:12:27-29


See series: Devotions

Jesus spoke these words during Holy Week. No one else knew what was coming next for Jesus, but Jesus knew. In a matter of hours, Jesus would be arrested. He would endure the indignity of a sham of a trial before the religious leaders. He would be paraded between two politicians. Soldiers would mock him, spit on him, and whip him. He would be executed like a common criminal.

But that’s not what truly troubled his soul. Jesus knew the agony that was waiting for him on that Roman cross. Worse than the crucifixion itself would be the weight of the sins of the whole world. Worse than the slow and painful suffocation would be the separation of Jesus from his Father, the punishment for sin.

It is no wonder Jesus said that his soul was troubled. But even as he could count the hours to the torment of hell he would suffer, he remained resolute. He was committed to saving God’s people and the glory it would bring his Father.

Next week, we start our Holy Week. We will travel with Jesus from Palm Sunday to Easter, with long and important stops at Holy Thursday and Good Friday. We will meditate, once again, on Jesus’ great love for sinners and the cost of our sin. As Jesus hangs from the cross, it will look anything but glorious. But it is there on the cross, an instrument of death and torture, that Jesus wins glory. It is there that Jesus does what the angels pronounced at his birth. Jesus brings, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for your commitment to me and the peace you’ve won between me and God. Amen.

[Jesus said] 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. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
John 12:24-26

Life Through Death

Daily Devotion – March 21, 2024

Devotion based on John 12:24-26


See series: Devotions

You dig a small hole in the dirt. Carefully, you place a seed inside of it and gently push the soil over the seed. You wait, and all on its own, the seed sprouts. A green leaf pokes through the ground. And that single seed becomes a plant that bears more seeds just like it. Life comes through the death of the one seed.

It seems counterintuitive, right? Life through death. Yet, that was the very core of Jesus’ mission. He came to bring life to his followers through his own sacrificial death. Like a seed planted in the dark dirt, Jesus would be buried in a tomb dug from the earth for three days. After those three days, Jesus would rise to life and promise the same life to all who die believing in Jesus as their Savior.

But Jesus doesn’t just focus on death with his words; he focuses on life, too. A man once reminisced about the pastor he had growing up—he remembered the preacher saying, “You must die every day!” in nearly all his sermons. As a boy, he didn’t understand what the preacher meant. He didn’t want to die! He wanted to live.

He later understood what that preacher meant. Die to your sinful self. Die to selfish desires. Surrender your sinful agenda and submit to God’s love and will. Death to self brings life.

It’s a life full of love for God and the people in your life. It’s a life of peace and contentment. It’s a life with Jesus. It’s not easy. But it is life to the fullest, where Jesus promises his Father’s honor to all who serve and follow him.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you sent your Son Jesus to die so that I may live. Help me to die to my sins every day and live in the life you give. Amen.

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 20, 2024

Devotion based on John 12:20,21


See series: Devotions

The capital city of Jerusalem was bustling with people visiting for the major festival. Among those visitors were Greek pilgrims. They came to Philip, a disciple of Jesus, with a simple request. “We would like to see Jesus.”

Perhaps they were curious because they had heard about Jesus’ miracles. Maybe they had seen the way Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to shouts of “Hosanna” earlier in the week. Or it could be their souls were seeking the truth. Whatever the reason, they voiced the desire that resonates with every human heart. They sought God.

The world is full of people like those Greeks. They are searching for truth, hope, and meaning. They may not say it the same way as those Greeks did, but they ache for a meeting with their Savior.

If you are looking for truth, hope, and meaning, if you are searching for Jesus, there is no better place to look than where Jesus has revealed himself. Jesus shows himself to all through the Bible. God’s Word, the Bible, is where Jesus speaks truth, where God gives meaning to life, and where the Savior provides hope to a desperate world.

If you are a Christian, you live among people who wish to see Jesus, though they may not know it. You can show them Jesus not just through your words but through your actions. When you extend a helping hand to the marginalized, you show them Jesus. When you offer a listening ear to the brokenhearted, you show them Jesus. When you forgive those who have wronged you, you show them Jesus. In every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, and every expression of love, you reveal the face of Christ to a world in need.

Those acts of love are a reflection of Jesus, of the one who came to seek you out. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He came looking for you because he loves you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me Jesus. Use me to show Jesus to others. Amen.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2

Through the Waters and Flames

Daily Devotion – March 19, 2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:2


See series: Devotions

The headline read, Dozens Burned During Motivational Exercise. They were encouraged to walk barefoot over a bed of hot coals. Their inner strength, their self-reliance, their personal empowerment would keep them safe. Except it didn’t. Their burned feet and ankles were all the proof they needed.

What happened? Maybe the people who ended up burnt did not believe in themselves enough or did not have the right kind of inner strength and self-reliance. Not likely. What happened? The coals were burning hot, and their bare feet lingered long enough to be burnt by the coals.

God promises to be with his people when they go through deep waters and fires of life. He does not tell them to trust in themselves or use their sheer willpower to get through those tough times. He promises to be there with them.

God also says when those troubles come, not if. There are no promises that Christians will be spared pain, sorrow, trouble, and toil in this life. But God does promise to be with them.

God’s promise to be with his people is not a guarantee of a trouble-free life. In fact, he acknowledges the inevitability of troubles. Yet, amidst the flames and deep waters, his promise remains steadfast. He does not promise to spare his children from pain and sorrow but assures them of his abiding presence that sustains and comforts even amid life’s fiercest storms.

The burned feet of those in the headline are a powerful reminder of the limitations of human resilience. God calls us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust in his promises. Trust in the promises of God, who walks with us through every trial and guides us with his unwavering love and grace.

Prayer:
Dear God, help me to put my trust in you when I go through the waters and flames of this life. Remind me of your abiding presence in all circumstances. Amen.

But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1

God Puts His Name on Christians

Daily Devotion – Date

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:1


See series: Devotions

One of the world’s most famous artists was Michelangelo. One interesting fact about Michelangelo and his works is that he only put his name on one of his sculptures. It’s his work known as the Pieta, a marble statue of Mary holding Jesus after he’s taken down from the cross.

Michelangelo signed that sculpture in an unusual way. Instead of the typical, “Michelangelo made this.” He signed it, “Michelangelo was making this.” It’s like he was saying that he had started this work of art but had not yet completed it.

That’s what life can feel like for Christians. They know that God has made them. Not only did he create them, but he put his name on them, too. And yet, their lives can feel unfinished and unsettled. They can struggle with the same sins they struggled with for years. They can feel incomplete.

It’s likely Michelangelo signed his sculpture as if it were incomplete because he was such a perfectionist. He never felt his work was truly finished. When Christians look at their lives, they see how imperfect they are. But that’s not how God views them.

God sees Christians through the work of his Son, Jesus. His life was a masterpiece of perfect obedience to God. Instead of signing his name on his masterpiece, Jesus signs the names of those who believe in him. Jesus signed “It is finished,” not “was finishing.” God sees finished when he looks at Christians. He sees complete perfection.

Christians live in the tension of the already and the not yet. They are already saved by God even though their lives may not yet look like it. It is a reality that sin will always be a struggle until God calls them home to heaven. But Christians don’t need to be afraid because God knows their names. Jesus has signed his finished perfection over to them.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for giving me your perfection. Help me in my struggle against sin. Amen.

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:26,27

Our Perfect Savior

Daily Devotion – March 17, 2024

Devotion based on John 19:26,27


See series: Devotions

Six weeks after Jesus was born, a man named Simeon said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34,35). Three decades later, Mary felt the sharp edge of that sword pierce her heart as she witnessed the agony of her son on the cross.

Despite his great physical anguish on the cross and the weight of the all the world’s sin on his soul, Jesus did not forget his mother. He fulfilled his responsibility to see that she was cared for. Jesus instructed the disciple whom he loved—the apostle John—to look after her and provide for her needs as long as she lived. Right up to the end of his life, Jesus continued to keep God’s law perfectly. In his dying breath, he fulfilled the Fourth Commandment by honoring his mother.

That’s the kind of Savior we need—one who obeyed God’s will perfectly and lived completely without sin. Only a perfect Savior could assume our faults and failings, our wrongs and weaknesses, our depravity and immorality. Only the guiltless one could take the place of the guilty and make his unblemished sacrifice count for them. That is the kind of perfect Savior we need, and that’s the kind we have in Jesus!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are my perfect Savior. In love, you took my sin and suffered the death I deserved. Lead me to honor you and live to your glory. Amen.