Category: Daily Devotions

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Hebrews 5:7-9

Jesus Learned Obedience?

Daily Devotion – March 20, 2018

Devotion based on Hebrews 5:7-9

See series: Devotions

Do you agree with these statements? Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is true God from all eternity. Jesus was and is perfect in every way. Jesus never did anything wrong. Jesus was perfectly obedient to his Heavenly Father. Jesus was perfectly obedient to every God-ordained authority throughout his earthly life. If all these statements are true, how can the writer of Hebrews say Jesus learned obedience?

Think of it this way. Jesus wasn’t just perfectly obedient in theory; he was perfectly obedient in action. He wasn’t just obedient in his mind. He wasn’t just committed to obedience in his heart. Jesus was perfectly obedient in thought, motive, and everything he said and did.

Here’s another thought. Jesus wasn’t perfectly obedient because he was untested; he was perfectly obedient before, during, and after the ultimate testing. When Jesus was a toddler, he was obedient (no selfish temper tantrums). When Jesus was a teenager, he was obedient (no dismissive eye rolls). When he was tempted and threatened, when he was falsely accused and tried, when he was condemned and crucified, Jesus was perfectly obedient. Even when he was forsaken by his Father, he was perfectly obedient to his Father.

During the days of his life on earth, Jesus learned by experience the full extent of obedience, taking it to a level that could only be achieved by the Son of God. In this way he was made perfect. In other words, he reached his goal; he completed his mission. As a result, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation—for you.

Remember this before, during, and after temptation comes your way, especially when you have failed. Jesus was perfectly obedient—for you. Therefore, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation—for you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, even as Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, I come to you today. I know that my prayer is possible and acceptable, and you hear my prayer because of Jesus’ reverent submission for me. Bless me in knowing and believing that Jesus learned obedience for me. Through him, the source of eternal salvation, I pray. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, 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. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his 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. Now my heart 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. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
John 12:20-33

We Would Like to See Jesus

Daily Devotion – March 19, 2018

Devotion based on John 12:20-33

See series: Devotions

As we approach Holy Week, we make the all-important bold request of the Greeks who were drawn to our Lord that first Holy Week: “We would like to see Jesus.”

What Jesus vividly shows us of himself, is far different and more than what we could ever expect.

Jesus shows us the greatest humiliation, suffering, loss, and death. Like a kernel of wheat falling to the ground, he must give up all, that we might be born in him to inherit eternal life.

Jesus shows us the hour of judgment, as he is condemned to die in order to rescue us from this sinful world and the wickedness of the devil. Far from avoiding this hour, Jesus insists upon enduring it. This is the hour of his eternal victory for us!

Jesus shows us glorification. Yes, that is the unexpected and prominent word of these verses: “glorify.” The Father spoke from heaven. His name is glorified in Christ, who carries out God’s eternal saving will for us. Jesus is glorified, and in him we are glorified.

Read these triumphant verses again, and see how secure your salvation is because your Savior willingly faced and endured the most dreadful and glorious hour when on the cross he was lifted up from the earth.

This is our Jesus. In the midst of this dark world, plagued by the devil’s terrors, may our Savior draw us to himself, to see his victory and the glory he has won for us.

Prayer:[Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 170] Draw us to thee
That also we
Thy heavenly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26

Lunatic or Lord?

Daily Devotion – March 18, 2018

Devotion based on John 11:25-26

See series: Devotions

Martha had to ask herself what she believed. Jesus had just asked her one of the most important questions she would ever have to answer. Would she go with the commonly accepted opinion? Or, would she go with what she had come to know?

I face the same question today. What do I believe about Jesus? Do I accept the view held by many that Jesus was just a moral man, a good teacher, and a wonderful example to follow? Or, do I trust what the Bible reveals fully about Jesus? The difference is critical because either I see Jesus as a lunatic or I confess him as Lord.

When Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life, he declares he is the Son of God and the Son of Man. He also declares he is the Christ, namely the one sent and set apart by God to be the world’s Savior. The world scoffs at this message and claims Jesus was nothing more than a man. While the world may try to convince me to believe Jesus was a lunatic who claimed to be God, I need to rely on what the Bible teaches.

The Bible is clear in what it says about Jesus. As true God he came to live the perfect life which God the Father required for me to enter heaven. As true Man he was able to give up his life and offer the perfect payment to release me from the guilt of my sin. Equally important, as true God and true Man—the Christ from God—he gives me the assurance to trust his promise: “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

When I put my complete confidence in Jesus, it is not misplaced. As my Lord he forgives me, he rescues me from the devil’s power and he will bring me to life in heaven. As my Lord he also guides me with his love, he comforts me with his promises, and he guards me with his presence.

It is because of who Jesus is and what he does that I confidently confess he is my Lord. I also confidently confess with Martha, “I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

Prayer:
O dearest Jesus, I thank you for your willingness to die on the cross for me. I also thank you for your victory over death and the grave. Continue to give me the confidence I need to trust in you as my gracious Lord and only Savior. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

The Comparison

Daily Devotion – March 17, 2018

Devotion based on Romans 8:18

See series: Devotions

This devotional thought is not for everyone. Rather it is for those of you who know what it is to suffer, because you are going through it right now.

As you read or listen to this message, some of you have joints that are screaming from rheumatoid arthritis. Some of you are miserable from chemotherapy. Some of you have back pain so severe you can only stand, sit, or sleep for short periods of time. Some of you get frequent headaches so massive that any kind of light or sound is a torture. Some of you are reeling from multiple surgeries, barely recovering from one when doctors tell you to get ready for another. And some of you possess one of a thousand other maladies—physical or emotional. What they all have in common is that they all define what it is to suffer.

It’s often when our suffering is at its worst that the devil walks in, ready to attack our faith. Many times his weapon of choice is the comparison. He points out other people similar to us in age and circumstance. He comments that they don’t seem to have anything near the suffering and pain that we have. And with that, he lets our sinful nature do the rest. He lets our sinful nature drag us away into the dungeon of self-pity.

But the Lord of your life has something to say about this. He speaks though the apostle Paul. Paul, as you may know, is someone who knew all about severe suffering. He grappled with a terrible problem that appeared to plague him until he died. Instead of comparing himself to others who did not have to suffer as he did, Paul made the comparison that really matters. He said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

What is the specific reason why the Lord is allowing you to suffer? That is not for us to say. Perhaps it is to nurture within you a faith that is heroic and robust. Perhaps it is to give others around you a living, breathing sermon on Christian courage. Perhaps it is to bring you into contact with a lost soul the Lord will save through your witness. Perhaps it’s for an entirely different reason.

Never forget, however, the comparison that matters. Your temporary suffering is a droplet in comparison to the oceans of joy that await you in heaven. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why he suffered and died for your sins. That’s why he rose. That’s why he lives!

Prayer:
My Savior, stand beside me in my suffering. Strengthen me by your Spirit. Remind me that the pain is temporary. Remind me that the joy of heaven is eternal. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29

“Look, the Lamb of God!”

Daily Devotion – March 16, 2018

Devotion based on John 1:29

See series: Devotions

For centuries God’s people had been anxiously waiting for the Messiah. They had sinned against him and deserved punishment, but the Lord promised that his Anointed One would come to save them—a prophet, priest, and king all rolled into one man. And now the day had finally arrived for Jesus to be “officially” introduced and begin his redeeming work. John the Baptist was the one chosen by God to make the announcement. But how do you introduce such a man? What words do justice to the one who is the Word of God in human flesh and blood?

“Look,” John said, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” With those few, simple words, the world was introduced to its one true hope of redemption.

Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, came to serve as our priest, a mediator between us and God whom we had angered by our sin. But this priest did not wait for us to bring a sacrifice. Nothing that we have to offer could ever pay down the debt we owe for a lifetime of rebellion against God. So, Christ offered the only sacrifice worth more than all the lives of people put together—his own perfect life and innocent blood as the sinless Son of God. A different John, John the apostle, wrote about Jesus, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

How do we introduce Jesus to our friends and neighbors? Truly there is much that we can say about him. We can talk about his power as the Son of God or the eternal wisdom of his teachings. But the greatest gift that Christ has to offer anyone is not a miracle or meme, but himself. His death on the cross is payment for our sin and his resurrection from the grave is a guarantee of eternal life. Share this wonderful good news with others, as John did. Tell them that Jesus is worthy of their trust. Believe in him and have peace with God.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I cannot repay you for what you sacrificed to bring me forgiveness. Give me opportunities to tell others how you are the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.

The devotions in March on Thursday and Friday focus on the office of Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:6

Christ for Us

Daily Devotion – March 15, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:6

See series: Devotions

To encourage more studying, a college logic professor handed his students a single piece of paper, told them they can put any information they wanted on it, and bring it with them to the next test. Most of the students spent their nights looking through their notes trying to cram as much information as they could onto a single piece of paper. However, one student left his sheet completely blank. He showed up for the test, set the blank piece of paper on the floor, and waited. His friend, who had taken the class a few years earlier and was getting his doctorate in logic, walked through the door and stood on that single piece of paper. With the information his friend provided, he got a 100% on the test.

God did more than give us a cheat sheet on how to get to heaven—he gave us his Son as the answer we need.

God says that we need to be perfect and that our sin earns punishment from him. Our hatred, lust, laziness, and pride, fall short of being perfectly in-line with what God taught us—all these sins mean a payment needs to be made.

Christ loved us and made himself that payment. He was not here to offer some assistance to help us make up the payment. He did not get us started along the path to make things right and then leave us to do the rest. He did not pay for some sins, but not others.

No, Jesus gave up his very self as everything we needed. He was an offering and sacrifice to God for us. By the perfect life he lived and the innocent death he died, we were made right with God. Through faith, God gives us credit for everything Jesus has done for us. That offering and sacrifice that Jesus made—he made for us.

How do we meet the perfect standard God sets? Jesus is the only answer we need!

Prayer:
Dear God, you sent your Son to be the sacrifice to reconcile us to you. May we always trust Christ alone as the only offering and sacrifice we need to be right with you. Amen.

The devotions in March on Thursday and Friday focus on the office of Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Numbers 21:8-9

Look to Jesus

Daily Devotion – March 14, 2018

Devotion based on Numbers 21:8-9

See series: Devotions

The last time you were traveling down the road and a sign read, “Detour Ahead,” did you say, “Wonderful! I love detours”? If you didn’t react that way, neither did the Israelites in the account recorded in Numbers chapter 21. Their already long journey from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan was about to get longer. As a result, they impatiently grumbled against God.

God dealt with the people by sending venomous snakes among them. The snakes bit and many people died. The Israelites went to Moses and said, “We sinned. Pray that God will take the snakes away.” So Moses prayed and God instructed him to make a bronze snake, put it up on a pole, and tell the people that anyone bitten could look at that bronze snake and live.

Imagine how they might have wanted to react to God’s instruction. “What? How is looking at a bronze snake going to help us?” But that was the point. This wasn’t a lesson in logic or on how to properly treat a snakebite; this was a lesson in trust. The Lord promised to save the people from death when they trusted his word and looked at the snake he commanded Moses to display. And true to his word, when those bitten looked at the bronze snake, God saved them from death. He rescued the people from the judgment of death that they deserved for their sins.

The wages of sin is death for all of us. But God comes to rescue us. However, instead of directing our sinful hearts to a snake on a pole, God directs our hearts to a Savior on the cross. Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Jesus rescued us from the sting of sin and the fear of death, when he took our sin to the cross and paid for it in full by his death.

Are you feeling down today? Then look up to Jesus and his great love for you on the cross! Tired of life and its detours? Find rest in Jesus! Wounded by sin? Find healing in his wounds! Look to Jesus. He is your Savior from sin and death.

Prayer:
Gracious Savior, lift my eyes and heart to trust in you and your great love for me. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

God raised us up with Christ.
Ephesians 2:6

Smile

Daily Devotion – March 13, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 2:6

See series: Devotions

Essie Dunbar was a popular figure in her small town of Blackville, South Carolina. Essie had a delightful smile and she had a family who dearly loved her. She died in 1962 at the age of 70 years. Her death notice, however, said something unusual. It read, “Essie Dunbar. Died at age 70, 47 years after her first funeral.” Here is Essie’s story.

The year was 1915. Essie was a cheerful young woman. She did, however, suffer from periodic seizures. One day she underwent a seizure so severe that she appeared to be dead. A doctor examined her body, saw no signs of life, and concluded that she had, indeed, died. Dark grief smothered everyone who adored Essie and her shining smile. The family arranged for her funeral and her burial. At the conclusion of her committal service at the cemetery, loving hands carefully lowered her casket into the grave.

Just then, a late-coming relative arrived. She was so distraught at having missed the funeral that she asked if they could lift Essie’s casket back out and open it, so she could see her one last time. The family agreed to do so.

As it turns out, the timing could not have been better. At the precise moment the casket was re-opened, Essie Dunbar opened her eyes, sat up and gave everyone there her big, wonderful smile. Needless to say, no one living around Blackville, South Carolina would ever forget the story of Essie Dunbar.

As thrilling as her story is, however, even Essie’s experience is no match for what the Lord has done for you and me. In a spiritual sense, you and I were dead and buried—dead and buried under the crushing weight of our own sins. But then, Jesus arrived. He lived a holy life on our behalf. He suffered and died for our every failure. Then he rose from the grave.

And now, through faith in Christ, God has raised us up. He has given us life—a life that pulsates with joy, hope, light, and peace in Jesus. It is now our privilege to smile on others, as the Lord has smiled upon us.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for raising me up. Thank you for smiling upon me and giving me life in Jesus. Empower me by your Spirit to smile on others. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:14-15

Look Up!

Daily Devotion – March 12, 2018

Devotion based on John 3:14-15

See series: Devotions

Look up! Time after time God has given people this invitation. Look up from your failure and disappointment. Look up from your guilt and shame. Look up and see the rescue I have provided.

Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the history which prompted this invitation. God’s people were in the wilderness. They felt their wants and desires were not being sufficiently met. So they grumbled, complained, and eventually rebelled against the Lord. In response to their open rejection, God sent venomous snakes. As the death toll mounted, people realized their sin and repented. The Lord promptly showed mercy and commanded Moses to make a bronze snake, lift it up on his staff, and offer the invitation to look up! Those who looked up were rescued from the Lord’s just judgment.

Jesus used this account to teach a precious lesson. The value of this lesson is seen in what Jesus adds, “so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” It is a lesson we need to learn well and cherish.

Like God’s Old Testament people, it is easy for us to complain, get frustrated with God, and even turn away from him. With our rejection we soon recognize the burden that our action carries. It separates us from his love. It places us under his just judgment. It soon makes us desperate to find help.

This is when we rejoice to hear those precious words, look up! When we look up, we see Jesus lifted up on the cross. Yes, he was crucified and his life ended brutally. Yet, in his perfect and willing sacrifice, our guilt, punishment, and sentence of death were taken away. Through faith in Jesus we are rescued from God’s just judgment.

Look up! These are words we need to hear, long to hear, and rejoice to hear.

Prayer:[Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 111] Sweet the moments, rich in blessing, which before the cross we spend,
Life and health and peace possessing from the sinner’s dying Friend.
Lord, in loving contemplation fix our hearts and eyes on you
Till we taste your full salvation and your unveiled glory view.

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 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly

Jesus called [his disciples] together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:25-28

Humility

Daily Devotion – March 11, 2018

Devotion based on Matthew 20:25-28

See series: Devotions

With great power comes great … privilege? That’s what the disciples James and John thought. They believed that following Jesus entitled them to great privilege. They wanted first dibs on the seats of honor next to Jesus in his kingdom. They knew that Jesus was going to be a great king, but they didn’t understand how Jesus would establish his kingdom.

Jesus reached glory through humility. His glory is his humble service. In greatest humility God stepped down from his throne in heaven to lie in a manger. He demanded no service from anyone but spent every moment of his life in service to us. The One who demands perfection from us became the One who lived perfectly for us. The eternal God exchanged the voice of angels singing, “Holy, holy, holy!” for the cries of an angry mob yelling, “Crucify, crucify, crucify!”

Jesus took the blame for what we did wrong so that we might receive the credit for all that he did well—and he did everything well. He suffered our hell so that he could give us a seat at his table in heaven. By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus has given his followers power over death too.

With great power comes great responsibility. Power over death doesn’t give us license to lord ourselves over others. We don’t think we are better than we really are. We put the needs of others before our own. We live to serve. And in doing so, we bring glory not to ourselves, but to him who served us by giving his life as a ransom for our sins.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, thank you for humbling yourself to suffer and die for my sins. I don’t deserve the new life that I have in you. Help me to put aside my selfishness and to imitate your selflessness with a life of service and sacrifice. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print Friendly