22 After Mary had observed the ceremonial days of postpartum purification required by Mosaic law, she and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. 23 They were fulfilling the Lord’s requirement that “every firstborn Israelite male will be dedicated to the Eternal One as holy.” 24 They also offered the sacrifice required by the law of the Lord, “two turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 While fulfilling these sacred obligations at the temple, they encountered a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was a just and pious man, anticipating the liberation of Israel from her troubles. He was a man in touch with the Holy Spirit. 26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Anointed One. 27 The Spirit had led him to the temple that day, and there he saw the child Jesus in the arms of His parents, who were fulfilling their sacred obligations. 28 Simeon took Jesus into his arms and blessed God.
29 Simeon: Now, Lord and King, You can let me, Your humble servant, die in peace.
30 You promised me that I would see with my own eyes
what I’m seeing now: Your freedom,
31 Raised up in the presence of all peoples.
32 He is the light who reveals Your message to the other nations,
and He is the shining glory of Your covenant people, Israel.
Tori's Comments:
Wait on the Lord and trust His promises! I can't imagine how long Simeon waited, but something tells me he considered it worth every minute to hold baby Jesus, his long awaited Saviour.
Terrie's Comments:
Simeon was led by the spirit to the temple that day... what do we miss out on when we choose to not listen to the promptings given to us by the Holy Spirit? We always have a choice to follow our flesh or follow the Spirit! God help us to choose to be led by the Spirit more and more! This is my heart cry!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Showing posts with label Marking Up Our Bibles With Mark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marking Up Our Bibles With Mark. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Day 10 - Luke 2:8-21
8 Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. 9 Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light—the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified!
Messenger: 10 Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. 11 Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! 12 You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough.
13 At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers—a vast heavenly choir. They praised God.
14 Heavenly Choir: To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God!
15 As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation.
Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about!
16 So they ran into town, and eventually they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the feeding trough. After they saw the baby, 17 they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. 18 Everyone who heard their story couldn’t stop thinking about its meaning. 19 Mary, too, pondered all of these events, treasuring each memory in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted.
21 Eight days after His birth, the baby was circumcised in keeping with Jewish religious requirements, and He was named Jesus, the name the messenger had given Him before His conception in Mary’s womb.
Terrie's Comments:
Yet another baby born who was not named after his father's lineage... I wonder what people were thinking about this?
Supreme Authority... found as a baby... What a concept to grasp! We don't generally tend to think about infants having authority. "Peace to all people who bring pleasure to God!" Jesus is our peace. He gives us assurance through His Holy Spirit that we do not need to fear.
Tori's Comments:
So many supernatural events taking place. I wonder what ever happened to the shepherds after this... if they came to know Jesus as an adult, or if they remembered him in their hearts.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Messenger: 10 Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. 11 Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! 12 You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough.
13 At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers—a vast heavenly choir. They praised God.
14 Heavenly Choir: To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God!
15 As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation.
Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about!
16 So they ran into town, and eventually they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the feeding trough. After they saw the baby, 17 they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. 18 Everyone who heard their story couldn’t stop thinking about its meaning. 19 Mary, too, pondered all of these events, treasuring each memory in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted.
21 Eight days after His birth, the baby was circumcised in keeping with Jewish religious requirements, and He was named Jesus, the name the messenger had given Him before His conception in Mary’s womb.
Terrie's Comments:
Yet another baby born who was not named after his father's lineage... I wonder what people were thinking about this?
Supreme Authority... found as a baby... What a concept to grasp! We don't generally tend to think about infants having authority. "Peace to all people who bring pleasure to God!" Jesus is our peace. He gives us assurance through His Holy Spirit that we do not need to fear.
Tori's Comments:
So many supernatural events taking place. I wonder what ever happened to the shepherds after this... if they came to know Jesus as an adult, or if they remembered him in their hearts.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Monday, February 19, 2018
Day 9 - Luke 2:1-7
1 Around the time of Elizabeth’s amazing pregnancy and John’s birth, the emperor in Rome, Caesar Augustus, required everyone in the Roman Empire to participate in a massive census— 2 the first census since Quirinius had become governor of Syria. 3 Each person had to go to his or her ancestral city to be counted.
4-5 Mary’s fiancé Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, 6 accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor 7 and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.
Tori's Comments:
And now we see God moving everything into place... <3
Terrie's Comments:
There were so many things that were amazing about both the pregnancy of Elisabeth and the pregnancy of Mary. All of the prophecies that were fulfilled at the time of the birth of Jesus were absolutely amazing and could not have been just coincidence.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
4-5 Mary’s fiancé Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, 6 accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor 7 and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.
Tori's Comments:
And now we see God moving everything into place... <3
Terrie's Comments:
There were so many things that were amazing about both the pregnancy of Elisabeth and the pregnancy of Mary. All of the prophecies that were fulfilled at the time of the birth of Jesus were absolutely amazing and could not have been just coincidence.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Day 8 - Luke 1:67-80
67 When Zacharias’s voice was restored to him, he sang from the fullness of the Spirit a prophetic blessing.
68 Zacharias: May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed!
For God’s intervention has begun,
and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God.
69 And the Lord has raised up a powerful sign of liberation for us
from among the descendants of God’s servant, King David.
70 As was prophesied through the mouths of His holy prophets in ancient times:
71 God will liberate us from our enemies
and from the hand of our oppressors!
72-74 God will show mercy promised to our ancestors,
upholding the abiding covenant He made with them,
Remembering the original vow He swore to Abraham,
from whom we are all descended.
God will rescue us from the grasp of our enemies
so that we may serve Him without fear all our days
75 In holiness and justice, in the presence of the Lord.
76 And you, my son, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will be the one to prepare the way for the Lord
77 So that the Lord’s people will receive knowledge of their freedom
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 All this will flow from the kind and compassionate mercy of our God.
A new day is dawning:
the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness,
79 And those who huddle in night,
those who sit in the shadow of death,
Will be able to rise and walk in the light,
guided in the pathway of peace.
80 And John grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness, outside the cities, until the day came for him to step into the public eye in Israel.
Terrie's Comments:
This is a beautiful scene! Both John's parents had experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit early in John's life. It was promised that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. This was essential for his parents to experience this so that they would not discourage his relationship with God as he grew up. It would have been possible but humanly speaking we tend to parent from our experience rather than by faith so much of the time.
John grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness, outside the city.... perhaps if more of us strengthened ourselves outside of our busy lives, away from people we would grow stronger in spirit as well. Jesus demonstrated this pattern of behavior. There are several accounts of Jesus withdrawing to have time in prayer and renewal :-) It is important to withdraw and spend time with God to maintain our strength and grow our faith!
Tori's Comments:
I'm curious why God declared the near coming of Jesus through Zachariah, other than to give more hindsight once everything was said and done.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
68 Zacharias: May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed!
For God’s intervention has begun,
and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God.
69 And the Lord has raised up a powerful sign of liberation for us
from among the descendants of God’s servant, King David.
70 As was prophesied through the mouths of His holy prophets in ancient times:
71 God will liberate us from our enemies
and from the hand of our oppressors!
72-74 God will show mercy promised to our ancestors,
upholding the abiding covenant He made with them,
Remembering the original vow He swore to Abraham,
from whom we are all descended.
God will rescue us from the grasp of our enemies
so that we may serve Him without fear all our days
75 In holiness and justice, in the presence of the Lord.
76 And you, my son, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will be the one to prepare the way for the Lord
77 So that the Lord’s people will receive knowledge of their freedom
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 All this will flow from the kind and compassionate mercy of our God.
A new day is dawning:
the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness,
79 And those who huddle in night,
those who sit in the shadow of death,
Will be able to rise and walk in the light,
guided in the pathway of peace.
80 And John grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness, outside the cities, until the day came for him to step into the public eye in Israel.
Terrie's Comments:
This is a beautiful scene! Both John's parents had experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit early in John's life. It was promised that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. This was essential for his parents to experience this so that they would not discourage his relationship with God as he grew up. It would have been possible but humanly speaking we tend to parent from our experience rather than by faith so much of the time.
John grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness, outside the city.... perhaps if more of us strengthened ourselves outside of our busy lives, away from people we would grow stronger in spirit as well. Jesus demonstrated this pattern of behavior. There are several accounts of Jesus withdrawing to have time in prayer and renewal :-) It is important to withdraw and spend time with God to maintain our strength and grow our faith!
Tori's Comments:
I'm curious why God declared the near coming of Jesus through Zachariah, other than to give more hindsight once everything was said and done.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Day 7 - Luke 1:57-66
57 When the time was right, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. 58 News about the Lord’s special kindness to her had spread through her extended family and the community. Everyone shared her joy, for after all these years of infertility, she had a son! 59 As was customary, eight days after the baby’s birth the time came for his circumcision and naming. Everyone assumed he would be named Zacharias, like his father.
Elizabeth (disagreeing): 60 No. We will name him John.
Her Relatives (protesting): 61 That name is found nowhere in your family.
62 They turned to Zacharias and asked him what he wanted the baby’s name to be.
63 He motioned for a tablet, and he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was shocked by this breach of family custom. 64 They were even more surprised when, at that moment, Zacharias was able to talk again, and he shouted out praises to God. 65 A sense of reverence spread through the whole community. In fact, this story was spread throughout the hilly countryside of Judea. 66 People were certain that God’s hand was on this child, and they wondered what sort of person John would turn out to be when he became a man.
Tori's Comments:
It seems to me that God is more than willing to break traditions for His plan :)
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder what it would be like to wait 8 days to name a baby? They followed the tradition not because they didn't know what they were going to name the baby but because it was their tradition. Although God broke the tradition of naming the baby after his father. Something tells me Zacharias and Elizabeth didn't mind the name change at all!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Elizabeth (disagreeing): 60 No. We will name him John.
Her Relatives (protesting): 61 That name is found nowhere in your family.
62 They turned to Zacharias and asked him what he wanted the baby’s name to be.
63 He motioned for a tablet, and he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was shocked by this breach of family custom. 64 They were even more surprised when, at that moment, Zacharias was able to talk again, and he shouted out praises to God. 65 A sense of reverence spread through the whole community. In fact, this story was spread throughout the hilly countryside of Judea. 66 People were certain that God’s hand was on this child, and they wondered what sort of person John would turn out to be when he became a man.
Tori's Comments:
It seems to me that God is more than willing to break traditions for His plan :)
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder what it would be like to wait 8 days to name a baby? They followed the tradition not because they didn't know what they were going to name the baby but because it was their tradition. Although God broke the tradition of naming the baby after his father. Something tells me Zacharias and Elizabeth didn't mind the name change at all!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Friday, February 16, 2018
Day 6 - Luke 1:46-56
Mary: My soul lifts up the Lord!
47 My spirit celebrates God, my Liberator!
48 For though I’m God’s humble servant,
God has noticed me.
Now and forever,
I will be considered blessed by all generations.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
holy is God’s name!
50 From generation to generation,
God’s lovingkindness endures
for those who revere Him.
51 God’s arm has accomplished mighty deeds.
The proud in mind and heart,
God has sent away in disarray.
52 The rulers from their high positions of power,
God has brought down low.
And those who were humble and lowly,
God has elevated with dignity.
53 The hungry—God has filled with fine food.
The rich—God has dismissed with nothing in their hands.
54 To Israel, God’s servant,
God has given help,
55 As promised to our ancestors,
remembering Abraham and his descendants in mercy forever.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth in Judea for the next three months and then returned to her home in Galilee.
Terrie's Comments:
The meeting with Elizabeth was a huge confirmation for Mary. This was back before early pregnancy tests and ultrasounds! She was in her first trimester. There was no way that she could know she was pregnant, humanly speaking! The only thing she was going on was the word from Gabriel and the word from Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth had spoke before Mary told her about her encounter with Gabriel. No wonder she broke out into praises to God! It would have been such sweet fellowship those 3 months!
Tori's Comments:
"Even though I'm God's humble servant, God has noticed me". He sees you. Through the pain and the heartache, he sees you. And even when it fills like it, He's never left, but stayed by your side, ready to hold you up once you let Him.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
47 My spirit celebrates God, my Liberator!
48 For though I’m God’s humble servant,
God has noticed me.
Now and forever,
I will be considered blessed by all generations.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
holy is God’s name!
50 From generation to generation,
God’s lovingkindness endures
for those who revere Him.
51 God’s arm has accomplished mighty deeds.
The proud in mind and heart,
God has sent away in disarray.
52 The rulers from their high positions of power,
God has brought down low.
And those who were humble and lowly,
God has elevated with dignity.
53 The hungry—God has filled with fine food.
The rich—God has dismissed with nothing in their hands.
54 To Israel, God’s servant,
God has given help,
55 As promised to our ancestors,
remembering Abraham and his descendants in mercy forever.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth in Judea for the next three months and then returned to her home in Galilee.
Terrie's Comments:
The meeting with Elizabeth was a huge confirmation for Mary. This was back before early pregnancy tests and ultrasounds! She was in her first trimester. There was no way that she could know she was pregnant, humanly speaking! The only thing she was going on was the word from Gabriel and the word from Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth had spoke before Mary told her about her encounter with Gabriel. No wonder she broke out into praises to God! It would have been such sweet fellowship those 3 months!
Tori's Comments:
"Even though I'm God's humble servant, God has noticed me". He sees you. Through the pain and the heartache, he sees you. And even when it fills like it, He's never left, but stayed by your side, ready to hold you up once you let Him.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Day 5 - Luke 1:39-45
39 Mary immediately got up and hurried to the hill country, in the province of Judah, 40-41 where her cousins Zacharias and Elizabeth lived. When Mary entered their home and greeted Elizabeth, who felt her baby leap in her womb, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth (shouting): 42 You are blessed, Mary, blessed among all women, and the child you bear is blessed! 43 And blessed I am as well, that the mother of my Lord has come to me! 44 As soon as I heard your voice greet me, my baby leaped for joy within me. 45 How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed that what the Lord told you would be fulfilled.
Tori's Comments:
"How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed what the Lord told you would be fulfilled." I wonder how much we miss out on because we don't trust God. By ignoring the Holy Spirit's guidance, we may be missing out on an amazing experience God wants to bring you through. Think of all the mighty things God did through humanity in the Bible! From splitting the Red Sea to putting Esther on the throne, all it took was one person to trust God and give him control of their circumstances. We miss out on so much because we let fear take over us. Mary didn't miss her opportunity to serve God when it came, and because of that, she has played a major role in history remembered everywhere.
Terrie's Comments:
It peaks my interest as to what it would have been like for Mary to meet with Elizabeth. They both were experiencing supernatural pregnancies. It always makes for a great visit when you have something uncommon, in common with someone. Then for Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit was uncommon as well. The Holy Spirit was not available to everyone until after Jesus ascended into heaven. "How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed that what the Lord told you would be fulfilled." Mary was fortunate because she believed what she was told by the Lord!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Elizabeth (shouting): 42 You are blessed, Mary, blessed among all women, and the child you bear is blessed! 43 And blessed I am as well, that the mother of my Lord has come to me! 44 As soon as I heard your voice greet me, my baby leaped for joy within me. 45 How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed that what the Lord told you would be fulfilled.
Tori's Comments:
"How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed what the Lord told you would be fulfilled." I wonder how much we miss out on because we don't trust God. By ignoring the Holy Spirit's guidance, we may be missing out on an amazing experience God wants to bring you through. Think of all the mighty things God did through humanity in the Bible! From splitting the Red Sea to putting Esther on the throne, all it took was one person to trust God and give him control of their circumstances. We miss out on so much because we let fear take over us. Mary didn't miss her opportunity to serve God when it came, and because of that, she has played a major role in history remembered everywhere.
Terrie's Comments:
It peaks my interest as to what it would have been like for Mary to meet with Elizabeth. They both were experiencing supernatural pregnancies. It always makes for a great visit when you have something uncommon, in common with someone. Then for Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit was uncommon as well. The Holy Spirit was not available to everyone until after Jesus ascended into heaven. "How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed that what the Lord told you would be fulfilled." Mary was fortunate because she believed what she was told by the Lord!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Day 4 - Luke 1:26-38
26 Six months later in Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God 27 to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. 28 The messenger entered her home.
Messenger: Greetings! You are favored, and the Lord is with you! [Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed.]
29 The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was.
Messenger: 30 Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Savior,” or Jesus. 32 Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, 33 and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever.
Mary: 34 But I have never been with a man. How can this be possible?
Messenger: 35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Most High will overshadow you. That’s why this holy child will be known, as not just your son, but also as the Son of God. 36 It sounds impossible, but listen—you know your relative Elizabeth has been unable to bear children and is now far too old to be a mother. Yet she has become pregnant, as God willed it. Yes, in three months, she will have a son. 37 So the impossible is possible with God.
Mary (deciding in her heart): 38 Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.
Luke is very interested in the ways that disadvantaged people of his day respond to God. Already there is a fascinating interplay between Zacharias’s response to God and Mary’s.
And the heavenly messenger was gone.
Terrie's Comments:
It is amazing to me that one messenger was chosen to bring the news to both Zacharias and Mary. Their responses were very different but both were used to put God's great plan into motion!
Tori's Comments:
God had had everything planned out to happen right at that moment in history... and it baffles me! Especially when I reflect that He must have done the same in my life. That I'm where I need to be for a reason, and that even the seemingly meaningless things I do serve a greater purpose that God knows.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Messenger: Greetings! You are favored, and the Lord is with you! [Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed.]
29 The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was.
Messenger: 30 Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Savior,” or Jesus. 32 Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, 33 and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever.
Mary: 34 But I have never been with a man. How can this be possible?
Messenger: 35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Most High will overshadow you. That’s why this holy child will be known, as not just your son, but also as the Son of God. 36 It sounds impossible, but listen—you know your relative Elizabeth has been unable to bear children and is now far too old to be a mother. Yet she has become pregnant, as God willed it. Yes, in three months, she will have a son. 37 So the impossible is possible with God.
Mary (deciding in her heart): 38 Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.
Luke is very interested in the ways that disadvantaged people of his day respond to God. Already there is a fascinating interplay between Zacharias’s response to God and Mary’s.
And the heavenly messenger was gone.
Terrie's Comments:
It is amazing to me that one messenger was chosen to bring the news to both Zacharias and Mary. Their responses were very different but both were used to put God's great plan into motion!
Tori's Comments:
God had had everything planned out to happen right at that moment in history... and it baffles me! Especially when I reflect that He must have done the same in my life. That I'm where I need to be for a reason, and that even the seemingly meaningless things I do serve a greater purpose that God knows.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Day 3 - Luke 1:18-25
Zacharias: 18 How can I be sure of what you’re telling me? I am an old man, and my wife is far past the normal age for women to bear children. This is hard to believe!
Messenger (sternly): 19 I am Gabriel, the messenger who inhabits God’s presence. I was sent here to talk with you and bring you this good news. 20 Because you didn’t believe my message, you will not be able to talk—not another word—until you experience the fulfillment of my words.
21 Meanwhile the crowd at the temple wondered why Zacharias hadn’t come out of the sanctuary yet. It wasn’t normal for the priest to be delayed so long. 22 When at last he came out, he was making signs with his hands to give the blessing, but he couldn’t speak. They realized he had seen some sort of vision. 23 When his time on duty at the temple came to an end, he went back home to his wife. 24 Shortly after his return, Elizabeth became pregnant. She avoided public contact for the next five months.
Elizabeth: 25 I have lived with the disgrace of being barren for all these years. Now God has looked on me with favor. When I go out in public with my baby, I will not be disgraced any longer.
Tori's Comments:
I don't think we treat faithlessness as they did in the Bible. It's also something that isn't considered all that important in Christianity here in North America. But having faith is SO IMPORTANT!!!
Terrie's Comments:
When God speaks to us through his word or through the Holy Spirit, or by any other means ... we need to be careful to believe the message and not fall into unbelief or start to make excuses for God. God doesn't lie. Be careful to believe what he speaks to your heart!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Messenger (sternly): 19 I am Gabriel, the messenger who inhabits God’s presence. I was sent here to talk with you and bring you this good news. 20 Because you didn’t believe my message, you will not be able to talk—not another word—until you experience the fulfillment of my words.
21 Meanwhile the crowd at the temple wondered why Zacharias hadn’t come out of the sanctuary yet. It wasn’t normal for the priest to be delayed so long. 22 When at last he came out, he was making signs with his hands to give the blessing, but he couldn’t speak. They realized he had seen some sort of vision. 23 When his time on duty at the temple came to an end, he went back home to his wife. 24 Shortly after his return, Elizabeth became pregnant. She avoided public contact for the next five months.
Elizabeth: 25 I have lived with the disgrace of being barren for all these years. Now God has looked on me with favor. When I go out in public with my baby, I will not be disgraced any longer.
Tori's Comments:
I don't think we treat faithlessness as they did in the Bible. It's also something that isn't considered all that important in Christianity here in North America. But having faith is SO IMPORTANT!!!
Terrie's Comments:
When God speaks to us through his word or through the Holy Spirit, or by any other means ... we need to be careful to believe the message and not fall into unbelief or start to make excuses for God. God doesn't lie. Be careful to believe what he speaks to your heart!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Monday, February 12, 2018
Day 2 - Luke 1:8-17
8 One day Zacharias was chosen to perform his priestly duties in God’s presence, according to the temple’s normal schedule and routine. 9 He had been selected from all the priests by the customary procedure of casting lots for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the sacred precincts of the temple. There he burned sweet incense, 10 while outside a large crowd of people prayed. 11 Suddenly Zacharias realized he was not alone: a messenger of the Lord was there with him. The messenger stood just to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was shocked and afraid, 13 but the messenger reassured him.
Messenger: Zacharias, calm down! Don’t be afraid!
Messenger: Zacharias, your prayers have been heard. Your wife is going to have a son, and you will name him John. 14 He will bring you great joy and happiness—and many will share your joy at John’s birth.
15 This son of yours will be a great man in God’s sight. He will not drink alcohol in any form; instead of alcoholic spirits, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is in his mother’s womb. 16 Here is his mission: he will turn many of the children of Israel around to follow the path to the Lord their God. 17 Do you remember the prophecy about someone to come in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; someone who will turn the hearts of the parents back to their children; someone who will turn the hearts of the disobedient to the mind-set of the just and good? Your son is the one who will fulfill this prophecy: he will be the Lord’s forerunner, the one who will prepare the people and make them ready for God.
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder what it was like to be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb? To never experience that God shaped hole in your life! It must have been amazing :-)
Tori's Comments:
What hope the messenger of the Lord brought!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Messenger: Zacharias, calm down! Don’t be afraid!
Messenger: Zacharias, your prayers have been heard. Your wife is going to have a son, and you will name him John. 14 He will bring you great joy and happiness—and many will share your joy at John’s birth.
15 This son of yours will be a great man in God’s sight. He will not drink alcohol in any form; instead of alcoholic spirits, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is in his mother’s womb. 16 Here is his mission: he will turn many of the children of Israel around to follow the path to the Lord their God. 17 Do you remember the prophecy about someone to come in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; someone who will turn the hearts of the parents back to their children; someone who will turn the hearts of the disobedient to the mind-set of the just and good? Your son is the one who will fulfill this prophecy: he will be the Lord’s forerunner, the one who will prepare the people and make them ready for God.
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder what it was like to be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb? To never experience that God shaped hole in your life! It must have been amazing :-)
Tori's Comments:
What hope the messenger of the Lord brought!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Looking Through The Eyes of Luke! - Day 1 - Luke 1:1-7
1-3 For those who love God, several other people have already written accounts of what God has been bringing to completion among us, using the reports of the original eyewitnesses, those who were there from the start to witness the fulfillment of prophecy. Like those other servants who have recorded the messages, I present to you my carefully researched, orderly account of these new teachings. 4 I want you to know that you can fully rely on the things you have been taught about Jesus, God’s Anointed One.
5 To understand the life of Jesus, I must first give you some background history, events that occurred when Herod ruled Judea for the Roman Empire. Zacharias was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem those days as his fathers had before him. He was a member of the priestly division of Abijah (a grandson of Aaron who innovated temple practices), and his wife, Elizabeth, was of the priestly lineage of Aaron, Moses’ brother. 6 They were good and just people in God’s sight, walking with integrity in the Lord’s ways and laws. 7 Yet they had this sadness. Due to Elizabeth’s infertility, they were childless, and at this time, they were both quite old—well past normal childbearing years.
Tori's Comments:
Yay, Luke! :) I really like the background information here. It helps kind of set the scene.
Terrie's Comments:
Luke has to be my favorite out of the gospels (if I had to choose). Luke was a doctor and his account of the life of Jesus Christ give us details the other gospels don't cover. Luke just had to cover all the bases that had been missed in his opinion by other writers. And as a result the book of Luke is a very systematic and orderly account of the life of Jesus Christ :-)
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
5 To understand the life of Jesus, I must first give you some background history, events that occurred when Herod ruled Judea for the Roman Empire. Zacharias was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem those days as his fathers had before him. He was a member of the priestly division of Abijah (a grandson of Aaron who innovated temple practices), and his wife, Elizabeth, was of the priestly lineage of Aaron, Moses’ brother. 6 They were good and just people in God’s sight, walking with integrity in the Lord’s ways and laws. 7 Yet they had this sadness. Due to Elizabeth’s infertility, they were childless, and at this time, they were both quite old—well past normal childbearing years.
Tori's Comments:
Yay, Luke! :) I really like the background information here. It helps kind of set the scene.
Terrie's Comments:
Luke has to be my favorite out of the gospels (if I had to choose). Luke was a doctor and his account of the life of Jesus Christ give us details the other gospels don't cover. Luke just had to cover all the bases that had been missed in his opinion by other writers. And as a result the book of Luke is a very systematic and orderly account of the life of Jesus Christ :-)
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Day 67 - Mark 16:9-20
9 Early on the first day of the week, after rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 After she had seen Jesus, she ran to tell his disciples, who were all emotionally devastated and weeping. 11 Excitedly, Mary told them, “He’s alive and I’ve seen him!” But even after hearing this, they didn’t believe her.
12 After this, Jesus appeared to two of the disciples, who were on their way to another village, appearing in a form they did not recognize. 13 They went back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples, but they didn’t believe it was true.
14 Then Jesus appeared before the eleven apostles as they were eating a meal. He corrected them for having such hard, unbelieving hearts because they did not believe those who saw him after his resurrection.
15 And he said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! 16 Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. 17 And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. 18 They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”
19 After saying these things, Jesus was lifted up into heaven and sat down at the place of honor at the right hand of God! 20 And the apostles went out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that accompanied them!
Tori's Comments:
Even after all they'd heard and seen from Jesus, the disciples could not grasp faith easily.
Side Note: How often do I preach the good news openly? What miraculous signs accompany my faith?
But the Lord wants to work WITH us. We are, after all, working to bring him glory!
Terrie's Comments:
these miracle signs will accompany those who believe... as the Lord himself CONSISTENTLY WORKED WITH THEM, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs...
We are a part of the entire human race. If we believe the good news and are baptized we are a part of those who believe. We can expect the Lord himself to consistently work with us as we proclaim the gospel and to validate the message we preach with miracle signs through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us! Do we believe?
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
12 After this, Jesus appeared to two of the disciples, who were on their way to another village, appearing in a form they did not recognize. 13 They went back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples, but they didn’t believe it was true.
14 Then Jesus appeared before the eleven apostles as they were eating a meal. He corrected them for having such hard, unbelieving hearts because they did not believe those who saw him after his resurrection.
15 And he said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! 16 Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. 17 And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. 18 They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”
19 After saying these things, Jesus was lifted up into heaven and sat down at the place of honor at the right hand of God! 20 And the apostles went out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that accompanied them!
Tori's Comments:
Even after all they'd heard and seen from Jesus, the disciples could not grasp faith easily.
Side Note: How often do I preach the good news openly? What miraculous signs accompany my faith?
But the Lord wants to work WITH us. We are, after all, working to bring him glory!
Terrie's Comments:
these miracle signs will accompany those who believe... as the Lord himself CONSISTENTLY WORKED WITH THEM, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs...
We are a part of the entire human race. If we believe the good news and are baptized we are a part of those who believe. We can expect the Lord himself to consistently work with us as we proclaim the gospel and to validate the message we preach with miracle signs through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us! Do we believe?
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Friday, February 9, 2018
Day 66 - Mark 16:1-8
1–2 On the first day of the week, as the Sabbath was ending, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob, and Salome made their way to the tomb. It was very early in the morning as the first streaks of light were beginning to be seen in the sky. They had purchased aromatic embalming spices so that they might anoint his body. 3 And they had been asking one another, “Who can roll away the heavy stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they arrived, they discovered that the very large stone that had sealed the tomb was already rolled away! 5 And as they stepped into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, dressed in a long white robe. The women were startled and amazed. 6 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you’re here looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here—he has risen victoriously! Look! See the place where they laid him. 7 Run and tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is risen. He has gone ahead of you into Galilee and you will see him there, just like he told you.”
8 They staggered out of the tomb, awestruck, with their minds swirling. They ran to tell the disciples, but they were so afraid and deep in wonder, they said nothing to anyone.
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder how long it took for the news to finally settle into their spirits to a point where they allowed themselves to rejoice about the news?
Tori's Comments:
Why did Jesus first reveal himself to these three women? I understand that he would first appear to his mother, but why the other two?
Also: WOOOOOHOOOOOO! Such joy comes after such pain and sorrow.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
8 They staggered out of the tomb, awestruck, with their minds swirling. They ran to tell the disciples, but they were so afraid and deep in wonder, they said nothing to anyone.
Terrie's Comments:
I wonder how long it took for the news to finally settle into their spirits to a point where they allowed themselves to rejoice about the news?
Tori's Comments:
Why did Jesus first reveal himself to these three women? I understand that he would first appear to his mother, but why the other two?
Also: WOOOOOHOOOOOO! Such joy comes after such pain and sorrow.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Day 65 - Mark 15:42-47
42 Evening was fast approaching, and it was a preparation day before a Sabbath. 43 So a prominent Jewish leader named Joseph, from the village of Ramah, courageously went to see Pilate and asked to have custody of the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly regarded member of the Jewish council and a follower of Jesus who had focused his hope on God’s kingdom realm. 44 Pilate was amazed to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he summoned the Roman officer, who confirmed it. 45 After it was confirmed, Pilate consented to give the corpse to Joseph.
46 Joseph purchased a shroud of fine linen and took the body down from the cross. Then he wrapped it in the linen shroud and placed it in a tomb quarried from out of the rock. Then they rolled a large stone over the entrance to seal the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were there and saw exactly where they laid the body of Jesus.
Tori's Comments:
I'm curious as to the significance of Jesus's "quick" death.
Terrie's Comments:
Joseph was very bold to ask for the body of a man whom religious leaders had demanded to be crucified. He was a prominent Jewish leader himself. This was certainly an act of faith on his part towards Jesus Christ.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
46 Joseph purchased a shroud of fine linen and took the body down from the cross. Then he wrapped it in the linen shroud and placed it in a tomb quarried from out of the rock. Then they rolled a large stone over the entrance to seal the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were there and saw exactly where they laid the body of Jesus.
Tori's Comments:
I'm curious as to the significance of Jesus's "quick" death.
Terrie's Comments:
Joseph was very bold to ask for the body of a man whom religious leaders had demanded to be crucified. He was a prominent Jewish leader himself. This was certainly an act of faith on his part towards Jesus Christ.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Day 64 - Mark 15:33-41
33 For three hours, beginning at noon, darkness came over the earth. 34 About three o’clock, Jesus shouted with a mighty voice in Aramaic, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”—that is, “My God, My God, why have you turned your back on me?”
35 Some who were standing near the cross misunderstood and said, “Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.” 36 One bystander ran and got a sponge, soaked it with sour wine, then put it on a stick and held it up for Jesus to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to rescue him.” 37 Just then Jesus passionately cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 38 At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
39 When the Roman military officer who was standing right in front of Jesus saw how he died, he said, “There is no doubt this man was the Son of God!
40–41 Watching from a distance, away from the crowds, were many of the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had cared for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob the younger and Joseph, and Salome. Many other women who had followed him to Jerusalem were there too.
Terrie's Comments:
In Verse 34 Jesus was referring to the scriptures, which the religious scholars would have known well. He was referring back to the Psalms and reminding them of what was said about that moment.
At the moment that Jesus died the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to the bottom and their was no longer anything separating us from having an open relationship with God our Father!! That was a glorious moment for humanity for sure!
Tori's Comments:
I was about to ask a question about verse 34, but glanced at Terrie's and found the start of an answer :)
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
35 Some who were standing near the cross misunderstood and said, “Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.” 36 One bystander ran and got a sponge, soaked it with sour wine, then put it on a stick and held it up for Jesus to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to rescue him.” 37 Just then Jesus passionately cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 38 At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
39 When the Roman military officer who was standing right in front of Jesus saw how he died, he said, “There is no doubt this man was the Son of God!
40–41 Watching from a distance, away from the crowds, were many of the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had cared for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob the younger and Joseph, and Salome. Many other women who had followed him to Jerusalem were there too.
Terrie's Comments:
In Verse 34 Jesus was referring to the scriptures, which the religious scholars would have known well. He was referring back to the Psalms and reminding them of what was said about that moment.
At the moment that Jesus died the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to the bottom and their was no longer anything separating us from having an open relationship with God our Father!! That was a glorious moment for humanity for sure!
Tori's Comments:
I was about to ask a question about verse 34, but glanced at Terrie's and found the start of an answer :)
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Day 63 - Mark 15:21-32
21 As they came out of the city, they stopped an African man named Simon, a native of Libya. He was passing by, just coming in from the countryside with his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, and the soldiers forced him to carry the heavy crossbeam for Jesus. 22 They brought Jesus to the execution site called Golgotha, which means “Skull Hill.” 23 There they offered him a mild painkiller, a drink of wine mixed with gall, but he refused to drink it.
24 They nailed his hands and feet to the cross. The soldiers divided his clothing among themselves by rolling dice to see who would win them. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they finally crucified him. 26 Above his head they placed a sign with the inscription of the charge against him, which read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
27 Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus, one on each side of him. 28 This fulfilled the Scripture that says:
He was considered to be a criminal.
29 Those who passed by shook their heads and spitefully ridiculed him, saying, “Aha! You boasted that you could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Why don’t you save yourself now? Just come down from the cross!”
31 Even the ruling priests and the religious scholars joined in the mockery and kept laughing among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself! Israel’s king, is he? 32 Let the ‘Messiah,’ the ‘king of Israel,’ pull out the nails and come down from the cross right now. We’ll believe it when we see it!” Even the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus began to taunt him, hurling insults on him.
Tori's Comments:
What a worthy, beautiful, saviour we serve. Just reading these accounts puts me in awe of all that he endured to save us, that we might be called children of God!
Terrie's Comments:
There are so many prophecies that were fulfilled in just this one day it is almost unbelievable, yet that is what makes it believable and proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be when he walked on the earth with us. So many little tiny details that were talked about happened just the way God predicted that they would through the prophets of the Old Testament.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
24 They nailed his hands and feet to the cross. The soldiers divided his clothing among themselves by rolling dice to see who would win them. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they finally crucified him. 26 Above his head they placed a sign with the inscription of the charge against him, which read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
27 Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus, one on each side of him. 28 This fulfilled the Scripture that says:
He was considered to be a criminal.
29 Those who passed by shook their heads and spitefully ridiculed him, saying, “Aha! You boasted that you could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Why don’t you save yourself now? Just come down from the cross!”
31 Even the ruling priests and the religious scholars joined in the mockery and kept laughing among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself! Israel’s king, is he? 32 Let the ‘Messiah,’ the ‘king of Israel,’ pull out the nails and come down from the cross right now. We’ll believe it when we see it!” Even the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus began to taunt him, hurling insults on him.
Tori's Comments:
What a worthy, beautiful, saviour we serve. Just reading these accounts puts me in awe of all that he endured to save us, that we might be called children of God!
Terrie's Comments:
There are so many prophecies that were fulfilled in just this one day it is almost unbelievable, yet that is what makes it believable and proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be when he walked on the earth with us. So many little tiny details that were talked about happened just the way God predicted that they would through the prophets of the Old Testament.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Monday, February 5, 2018
Day 62 - Mark 15:16-20
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the headquarters of the governor’s compound and summoned a military unit of nearly six hundred men. 17 They placed a purple robe on him to make fun of him. Then they braided a victor’s crown, a wreath made of thorns, and set it on his head. 18 And with a mock salute they repeatedly cried out, “Hail, your majesty, king of the Jews!” 19 They kept on spitting in his face and hit him repeatedly on his head with a reed staff, driving the crown of thorns deep into his brow. They knelt down before him in mockery, pretending to pay him homage. 20 When they finished ridiculing him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to be crucified.
Terrie's Comments:
Why 600 men? This was not a private mocking and beating by any stretch of the imagination. They were mocking the very heart of who He was and didn't know what they were accomplishing as they were doing it. By Jesus stripes we were healed. By this horrific act we now have healing in the name of Jesus forever! Amen
Tori's Comments:
It hurts to read this. Especially when compared with accounts of Jesus that describe him as the King he truly is and the kingdom He will bring...
If HE could endure such as humbling as this, and asks us to follow in his footsteps, maybe I need to think of myself a little less.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Terrie's Comments:
Why 600 men? This was not a private mocking and beating by any stretch of the imagination. They were mocking the very heart of who He was and didn't know what they were accomplishing as they were doing it. By Jesus stripes we were healed. By this horrific act we now have healing in the name of Jesus forever! Amen
Tori's Comments:
It hurts to read this. Especially when compared with accounts of Jesus that describe him as the King he truly is and the kingdom He will bring...
If HE could endure such as humbling as this, and asks us to follow in his footsteps, maybe I need to think of myself a little less.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Day 61 - Mark 15:6-15
6 Every year at Passover, it was the custom of the governor to pardon a prisoner and release him to the people—anyone they wanted. 7 Now, Pilate was holding in custody a notorious criminal named Barabbas, one of the assassins who had committed murder in an uprising. 8 The crowds gathered in front of Pilate’s judgment bench and asked him to release a prisoner to them, as was his custom.
9 So he asked them, “Do you want me to release to you today the king of the Jews?” 10 (Pilate was fully aware that the religious leaders had handed Jesus over to him because of sheer spite and envy.)
11 But the ruling priests stirred up the crowd to incite them to ask for Barabbas instead.
12 So Pilate asked them, “Then what do you want me to do with this one you call the king of the Jews?”
13 They all shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “Why?” Pilate asked. “What evil thing has he done wrong?” But they kept shouting out with an deafening roar, “Crucify him at once!”
15 Because he wanted to please the people, Pilate released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus severely beaten with a whip made of leather straps and embedded with metal, he sentenced him to be crucified.
Tori's Comments:
Jesus takes our place like he took Barrabas's.
I wonder what Barabbas did next. Did he turn to worship the one who took His place? Or did he continue in a life without Him?
Terrie's Comments:
I am pretty sure this did not end the way Pilate expected it to. He was thinking that it was a black and white decision and inevitably Jesus would be free... right? This mob against Jesus escalated so quickly from a crowd who was worshiping Jesus just a short time before this. Are we ones who worship Jesus and stand on the Word of God no matter what or do we only stand on the Word when it is convenient and goes with popular opinion? The Bible isn't politically correct. We will not always be popular when we live our lives according to the Word of God no matter what.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
9 So he asked them, “Do you want me to release to you today the king of the Jews?” 10 (Pilate was fully aware that the religious leaders had handed Jesus over to him because of sheer spite and envy.)
11 But the ruling priests stirred up the crowd to incite them to ask for Barabbas instead.
12 So Pilate asked them, “Then what do you want me to do with this one you call the king of the Jews?”
13 They all shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “Why?” Pilate asked. “What evil thing has he done wrong?” But they kept shouting out with an deafening roar, “Crucify him at once!”
15 Because he wanted to please the people, Pilate released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus severely beaten with a whip made of leather straps and embedded with metal, he sentenced him to be crucified.
Tori's Comments:
Jesus takes our place like he took Barrabas's.
I wonder what Barabbas did next. Did he turn to worship the one who took His place? Or did he continue in a life without Him?
Terrie's Comments:
I am pretty sure this did not end the way Pilate expected it to. He was thinking that it was a black and white decision and inevitably Jesus would be free... right? This mob against Jesus escalated so quickly from a crowd who was worshiping Jesus just a short time before this. Are we ones who worship Jesus and stand on the Word of God no matter what or do we only stand on the Word when it is convenient and goes with popular opinion? The Bible isn't politically correct. We will not always be popular when we live our lives according to the Word of God no matter what.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Day 60 - Mark 15:1-5
1 Before dawn that morning, all the ruling priests, elders, religious scholars, and the entire Jewish council set in motion their plan against Jesus. They bound him in chains, took him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
2 As Jesus stood in front of the Roman governor, Pilate asked him, “So, are you really the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “You have just spoken it.”
3 Then the ruling priests, over and over, made bitter accusations against him, but he remained silent.
4 So Pilate questioned him again. “Have you nothing to say? Don’t you hear these many allegations they’re making against you?” 5 But Jesus offered no defense to any of the charges, much to the great astonishment of Pilate.
Terrie's Comments:
Have you ever been falsely accused - in a situation that you knew saying anything would only make it worse? It is a horrible feeling but all too often we feel the need to defend our innocence and more often than not it does make the situation worse or at least prolong it. It is no wonder that Pilate was astonished that Jesus was silent when there were many allegations, which were all false, being shouted at Jesus.
Tori's Comments:
I picture Jesus's silence as a noble one. What a king we serve!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
2 As Jesus stood in front of the Roman governor, Pilate asked him, “So, are you really the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “You have just spoken it.”
3 Then the ruling priests, over and over, made bitter accusations against him, but he remained silent.
4 So Pilate questioned him again. “Have you nothing to say? Don’t you hear these many allegations they’re making against you?” 5 But Jesus offered no defense to any of the charges, much to the great astonishment of Pilate.
Terrie's Comments:
Have you ever been falsely accused - in a situation that you knew saying anything would only make it worse? It is a horrible feeling but all too often we feel the need to defend our innocence and more often than not it does make the situation worse or at least prolong it. It is no wonder that Pilate was astonished that Jesus was silent when there were many allegations, which were all false, being shouted at Jesus.
Tori's Comments:
I picture Jesus's silence as a noble one. What a king we serve!
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Friday, February 2, 2018
Day 59 - Mark 14:66-72
66 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting below in the courtyard when a girl, a servant of the high priest, came near the fire. 67 When she saw Peter there warming himself, she said to him, “I recognize you. You were with that Nazarene, Jesus.”
68 But Peter denied it, saying, “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the gateway of the courtyard and the rooster crowed.
69 When the servant girl noticed him, she said to all the bystanders, “I know this man is one of his followers!”
70 Once again, Peter denied it. A short time later, the bystanders said to him, “You must be one of them. You’re a Galilean, like he is, for your accent proves it!”
71 Peter cursed and said, “I tell you, I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 At the same moment Peter spoke those words, the sound of a rooster crowing pierced the night for the second time. And Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken to him earlier: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” With a shattered heart, Peter broke down and sobbed with bitter tears.
Tori's Comments:
I really struggle to read this story without it accompanying the one where Jesus reinstates Peter... because you see Peter understand the depth of failure of humanity, and yet Jesus still offers grace.
Terrie's Comments:
That moment of realization that Jesus was right again... and another confirmation that He is the Son of God in the flesh! I am sure that Peter was sincere when he said to Jesus he wouldn't turn away and deny him even if everyone else did. He did stick around longer than anyone else. I wonder what Peter thought was going to happen in this trial? Jesus being spat on, mocked and beat would be enough to shake me up to I think.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
68 But Peter denied it, saying, “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the gateway of the courtyard and the rooster crowed.
69 When the servant girl noticed him, she said to all the bystanders, “I know this man is one of his followers!”
70 Once again, Peter denied it. A short time later, the bystanders said to him, “You must be one of them. You’re a Galilean, like he is, for your accent proves it!”
71 Peter cursed and said, “I tell you, I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 At the same moment Peter spoke those words, the sound of a rooster crowing pierced the night for the second time. And Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken to him earlier: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” With a shattered heart, Peter broke down and sobbed with bitter tears.
Tori's Comments:
I really struggle to read this story without it accompanying the one where Jesus reinstates Peter... because you see Peter understand the depth of failure of humanity, and yet Jesus still offers grace.
Terrie's Comments:
That moment of realization that Jesus was right again... and another confirmation that He is the Son of God in the flesh! I am sure that Peter was sincere when he said to Jesus he wouldn't turn away and deny him even if everyone else did. He did stick around longer than anyone else. I wonder what Peter thought was going to happen in this trial? Jesus being spat on, mocked and beat would be enough to shake me up to I think.
We have a praise music list that we add to on a regular basis. You can find the link to it in the right hand column of this blog or by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
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