August 1 - Answering Jesus

Matthew 21:23-27

But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Matthew 21:26 ESV)

From the moment he arrived in Jerusalem Jesus was challenged by the uppity Pharisees and scribes. During his triumphant entree, while he performed miracles, and even while he tried to teach his followers—the religious leaders followed him, nagging him at every turn.

During one such encounter Jesus turned the attention around on them. They asked him a question that they assumed would stump him, and in turn he asked them a question they were too cowardly to answer. If you, like me, have ever found yourself afraid to fess up and acknowledge your own shortcomings you may be a little like those guys.

Whether it was simple fear of men, an obstinate refusal to acknowledge Jesus authority, or some combination of the two, the Pharisees and scribes dodged Jesus' pointed question. We too do this all the time. The truth is that God often speaks directly into our discomfort to bring us into correction.

The places in our soul we're most willing to avoid are generally the places where Jesus most wants to engage us. When I feel the most insecure he points me to a place where I can rediscover my strength in him. When I feel haughty he usually points out my deep need for his ability. But to get there I must acknowledge where, how, and when he calling out to me. I must answer him.

July 29 - To Be Loved

Matthew 3:13-17

...and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 ESV)

Experiencing the love of another is a special thing. Something that nearly everyone longs for. However, the sad reality of our world is that not everyone goes through life feeling the love of another person. Human families are sometimes fragile, relationships are often messy, and the profound difficulty of tragic circumstances can make for some lonely situations.

The story of Jesus' baptism is one of my favorite moments in the Gospels. It is packed with insight into the nature of Christ. And the closing verse is one of the only moments in the Bible that records a direct interaction between God and Christ that other people were able to witness.

God declared that Jesus was His beloved Son. The truth of Jesus as the Son of God is an essential element of Christianity. But something that can sometimes be easily forgotten is that we are also sons and daughters of God.

Jesus' sacrifice made it so that we can be restored to our place in the family of God. We are indeed coheirs with Christ when we experience the power of transformational salvation. Jesus is the beloved Son, and in him each of us can know what it is like to be loved by God.

July 28 - Where Is the Fruit?

Matthew 21:18-22

And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (Matthew 21:19 ESV)

Every summer for as long as I can remember my dad has grown watermelons. He grows them by the thousands to sell in the communities nearby. And without fail, when I make a trip to the family farm during July I will be able to see them as I drive onto the property. Why? Because at a watermelon farm I expect to find watermelons.

The story of Jesus and the fig tree can be confusing. Why would Jesus curse a tree for not having fruit? People a lot smarter than me could probably explain it in grandiose theological terms, but I think there is a simple principal to learn. Jesus expected a fruit tree to bear fruit.

Fruit is a word often used to describe the good qualities that result in someone's life as they mature in their relationship with Christ. It is a natural part of Christianity, as natural as finding watermelons in a watermelon patch. When I read about Jesus' frustration with the fruitless fig tree I can't help but think about people claim to be Christian, but evidence no fruit in their lives.

Jesus' expects his followers to demonstrate the attributes that identify them as his followers. Not because by performing or acting a certain way we can earn our salvation, but because being a Christian should cause change in us over time. Just like a peach tree grows peaches, an apple tree apples, or a fig tree figs, Christians should demonstrate the Fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Where is your fruit?

July 26 - Jesus and the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14 ESV)

Throughout their history the Jews had worshipped through song and sacrifice. King Solomon oversaw the construction of the first temple, where as Herod the Great was the steward of the last Jewish Temple. It had been intended as a place for the people to connect with God in profound ways. It had become something else entirely.

When Jesus arrived at the Temple it was chock full of money changers, merchants, and other swindlers. He would not tolerate it. So he threw them out in a moment of truly justified righteous indignation. The Temple had become something other than a place for repentance and prayer, but Jesus restored it to its intended use.

As he sat and taught his followers amidst the purged Temple grounds people began to bring the sick and the lame and he healed them. It was a complete turnabout for the Temple. The religious focal point of Judaism, it was no longer defunct, it was no longer a money trap meant to make the powerful wealthy, it was truly a place of connecting with God.

The Temple no longer stands. It was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. However, the time had already passed for the usefulness of a material temple by then. Jesus had changed that.

Today we can connect with God anywhere we like. We are no longer limited to only visiting a holy place. In fact, Christianity has no holy places, only the holiness of God, the Son, and the Spirit. When Jesus cleansed the Temple he demonstrated that it is his work and person by which we connect with God. It is by his death. By his love. And by his strength.

July 22 - More Than A Prophet

Matthew 21:1-11

And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:11 ESV)

Finally the time had come for Jesus to enter Jerusalem. It was to be the beginning of the end of his public ministry. The disciples acquired a donkey for him to ride. As he entered people worshipped him. They spread out their cloaks before him and trimmed branches to wave and lay on the ground. They received him into their city with fanfare and excitement.

Even today some people have the wrong idea about Jesus. They look at him as a mere prophet. He was certainly a prophet, but he was so much more.

The foundational truth of orthodox (historically traditional) Christianity is that Jesus was God made flesh. He died for our sins. He was raised back to life after three days. And his death and resurrection was a sacrifice meant to atone for our evil actions.

It takes more than a prophet to forgive sins. It takes more than a prophet to be a perfect sacrifice. It takes more than a prophet to sovereignly rule and reign across the span of eternity. It takes Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.