December 2 - Peter Preaches Jesus

Read: Acts 2

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2:22-24 ESV)

By all human accounts and logic, it would seem as though Jesus left the future of human destiny in the hands of eleven men. It would seem. And certainly they each played an epic part. But the apostles are neither the story nor the point of the story—though each were proclaimers of the story.

Peter was a fisherman, who became a follower, who became a leader. He made the eventual transition from fishmonger to fisher-of-men. But there were many bumps on his journey.

Peter made numerous mistakes. He was brash. He was stubborn and dense. He was both an agitator and a coward, a brawler and betrayer. Peter was a tumultuous wreck of a man with only one notable trait among a laundry list of scruples. Peter loved Jesus.

On the day that Luke recorded in the second chapter of Acts, a day often referred to as the Day of Pentecost, Peter changed. Gone was the fumbling disciple and scrambling coward. Peter arose a leader. A preacher. The proclaimer.

Jesus had promised a power would come. And while in person God was with them in limited form, on the Day of Pentecost God revealed himself in a new way. It changed everything. The Holy Spirit emboldened, encouraged, and equipped a once-dull fisherman to stand up before a crowd, in a city full of people that had just murdered his master, and challenge the status quo.

Peter preached Jesus, and thousands responded.

March 16 - Say and Do

Read: Luke 9:1-6

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (Luke 9:1, 2 ESV)

Jesus gave them power and authority. The disciples became his ambassadors. They became his representatives everywhere they went. Not just in name either. He gave them authority, but also the power to back it up.

Everywhere that these men were to go they were to boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel. And then to demonstrate that truth they were commanded to perform miracles. They would say something, and then they would do something that would demonstrate the legitimacy of their statements.

When we speak of Jesus do we offer action that shows the truth of our convictions? Shouldn't we? Christianity is not just about checking off a list of beliefs. It is also more than just running out and acting out of altruism. The Christ followers life is a balance of both. It is about proclamation and demonstration. It is saying and doing.

To fully embrace life as a disciple of Jesus is to embrace the power and authority Jesus gives us. That means saying who Jesus is to you, and then demonstrating the same thing.

February 22 - Jesus Preached

Read: Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15

And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (Luke 4:15 ESV)

I can't speak for you, but most of the time when I think about the life and ministry of Jesus I wind up dwelling on his miracles. There were so many, and they are awesome stories of the restorative nature of his redemptive love for mankind. If I'm not meditating on or studying about one of his many miracles I am usually thinking about the final moments of his ministry that led up to his torture and murder, or of course the act of his execution itself. Then there is always that intriguing time after his resurrection where he lived among his followers before eventually ascending into Heaven.

To be honest, I find myself spending the least amount of time dwelling on what may have very well been the aspect of Christ's ministry that occupied the largest amount of his time. Jesus was first and foremost a traveling preacher. In today's lingo, he was essentially a missionary. All of the awesome stories we read about his life and works exist within the context of a man who regularly traveled across very rugged terrain to share the redemption story of the Kingdom of Heaven.

He went from town to town speaking in their synagogues. If there wasn't a nearby synagogue he looked for something else to speak from like a hill, or boat. Luke's gospel captures this wonderfully. Luke the physician recorded more of Jesus' words than any other gospel.

We live in an age when words seem to carry little weight sometimes. Actions are held to a higher level of credibility. Indeed Jesus' incredible acts of mercy were miraculous displays of kindness. However, they were made even more impactful by the accompaniment of his message. He preached that God's Kingdom had returned to man through mercy, grace, and repentance. He spoke and he acted on it. He didn't do either alone. He preached repentance and then became the sacrifice to pave the way.