Matthew 1:24-25

April 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬)

I think Joseph is a great model of faith and obedience. Imagine the shock of being told that your betrothed is pregnant, and you know that you are not the father. Now, imagine that you are told that the Holy Spirit is the father of the child.

Without divine revelation, the latter is impossible to believe. Joseph responded naturally by resolving to divorce Mary. However, as he was considering these things, he received divine revelation. The angel of the Lord appeared and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was, in fact, pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord reminded (or informed) Joseph of Isaiah 7:14, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

And when Joseph woke up, he was faithfully obedient to the revelation he had received. And, not only did he keep Mary as his wife, he kept her a virgin until after this child, Jesus, was born.

Father, please help me to faithfully receive and obey the revelation that you have given me. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, God's Word, Gospels, Holy Spirit, Jesus Said, John, New Testament Tagged With:

John 21:19

April 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (John‬ ‭21‬:‭19‬)

Two things stand out to me in this verse. First, Those who follow Christ closely may experience martyrdom. Since Peter walked closely with Jesus, his denials notwithstanding, many may expect that Peter would be exempt from experiencing bad things in life. Among many others, this verse demonstrates the error of such thinking.

Second, believers are required to keep tracking with the Lord if/when they experience hardship. The faulty belief that Christians should not experience hardship often causes people to walk away from Jesus when life gets tough. But, hardship does not offer us such a pass.

We were recently speaking with the mother of a child who had brain cancer in the 3rd or 4th grade. Although she has been declared cancer-free, the cancer and treatments caused a traumatic brain injury. This injury has affected her motor skills and information processing. Her life has been impacted significantly. Yet, her mother said, “She hasn’t lost her belief in God.”

Father, please help me remember that I am not better than Jesus, and I, too, may face difficult circumstances. Help me to remain faithful. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, heart matters, Jesus Said, John, New Testament, Suffering

John 20:30-31

April 1, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John‬ ‭20‬:‭30‬-‭31‬)

Here, John provides the purpose statement for his book: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (31). John clearly thought his selection of signs was sufficient for the reader to believe and have life. That’s a powerful statement, particularly considering that in this same chapter he preserves Thomas’s words: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” John‬ ‭20‬:‭25‬).

John is not dismissing such demands. Rather, he is emphasizing Jesus’s response to Thomas’s post-inspection belief: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John‬ ‭20‬:‭29‬). This emphasis on believing based on testimony rather than physical experience will be essential once Jesus ascends. In fact, even before Jesus ascended, the number of people who could be in Jesus’s presence was limited. Most had to depend on a testimony.

According to Jesus, we have sufficient reason to believe even if we have not personally seen and touched his wounds.

Father, thank you for preserving John’s collection of signs. And, for sending someone to me to testify. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Gospels, Jesus Said, John, New Testament, testimonies

In 19:39

March 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.” (‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭39‬)

This is the third reference to Nicodemus in John. (He appears only in John.) Nicodemus is first mentioned when he meets with Jesus at night in chapter 3. There, he seemed to be intrigued by Jesus, acknowledging that Jesus was clearly a “teacher sent from God” (3:2). Nicodemus appears to be searching for answers to better understand Jesus.

He appears again in John 7. There, he reminded his fellow Pharisees that Jewish law requires a person to be heard before he is judged. Though he did not proclaim to be on Jesus’s side, his reminder of Jewish law caused the other Pharisees to ask if he was also from Galilee. It is hard, if not impossible, to know how committed to Jesus, even if secretly, Nicodemus was at this point. It could be that his fellow Pharisees were so committed to busting Jesus that even a reminder of their own law seemed like fidelity to their enemy. Or, it could have been the way Nicodemus presented himself in that moment that said more than John reveals.

Finally, Nicodemus appears to be all in by the time he helps gather Jesus’s body for burial. At this point, Nicodemus is clearly presenting his connection to Jesus.

In the story of Nicodemus, I see my own story of coming to faith. It started with interest. Then a season of maybe-in-maybe-not. And finally, I was all in. Those are not biblical phrases, but I think they helpfully describe the three phases I see in Nicodemus’s story, and my own.

Father, thank you for pursuing me all the way to belief and beyond. There is no one like you. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Jesus Said, John, New Testament

John 18:1-2

March 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.” (John‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭2‬)

Here, John describes the Garden of Gethsemane as 1) across the Kidron Valley, meaning on the east side of the valley, and 2) a place that Jesus frequented with his disciples.

I suspect that Judas initially took the soldiers to the upper room, only to find it abandoned. Quickly gathering his thoughts, Judas knew where Jesus would be because he had been there with Jesus before. Admittedly, the fruitless trip back to the upper room is conjecture; Judas may have already realized they would be gone and went directly to the garden. But finding the upper room empty adds pressure to the storyline because Judas had an agreement to fulfill. Regardless, John tells us that Judas “knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.” (2)

The point of regularity is what stands out to me in this passage. Although that consistency aided Judas in his evil pursuit, I still see it as a good thing, and something I want to mark my own life with. I believe spontaneity can be a great strength, and consistency in some things is also essential.

One of the things I have tried to build as a constant in my life is completing this chapter-per-day devotional. With God’s help, today marks the 975th day in a row that I have read a chapter of the Bible devotionally. This practice doesn’t make me a hero; it simply shapes my life and establishes some landmarks for my life. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I have completed this reading before getting out of bed because I want God’s word to be the guide for my day. I don’t think it is a sin to read the Bible later in the day, but I want to make sure the busyness of the day doesn’t eat up my basic Bible time. (I read/study the Bible in addition to the morning devotional time, but admittedly, not every day.)

There are other things that I want to be regular things that I’m known for, but not for my glory. I have friends who are quick and automatic to pray when someone shares a burden. I have other friends who are consistent encouragers. And others, who automatically help the disadvantaged. These are all great things to be known for, as Jesus was known for spending time in the garden meeting with his disciples.

Father, help me to grow markers of consistency in my life. Help me to be a dependable intercessor. Help others see consistency in my life such that they can have confidence in me. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, Jesus Said, John, Life in Christ, New Testament
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