Matthew 2:1-2

April 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬)

One thing leapt off the page today. “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” I have two thoughts related to this sentence.

First, the growing disdain for Israel among American Christians of all stripes (Evangelical, Reformed, Catholic, and Orthodox) comes to mind. Interestingly, “Christ is King!” is being proclaimed from each quarter. On its face, “Christ is King” is a wonderful and accurate recognition of who Jesus is. After all, Revelation 19:16 says, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” However, I’m not hearing this declaration of Christ’s kingship in “normal” conversations; I am hearing it in the political sphere, used as a weapon against support for Israel. So, I find some irony in reading the wisemen’s inquiry: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

Second, on this Saturday before Resurrection Sunday, my mind shifted from King of the Jews to Savior of the world! The Apostle John records these words: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬) John also reports on the Samaritans’ recognition of Jesus as the Savior of the world: “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭42)

So, on this Saturday, I worship and proclaim Jesus, the King of the Jews and Savior of the world.

Father, help me recognize Jesus for who he is, and not misuse his identity as an insult toward others. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, John, Matthew, New Testament, Politics, Supremacy of God

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

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
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