Tag: kingdom of heaven

John 16:1-33 – What Do You Think of Jesus?

Read John 16:1-33

Some people say the best place to start reading the Bible is the Gospel of John. I heard that again recently on a podcast with one of the Duck Dynasty boys who said something like, if you’re just starting your faith journey and want to know more about matters of faith, you should get to know Jesus by reading the book of John. Now that we’re sixteen chapters in, what do you think of Jesus?

Jesus has done mighty things, unbelievable things. Jesus has both devoted followers and haters. Jesus’ messages are challenging. Jesus is devoted to his Heavenly Father above all, and wants that for us, too. Jesus is the only way to eternal life, or what we often call the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus loves us. You should write down all the things you’ve learned about Jesus from these first 16 chapters and then be ready to add to your list as the story plays out from here. The story is still being written beyond the pages of Scripture, and you are part of that story. Continue reading “John 16:1-33 – What Do You Think of Jesus?”

Daniel 7:13-14 – Daniel Sees Jesus

Read Daniel 7:13-14

In his vision, Daniel saw “someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.” The prophet Daniel lived a long time before Jesus, so they hadn’t met. But these words clearly line up with Jesus referring to himself as the “Son of Man” in the New Testament. (Here are a few examples: Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27; John 1:51) Our God is amazing, isn’t he, to have had this all planned out for our own good?

What else do you notice from this Advent theme text? Ponder on that for a moment. I was moved by imagining a peek into heaven as Jesus approached the “Ancient One.” That title sounds so wise and loving, doesn’t it? Continue reading “Daniel 7:13-14 – Daniel Sees Jesus”

Jeremiah 52:1-11 – A New Season

Read Jeremiah 52:1-11

What’s going through my head right now is “déjà vu!” I feel like I have already lived through this text recently. (See Chapter 39 and also 2 Kings 25.) In effect, Chapter 52 serves as a conclusion or historical appendix of all the things God said would happen through Jeremiah. We’ll reflect on the fall of Jerusalem in a couple chunks.

Today we look at what happened to the kingly leadership. From what we read in Scripture, kingship doesn’t necessarily mean devotion to God. While Zedekiah’s future sounds painful, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise if he had been listening to Jeremiah. Zedekiah had plenty of opportunity to re-evaluate his life and turn toward God. It’s hard to imagine enduring such torture when it could have been avoided. This was certainly not a good “season” for Zedekiah.

Continue reading “Jeremiah 52:1-11 – A New Season”
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