Category: Devotions

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Finished. It’s hard for us to think of many things actually being finished. Oh, little things get finished, I suppose. Writing an exam, reading a book—those sorts of things can be finished. Laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, car and home maintenance—those sorts of…

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28)  Why did Jesus speak this word? If we accept the principle of the most obvious answer probably being the correct one, then the answer to the question, “Why did Jesus speak this word?”…

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:45,46) The initial title for this fourth word was “A word of anguish,” but…

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:25-27) That was…

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done…

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:33,34) Had we been in that situation, beaten and battered as Jesus was, we would…

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:22,23) Christmas gloriously assaults our human intelligence! It tells us Jesus is God. Matthew quotes the…

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man. . . . He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him.” (Daniel 7:13,14) Stories of Thanksgiving Day take us back to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Native Americans from the…