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April 2, Sunday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Mercy and Malice — There is a powerful contrast in this passage between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Jesus went to Bethesda, a word meaning “house of mercy,” to show mercy to a man who had been severely disabled for 38 years. Several of Jesus’ divine qualities are seen here. First was His divine knowledge. He “knew that he had already been sick a long time” (v. 6). Jesus knows our needs, too. He also knew this man’s sin history and that his physical problem was apparently tied to past sin (“…do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you”—v. 14). Secondly, Jesus displayed His divine power, commanding, “Get up, pick up … and walk” (v. 8). The man didn’t need to wait for stirred water or for someone to help him into the pool; Jesus healed him instantly where he was. With Jesus’ divine power, the man got up, rolled up his bedding, and started walking. Next comes the contrast: the religious “bedroll police” caught the man in the act. Old Testament law says nothing about carrying bedding on the Sabbath, but the Jewish leaders had decided that it should not be allowed. The man was not sinning against God but against manmade restrictions. When he told them that “He who made me well” had ordered him to carry his mat (v. 11), they were not grateful that the man had been healed; they were incensed that the Healer had dared to break their own law: “…for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath” (v. 16). Where Jesus had shown mercy, they showed malice. Finally, Jesus showed His divine relationship: “My Father is working … and I Myself am working” (v. 17). The Jews understood correctly that Jesus “was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (v. 18b). The malice had reappeared: “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him…” (v. 18a). May our lives reflect the mercy of Jesus rather than the critical malice of sinful man!
Wonderful, Merciful Savior – YouTube
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April 3, Monday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Many Witnesses — This part of John 5 is so filled with statements about Jesus’ divinity that it could have been broken down into two or three parts. First, we see that although the Son is equal to the Father, He willingly subjects Himself to the direction of the Father: “…whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same manner …” (v. 19). That is not restrictive, and it does not take away from Jesus’ deity. Then, generously, the Father “has given all judgment to the Son” (v. 22). God the Son judges righteously because He said that He seeks “the will of Him who sent Me” (v. 30). The Son is also a giver; He gives eternal life to those who hear His word and believe Him (v. 24). Later, those who have believed Him in this life will experience “a resurrection of life” (v. 29) beyond the grave. Is Jesus really God? Was He sent by the Father? Yes, Jesus gave four witnesses to that fact. The Father is a witness: “…the witness which He gives about Me is true” (v. 32). John the Baptist was a witness, a lamp pointing to Jesus: “…he has borne witness to the truth” (v. 33). The miracles Jesus did were witnesses of His deity: “…the very works that I do—bear witness about Me, that the Father has sent Me” (v. 36). Finally, the OT Scriptures witnessed that Jesus was the promised Messiah: “…the Scriptures … bear witness about Me” (v. 39). Jesus also said, “Moses … wrote about Me” (v. 46). The evidence is clear: Jesus is the God-promised, divine Messiah who came to earth. Now, we also are His witnesses.
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April 4, Tuesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Something Greater — There are two “greater things” spoken about in these verses. The first one is when Jesus referred to Himself by saying that “something greater than the temple is here” (v. 6). Because Jesus “is Lord of the Sabbath” (v. 8), He is the ultimate interpreter of the OT laws regarding observance of the Sabbath and of the actions of the priests in the temple. The OT did not criticize David and his men when they ate “the consecrated bread” that was intended only for priests to eat in a holy place (Lev. 24:9). Neither did Jesus condemn them. Why? It was because of the second “greater” thing in this passage—mercy or compassion. Jesus quoted God’s statement in Hosea 6:6, “I DESIRE COMPASSION AND NOT A SACRIFICE.” He was defending the actions of His disciples as they plucked heads of grain while passing the field. The Law commanded farmers not to harvest the corners of their fields so that “the afflicted and the sojourner” (Lev. 23:22) would have some food to eat. It was a command motivated by compassion. Jesus was also defending the actions of David and his men when they were hungry; it was an allowance motivated by compassion. Jesus is greater than the temple and its rules, and compassion is greater than performing the rituals of worship. Jesus is both the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lover of people.
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April 5, Wednesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Good on Display — The Pharisees went to the synagogue on the Sabbath with ulterior motives, the way some people attend church today, without intending to worship. They might have even invited the man with the withered hand to join them. They “were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him” (v. 2). Jesus was being set up, but He wasn’t intimidated; He was the Lord of the Sabbath. He intentionally made the disabled man the center of attention, and asked the schemers a simple question about the Law’s Sabbath requirements: “Is it lawful to do good … to save a life?” (v. 4a). They should have answered “Yes!” to both of those actions, but “they kept silent” (v. 4b). They wouldn’t even acknowledge the truth. No wonder Jesus was angry at them for their hard-hearted plan. Because it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath, Jesus publicly and dramatically healed the man. His compassion for the man was greater than any fear of the Pharisees. Do you ever hesitate to do good because of the possible negative reaction of others who are watching you, like praying before you eat in a public restaurant? It is always right to do good, even when critics are watching us.
Trust in God and Do the Right – YouTube
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April 6, Thursday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Unwelcomed Popularity — Jesus was growing in popularity because of His ministry of teaching, healing, and casting out demons, but it was causing problems. One problem was just the press of the crowds, which can be dangerous. That is why Jesus ordered “that a boat should stand ready…” (Mark 3:9). Another problem was the crowd’s shift in interest from teaching to miracles. It was becoming more of “show time” than “know time.” Entertainment-focused services still threaten Christ’s ministry today in many churches. A third problem was the announcement of Jesus’ identity; He was the Son of God, the Messiah. Jesus’ hesitation about His identity is often difficult to understand because it goes so far beyond our normal human reasoning, where leaders want to be recognized and promoted—the more popular, the better. After the Father had revealed to Peter that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16), Jesus “warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ” (v. 20). After seeing Jesus transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration, His disciples were told, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead” (Matt. 17:9). A widespread announcement of His identity might tend to hasten His death, so the timing of that message would not yet be right. For us, however, Jesus has given the freedom to declare who He is to everyone we know. He is risen; He is God!
All Glory, Laud and Honor – YouTube
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April 7, Friday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Importance of Prayer — Most of us struggle to spend ten minutes in prayer at one time, yet Jesus “was spending the whole night in prayer to God” (v. 12). Why? It was of vital importance to Him. He first separated Himself from the distractions of others, going to a mountain at night when everyone else was at home sleeping. We can pray while washing dishes or digging a ditch, but God doesn’t have our undivided attention at those times. Jesus isolated Himself before talking to His Father about the choice of His apostles (“sent ones”). Except for Judas Iscariot, they would be the early leaders of the church. Who were they? Two sets of brothers, one natural leader, four fishermen, a doubter, a tax collector for the Roman government, and a Zealot, who was bent on driving out the Romans. Several of them we know almost nothing about, but Jesus chose them. Why call such ordinary people? Perhaps it was to remind us that we are just like them, relative nobodies, but chosen by God to be a part of His Kingdom and His call to other people. Do you often feel insignificant? We should! We do, however, have the same access to Infinite Power, and we draw upon it through the times we dedicate ourselves, even in isolation, to prayer.
Sweet Hour of Prayer – YouTube
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April 8, Saturday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Dynamite — When Jesus was on earth, He had different levels of followers, just as we see in our churches today. The first level was His 12 apostles, whom He had just been guided to choose: “And Jesus came down with them…” (v. 17a). These would be the focus of His training for almost three years. They then came down to a level place where they met “a large crowd of His disciples” (v. 17b). This larger group was also composed of committed followers of Jesus, but they wouldn’t receive the same attention as the Twelve. The same verse gives us the third group: “… a great multitude of people … who had come to hear Him and to be healed” (vv. 17c-18). They were also interested, but perhaps they remained more on the edge of commitment. We also see that Jesus not only received direction on the mountain for choosing His 12 apostles, but He also received divine power for ministry: “…all the crowd was trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him…” (v. 19). The Greek word for “power” here is the same word from which we get the English word “dynamite.” It was an awesome power, so that to only touch Him was to be healed. Don’t you wish you had that kind of power? Actually, we do. When Jesus was about to ascend into heaven following His resurrection, He said to His apostles, “you will receive power [same word for dynamite] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have that power. Draw upon it in your prayer; depend upon it in your proclamation!
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