A Gift Worth Receiving
After Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for almost four decades, the religious Jews were angry with Him. This may seem strange, because healing is a good thing, but Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath—the day of rest. In the Old Testament, God gave believers a long list of rules to follow in order to stay right with Him, and these rules included honoring the Sabbath.
But in the New Testament, Jesus was sent to change our relationship with the Father. By sacrificing Himself on the cross, He gave us access to a relationship with God—so that long list of rules was no longer needed. Throughout Jesus' life, He shows people the nature of this new relationship. But because it didn’t line up with what the religious establishment believed, they were angry with Him.
In John 5, Jesus justifies these changes through revealing His true authority. By calling God His Father, He shared that He was equal to God. This angered the religious Jews, but it gives us a deeper look into the relationship between the Father and Son.
Jesus tells us that the Father and Son are united in love. The Son does not ‘work’ for the Father—instead they work together, and the work Jesus does perfectly reflects the will of His Father.
This relationship reveals that Jesus has authority to give us eternal life with Him.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 5:24 ESV
When we hear God’s Word and believe in Jesus, we have access to a relationship with Him that will last forever. Unlike the Jews in the Old Testament before this new covenant, we don’t have to follow strict laws perfectly to gain salvation.
All we have to do is accept the gift Jesus has given us through His authority. Have you accepted this gift?
Closer Than You Think
In one unsuspecting moment, everything can change.
A relationship can shatter, a dream can suddenly end. Your heart can break for a million different reasons: grief, rejection, loneliness, uncertainty, tragedy, betrayal.
When something terrible happens and the world makes zero sense…
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 34:18 NLT
David, the writer of Psalm 34, preached from the trenches. He experienced some intense highs and fierce lows, but he recognized God’s presence in the midst of his circumstances. He knew that God was near—no matter what was happening around him.
Is your heart broken? Is your spirit crushed?
God is near.
He hasn’t left you to fight for yourself.
He sees you in your heartbreak.
He meets you where you are.
He has not forgotten you.
He has not abandoned you.
This doesn’t mean you won’t face hard things. But even when your mind races and your heart doubts, God offers a peace and an intimacy that cannot...