December 25, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Advent readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 25 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.5 through 4.8 (pages 72-76)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Merry Christmas!
Advent 2023 – Day 25
Day 25 4.5 – 4.8. How easy it is for us to doubt or fear the same way Peter did when walking on the water, he took his eyes off Jesus and the fear took over and he started to go down till he took Jesus hand and what did Jesus say “your faith is small, why did you doubt”. How often do we do that! Jesus continues his journey of healing and teaching . Some people starting falling away even the
Apostles started to question the
Lord, he lets them know that
He chose them but also there is
One who is the devil . Jesus continues his journey but stays away from Judea he knows the Jewish leaders want to kill him, and he also knows it isn’t time yet.
Advent Day 25
Well said Cindy about Peter coming to Jesus on the waters. He took his eyes off of Christ and therefore started to sink. Jesus is the Bread of Life and whoever has Him in their life will not hunger spiritually. As He says He is far better than the manna that Israel had in the wilderness for with that they would get hungry again. Then because of His hard teachings many of the followers left Jesus. It would appear that many of them were there for the miracles. Not to truly follow Jesus at any cost and have the fellowship with Him. We do know that all the 12 except Judas Iscariot [ who betrayed Him] continued to preach Christ crucified and risen again until their own deaths. This is the way that they viewed their walk with Jesus. The Apostle Paul says it very well. Philippians 3;10 [ That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.] May the Lord lead each of us closer to Him.
What a great picture this incident of walking on water provides for the Christian life. When we look at Jesus and believe that He can handle the circumstances and people around us (ie the wind and the waves), then we walk above them and are not affected by them. When I take my eyes off of Jesus and focus on them, then I am overcome by them. And how awesome that Jesus comes and lifts us up, but then gives us a jab…why didn’t you trust me? I had it! And it is simply amazing how regularly Jesus healed people and people couldn’t help bring everyone who was sick to Him. And yet Jesus came ultimately to solve a bigger problem..what is it that is satisfying our hunger. Are we seeking spiritual food or physical food? What God offers or what the world and flesh offers? It is the desires of the heart and the corruption that is there that Jesus has really come to address not the afflictions of the body. Now it is a bit odd for Jesus to say you have to eat my body and drink my blood. And yet just before that, Jesus has said that the work God has for people is to believe the One whom He has sent. And one way to think of the nature of the connection we have with Jesus is to take Him in….and when He is talking about being the bread of life….well than eating Him seems like a fitting analogy for the substantive relationship that faith brings. Jesus may also have made this hard statements to challenge those who really didn’t believe. Trusting Jesus sometimes means going through things that don’t make sense. But we start with the reality of who He is and realize…You have the words of eternal life…there really is no other place to go but Him!
The people asked Jesus, “what does God want us to do?”
Jesus answered, “the work God wants you to do is this: to believe the one he sent.”
This reminds me of many scriptures that reinforce that belief, faith is what allows us to know Him and attain eternal life.
John 1:2 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life