MAR 02 / Sunday – Read Mark 9:2-10
Overview: Social worker…miracle worker…magician…blasphemer…prophet…revolutionary…future king…the list kept going. So, who was/is Jesus? Perception versus reality: the real Jesus is more than meets the eye.
03 / Mon – Who is Jesus? | Read Mark 1:9-11 / Luke 3:21-23a
If you did street interviews with passersby and asked who Jesus is, you would hear a variety of answers. It was the same when Jesus was on earth. To some, he was a rabbi, a wise teacher. Others thought he was a revolutionary starting trouble. Still, others hated him for speaking the truth and exposing hypocrisy. So who was he in God’s eyes? Jesus’ ministry had not yet begun but his Father was pleased with him for who he was. Question: who is Jesus to you right now?
04 / Tue – Jesus of Nazareth | Read John 1:45-46
One might think it odd that God would have His son grow up in a small backwater town far from Jerusalem. You see what the Jews thought about Nazareth, but what might have been some of the unexpected benefits of living there? Did it give him more credibility in the eyes of those who were poor, overlooked, or unappreciated? Was his compassion felt more powerfully because they knew that he knew how hard life could be? How does your past help you relate to those who think no one else understands?
05 / Wed – Friends | Read Proverbs 18:24 / John 15:15
As a man, Jesus showed the world what God was like and helped clear up misconceptions that had developed over many years. One of the most startling was that God is not only Creator, Lord, and King but He is a father, a real father. Another was that the real Jesus is the most trustworthy friend you could ever have, and who doesn’t need that kind of best friend? One who loves unconditionally, listens intently, understands completely, even the things you can’t put into words, and who never gives up on you? Not only that but he chooses you to be his friend. Wow!
06 / Thu – Written words | Read Psalm 119:130
Many years ago, before phones and the internet, people who met by chance and wanted to stay connected would write letters back and forth. Teachers often matched their students with pen-pals living somewhere else. Separated sweethearts grew in their relationship through their letters. If you read the red words in the gospels – Jesus’ words printed with red in some Bibles – and the context surrounding them, you can see who Jesus is in new and deeper ways. Why not try it?
07 / Fri – The real Jesus | Read Luke 9:28-32 / 2 Peter 1:16-18
Jesus’ disciples ate, slept, lived, and traveled with him for about three years. They watched him teach and heal and comfort and rebuke. Some things they did not fully understand until later. They knew he was the Son of God but it wasn’t until this moment that they saw the real person. Have you become so familiar with Jesus that you take him for granted? This might be a good time to ask for a fresh perspective, a new revelation of who he is. It could change everything.
08 / Sat – The real you | Read Genesis 1:26-27
When you know the real Jesus who reflects the real heavenly Father, you can know the real you. Peeled down to the basics, each of us has been created in the image of God. Think of it. He created you for a close relationship with Him. As Charles Stanley put it…“He made it possible to pour His life into you and work through you in ways that will impact eternity. His desire is that when people see you, they are reminded of Him.” How will you represent Him today?
