What Jesus Did

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

—John 1:6-7 NLT

Key Thought
For most of us to hear the message of Christ, there had to be a "John" for us! Who was your "John"? Who prepared the soil of your heart to receive the Good News? Who taught you the truth of God and called you to repentance and to excited expectation about what God would do in you through his Son Jesus and through the powerful Holy Spirit? Why...

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

—John 1:5 NLT

Key Thought
Sooner or later, lights go out. That's just part of the realities of light bulbs and electric power sources. Sometimes, lights go out at the worst possible moment. That's the reality of Murphy's Law and lights. All lights that we know, eventually dim and go out over time — all lights except one: Jesus! He is the Light that keeps shining. Evil, Satan, and the forces of darkness can't...

 

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

—John 1:4 NLT

Key Thought
So often, people want to sell us some formula, vitamin, exercise plan, marketing strategy, or business opportunity that will enhance our lives. Our email boxes are filled with spam about the newest, latest, and greatest ways to enhance and enrich our lives. The Bible offers one way to find life — not a few ways, just one way. This way to life is not a plan we have to...

 

He [Jesus, the Word] existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

—John 1:2-3 NLT

Key Thought
The things you see in creation that are beautiful, the things you find marvelous in nature, and the things that astound and bewilder you in our universe came into existence through the one who allowed himself to be born as a human baby and placed in a manger. His fingerprints are on all of creation. His power gave...

 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

—John 1:1

Key Thought
What a strange way to begin a story: "In the beginning the Word already existed." But that statement's true because that Word is Jesus! When God wanted to tell human beings about himself, when he wanted to give us good news about salvation, when he wanted to give us a message about his love for us, he sent Jesus. Jesus is God's Word — his Message. And this Word was with...

 

So Jesus came to them and said, "All authority (power) in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach those people to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world."

—Matthew 28:18-20

Key Thought
That last hug. That last kiss. That last look. That last wave. Each of them...

 

The eleven followers went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. On the mountain the followers saw Jesus. They worshiped him. But some of the followers did not believe that it was really Jesus.

—Matthew 28:16-17

Key Thought
Eleven followers. Wow, what a vivid reminder of the failure they had been — it was so bad that even one of them was dead at his own hands. Eleven was so much less than twelve. Twelve was such a special number for God's people. But now...

 

Then the priests met with the older Jewish leaders and made a plan. They paid the soldiers much money {to tell a lie}. They said to the soldiers, "Tell the people that Jesus' followers came during the night and stole the body while you were sleeping. If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy him and save you from trouble." So the soldiers kept the money and obeyed the priests. And that story is still spread among the Jews even today.

—Matthew 28:12-15

Key Thought
While the...

 

The women went to tell the followers. At the same time, some of the soldiers that were guarding the tomb went into the city. They went to tell the leading priests everything that happened. Then the priests met with the older Jewish leaders and made a plan. They paid the soldiers much money {to tell a lie}.

—Matthew 28:11-12

Key Thought
They made a plan! We've heard this before. They had been planning for a long time how they would get rid of Jesus. When Judas accepted their deal...

 

While the women were running to tell the followers, Jesus was standing there before them. Jesus said, "Hello!" The women went to Jesus. They held him at his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to the women, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers (followers) to go to Galilee. They will see me there."

—Matthew 28:9-10

Key Thought
Sometimes we think the best form of worship is what we sing and pray in church, on a spiritual retreat, or during a quiet time. But as we have seen the...