What Jesus Did

John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

—John 1:8-9 NLT

Key Thought​

John wasn't the light. No, the true light was going to come for everyone. John's ministry was primarily in the desert and to Israelites, but his message wasn't to prepare just Israel for the Messiah. No, we all need his message. Unlike John, the Messiah wasn't going to set up his...

 

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 have heard 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...

 

The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

—John 1:4-5 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...

 

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...

 

[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...

 

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

—John 1:1 NLT

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...

 

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

—Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Key Thought​

That last hug. That last kiss. That last look. That last wave. Each of them is very...

 

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them doubted!

—Matthew 28:16-17 NLT

Key Thought​

"Eleven disciples." Wow, what a vivid reminder of the failures 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 there were eleven. Despite Jesus'...

 

A meeting with the elders was called [after the soldiers told them Jesus' tomb was empty], and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, "You must say, 'Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.' If the governor hears about it, we'll stand up for you so you won't get in trouble." So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it...

 

As the women [who saw Jesus after seeing the empty tomb] were on their way [to tell the disciples], some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe.

—Matthew 28:11-12 NLT

Key Thought​

The elders 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, they thought they...