Many have argued that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah or God. Jesus may not be making the claim in the way we expect Him to, but just look at how the people respond to the claims Jesus IS making. Let us step into the synagogue of Nazareth and listen carefully for who Jesus says He is.
Imagine you’re one of the twelve. You’ve witnessed Jesus perform many signs and wonders. Now He is sending you in His name to do the things you’ve seen Him do. How do you feel? A little nervous or very confident? What if you were handicapped like James? Do you think it would be harder to have trust the healing power of Jesus when you have not been healed?
Remember Cliff’s Notes? This helpful resource takes an entire book and condenses the plot, themes, and characters into a summary. In His greatest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus summarizes the entire teaching of the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah. His teaching amazed the crowds then. How might His greatest sermon ever still be impactful to us today?
One of greatest desires people have today is to be seen. We go to great lengths to be noticed by others. When are young we are constantly saying, “Watch me daddy. Watch me mommy.” In the midst of deepest and darkest moment, Hagar was comforted by knowing that God sees her (Genesis 16:13). Nathaniel was comforted to know that Jesus sees him. May you also be comforted in believing that Jesus sees you, all of you, and He still loves you.
Samaritans? Not those people? You’re probably aware that Jews despise the Samaritans. For the Samaritans, the feeling is mutual. In this episode, we see James and John react to a group of Samaritans. What group of people do you not like? What group of people have been mean to you? How might Jesus’ rebuke and encouragement to James and John apply to us today?
The Bible declares that the LORD’s thoughts are not your thoughts, and neither are His ways your ways (Isaiah 55:8). You believe that, right? Good! Then why do we still struggle with Jesus going to the least, the last, and the lost? Not just then, but now? Here is a question to wrestle with, “If the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not reaching the kind of people now that it reached then, is it the same Gospel?”
Join us as we step into the most famous verse and one of the most familiar scenes in John’s Gospel. Watch full episodes of The Chosen at: watch.thechosen.tv
What did you expect? This question is often loaded with disappointment and unmet expectations. So far, Jesus has made gracious invitations and performed miraculous signs. News of Jesus is spreading and those who are responding are lepers and paralytics. For most of us we would have preferred people who were cleaner, less complicated, and more like us. The question is, “What did you expect?” What about you? Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in you and through you still reaching people you would not expect?
Reading the Bible can help the reader know what is happening. Knowing what is happening is one thing, but feeling it is another. This week, we enter the familiar story of Jesus’ first miracle. Along with understanding what happened, let’s also get a glimpse of what it may have felt like.
You know what it’s like. You’re watching something and without warning someone says, “We interrupt this program to…” You know what that means. Something is happening that is more important that what you were watching. The same is true for life and the call of Jesus. It doesn’t always feel that way but rest assured that His call is better and more important. Watch full episodes of The Chosen at: watch.thechosen.tv