A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Monday, April 15,
2019
Early
Saturday morning a mist arose just beyond our front lawn
and lifted soon afterward.
(Click
to enlarge)
"For
This Purpose"
Message
summary: Thank
God that Jesus knew His
purpose and fully
completed His mission!
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23). "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:27,28).
This week we especially consider the most intense period in Christ's life on earth, beginning with the Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) through Resurrection Sunday. This is often called Holy Week or Passion Week. An astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the four gospels cover this period beginning with Christ's Triumphal Entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. However the majority of this material covers just three days; the day before and the day of His Crucifixion and Resurrection Day.
Jesus knew His purpose was to die for the sins of the people. The inspiring song, "If That Isn't Love" states, "He left the splendor of heaven, knowing His destiny, 'twas the lowly hill of Golgotha, there to lay down His life for me."
Let's consider the Scripture portions that highlight His human redemptive purpose:
In the daily texts He is teaching at the time of the Triumphal Entry and forthrightly states, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." His heart is troubled and He asks aloud whether He should appeal to His Father to save Him from the hour. "No", He emphatically states, and with resolute resolve He declares, "But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
Thank God that Jesus knew His purpose and fully completed His mission!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
we are among the
redeemed because
Jesus accepted
His mission on
earth and wholly
completed it. He
drank from the
bitter cup fully
giving His all
to provide
forgiveness for
our sins. We who
have sought
forgiveness are
the redeemed and
now have a
mission to
freely share the
life-changing
message of
salvation with
those who so
desperately need
to hear it. We
do so in Jesus'
name and through
His power. Amen.
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23). "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:27,28).
This week we especially consider the most intense period in Christ's life on earth, beginning with the Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) through Resurrection Sunday. This is often called Holy Week or Passion Week. An astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the four gospels cover this period beginning with Christ's Triumphal Entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. However the majority of this material covers just three days; the day before and the day of His Crucifixion and Resurrection Day.
Jesus knew His purpose was to die for the sins of the people. The inspiring song, "If That Isn't Love" states, "He left the splendor of heaven, knowing His destiny, 'twas the lowly hill of Golgotha, there to lay down His life for me."
Let's consider the Scripture portions that highlight His human redemptive purpose:
1) When
He left heaven (the
incarnation): "Therefore,
when Christ came
into the world, He
said: "Sacrifice and
offering You did not
desire, but a body
You prepared for Me;
with burnt offerings
and sin offerings
You were not
pleased. Then I
said, ‘Here I am—it
is written about Me
in the scroll—I have
come to do Your
will, O God'"
(Hebrews 10:5-7).
2) During His childhood (when He was with the teachers of the Law): "Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Luke 2:49).
3) When He began His ministry: "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel' He said" (Mark 1:14b,15).
4) When He approached the end of His earthly ministry Luke records our Lord's resolve to complete His purpose: "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).
5) Throughout His ministry He regularly informed and reinforced to His disciples His stated purpose. However it seems they didn't really grasp it until after He was resurrected. This verse is so informative in this regard: "At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to Him" (John 12:16).
6) In Peter's first sermon on the day of Pentecost he fully understood this purpose: "This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge" (Acts 2:23).
2) During His childhood (when He was with the teachers of the Law): "Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Luke 2:49).
3) When He began His ministry: "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel' He said" (Mark 1:14b,15).
4) When He approached the end of His earthly ministry Luke records our Lord's resolve to complete His purpose: "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).
5) Throughout His ministry He regularly informed and reinforced to His disciples His stated purpose. However it seems they didn't really grasp it until after He was resurrected. This verse is so informative in this regard: "At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to Him" (John 12:16).
6) In Peter's first sermon on the day of Pentecost he fully understood this purpose: "This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge" (Acts 2:23).
In the daily texts He is teaching at the time of the Triumphal Entry and forthrightly states, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." His heart is troubled and He asks aloud whether He should appeal to His Father to save Him from the hour. "No", He emphatically states, and with resolute resolve He declares, "But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
Thank God that Jesus knew His purpose and fully completed His mission!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
we are among the
redeemed because
Jesus accepted
His mission on
earth and wholly
completed it. He
drank from the
bitter cup fully
giving His all
to provide
forgiveness for
our sins. We who
have sought
forgiveness are
the redeemed and
now have a
mission to
freely share the
life-changing
message of
salvation with
those who so
desperately need
to hear it. We
do so in Jesus'
name and through
His power. Amen.
Early
Friday morning
we passed
Cherry Hill
orchards. Such
a short time
to see the
flowering
trees!
(Click
to enlarge)
Saturday
night we went to
a Gospel concert
at the Good
Shepherd Chapel
at Lancaster
Bible College.
We heard two
groups we have
enjoyed for many
years.
Brian
Free and
Assurance
The
Karen Peck and
New River
touring bus sure
grabs your
attention.
We
only know a
relatively small
percentage of
those who read
or listen to our
messages. It's
always
encouraging to
be approached by
readers we don't
personally know.
At the concert
we sat in front
of a reader who
recognized us
from the photos
on our posts.
Merle and Gayle
were over from
York County to
attend the
concert along
with their young
grandson. We are
so grateful for
those who find
value in our
materials!
Friday
morning we were
at Kleen-Rite
for a company
meeting. It was
nice to hear the
good report but
especially hear
Keith (red
shirt), who runs
the company,
express his
encouragement,
appreciation and
love for the
employees. Due
to varying
locations and
the need to keep
operations going
they had three
meetings. Kleen-Rite
is the country's
largest
wholesale
distributor of
car wash
equipment and
supplies. It's
based in nearby
Columbia but has
distribution
warehouses in
Texas and Las
Vegas and a huge
distribution
center right
here in Mount
Joy. We have
been serving as
their company
chaplains since
early 2016.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
Today we will feature
music from the two groups we heard
on Saturday night.
Brooksyne adds some notes:
"Say
Amen" Video
Brian
Free & Assurance This
song is "impossible" to listen
to without responding with
"Amen." For example here's one
line: "Has anybody here
found Him faithful. Say Amen."
You can't just sit there, you've
got to affirm those words with
"AMEN!"
"I
Want To Be That Man"
Video
Brian Free
& Assurance (A wonderful
song about a man dedicated to
living a life sold out for God,
we think a tribute to Brian
Free's father.)
"He
Will Carry You" Video
Brian Free
& Assurance (Brian shared
his own story of a major health
difficulty he is currently
facing, so I'm sure when he
sings this song the message hits
him very personally. "He will
carry you when you can't go on")
"He
Can Take It" Video
Brian Free
& Assurance
"I
Know I'll Be There"
Video
Karen Peck & New River (I
have several favorites of Karen
Peck & New River, and this
is among them. She wrote this
song so people wouldn't wonder
where she'd be when she died.
Karen told her 85 year old
mother, "Mom, if I go before
you, I'll be there." Her mother
responded, "Oh, I'll be there.
You can rest assured I'll be
there!" Even as a young
teen-ager, upon learning of an
individual's death, I would
sometimes hear, "I don't know if
he was a Christian or not." Not
knowing that person would spend
eternity with God bothered me a
lot. As I grew in my faith I
wanted to make sure that people
would never have to guess where
I'd be after I departed. I
wanted my words and life to
reflect Christ in such a way
that people would say upon my
death, "Brooksyne has gone to
glory!" Ester doesn't like for
me to talk about it but I grow
more excited about heaven
everyday. I hope and pray
that you have the same kind of
assurance today.)
"Finish
Well" Video
Karen Peck & New
River (Another
favorite! We sang this at our
spring choir concert, "Until
Then". The words are so
appropriate for those of us who
have been on our spiritual
journey for a long time. We want
to "finish well".
"That's
Why They Call It Grace"
Video
Karen Peck & New River
"Four
Days Late" Video
Karen Peck & New River (A
blockbuster, if that's the right
word! This song will fill your
heart and excite your spirit as
you listen to the words about
Lazarus rising from the dead.
Jesus was four days late but He
was right on time!)
(This week is known by
many as Passion Week or Holy Week
which covers the events in
Christ's life from the Triumphal
Entry to His resurrection. We will
leave the following materials up
throughout the week.)
The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. Most of this material deals with the 3½ year period of His ministry. However an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels deal with the period from Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life! In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of material dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It helps us to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
Sunday
Major
Events of the Passion
Week
The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. Most of this material deals with the 3½ year period of His ministry. However an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels deal with the period from Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life! In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of material dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It helps us to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
Sunday
- Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
- Jesus Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46
- Jesus' authority challenged in the temple: Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
- Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47
- Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26
- The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38
- Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6
- The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20
- Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: John 13-17
- Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1
- Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
- Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark 14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16
- Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
- The glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18
(This material is developed from
an outline in the Life
Application Bible)
"It's
Still The Cross!"
(A selection of
Scripture verses focusing
on the Cross
for personal, family or
congregational reading.)
Worship leader: Here they crucified Him, and with Him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19:18
Congregation: This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. Acts 2:23
Worship leader: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Congregation: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14
Worship leader: By abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Ephesians 2:15-17
Congregation: He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. Philippians 2:7-9
Worship leader: For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19,20
Congregation: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13,14
All: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
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