Though They Didn’t Believe in Him at First, They Later Did John writes that even Jesus’s own brothers did not believe in him. We can assume this applies to his sisters too. How shocking to learn that Jesus’s siblings didn’t believe in him or who he really was. They grew up living with the Son […]
Survivors of the Great Tribulation Today’s passage: Revelation 7:13–17 Focus verse: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14) If you ask people to name the main phrases or themes from the book of Revelation, […]
Offer Ongoing Adoration to Our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer The book of Revelation tells of John’s spirit being whisked into heaven. Four living creatures spend all their time—day and night—praising God. They chant, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, NIV). The threefold repetition […]
Everyone Today’s passage: Revelation 7:9–12 Focus verse: Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9) Immediately after John details how many people from the tribes of Israel receive the seal of God, he describes a great […]
From an Eternal Perspective, Few Beliefs are Nonnegotiable When it comes to what we believe, should we hold loosely our theology or grip it tightly? Our initial reaction may be that we need to maintain a firm grasp on the things we believe. But this may not be the best approach. When it comes to […]
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1–13 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) Let’s start at the beginning. Jesus’s story doesn’t open with his birth. It doesn’t begin at the announcement of his conception. And it doesn’t […]
Breaking the Seven Seals Today’s passage: Revelation 6 Focus verse: I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. (Revelation 6:1) Jesus has just been declared worthy to open God’s scroll, that is, to access the words on the sealed document. One by one, Jesus will break each of the seven seals that […]
The Simplicity of Jesus’s Salvation Message Seems Foolish and Offends Many It shouldn’t surprise us that the gospel is offensive, that the good news of Jesus offends people. Quoting God, the prophet Jeremiah writes that the word of the Lord is offensive to them (Jeremiah 6:10). Not only does this apply to the people in […]
God reveals his truth to Paul. Paul calls it a mystery. God gives it to Paul so he can share it with the church in Ephesus; he’s not supposed to keep it to himself. This isn’t something Paul figures out on his own; he doesn’t logically deduce it or make it up. This isn’t something […]
Who Else Is Worthy? Today’s passage: Revelation 5 Focus verse: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain.” (Revelation 5:9) Our scene in heaven continues to unfold: the four living creatures have declared God holy, and the twenty-four elders have laid their crowns at the feet of […]