Tuesday, January 10, 2023
By Jaime Waits, Groups Pastor
Scripture
“..[Jesus] thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” – John 2:11
Devotional
As a mom of three young adults, I often think about our kids’ younger years. I think about the decisions we made as parents, the priorities of our family, and the foundation of faith with which my husband and I raised our kids. We were not and are not perfect. There has been brokenness and healing, joy and tears, pride and humility, and so many opportunities to grow. We did approach raising our children with intentionality though. We made decisions on how we wanted to parent our children early with an outcome in mind. As believers, we can also live intentionally with the end in mind through Christ’s example.
Everything that Jesus did and said during his ministry on earth was intentional. He pointed to why he came in the flesh through every word and action. He came to offer grace that we cannot earn and eternal life, through His death and resurrection, that we can not repay.
John 2 begins with Jesus’s first miracle, and he opens with pointing to the resurrection in verse 4. Throughout, we see Jesus is concerned with the struggles of all involved, just as he is with us today. His ultimate concern, though, is our salvation. Verse 11 concludes the story with “..He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” Jesus had a purpose in mind when he performed this miracle (turning water into wine), and he signaled to the disciples that he is God’s Son, the Messiah who came to save them.
The second half of this passage takes place at the temple courts in Jerusalem. Jesus traveled there with his mother and disciples. Right away he saw that there was injustice occurring. People who came to make a sacrifice to God were being taken advantage of. Jesus is concerned with the holiness of his house, just as we should be with ours. After he cleared the temple, the Jews demanded a ‘miraculous sign’ to prove his authority. He spoke of his crucifixion and resurrection, pointing them to salvation. We end this chapter with noting that many more miraculous signs were performed and many believed!
Jesus’ actions and words were intentional. Let ours be as well in all we do. So how do we do this? Stay grounded in the Bible, seek God in prayer, and approach each day with the mind of Jesus.
Prayer
“Lord, I desire to live my life focused on you. As I am in the Word and in prayer, speak to me and give me your wisdom. I want my words and actions to point to you so others can see your hope, grace and truth through me so that they may have eternal life with you.”
Highlight
Get to a place where you can focus and read the daily Scripture passage several times. From the passage of Scripture you read, highlight one or two verses that stick out. Write them down, and even consider rewriting the verse(s) in your own words.
Explain
Make some basic observations about the scripture you just read by asking these questions:
- Why was this written?
- To whom was it originally written?
- What is the author trying to communicate?
- What does the Scripture passage teach me about God and humanity?
Apply
After taking some time explaining the highlighted scriptures, begin to think about how they apply to your life. Ask yourself these questions and spend some time writing down your thoughts:
- What do these verses mean today?
- What does this verse(s) mean for my life?
- How does this verse challenge my thinking and actions?
- What changes do I need to make in my life as a result of this passage of Scripture?
Respond
Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You may describe how you will be different because of what God has said to you through the Bible verses. You may indicate what you are going to do because of what you learned. You may respond by writing out a prayer to God. For example, you may ask God to help you to be more loving, or to give you a desire to be more generous in your giving. Keep in mind that this is your response to what you have just read.