The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "The World Is Changing" by Rev. Wayne Palmer for Monday, February 29, 2016

The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "The World Is Changing" by Rev. Wayne Palmer  for Monday, February 29, 2016

(Jesus said) "Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.'..." (Luke 22:36-37).
Read Luke 22:35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without wallet, pack or shoes, were you ever short of anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. 36 “But now,” he said, if you have a wallet or a pack, take it; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your robe to buy one. 37 For I tell you this: the passage from the Tanakh that says, ‘He was counted with transgressors,’[Luke 22:37 Isaiah 53:12] has to be fulfilled in me; since what is happening to me has a purpose.” 38 They said, “Look, Lord, there are two swords right here!” “Enough!” he replied.

. 

The meal is complete and Jesus prepares to leave the guest room. But first He wants to make His disciples aware that their world will change drastically this day. It will become a much more violent and dangerous place.
Up to now Jesus has been quite popular. Everywhere He went with His disciples throughout Galilee they found friends who welcomed them into their homes and fed them. And it was that popularity that was frustrating Jewish leaders, making it impossible for them to lay their hands on Jesus. But today that will end.
When Jesus is crucified, many Jews will misjudge the evidence. They will falsely assume the cross proves the carpenter from Nazareth is a fake and a fraud.
The coming situation will become desperate. The disciples will need a cloak because they will no longer be welcomed into peoples' houses. But the danger of physical violence is so great they would be wise to sell their cloaks for swords, and shiver through the night. For Jesus' sake they will soon face opposition, arrest, mistreatment and martyrdom.
When the disciples report they have two swords, Jesus tells them it is enough. He doesn't intend to make them a defensive fighting force; instead, He wants to make them aware of the deadly hostility the Gospel message will bring. When these apostles tell Jews and Gentiles that a man crucified as a criminal is their Savior-they will face great persecution.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our brother and sister Christians throughout the world face great opposition and danger, even death. Shield and defend all those who are being attacked for their faith, and give them courage and faith to boldly stand and declare Your Name. And move their persecutors to repentance and faith. Amen.
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalm 23:(0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,

he leads me by quiet water,

3 he restores my inner person.

He guides me in right paths

for the sake of his own name.

4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,

I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;

your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,

even as my enemies watch;

you anoint my head with oil

from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me

every day of my life;

and I will live in the house of Adonai

for years and years to come.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word,

    and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2     He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things came to be through him,

    and without him nothing made had being.

4 In him was life,

    and the life was the light of mankind.

5 The light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness has not suppressed it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan. 7 He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him. 8 He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.

9 This was the true light,

    which gives light to everyone entering the world.

10 He was in the world — the world came to be through him —

    yet the world did not know him.

11 He came to his own homeland,

    yet his own people did not receive him.

12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God.

14 The Word became a human being and lived with us,

    and we saw his Sh’khinah,

the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,

    full of grace and truth.

15 Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”

16 We have all received from his fullness,

    yes, grace upon grace.

17 For the Torah was given through Moshe;

    grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.

18 No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.

19 Here is Yochanan’s testimony: when the Judeans sent cohanim and L’vi’im from Yerushalayim to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 he was very straightforward and stated clearly, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 “Then who are you?” they asked him. “Are you Eliyahu?” “No, I am not,” he said. “Are you ‘the prophet,’ the one we’re expecting?” “No,” he replied. 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? — so that we can give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” 23 He answered in the words of Yesha‘yahu the prophet, “I am

The voice of someone crying out:

‘In the desert make the way of Adonai straight!’”[John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3]

24 Some of those who had been sent were P’rushim. 25 They asked him, “If you are neither the Messiah nor Eliyahu nor ‘the prophet,’ then why are you immersing people?” 26 To them Yochanan replied, “I am immersing people in water, but among you is standing someone whom you don’t know. 27 He is the one coming after me — I’m not good enough even to untie his sandal!” 28 All this took place in Beit-Anyah, east of the Yarden, where Yochanan was immersing.

29 The next day, Yochanan saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, “Look! God’s lamb! The one who is taking away the sin of the world! 30 This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘After me is coming someone who has come to rank above me, because he existed before me.’ 31 I myself did not know who he was, but the reason I came immersing with water was so that he might be made known to Isra’el.” 32 Then Yochanan gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and remaining on him. 33 I myself did not know who he was, but the one who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who immerses in the Ruach HaKodesh.’ 34 And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

35 The next day, Yochanan was again standing with two of his talmidim. 36 On seeing Yeshua walking by, he said, “Look! God’s lamb!” 37 His two talmidim heard him speaking, and they followed Yeshua. 38 Yeshua turned and saw them following him, and he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi!” (which means “Teacher!”) “Where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and remained with him the rest of the day — it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who had heard Yochanan and had followed Yeshua was Andrew the brother of Shim‘on Kefa.

41 The first thing he did was to find his brother Shim‘on and tell him, “We’ve found the Mashiach!” (The word means “one who has been anointed.”) 42 He took him to Yeshua. Looking at him, Yeshua said, “You are Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan; you will be known as Kefa.” (The name means “rock.”)

43 The next day, having decided to leave for the Galil, Yeshua found Philip and said, “Follow me!” 44 Philip was from Beit-Tzaidah, the town where Andrew and Kefa lived. 45 Philip found Natan’el and told him, “We’ve found the one that Moshe wrote about in the Torah, also the Prophets — it’s Yeshua Ben-Yosef from Natzeret!” 46 Natan’el answered him, “Natzeret? Can anything good come from there?” “Come and see,” Philip said to him. 47 Yeshua saw Natan’el coming toward him and remarked about him, “Here’s a true son of Isra’el — nothing false in him!” 48 Natan’el said to him, “How do you know me?” Yeshua answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Natan’el said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra’el!” 50 Yeshua answered him, “you believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!” 51 Then he said to him, “Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down[John 1:51 Genesis 28:12] on the Son of Man!”

---------------------
The Lutheran Hour

660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
---------------------