September 12
________________________________________DO YOU REALLY LOVE ME?
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. – John 21:12-17
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In this account, Jesus visits His disciples for the third time after His resurrection and had breakfast with them that day. After they had finished eating, He asked Simon Peter the question “Do you love me?” three times. Why did Jesus ask Peter several times? It was also three times that Peter denied Jesus when He was questioned by the Jews if He was a disciple of Jesus. In verse 15, Jesus’ first question was comparing Peter’s love for Him in comparison to what He used to do, which was fishing. It was a question of priority. A paraphrase of that question would have been “Do you love me above all compared to what you do and all the other things and people you love?” It was a loaded question that addresses what is really in Peter’s heart when He easily answered that he loved Him. Jesus had a condition after the first question: tend My lambs. In other words, Jesus was requiring Peter to look after those who are His followers. Following Jesus requires commitment and endurance. We all know that as long as we live in this world, we will have many things that can pose as idols that will compete with the love that we actually profess. Love requires commitment and faithfulness. It is not enough to say that we love the Lord. We need to prioritize Him and make Him first in every aspect of our being. The cost of being a disciple of Jesus is high. It needs giving up of all the things we love in this world and a willingness to suffer for Christ. If we are true Christians, are we really able to make Jesus our Lord and Master? Will we give up our lives for Him and for His people?
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REFLECTION
• Why is it so easy to say “I love you” and not really recognize the cost of such act?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE OLD LIFE ILMA’S VLOG
September 11
________________________________________WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE OLD LIFE
After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.– John 21:1-11
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The disciples must have been feeling so lost and without purpose after Jesus died. They probably didn’t know what to do after three years of giving up their old occupation and gave up everything to follow Jesus. Simon Peter’s old job was fishing, so he decided to go back to it and the others followed Peter. They fished and caught nothing that night. At daybreak, Jesus came and asked if they caught any. Of course, he knew very well that they didn’t. Going back to fishing was what most of the disciples did before Jesus called them to join Him. He turned them to be fishers of men, but right after He left them, they wanted to go back to their old lives. When Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right-hand side of the boat, they finally got the big catch without even tearing the nets. The big catch with Jesus’ instruction probably symbolized that without Jesus, they will not be able to get anything done. Jesus may not have wanted them to go back to their old lives since He has given them a new life in Him. Believers have a tendency to go back to their old lives when they feel that Jesus has left them or when they grieve.
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REFLECTION
• Why should believers not turn back to their old lives once they find Jesus?
BELIEVE IN CHRIST SO YOU MAY HAVE LIFE
September 10
________________________________________BELIEVE IN CHRIST SO YOU MAY HAVE LIFE
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.- John 20:24-31________________________________________
This is the story of the disciple of Jesus named Thomas who didn’t believe that his Master has resurrected until he saw with his very own eyes the imprint of the nails in His hands. Because Thomas wasn’t around when Jesus first showed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, he didn’t believe Jesus came back from the dead. It was over a week when Jesus came again and Thomas was among the disciples that time. Jesus approached Thomas right away and placed his hands on His sides. Then, Thomas finally believed. Aren’t we so much like Thomas? We don’t believe until we see. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. So, Thomas had unbelief. This is why Jesus addressed his lack of faith and commanded him to let go of unbelief. Faith is trusting what it true even if there is no evidence.
We are fallen people and we have very limited minds. When we don’t actually see proof of something, we won’t be convinced to have faith in that thing or person. In this account, Jesus teaches us the true meaning of believing. It is trusting Him despite the absence of a sign. We don’t always have to be convinced of something or someone before we make a decision to put our trust on it. Faith is putting trust first without knowing the outcome. It is the hope that what you expect is going to happen.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think people focus so much on the validity of something or someone?
PEACE FROM CHRIST ILMA’S VLOG
Start atSeptember 9
________________________________________PEACE FROM CHRIST
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” – John 20:19-23
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After Jesus died, his disciples were all in hiding and were scared of the Jews. It is in this account that we witness Jesus showed himself to His disciples after he died. He watched them living in fear, so He told them to have peace. Showing His presence and the parts of his body that were pierced during his crucifixion made the disciples comforted. They now see with their own eyes that their Master conquered death and the promise of resurrection is right in front of them. It is during this time that Jesus makes them aware of the gift of the Holy Spirit which will now live in them because He is now with the Father in heaven. Jesus emphasized that they can only have peace through Him. Because He was sent by God, the Father, He also sends them out to bring the same peace He gives them. Another reminder that He gave His disciples in this conversation is the importance of forgiveness. He stresses that if they forgive those who hurt them, they too, will be forgiven their sins.
In this first meeting of Jesus after He died and rose from the dead, we are given hope. The promise of a life eternal from believing in Jesus has been fulfilled. There is no more room for fear or apprehension. Jesus assured them of the power that is vested on all those who believe Him. There is no reason to entertain fear because Christ has conquered the grave. Jesus made the disciples see the spiritual realm which at first, they could not understand. They couldn’t fully comprehend what Jesus taught them because they were limited to grasp it. But, since Jesus has already made them aware of the Holy Spirit living in them, they will now be able to recognize things in the Spirit. They no longer live in fear and darkness. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, they will now have power to conquer fear and evil.
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REFLECTION
• How can we have the peace even if we are surrounded by suffering and evil?
WOMAN, WHY ARE YOUR WEEPING?
September 8
________________________________________WOMAN, WHY ARE YOUR WEEPING?
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her. – John 20:11-18
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This account of Jesus showing Himself to Mary after He rose from the dead. It gives us a peep into the power of Jesus’ overcoming the grave and also how He watches those whom He loves. Why was Mary weeping? Her answer in verse 13 clearly exhibits how little we actually see the spiritual realm. The reason for her tears was because her Lord was taken away from her. In other words, she lost that person who she has been serving. She seemed lost after this person whom she looked up to so much is now dead. She must have felt confused not knowing what to do when all she did was follow her Master. Because of grief, she forgot all the teachings and promises Jesus has given her. Sometimes, grief can overcome and consume our lives when we lose something or someone. We get derailed as to what our real purpose is. Jesus showed himself first to a woman. That is how important women are to Jesus. He wants Mary to be the first to witness to his resurrection. He saw Mary’s faithfulness and grief and He wanted to console and comfort her. He wants to reassure her that though she doesn’t see Him, He will always be there for her. Jesus also warned her not to touch Him yet until he goes to His Father. It reminds us to keep ourselves pure for our heavenly Father.
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REFLECTION
• How can grief sometimes derail us from focusing on Jesus?
JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD ILMA’S VLOG
September 7
________________________________________JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. – John 20:1-10
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When Mary Magdalene came to visit the tomb of her Master on that first day of the week after Jesus was crucified, she was shocked to find that the stone had already been taken away from the tomb. The Gospel of John and archaeology support the interpretation that the tomb of Jesus would have been sealed with a cork-shaped blocking stone. In Mark 16:4 it says that “the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” Even a passage in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter states that Pilate sent Petronius the Centurion with soldiers and they rolled there a great stone and laid it against the entrance to the sepulcher. Naturally, when Mary saw that the stones have been moved, she assumed that the soldiers have taken Jesus’ body away. So, she ran to the disciples to announce what she saw and they didn’t believe her. They had to see for themselves so they ran to the tomb to check whether Mary was right. When they saw the linen wrappings all empty, they finally believed. It is interesting to see from this account that the disciples and Mary forgot what Jesus told them about Him rising from the dead. Their limited minds didn’t fathom what Jesus has foretold before He was crucified. We also often times forget the promises and words of Jesus to us through Scriptures.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the disciples didn’t believe Mary’s report of Jesus’ body missing?
• Why did they have to see with their own eyes that Jesus’ body wasn’t there?
SECRET DISCIPLES OF JESUS ILMA’S VLOG
September 6
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SECRET DISCIPLES OF JESUS
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. – John 19:38-42
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When Jesus died, there were some secret disciples that came out from hiding. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical wording. They stand in contrast to John, whose content is largely distinct. The Sanhedrin was the supreme religious body in Israel during the time of the Holy Temple. There were also smaller religious Sanhedrins in every town in Israel From the Synoptics we learn that Joseph was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin who was looking for the coming of the kingdom and who didn’t approve of the Sanhedrin’s condemnation of Jesus. Nicodemus, who is not mentioned in the Synoptics, was also a member of the Sanhedrin (Jn 3:1) and, presumably, was wealthy, given the amount of spice he provides for Jesus’ burial (v. 39). In any case, these are both men of power, privilege and wealth. It is ironic that these two men come out of hiding and clearly associate themselves with Jesus at his death, since they would have thought his movement had come to an end. According to some accounts of the dating (see comment on 18:28; 19:14), this means they would miss the Passover itself, in which case Christ has replaced the Passover for them in keeping with John’s focus on Jesus as the Lamb of God and the fulfillment of the Jewish feasts in general.
What took the death of Jesus for these half-hearted believers to stand up for Jesus? Some Christians have a lukewarm faith and I would say that these two were such. They probably realized in the end that all the Scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus, thus they believed.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some believers hide their faith just like these two secret disciples?
SCRIPTURES FULFILLED ILMA’S VLOG
September 5
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SCRIPTURES FULFILLED
31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.” – John 19:31-37
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In this gospel account of John, we witness the fulfillment of two Scripture verses, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken” and also “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” What is the significance of these verses in relation to God’s plan of salvation?
Exodus 12:46 says that “It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.”- This verse was a part of the instruction regarding the Passover lamb. This was the way the Lord set apart the Jews from the rest so that they can be saved and delivered from the enemies. The lamb was the sacrificial offering that will make the angels of the Lord recognize that they are the chosen people. John 1:29 gives us the testimony of John the Baptist regarding Jesus. When he saw Jesus coming to Him he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The Old testament scripture refers to the lamb sacrificed to distinguish the chosen people, in the New testament, the word of God points to Jesus, who is the lamb of God who was sent to us to atone for our sins. In Psalm 34:20 David’s declaration of one of God’s promises is that He keeps all his righteous people’s bones intact. Not one of them is broken. Zechariah 12:10 says “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Scripture fulfilled in Jesus’ death so that all may believe in God.
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REFLECTION
• How do these Scriptures fulfillment affect a believer’s life?
IT IS FINISHED! ILMA’S VLOG
September 4
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IT IS FINISHED!
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.” 25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
– John 19:23-30
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In this gospel account, we witness the fulfillment of the prophecies that was spoken about in Scripture long ago before Jesus was born. The garments of the Lord will be divided through casting lots. These soldiers had no idea that they were players in the whole scheme of God’s plan: to bring the only Son to die on the cross to save mankind. There had to be people who will bring about such wickedness to fulfill the victory of righteousness.
What a loving trait Jesus portrayed in this final work of salvation. He was still thinking of His mother and ensured that his beloved disciple John took care of her now that he was gone. In those times, widows are the most helpless since no one is going to look after them. Mary’s husband Joseph must have passed on a long time ago because we hear how Jesus was responsible for her needs to be met. He passed on that responsibility to look after Mary to his most beloved disciple, John. Who else can He rely on but the one who loved Him so? This scene was the final end to Jesus’ humanity and also the completion of the work of salvation that He was doing for His Father.
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REFLECTION
• Why is completing a work for the Lord important in a Christian’s life?
VERDICT OF CRUCIFIXION ILMA’S VLOG
September 3
________________________________________VERDICT OF CRUCIFIXION
13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. 17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” – John 19:13-22
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In this account, we get another glimpse of the power-hungry Jews who wanted Jesus crucified. All the characters in this scene played a huge part in the judgement given to kill Jesus. They had no idea that it was all in God’s plan to use them so that the promise of God to bring a savior will be fulfilled. No amount of persuasion will change the minds of the Pharisees and all the other Jewish leaders. They were exposed with their hypocrisy by Jesus himself. They had to stop this person who they thought was claiming to be the Son of God, without wanting to accept the fact that He was really who he said He was. In verse 21, these Jews manifest the manipulation and control that we so often experience with people who are evil and wicked. They wanted to correct what Pilate ordered to inscribe on the cross from the “King of the Jews” to adding the point that it was Jesus’ claim. It manifests their legalism and cruelty. They had to retaliate towards someone who exposed their falseness. They needed to save their reputation and anyone who messes with their law-abiding principle will pay for it.
What a shame it is when we become so legalistic and resort to protecting our reputation even though we know that we are fraudulent and great pretenders!
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REFLECTION
• Do we have a right to protect ourselves to those who attack us? Why or why not?