Jesus: Brother and Friend

The Finish Runway

READ: ACTS 20:22-24; 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27; HEBREWS 12:1-3 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%2020%3A22-24%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%209%3A24-27%3B%20HEBREWS%2012%3A1-3&version=WEB] Tau entered his coordinates into the dashboard computer, and his location popped up on the screen. He did some calculations and plotted the last leg of his flight. Only 1,312,569 more miles and he’d be home. He could see Earth in the distance, a miniature cobalt crescent. He yawned and rubbed his tired eyes, then programmed in a new series of coordinates, and engaged autopilot. The Perseverance had been a reliable ship for his first Steel Bones Space Marathon, a biennial, interplanetary race. The craft was well-named, as the ever-changing route always encompassed at least five planets. He’d spent the last eight weeks alone in this tiny pressurized cabin. A cheeseburger and a hot shower had never sounded so good. At fifteen, Tau was this year’s youngest contestant. He couldn’t hope to win against the field of more experienced flyers, but he had trained hard, preparing his mind and body for the rigors of the race. He hoped to finish within the qualifying time for membership in the prestigious Zenith Academy, where he could study space exploration. That prize had kept him well focused. And Jesus’s steady, loving presence had sustained him. As he neared home, Earth’s beautiful blues and greens filled his windshield. He throttled down and adjusted his angle to reenter the atmosphere. As he did, the ban on communications lifted. His sister Jedda filled his screen. “Tau, you did it!” she exclaimed. “You’re within five hours of the deadline!” Tau grinned. The camera shifted and his parents appeared. “Tau, we’re so proud of you!” Mom shouted. Dad beamed his agreement, too choked up to speak. Australia loomed large. Sydney came into view, and then the finish runway. The Perseverance’s wheels touched down. Tau taxied toward the terminal and disembarked into a huge crush of spectators. He gasped, recognizing friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. They were all shouting! Congratulating him! Welcoming him home! With a wide grin, he embraced his family. The hard work and long weeks were suddenly forgotten. The sacrifices had all been worth it. • Michelle Isenhoff • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by Bible passages that compare the Christian walk to a race. Hebrews 12:1-3 says we can persevere in this race—resisting sin, seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and “looking to Jesus”—because He has already persevered for us, on our behalf. Verse 3 says, “For the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” On the cross, Jesus was looking forward to what His death and resurrection would accomplish. He was looking forward to the joy of restoring us, His people, to Himself and restoring His creation! Why do you think Jesus calls us to keep our eyes on Him as we wait for His return? (Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:31-39; Revelation 21:1-5) • In what areas of your life do you need perseverance and endurance today? Maybe your patience is wearing thin, or your struggle against a certain temptation is feeling more and more difficult, or you haven’t felt like reading the Bible or talking to God lately. Consider taking some time to tell Jesus about whatever comes to mind. You can be totally honest with Him—He already knows it all, and He is eager to show you His love and His help. • In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to—people who will listen to you, pray with you, support you, and remind you of God’s steadfast love and forgiveness? Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (WEB)

Our Responsibility Toward the Government

READ: PSALM 118:9, PROVERBS 29:2; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20118%3A9%2C%20PROVERBS%2029%3A2%3B%201%20TIMOTHY%202%3A1-4&version=NLT] Where I live in the United States, the 4th of July tends to be a holiday dominated by fireworks, parades, patriotic renditions of songs like “God Bless America,” and family picnics. It’s a time to commemorate our nation’s independence. However, it can also be a time when the divisiveness of politics is on display, splitting families and friendships between polarizing opinions and harsh interactions with each other. No matter which side of the political aisle you support, if any, 1 Timothy 2 gives us specific instructions about how we should view and interact with government: prayer. Paul instructs us to pray for “all who are in authority” and says we should “ask God to help them” (verses 1-2). But help with what? And why? We are to pray for all of these authority figures to put their trust in Jesus and experience Him personally. We can pray for them to be drawn to God’s Word and rely on Him to guide them, to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent where needed, and to walk humbly before God. We can pray that God gives them a heart to serve the greater good of those under their authority—not just their own good. We should ask God to give them wisdom, discernment, and insight, so they can know what is right and have the courage to act on it. We should pray for these things, in part, because wise leaders will allow us to live in safety and peace, letting us share Christ freely with our neighbors in whatever creative ways He has called us to. But we should primarily pray for our leaders because God wants everyone, even our politicians, to be saved and understand the truth of the gospel—the good news of Jesus. No matter how difficult it feels to pray for politicians and people of authority that you don’t agree with, like, or respect, this is what God calls us to do, and He will empower us to do it. And we can know that, ultimately, we get to submit to the perfect Authority, Jesus Christ, who laid down His life out of love for us. And one day, He will return to destroy every earthly kingdom, and we will flourish as we live under His perfect Kingship. • Abigail Aswegen • Sometimes it can be hard to pray for our government leaders, especially when they make decisions we think are wrong. In these moments, it can be helpful to remember how we all fall short and we all need Jesus. Consider taking some time to bring all of this to Jesus in prayer. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)

For Good

READ: GENESIS 37:17-28; 50:15-21; PSALM 23:4-6 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2037%3A17-28%3B%2050%3A15-21%3B%20PSALM%2023%3A4-6&version=NIV] Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They sold him! I have younger siblings. And I admit there have been times I’ve thought this sounded like a good idea. But these guys actually did it! Can you imagine the betrayal Joseph must have felt? The outrage? The terror? Overnight, Joseph became a slave. Sometimes our lives take a turn for the worse too—disappointments, illnesses, tragedies, or any number of other unwelcome surprises. In those moments, we often forget God is still with us, and He is still sovereign. When that happens, we can be well served to look at Joseph’s life. Joseph’s next thirteen years were an amazing story of hard knocks, unfair treatment, and prison. Yet, “the LORD was with him and…gave him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3). Eventually, God raised Joseph to a place of power and worked through him to save countless lives from famine, including his own family. Yet his brothers were still terrified Joseph would exact his revenge. But look how Joseph responded to them—with forgiveness: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19-20). Joseph understood God had a plan all along. From our historical vantage point, we can also see God was doing much more than just saving Joseph’s family. He was preserving the line through which He would one day redeem the world—the line that would lead to the birth of Jesus. Jesus faced hard knocks and unfair treatment—even death on a cross—because He loves us and wants to forgive us. And when Jesus was raised again, He accomplished the saving of many lives! When we end up in one of life’s dark valleys, we can remember Joseph, and how his story points to Jesus. We can trust God is so good, and He loves us so much, that He promises to work through even the worst of situations for the good of His people—and to be with us every step of the way (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28, 38-39). • Michelle Isenhoff • Can you think of any examples, in your own life or in the lives of others, when God worked through a bad situation and brought good? Whenever we suffer, God has so much compassion on us. He can truly empathize with us because Jesus stepped into our suffering with us, and even now He grieves our hurts alongside us. How could it be comforting to know that God grieves suffering, and He also promises to bring something good out of it? [Joseph said to his brothers,] “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Popular

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 15:1-7; 1 PETER 2:22-24 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%203%3A16-17%3B%20ROMANS%2015%3A1-7%3B%201%20PETER%202%3A22-24&version=NIV] Our need for love and appreciation is written deeply into our nature. We want to be seen and accepted by those around us. But, in this broken world, humans are selfish, and human attention is fickle. Popularity can tease those who don’t find it...and wreck those who do. Jesus knows about popularity. He understands people. Humans were created through Him—and He came and lived among us, fully God yet also fully human. He knows firsthand that people can crown you one day and crucify you the next. So, during His ministry on earth, how did Jesus deal with that oh-so-human desire for attention and acceptance? How did He deal with popularity? John 2:23-25 says, “Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Instead, Jesus often spent time alone with the Father, and He “entrusted himself to him who judges justly,” even in suffering (Luke 5:16; 1 Peter 2:23). Yet Jesus was not detached. He cared. He loved. He had a mission to accomplish for our sake. He made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up His life on the cross, because He so loved us (John 3:16-17). And when He rose again, Jesus declared that all who belong to Him are fully and completely accepted. So now, we are free to love others instead of comparing ourselves to them. Consider taking a moment to talk to God, perhaps using this prayer as a guide: Lord, thank You that, because of Jesus, I can entrust my heart to You, loving others with abandon as I follow Your leading. Remind me I am secure in Your great love, and may that love overflow from me to each one You bring into my life today. • Trent D. Schrock • God created us to be in community (Genesis 2:18). But sin has broken our relationships with God and others (Genesis 3). How has Jesus made the way for our broken relationships to be reconciled? As we wait for full reconciliation at Jesus’s return, how can we see glimpses of it today? How does Jesus’s love for us make it possible for us to love others? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 5; 2 Corinthians 5; Colossians 1; 1 John 4:19.) • What might it look like for you to set aside time in your day to be alone with God in His Word and in prayer so you can be refreshed, reminded of His love for you, and strengthened to overflow it to others? Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

Popular

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 15:1-7; 1 PETER 2:22-24 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%203%3A16-17%3B%20ROMANS%2015%3A1-7%3B%201%20PETER%202%3A22-24&version=NIV] Our need for love and appreciation is written deeply into our nature. We want to be seen and accepted by those around us. But, in this broken world, humans are selfish, and human attention is fickle. Popularity can tease those who don’t find it...and wreck those who do. Jesus knows about popularity. He understands people. Humans were created through Him—and He came and lived among us, fully God yet also fully human. He knows firsthand that people can crown you one day and crucify you the next. So, during His ministry on earth, how did Jesus deal with that oh-so-human desire for attention and acceptance? How did He deal with popularity? John 2:23-25 says, “Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Instead, Jesus often spent time alone with the Father, and He “entrusted himself to him who judges justly,” even in suffering (Luke 5:16; 1 Peter 2:23). Yet Jesus was not detached. He cared. He loved. He had a mission to accomplish for our sake. He made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up His life on the cross, because He so loved us (John 3:16-17). And when He rose again, Jesus declared that all who belong to Him are fully and completely accepted. So now, we are free to love others instead of comparing ourselves to them. Consider taking a moment to talk to God, perhaps using this prayer as a guide: Lord, thank You that, because of Jesus, I can entrust my heart to You, loving others with abandon as I follow Your leading. Remind me I am secure in Your great love, and may that love overflow from me to each one You bring into my life today. • Trent D. Schrock • God created us to be in community (Genesis 2:18). But sin has broken our relationships with God and others (Genesis 3). How has Jesus made the way for our broken relationships to be reconciled? As we wait for full reconciliation at Jesus’s return, how can we see glimpses of it today? How does Jesus’s love for us make it possible for us to love others? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 5; 2 Corinthians 5; Colossians 1; 1 John 4:19.) • What might it look like for you to set aside time in your day to be alone with God in His Word and in prayer so you can be refreshed, reminded of His love for you, and strengthened to overflow it to others? Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)