God Speaks
Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem
Verse of the Day:: Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:17-19 NIV 2011):
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Watch TBR Day 305
We Respond
Matthew 20
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 20
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The LORD God, as master of the world, has every right to reward or deploy His servants however He chooses.
2. People frequently misunderstand God’s purpose for suffering or so-called disparities.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 20?
Dear Gracious God, thank You for being so generous and kind. May employers and government officials be more like You and this landowner by putting people to work, then paying them well and as agreed. May business owners have the right to pay their employees as agreed upon by the parties directly involved. It is easy for people to feel slighted or offended; help me to trust and follow You even at work or when making decisions. Thank You, Jesus, for enduring mocking, flogging, and crucifixion and for being raised from the dead for my sake. Thank You that Father knows best how to deploy and reward His kingdom workers. Help me, like Jesus, to be a sacrificial servant of the people You put in my life. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. Please don’t let me be like James, John, and their mother who didn’t understand what You said, Jesus, about Your suffering, death, and resurrection. James and John did both suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God: James was martyred, while John lived a long but difficult life, writing the Gospel of John, the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John, and likely the book of Revelation. Jesus, You also exemplified Your call to serve others by healing the two blind men. I respectfully submit to however You would choose to use me. Thank You. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 20?
- I will look for a way to be generous and kind, then carry it out.
- I will pray for business and government leaders to follow biblical principles in employee relations, especially in the area of pay.
- I will spend at least 10 minutes thanking Jesus for enduring mocking, flogging, and crucifixion and for being raised from the dead for my sake.
- I will ask my pastor how he would like to deploy me as a kingdom worker in my local congregation.
Matthew 21
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 21:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Because Jesus is God, He knew from a distance how the owner of the donkey would respond, accepted the praise of the children, took authority and healed people at the temple, cursed the fig tree, and corrected the Pharisees’ perception of who He really was.
2. People who love God are right to proclaim Jesus as King and make Him the cornerstone of their lives.
Prayer: Thank You Father, for sending Jesus to be both the conquering king at the beginning of this chapter and the rejected son of the vineyard owner at the end. May I be like the owner of the donkey by willingly giving You whatever You need. Like the crowd on the road and the children in the temple, I cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” I want my home to be a house of prayer. Don’t let me be fruitless like the fig tree Jesus cursed. I need courage to face the opposition who question under whose authority I operate. Although I may resist at first, I want to be like the son who actually did what the father asked. I want to be a good tenant who gives You the praise and fruit You are due. I don’t want to stumble or take offense at Jesus. I want Him to be the cornerstone of my life. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you t___.o work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 21?
- I will spend at least ten minutes paying homage to Jesus my King.
- I will ask God to show me what I have that is needed in His kingdom, then give it willingly.
- I will spend at least 15 minutes enthusiastically calling out or singing praise to God.
- I will take courage and quietly, lovingly tell _______ (a specific person) what Jesus means to me and how they can believe in and receive Him, too.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with _______.
Matthew 20
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 20
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The LORD God, as master of the world, has every right to reward or deploy His servants however He chooses.
2. People frequently misunderstand God’s purpose for suffering or so-called disparities.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 20?
Dear Gracious God, thank You for being so generous and kind. May employers and government officials be more like You and this landowner by putting people to work, then paying them well and as agreed. May business owners have the right to pay their employees as agreed upon by the parties directly involved. It is easy for people to feel slighted or offended; help me to trust and follow You even at work or when making decisions. Thank You, Jesus, for enduring mocking, flogging, and crucifixion and for being raised from the dead for my sake. Thank You that Father knows best how to deploy and reward His kingdom workers. Help me, like Jesus, to be a sacrificial servant of the people You put in my life. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. Please don’t let me be like James, John, and their mother who didn’t understand what You said, Jesus, about Your suffering, death, and resurrection. James and John did both suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God: James was martyred, while John lived a long but difficult life, writing the Gospel of John, the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John, and likely the book of Revelation. Jesus, You also exemplified Your call to serve others by healing the two blind men. I respectfully submit to however You would choose to use me. Thank You. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 20?
- I will look for a way to be generous and kind, then carry it out.
- I will pray for business and government leaders to follow biblical principles in employee relations, especially in the area of pay.
- I will spend at least 10 minutes thanking Jesus for enduring mocking, flogging, and crucifixion and for being raised from the dead for my sake.
- I will ask my pastor how he would like to deploy me as a kingdom worker in my local congregation.
Matthew 21
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 21:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Because Jesus is God, He knew from a distance how the owner of the donkey would respond, accepted the praise of the children, took authority and healed people at the temple, cursed the fig tree, and corrected the Pharisees’ perception of who He really was.
2. People who love God are right to proclaim Jesus as King and make Him the cornerstone of their lives.
Prayer: Thank You Father, for sending Jesus to be both the conquering king at the beginning of this chapter and the rejected son of the vineyard owner at the end. May I be like the owner of the donkey by willingly giving You whatever You need. Like the crowd on the road and the children in the temple, I cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” I want my home to be a house of prayer. Don’t let me be fruitless like the fig tree Jesus cursed. I need courage to face the opposition who question under whose authority I operate. Although I may resist at first, I want to be like the son who actually did what the father asked. I want to be a good tenant who gives You the praise and fruit You are due. I don’t want to stumble or take offense at Jesus. I want Him to be the cornerstone of my life. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you t___.o work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 21?
- I will spend at least ten minutes paying homage to Jesus my King.
- I will ask God to show me what I have that is needed in His kingdom, then give it willingly.
- I will spend at least 15 minutes enthusiastically calling out or singing praise to God.
- I will take courage and quietly, lovingly tell _______ (a specific person) what Jesus means to me and how they can believe in and receive Him, too.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with _______.