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Lazarus, Come Out

Today’s passage: John 11:1–44

Focus verse: Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. (John 11:43–44)

The Bible tells us about three siblings: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Yet Matthew and Mark don’t mention them at all.

Only Luke and John tell us about Martha and Mary, while Lazarus only shows up in John, chapters 11 and 12. (Though Luke records a parable about a man named Lazarus, he’s a different person.)

John says that Jesus loves Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Though our Savior loves everyone, Scripture seldom names them, but it does specify Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. This should get our attention as to how important they are to Jesus.

In today’s account, Lazarus is sick. Sick enough for the sisters to worry. They send word to Jesus. They don’t ask for him to come heal their brother, but merely state that he’s ill.

Knowing what will happen, Jesus says Lazarus’s illness will not end in death but in glory to Father God and his Son. But he does nothing for two days.

In a delightful exchange, Jesus tells his disciples that Lazarus is sleeping, and Jesus will go wake him. The disciples take this literally, but Jesus means it figuratively. In truth, Lazarus is dead.

Jesus uses the euphemism to wake him to mean resurrect him. The implication is that, to Jesus, raising someone from the dead is no harder than for us to wake someone from a deep sleep. So it will be with us when we die.

Jesus will wake us to live with him in paradise forever.

Jesus heads for Bethany, where the siblings live. He arrives to find that Lazarus is four-days dead and buried.

Both Martha and Mary have confidence that Jesus had the power to heal their brother and prevent his death. And Martha has faith that her brother will one day rise again. But neither sister expects Jesus to do anything for their dead brother now.

Jesus goes to Lazarus’s tomb. Martha, Mary, and the many Jews mourning with them follow.

When Jesus arrives, he instructs them to remove the large stone that blocks the entrance. He thanks Papa for hearing his prayer and commands Lazarus to come out of his tomb.

To everyone’s amazement, Lazarus hobbles forth, still wrapped in his burial cloths. It’s a miracle of miracles.

Though this isn’t the first time Jesus raises someone from the dead, this is the most spectacular one—and the most memorable.

Many people witness Lazarus’s resurrection, creating quite a stir, which we’ll cover in a few days.

In the end, Lazarus doesn’t die, and God and his Son receives glory.

Questions

  • How well do we do to accept that Jesus loves us?
  • What do we think about Jesus raising someone from the dead?

Prayer: Father God, may our lives—and death—give you glory.

Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Jesus Predicts His Death, Again

Today’s passage: Matthew 20:17–19, Mark 10:32–34, and Luke 18:31–34

Focus verse: “On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:19)

In a prior reading we covered Jesus predicting his death and resurrection. This isn’t the only time he says this. He does it again . . . and again.

The second time is much like the first. They’re in Galilee. Jesus tells his disciples three things.

First, he will be delivered over to the hands of men. This is cryptic, but we now know that this means Judas will betray him to the Jewish leaders who will arrest him.

Jesus’s other two statements are clear. They will kill him, and he will arise to life (Matthew 17:22–23, Mark 9:30–32, and Luke 9:43–45).

This time Peter keeps quiet. He may have learned from his prior impetuous outburst that saying nothing is the wise action. Even so, the disciples react strongly.

Matthew says they’re filled with grief. This suggests they rightly hear the dying part but miss the rising part. Though Jesus raised some people from the dead, the disciples are much more familiar with death than resurrection.

In contrast to Matthew’s account, Mark and Luke say the disciples don’t understand what he means but are afraid to ask for clarification.

Which is it? It’s both. Combining these, we see the disciples are concerned because they don’t understand.

This is the second time Jesus predicts his death.

The third time Jesus predicts his death is on their way to Jerusalem. This time he gives more details.

He says he’ll be handed over to the religious leaders. They’ll condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles—that is, non-Jews, implying the Romans. (This is because the Jews lack the authority to execute anyone, but the Romans can.)

The Romans will mock Jesus, flog him, and execute him by crucifixion.

But his death isn’t the end. Three days later, he will rise again to life. Though Matthew and Mark don’t record the disciples’ reaction, Luke does. He says they don’t understand any of what Jesus said.

Why do Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that Jesus three times predicts his death?

It may be for emphasis, or it may be to make sure we don’t miss his prediction. But the repetition may harken back to the Old Testament law that requires two or three witnesses to condemn a man to death (Deuteronomy 17:6).

Though Jesus isn’t supplying three witnesses, he does state three times that he’ll be condemned to die.

It’s as if he’s telling his disciples that he knows he will die and accepts it.

Questions

  • When has grief filled us over something we didn’t understand?
  • When has God needed to repeat his message to us before we understood his instruction?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we understand what you say to us in Scripture and through your Holy Spirit.

Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Moses Gives Us Ten Commandments

Jesus Boils It Down to Two Commands

The Ten Commandments are listed in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (and Exodus 20:3-23. Interestingly, neither of these passages calls this list the “Ten Commandments” (although the phrase is used elsewhere).

The Ten Commandments

1. Do not have any other gods.
2. Do not worship idols (“other gods”)
3. Do not use God’s name wrongly.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your parents (there is a promise of blessing if we do)
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not lie (give false testimony)
10. Do not covet

Jesus’s Two Commands

When Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest, he says that we should love God fully; the second greatest is to love others as much as we love ourselves.

He concludes by saying that all the laws and commands hinge on these two principles of loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-39).

So, we are to love God and love others. If we obey these two commands, everything else falls into place.

It’s that simple: Love.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 4-6 and today’s post is on Deuteronomy 5:6-21.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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The Voice of God Affirms Jesus

Today’s passage: Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:1–9, Luke 9:28–36, and John 12:27–30

Focus verse: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

Yesterday’s passage ended with the puzzling statement that “some of you present won’t experience death before you see me coming in my kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

What follows this is an event we call the transfiguration, implicitly fulfilling Jesus’s cryptic prediction. Peter, James, and John are there to see his supernatural transformation.

The three disciples ascend a mountain with Jesus. Suddenly his face shines—his countenance transfigures. This means his appearance changes; it’s glorified. Moses and Elijah appear. They talk with Jesus.

Peter wants to commemorate this unprecedented event—Jesus’s transfiguration and two dead patriarchs appearing before them. He offers to build them each a shrine or tabernacle in their honor. Before Jesus can respond, a bright cloud forms.

The voice of Father God comes from the cloud. “This is my Son,” he says. “I love him and am pleased with him. Listen to what he says.”

In one succinct declaration, God confirms Jesus as the Son of God, affirms Jesus’s ministry, and commands the disciples to listen to him.

Does hearing God’s audible voice about Jesus sound familiar?

Three years earlier, before Jesus begins his public ministry, he asks John the Baptizer to baptize him—even though the sinless Jesus has no sins to repent from. When Jesus comes out of the water, three astonishing things happen.

First, heaven opens, revealing a glimpse into the spiritual realm. What do the people see? What awe-inspiring sights confront them?

Next, the Spirit of God descends from heaven, looking like a dove. Imagine the time it takes for the form to travel the distance from heaven to earth. It isn’t instantaneous.

It gets their attention. The people have never seen anything like it. They’re astounded by this unique event. The dove lands on Jesus, showing his connection with heaven, his divine bond with the godhead.

A voice from heaven calls out. “This is my Son,” God says. “I love him and am pleased with him” (Matthew 3:13–17).

This is almost identical to what God says at the transfiguration. This time the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present. We see the triune God at work.

Two times God speaks audibly about Jesus. The first time is to prepare for him to begin his earthly ministry.

The second time is in preparation for him to conclude it. He’ll do this by dying for our sins, rising from the dead, and returning to heaven.

Both times Father God confirms his Son and supports Jesus and his ministry. The voice of God affirms Jesus.

Questions

  • How does God speak to us today?
  • How well do we do at listening to the words of Jesus, as the Father instructed?

Prayer: Father God, may we always hear your voice and obey your words.

Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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The Fallacy of Syncretism

Avoid the Error of Balaam

Although many of the mentions in the Bible of Balaam are negative, in the primary account of him, he seems to basically be a good, God-fearing guy. His issue is syncretism, which is the error of Balaam.

Balaam’s issue wasn’t his connection with God, but instead his attempt to meld the God of the Bible with other, contrary beliefs, in this case sorcery and divination. These are incompatible with God.

This practice continues today. It’s called syncretism, the fusion of differing belief systems or an attempt to reconcile religions. Consider:

  • God and Hinduism
  • God and Confucius
  • God and Buddha
  • God and voodoo
  • God and crystals
  • perhaps even God and Yoga
  • or what about God and prosperity?

But God is a jealous God. He doesn’t want to be shared; he doesn’t want his peoples’ attention split between himself and someone or something else.

He wants all of us, undivided and undistracted.

It is only human arrogance that suggests otherwise. This is the fallacy of syncretism.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Numbers 22-24, and today’s post is on Numbers 24:1.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Ash Wednesday: Jesus Predicts His Death

Today’s passage: Matthew 16:21–28, Mark 8:31–38, Luke 9:21–26, and John 12:23–26

Focus verse: Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem . . . be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (Matthew 16:21)

We open our Lenten devotional with Jesus predicting his death. This is key. It confirms that Jesus knows what will happen. His Father has a plan. Jesus agrees with the plan and moves toward it.

This means his death is intentional and he is willing to die. It’s not unexpected. Jesus’s purpose in coming to earth is to save us by dying for our sins—the sins of all humanity throughout all time.

He will soon offer himself as the ultimate sin sacrifice to end all sin sacrifices. He knows this and tells his disciples what will soon happen.

This highlights the essential part of the passage. Jesus knows he will die.

Yet two perplexing items follow his declaration.

First, Peter objects. He pulls Jesus away from the other disciples and offers correction. He wants Jesus to live and doesn’t understand that the Messiah must die. Jesus’s response shocks us.

He says, “Get behind me, Satan.”

Is he calling Peter Satan? Is Satan controlling Peter? Possibly. But an alternate understanding is that Peter speaks from his human perspective.

Satan tries to use the disciple’s words to attack Jesus. The enemy desires to cast doubt into Jesus’s mind, cause him to question his mission, and consider a non-lethal alternative.

So, when Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan,” he addresses the accuser. We can do the same.

The other confusing statement happens next. Jesus says that anyone who wants to be his disciple should pick up his cross and follow him. What does he mean to pick up our cross to follow him?

Jesus has said he will die and then overcome death. We know that in doing so, he dies so that we will live.

Yet, if we follow him, we need to be likewise ready to die for our faith, to die for him. Figuratively, we are to pick up our cross—the Roman tool for death.

Most of us won’t need to die for Jesus, but we must be willing to do so if the situation calls for it.

This means we must adopt a spiritual point of view to replace our human perspective. We need to exchange our worldly outlook with an eternal expectation.

Our life here on earth means nothing compared to our life eternal with Jesus. We prove we understand this when we pick up our cross to follow him.

We don’t need to be willing to die for Jesus before he will save us. Instead, our willingness to die is in response to him saving us.

Questions

  • What do we do when we face temptation?
  • What must we change to best pick up our cross and follow Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, may we live a life worthy of you and your call to follow you.

Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in Peter’s new book, The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Bible Study Series.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Take a Census and Make a List

God Tells Moses to Count the Number of Men for the Army

The book of Numbers opens with God telling Moses to take a census of the people. Numbers also ends with a census.

These two numberings of the people serve as bookends for this section of Scripture, which is why we call it Numbers. It begins and ends with numbers.

Count the Army

This numbering of the people is not a complete census, however. It’s only of men twenty years or older who can fight. It’s like registering for the draft. Moses lists each man. The tally is over 600,000 eligible men.

If you add in boys and elderly men, the number of males surely tops one million. Double this to account for females, and we have a conservative number of two million people. That’s a lot.

But the focus of this effort in the book of Numbers is to assess the size of their potential army. It’s over 600,000, a formable number.

David Does This Too

It seems wise for a leader to know the size of his army. God has Moses do this, but when David does this it doesn’t work out so well.

In case you’re interested he had 1.3 million men to fight in his army. However, David felt guilty for counting the number of men (2 Samuel 24:10).

This signals him putting his trust in the size of his army and not in God. God punishes him for this.

This reminds us that what God says in the Bible may be situational. For Moses it was right to number his troops, while for David it was wrong.

None of These Men Make It to the Promised Land

The book of Numbers tells us what happens next. Twelve men spy out the land. Ten of the spies are scared and tell the people there is no way the army will prevail. (Only Caleb and Joshua have faith that God will give them victory.)

The people believe the negative report and cower in fear. They rebel against God.

But then they change their mind and go forward into battle under their own power. They’re soundly defeated.

As punishment, God says that none of the men included in the count, the men registered on Moses’s list, will enter the promised land. They will die in the desert, never seeing what God wants to give them. Only Caleb and Joshua will make it in.

This list referenced in the book of Numbers is one list to avoid.

Are Our Names Written on God’s List?

However, in the book of Revelation, John writes about the book of life. In this case those whose names written in this book will make it in (Revelation 21:27). The people whose names aren’t on the list are hosed (Revelation 20:15).

There’s a time to count, and a time not to count. There’s a list we want to be on, and a list we don’t. But at the end of time, what matters is that our names are in the Lamb’s book of life. That’s what counts.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Numbers 1-3, and today’s post is on Numbers 1:2.]


Read more in Peter’s devotional Bible study, A New Heaven and a New Earth: 40 Practical Insights from John’s Book of Revelation.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Fire Came Down from Heaven

The People Shout for Joy and Worship God

The book of Leviticus contains God’s explicit instructions on how they should worship him. In chapter 8 the Lord explains the precise way Aaron and his sons will be consecrated for the priesthood and ordained as priests.

Moses and Aaron

In chapter 9, after Moses follows God’s instructions, Moses and Aaron go into the tent of meeting. Though we don’t know what happens inside, we wouldn’t be wrong to assume they connect with God.

When they come out the Lord’s glory appears to all the people.

Fire comes down from heaven—the very presence of God—and burns up the offering on the altar. When the people see this, they shout for joy and fall on their faces in awe, worshipping God.

Though this is the first time that fire came down from heaven it’s not the last.

Nadab and Abihu

In fact, it happens again in the very next chapter. This time, however, it’s a sign of God’s displeasure, of his punishment for disobedience.

Two of Aaron’s sons—Nadab and Abihu—fail to follow God’s specific instructions for worshipping him. In response, the Almighty sends down fire (Leviticus 10:1-3).

They die for their sin of improper worship. They are consumed, just like the offerings on the altar were consumed when they were ordained as priests.

Elijah

Later, Elijah has some fiery experiences too.

The prophet has a confrontation with the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel. He prepares an altar before the Lord, places the sacrifice on it, and prays to God.

Fire comes down from heaven and burns up the sacrifice and everything around it. The people fall before God and worship him (1 Kings 18:36-39).

Another time, the king of Israel sends a captain with fifty men to bring Elijah to him. Fire comes down from heaven and consumes all the men. And it happens again with a second delegation (2 Kings 1:9-15).

God’s Power

In each of these instances, fire came down from heaven, showing God’s power. In each case, the people worship and revere God.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Leviticus 7-9 and today’s post is on Leviticus 9:23-24.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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King Hiram’s Testimony

Psalm 169 from Beyond Psalm 150

David’s son Solomon replaces his father as king and prepares to build the temple for God. In addition to the materials David had already stockpiled, Solomon requests cedar logs, other resources, and a skilled artist from Hiram (Huram), king of Tyre.

King Hiram is pleased to assist and responds in a letter to King Solomon. His correspondence opens with his own psalm of praise to God.

“Because Yahweh loves his people, he has made you king over them . . .

“Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who would build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.”

2 Chronicles 2:11–12 (WEB)

Reflection on King Hiram’s Testimony

We don’t know about King Hiram’s standing with Yahweh. Not being one of God’s chosen people, it’s easy to assume that Hiram doesn’t have a relationship with the Almighty.

Yet his words praise Yahweh as Creator. This may be a result of personal belief or his assumption based on what he witnessed in King David’s life.

When we hear someone praise God or make a surprising declaration, do we dismiss it because they’re not from our group? Or do we embrace their words and worship God without judging the source?

May we see others as God sees them and refrain from dismissing them.

Explore the other psalms—sacred songs of praise, petition, and lament—scattered throughout the Bible in Peter’s book Beyond Psalm 150.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Keep the Lamps Burning before the Lord

Moses Commands a Lasting Ordinance

In addition to an exciting narrative of escape from Egypt followed by the people’s struggles, the book of Exodus also contains specific instructions to God’s chosen people. It’s difficult for most of us today to connect with some of this teaching.

Such is the case with today’s passage. Let’s consider, however, the instruction to keep the lamps burning.

Moses instructs the Israelites to use oil made from pressed olives to light the lamps in the tent of meeting (which later applies to the temple). They’re to keep the lamps burning before God. This is a lasting ordinance.

Yet many centuries later—about 175 years before Jesus came to earth—the temple is destroyed and desecrated. The Maccabees revolt and take back the temple to restore right worship. Part of this means that they relight the lamp as prescribed by Moses.

Tradition says that the Maccabees could only find enough oil for the lamp to last one day, but it miraculously burned for eight. This is the basis for Hanukkah and the story behind it.

We can confirm some of this in 1 Maccabees 4:36-59. But this passage does not mention the miracle of the oil lasting eight days, merely that the celebration lasts that long.

This occurs on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, which is the beginning of Hanukkah today.

A familiar symbol of Hanukkah is a menorah, a lampstand of nine candles, with the middle candle being taller than the other eight, which represent the eight days of the celebration.

Most of today’s Hanukkah practices don’t stem directly from the Old Testament text but result from traditions that developed over time. Yet the command to keep the lamps burning does have its basis in Scripture as commanded by Moses several millennia ago.

Regardless of our faith practices today, may we figuratively hold onto the instruction to keep the lamps burning in a spiritual sense, keeping our fire—our zeal—for the Lord burning from within.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Exodus 26-28 and today’s post is on Exodus 27:20-21.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.