Path to Faith
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
(JOHN 3:16)
Trained in Christian dogma from birth, I was a teen before I realized that Jesus died, not just categorically for the whole world, but specifically for me, and that He desired me to worship Him as Lord.
How Mary Magdalene loved Jesus, this miracle man who had released her from the power of the evil one. In gratitude, she became one of many women who traveled with Jesus to support and provide for Him. Then, suddenly, He was gone - crucified, dead, buried! Overwhelmed with grief and confusion, she went to the tomb, only to discover He was missing.
When Jesus appeared to her, Mary didn't recognize Him - not until He said her name. Then she not only recognized Jesus, she knew Him and fell down in worship. At last she understood this was no mere man, or teacher. This was her resurrected Savior and Lord.
Each of us needs to reach that same realization. Who is Jesus to you? A good man? A wise prophet? Or is He the Son of God who died to cleanse your sins and offer you eternal life?
INSIGHT
"HE IS LORD!/ EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW/ EVERY TONGUE CONFESS/ THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD." (TRADITIONAL)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 26-28
Psalm 55
Luke 18
Luke 8:13
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
John 20:1-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Resurrection
20 Early on Sunday morning,[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
Footnotes:
a. John 20:1 Greek On the first day of the week.
THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE
with Jeff Foxworthy
How well do you know your Bible? A brand new television game show might be a good test for you. Joining Charles in studio is Jeff Foxworthy, host of "The American Bible Challenge."
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