eternal life

Training Day 11 Hungry For More

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 4:27-38
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 6:9-21
Esther 4

Training, Day 11

From my childhood, fasting has been a discipline I have heard about and witnessed. I grew up in the Bible Belt, an area in the midwest and southern US where Protestant fundamentalism is widely practiced. Appearing “godly” is part of the culture. When I was younger, though I felt shame and guilt for not participating in community fasts, I didn’t really see the need for fasting. Why should I starve myself in order to seem holy?

As I grew in spiritual understanding, I learned fasting is an essential part of our relationship with God. It wasn’t actually about starving myself, but about finding satisfaction for my soul-hunger! Each time I’ve fasted, I’ve gained a new understanding of God.

First, I’ve learned fasting can bring true repentance.

In Joel 2:12-14, the Lord exhorted Israel to fast, mourn, and weep as an expression of turning their hearts back to Him. Setting aside the sustenance their bodies required symbolized the people’s realization of their desperate need for God that surpassed their physical desires. 

God’s emphasis was on capturing Israel’s heart,
not on asking them to put on a faux “godly appearance”.
“Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God.” (Joel 2:13a)

This call to fasting as an expression of deep spiritual conviction, rather than a shallow, false display of piety, is echoed and expanded to all believers in Jesus’ teaching.

“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

Whether expressed in private moments with our Father, or as a time of communal repentance, fasting turns our hearts from the idol of self. Selfishness wrecks the intimacy we can share with God, but fasting reveals our lusting desires to pursue ourselves and our attempt to wrest control of our lives. Denying our physical bodies shifts our attention onto the One who fully satisfies us because He alone is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love.” (Joel 2:13b)

Next, fasting can be a sign of authentic worship.

As infant Jesus is dedicated at the temple in Jerusalem, we meet Anna, an elderly widow who dedicated her life to fasting and praying as an expression of authentic worship.

“There was also a prophetess, Anna [. . .] She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
(Luke 2:36-38)

Anna was an authentic worshiper of Christ, privileged to be one of the first in His life. A lifetime devoted to fasting and prayer prepared her spirit to recognize her Savior in the unlikeliest of forms, a newborn. After 400 years of silent prophets, an elderly, vulnerable, poor widow gives voice to the words of the Lord, giving thanks and declaring the arrival of Jesus.

Third, fasting magnifies our true need in life, God.

Every time I have fasted, I’ve been reminded of the reality that without God, I am nothing.
He is my sustainer,
He is my redeemer,
He is the answer to all my questions.

For me, fasting has been a way to literally empty myself and fill up with only Christ.
Fasting, then, is a physical representation of our spiritual lives.

When we are empty and hurting, we should turn our eyes, hearts, and minds to Christ, because only in Him will we receive our deepest needs.

Jesus demonstrated this truth in a shocking conversation with a Samaritan woman near a well.

“Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.’” (John 4:13-14)

Later, the discussion continues among His disciples…

“In the meantime, the disciples kept urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said, ‘I have food to eat that you don’t know about [. . .] My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work,’ Jesus told them.” (John 4:31-34, emphasis mine)

The only water that will quench the thirst of our spirits is the water of eternal life.
The only food that will satisfy our starving souls is doing the Father’s will.
In fasting, we abandon the physical in pursuit of the eternal.

Finally, I know many believers who’ve chosen to fast from physical desires other than food. True fasting worshipers set aside that which has consistently pulled their attention away from God. They actively turn from idols in their lives and replace them with praying and reading God’s word.

Sisters, I encourage you to practice this spiritual discipline. Fasting is a powerful way to renew and refresh our relationship with God and deepen our faith and trust in Him. In fasting, we proclaim Christ as the sole-supplier of our greatest need, Himself.

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Pause V Day 15 Redeemed & Restored

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Pause V, Day 15

Yesterday’s reading ended with Jesus dead and buried in a tomb. Peter was distraught because he had denied even knowing Jesus. Judas committed suicide after betraying Jesus. And what of our dead Jesus?

He rose!

After He conquered sin, He took three days and conquered death. He was resurrected from the dead so that death was also rendered powerless. We have eternal LIFE in Jesus’ name! (John 20:31) We are restored to fellowship with Father God through the empty tomb, discovered by Mary Magdalene and Peter, the denier.

But Jesus still had one more thing to do. One more piece of redemption and restoration to accomplish.

Peter.

Over a breakfast Jesus lovingly cooked while Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and Zebedee’s sons were fishing, Jesus restored Peter. Asking Peter three times if he loved Him, Jesus gave Peter a different responsibility each time.

Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

Shepherd my sheep. (John 21:16)

Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

Peter was to continue building upon what Jesus started by feeding, shepherding, and maturing those who believed in Jesus. This also is our job.

We’re not going to build the early church like Peter did, but we can help others know about Jesus, learn more about Him and mature in their faith.

As we close out Pause V, remember we’ve been redeemed from the bondage of sin and restored to fellowship and relationship with God. Not only can we help build the church, we should. We must. We ARE the Church!

Today's Invitation

1) Read through John 20 out loud today twice. Slowly. Explore deeper by studying some cross-references or write out your own paraphrase of the events. Thank the Lord for His eternal provision as you pray!

2) Here is our last hand-crafted Spotify playlist for Pause 5! Remember, you are prayed over and delighted in! Put this playlist on repeat this weekend and be reminded of the rich truths God has shown you this week in Pause 5! Let your worship be an act of joy and thankfulness before your God!

3) Memorize John 17:23

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John 20

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them,
“They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came.
He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them,
“and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying?
Who is it that you’re seeking? ”Supposing he was the gardener, she replied,
“Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”
And she told them what he had said to her.

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”

28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way:

2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.

3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.

“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.”
So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them.

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him.

16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”

He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.
18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.

After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you?
As for you, follow me.”

23 So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause V Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause V!

Word Day 2 Do You Believe?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Do You Believe?!

The Questions

1) Being a Jew and knowing the culture, why would Jesus ask this woman for a drink? (verse 9)

2) How does the water Jesus gives keep us from getting thirsty again? (verse 14)

3) What is meant by “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”? (verses 23-24)

John 4:7-15

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” 13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” 15 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.” 16 “Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.” 17 “I don’t have a husband,” she answered. “You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ ” Jesus said. 18 “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.

Original Intent

1) Being a Jew and knowing the culture, why would Jesus ask this woman for a drink? (verse 9)
Jesus was never one to let a teaching moment pass Him by. During this encounter at the well, He was simply doing what He always did regardless of the audience, engage with love on purpose. He took an everyday situation and flipped it into an impactful lesson for many. Jesus came to destroy the old way of thinking with strict laws as means of coming to God. Ordinary people, like this woman, were easily bogged down with all the rules and had lost focus from the main point of having a relationship with God. Jesus took the opportunity that presented itself in the flow of His normal life, and used the fact that He was physically thirsty, to open this woman’s mind to her own spiritual thirst. First, he spoke directly to her. Men of her culture would have completely ignored her. With His words alone, Jesus demonstrated that He saw her and cared enough to engage in a conversation. Secondly, he guided this woman to understand that even though He had asked her for water, He was offering something far greater, eternal life. Jesus was a risk taker and never allowed cultural norms to stop Him accomplishing His mission and share His message of love with everyone He encountered.

2) How does the water Jesus gives keep us from getting thirsty again? (verse 14)
Jesus was a master at teaching in a way that others could relate to and understand. In this story, the woman’s interest is piqued and she asks some clarifying questions. “Where does this water come from?” “Are You saying You are greater than our father Jacob?” As the dialogue continues, understanding begins to dawn on this woman. The water Jesus spoke of wasn’t literal water, but eternal life. For this woman, a known adulteress and public sinner, she initially desired a way out of a daily struggle. Her life choices had resulted in consequences that made her life difficult and shameful. She didn’t want to go to the well each day to get water, she didn’t want the knowing looks, ridicule, and judgement of those who saw her. Ultimately, she comes to understand how this man Jesus is different; He’s even greater than a prophet. In fact, she gets so excited that John 4:28-29 records her leaving her water jug and running back to town to bring others saying, “Could this be the Messiah?!”. For this woman, the realization that she could be free from her past by simply accepting the free gift being offered her in Jesus was life changing!

3) What is meant by “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”? (verses 23-24)
Jesus is teaching that regardless of being Jew or Samaritan, He welcomes all to trust Him. He isn’t looking for a particular race, gender, or culture, instead He is seeking hearts who will take Him at His word, believe Him, and worship the Father. Culturally at this time, the Jews viewed themselves as superior to the Samaritans. The Jews were God’s chosen people, descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were considered less than because they were only half Jewish. The Samaritan race came from marriage between Jews and other races following the Jews’ return from exile. Everyone knew the Messiah would be of Jewish lineage, specifically from the tribe of Judah. This knowledge led the full-blooded Jews to look down on everyone else. While the Samaritan people worshiped God, they did not have the same “inside knowledge” as the Jewish people, in many ways they worshiped a God they did not know or understand. Additionally, the Jewish people believed you could only worship God in Jerusalem, which furthered the divide between these two people groups. Beginning in verse 21, Jesus breaks down that old belief system by saying it doesn’t matter where you worship or who you are, but that “true worshipers” (regardless of their nationality, history, or past) will worship “in Spirit” (a matter of the heart vs. the keeping of the law) and “in truth” (believing Jesus and embracing Him as the promised Messiah). By having this conversation with a Samaritan, who was also a woman, Jesus broke down several cultural stumbling blocks. He came for everyone, even this woman who was currently living in sin and, from all accounts, could never live up the standard of Jewish law.

Everyday Application

1) Being a Jew and knowing the culture, why would Jesus ask this woman for a drink? (verse 9)
There is no question that tensions run high when it comes to race, culture and even our moral belief systems. As much as we’d like to believe these are new things, we learn from this passage that respecting people with different colors of skin or cultural upbringings has been a source of tension since the beginning of time. At first glance, it can be tempting to think of this passage as a good moral lesson with some interesting history, but having little impact on our lives today. In reality, this true narrative is still as relevant today as it was when Jesus first had the conversation. Jesus refused to let the cultural standard or current belief system stop His work of meeting and loving people where they were. He took a risk and talked to someone most people would have avoided. He engaged in a conversation, which included listening to and responding to her questions as well as asking His own. He used a normal daily task, drawing water from a well, to teach, convict, and ultimately change this woman’s life and those around her. Every Christian today needs to follow Jesus’ example. None of us need to look far to find someone different than ourselves, we have look up and see them, be willing to engage in conversations, and look for opportunities to share Jesus’ message. In verse 26 Jesus says, “I am He” (meaning the promised Messiah), we must ask ourselves, just as this woman, do I believe Jesus is who He says He is? If our answer is yes, then we are compelled to share that knowledge with those around us, just like this woman.

2) How does the water Jesus gives keep us from getting thirsty again? (verse 14)
In this story, Jesus gives the woman what she needs instead of what she wants. She is looking for physical water so she wouldn’t need to face the shame of judgement when she comes to the well. Instead of giving her more isolation, Jesus gives her what she really needs, the way to eternal salvation and a transformation so deep it changed her life. Once we come to a place of accepting Jesus for who He is and the salvation He gives, we can stop searching for other things to fill us up; He is enough! You only need to acknowledge and accept Jesus as your Savior one time in sincerity, and He will faithfully rescue you for eternity. The analogy Jesus makes with water and a well doesn’t make as much sense to us today since most of us simply go to the faucet and turn the handle for water. For the people in our story, getting water was a daily chore requiring advance planning. Drawing water meant physically walking a dusty road with a heavy earthen jar. It was something that had to be done day after day after day. Much like following the law of the old covenant, it took repeated effort, day after day, all the while knowing you’d need to do it all again the next day. An unending cycle of trying to live up to an impossible expectation, failing, and working to atone or pay for those failures with the appropriate sacrifice. With Jesus, none of that is required! He has done all the work; all we need is to go to the faucet (Jesus) and turn the handle (pray in faith) that allows the water (eternal life) to flow.

3) What is meant by “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”? (verses 23-24)
Plain and simple, true worship comes down to the heart. Nothing else matters. Regardless of your skin color, your family’s ancestry, political party, church membership, or anything else, God desires the full worship of our hearts. True worshipers take Jesus at His word, believe He is in fact the Messiah, and did come to save each and every one of us from the deadly consequence of our sins. True worshipers follow Jesus from the heart, because they know it impossible to earn or work their way to salvation. True worshipers live all out for Jesus every single day, not those who simply spin their wheels trying to check all the right boxes. True worshipers have “tasted and seen that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8) and can’t imagine life without Him. We worship God in “Spirit and in truth” by allowing His Spirit living inside of us to teach us as John 16:13 says, “when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth”. The beautiful thing about life with Jesus is that He knows us and loves us for who we are, right here and right now. Even if our words and thoughts are a jumbled-up mess, He knows and sees what is in our hearts; this is what matters!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Questions 2 Day 12 Rescue Mission: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Rescue Mission!

The Questions

1) What is Paul quoting in verses 10-12 and why does he quote them?

2) Verse 19 refers to those who are subject to the law but who is that?

3) What does it mean that “the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment”? (verse 19) Is there hope?

Romans 3:9-20

9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. 20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

Original Intent

1) What is Paul quoting in verses 10-12 and why does he quote them?
Paul is referencing Psalm 14:1-3 in these verses which are also repeated in Psalm 53:1-3. “…There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless…” (verses 11-12) These words speak to the flesh nature of every person ever born. Paul’s Jewish Christian audience would have been familiar with the Psalmist’s words, knowing they were penned to describe every human heart from God’s perspective. This is a reminder of the depravity of mankind and the sin every person commits. Every human being is hopelessly stuck in their sin and by pointing his audience to their guilt, Paul is later able to point them to their only hope for salvation, Jesus.

2) Verse 19 refers to those who are subject to the law but who is that?
Paul is clear that Law speaks to only those who are subject to the law. However, that is not an out for Paul’s audience. His readers would have known the law being referred to was what we call the 10 Commandments. However, this law encompassed much more than those few commands. Included in the whole Old Testament law was the first 5 books of our Bible and every regulation found there. The Israelites had hundreds of laws they were supposed to follow, and no one could follow them perfectly. Paul is telling his audience they are all subject to the law. Every person in his audience knew precisely what Paul meant, and they all knew they were guilty.

3) What does it mean that “the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment”? (verse 19) Is there hope?
Paul does not sugarcoat the truth. God is a just God and He will rightfully judge the whole world. Every single person who has ever lived will indeed face judgement where they will be called to give an account of their works. Revelation 20:11-15 tells of this coming judgement. However, although we know all are subject to the law and all fall short of the hitting the “bullseye” on the target of the Law (Romans 3:23) there is hope. Romans 6:23 reminds us of the gift of Jesus, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Revelation 21 tells of the full promise of hope coming in fullness for all who trust Jesus as their personal Savior. Jesus paid the penalty for sin and death and His blood covers those who believe in Him when they stand before God on the day of judgment. He becomes the believer’s righteousness!

Everyday Application

1) What is Paul quoting in verses 10-12 and why does he quote them?
Paul refers back to Psalm and the sin state of all mankind. He reminds readers that none of us are good and, at some point, we have all turned away from His standard of righteousness. Whether it was a selfish thought, a white lie, or a lusting glance, all of these and much more violate His holy standard. In so doing, we become sinners, separating ourselves from a holy and righteous God with no ability to regain a perfect standing. Without this realization of our sinfulness, we are unable to see our need for a Savior. We feel we can be “good enough” on our own, compared to our own measure of “right”. Paul begins this chapter with the condition of all mankind so he can later point all readers to Jesus. If we do not view ourselves as sinful, not good, and without hope we will never surrender to God and accept the gift only Jesus can provide by His righteousness offered in exchange for our sinfulness.

2) Verse 19 refers to those who are subject to the law but who is that?
When I read the words “the law” I immediately think of the 10 Commandments. When God gave those to Moses, His intent was never for them to be a checklist for Israel (or us) to try to live up to. Instead, it was meant as a mirror, helping us see that no one could ever not break even just those 10 laws. As matter of fact, Israel had broken those laws before Moses ever made it off of Mt. Sinai with the law in hand. (Exodus 32) While we no longer live under Old Testament law today, we are still subject to the law. Jesus provided 2 commands which sum up the whole of this law, love God and love others, and I know I daily fall short of just those two simple commands. Just as the 10 Commandments showed Israel they were sinners, Jesus’ words show us we are sinners and in need of a Savior.

3) What does it mean that “the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment”? (verse 19) Is there hope?
Every person who ever has or ever will walk planet earth is subject to God’s judgment. This is His world and His rule applies to us, His creation. Scripture is very clear there will be a day of judgment when all will stand before God and be judged for our actions. This coming judgment is exactly why understanding the law, and how far we each fall short of its perfect standard, is so important. Because of the law, we see our desperate need for a Savior. John writes of the day of judgment in Revelation 20, but He doesn’t leave us at the judgment seat without hope. John writes of the promised hope that is coming in the New Heaven and the New Earth in Revelation 21. This promise is for all who have believed in Jesus and accepted the sacrifice of what He did for us on the cross. His righteousness can be ours in place of our sin; His perfection in exchange for our failure to follow the law! Sisters, the question is, have you accepted the gift Jesus offers for yourself? If so on the day of judgment, He will say this one is Mine! Our judgment as believers will be vastly different than those who have not chosen to believe because we will be covered by Christ and in Him, there is no condemnation, only life!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Rescue Mission!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Questions 2 Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Questions Day 9 100%: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out 100%!

The Questions

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Original Intent

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?
John 14 opens with Jesus telling His disciples of His impending departure to prepare a place for them. He assures them inverse 4 know the way to where He is going, but His disciple Thomas is confused, “We don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Instead of answering Thomas’ question with explanations of His upcoming death and return to heaven, Jesus tells His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) In a nutshell, Jesus is telling His disciples the summation of everything He has taught them over the last 3 years they have been together. His statement gives His disciples the all-important information on how to get to Heaven and be right with God. Having total access to the Father is only found through Jesus. What He is about to do for them by dying on the cross will bring them eternal life. In all clarity, He is revealing the truth they are searching for is Him. He is the answer to every question they have. The Expositor’s Greek Testament tells us, “Thomas craved knowledge sufficient to guide him in the present crisis. Jesus says: You have it in Me.” In this pivotal moment before His death, Jesus lets His disciples know He is the Way because He is not only their example to follow in living life, but their bridge to the Father. He also promises them He is not only telling them the truth, but He is the truth. As author Randy Alcorn asserts, “Jesus is the source of all truth, the embodiment of truth and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.” We can be grateful that God provides the Way and the Truth in the person of His Son, Jesus.

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”
When Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), He is telling His disciples they can find truly abundant life, at present and eternally, only through Him. He is the life because He is the link to life everlasting due to His work on the cross. (John 3:16) Because Jesus, wholly God and wholly human, gave up His life as payment for our sin then conquered death by rising from the dead, He justifies all who come to Him and offers His eternal life to them when they surrender. Similarly, in John 11:25, Jesus tells us He is “the resurrection and the life.” We also see in 1 John 5:11 that God offers us eternal life through the life found only in His Son. Not only is Jesus the life because He is the pathway for eternal life, but He is also the life because He gives us spiritual life here on earth. We read in John 1:4, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”  When we have the life of Christ living in us, He gives us the light that comes only from Him. Author John Ritenbaugh notes that “Jesus’ life gives us firsthand knowledge of what the true way of life is, allowing us to cooperate with Him in His purpose.” God gives us the power to follow Christ’ example of a life lived well. We can love like Jesus (John 15:9), care like Jesus (Mark 6:34), pray like Jesus (Luke 5:16), relate like Jesus (Matthew 7:12), and disciple like Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), when we surrender our frail lives for His full one. We can live a glorious life here on earth, following Christ’s example by the power of His Spirit living within us, while we look forward to eternal life in heaven one day.

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?
When Adam and Eve sinned, they changed the relationship dynamics God had designed to share with all of humanity. They could no longer enjoy daily intimate interaction with God because their sin separated them from God. God’s plan to bridge that gap between man and God was the man Christ Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus, as God the Son, would take the sins of all people on Himself, although He was sinless, and cover their sins with His perfectly righteous blood as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sin. That redemption made a way for people to be united to the Holy God once again. There is no other way for people to access God on our own because of our sinfulness. Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that no one comes to the Father except through Him. We must go through Christ, who is the bridge between Father God and humankind. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. All we can do is believe in Jesus and accept God’s free gift of access through His Son. Author Craig von Buseck notes, “In every other religious system besides Christianity, a spiritual scale hangs over the head of the individual, with all of the sins they have committed on one side and all of their righteous deeds on the other.”  With Christ, we don’t need to tally our good and bad deeds because we don’t count on our deeds of righteousness to save us (which is ridiculously impossible!), rather we rely on His mercy and grace to save us. (Titus 3:5-7)

Everyday Application

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?
If there were ever a time when people seem confused about the way and the truth, it is today. Our culture teaches truth is relative and there is not just one way to get to heaven.  We are told to find our own way in life and make our own truth. This has left many of us feeling lost and confused. God has provided for such a time as this in His Word. He told us in John 14:6 that He Himself is the way and the truth. For those of us trying to forge a path through the chaos, He tells us He is the way. He says something similar in John 10:9, where He tells us “I am the gate. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. . .”  Hebrews 10:19-20 refers to Christ’s sacrifice for us as a “new and living way” to draw near to God. He also reassures us He is the truth. Jesus tells the Jewish believers in John 8:32-36, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He later explains what He means by saying, “if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” Jesus, the Son of God, is the truth who sets us free.  We can know the truth, and the truth is a person: Jesus! He made a way for us to draw near to God by His death on the cross, and His life and teachings show us how to live our lives.  He is the truth we need, shining the light of His Word in every dark place we encounter. (Psalm 119:105)

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”
Have you ever looked up from a binge-watch session, surrounded by food wrappers and soda cans, and thought, “I gotta’ get a life?”. The thought is that you need something better to commit your time and energy to.  It is easy and enjoyable to have some down time, but ultimately, we each crave a meaningful life. The good news is that when we have life in Christ, He gives us a life with meaning. Jesus tells us He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) He does not only show us how to have a good life; He Himself is life for us. He came to earth so we could have abundant life. (John 10:10)  1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us that in Christ all are made alive. If we want to live a life that fulfils us, we need to live our life in Christ. Not only will He fulfill us here on earth, but He offers us this fullness and satisfaction in overflowing endless measure all the way into eternity. (1 John 5:11) This certainty of our coming hope provides a peace and comfort when things don’t seem to be going our way. Even when things are tough, God is still teaching and growing us (James 1:2-4) and even working all difficult things for our eventual good and His glory. (Romans 8:28) 

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?
In our pluralistic, tolerant society, claiming to have the definitive answer to anything is controversial. We like to say, “You do you,” and we assume we are all on different paths to the same destination.  So Jesus’ claim that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) sounds jarring to modern ears. It seems exclusive and unloving to say there is only one way to God, yet God, very lovingly, states this emphatically in Scripture. For it would certainly be quite unloving to promote all road access when it truly wasn’t! In Acts 4:12 we read, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” We also learn in 1 John 2:23 that “no one who denies the Son has the Father.”  While it may sound exclusionary to some, God’s redemptive plan is actually open to everyone who accepts Christ’s free gift of salvation for themselves. (Romans 6:23)  Any person, regardless of race, class, gender or background, is invited to believe in Christ, repent of their sins, and accept the freedom God offers through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (1 Timothy 2:4) Author Jonathan Parnell explains, “It doesn’t matter how messed up your life is, or what mistakes you’ve made, or how dismal you see your tomorrow . . . It doesn’t matter what language you speak, or what color of skin you have, or how much money is in your bank account, if you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus, you will be saved.” God loves us all and wants us to be His children (John 1:12) and He offers that gift to all of us for free. If you have never done so, I urge you to accept that gift today. if you are already a child of God, I urge you to share this good news with someone who crosses your path today!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with100%!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Questions 2 Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ten Day 4 The Name: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Name!

The Questions

1) Why does Jesus use the phrase “take up his cross and follow me”? (verse 24)

2) What does Jesus mean by “whoever loses his life because of me will find it” in verse 25?

3) Where else can we find “Son of Man” in Scripture?

Matthew 16:24-28

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Original Intent

1) Why does Jesus use the phrase “take up his cross and follow me”? (verse 24)
Jesus’ decision to use “take up his cross and follow me” in Matthew 16:24 would have struck his Jewish disciples as odd, if not profoundly concerning. To understand the disciples’ perspective, we need to understand what the cross signified in Jewish law. If we go back to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Moses dictated that an offender’s execution on a tree was for the worst offenses. Indeed, this mode of death was so offensive that “anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse,” and the criminal’s body needed to be promptly buried as not to “defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance” (verse 23). In the first century, the Roman authorities did not view the cross any differently than the Jews. One ancient source stated, “Let the very name of the cross be far away not only from the body of a Roman citizen, but even from his thoughts, his eyes, his ears” (blueletterbible.org). The cross, therefore, was not just a “symbol of pain, distress, and burden-bearing” (blueletterbible.org), it was also a deeply shameful way to die in the eyes of the Roman and the Jew. Hence, Jesus’ original audience would have been shocked to hear their teacher associate discipleship with this brutal form of execution. If Jesus was the promised Messiah, wasn’t he supposed to free them from Roman oppression? Yet, Jesus was demonstrating through this phrase that following the Messiah was going to entail suffering. Indeed, Jesus embodied the real cost of discipleship when he carried His own cross to Golgotha, the place of His execution (John 19:17-18). Paul would later write that to redeem us from the limitations of the law, Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). By taking up His cross, Jesus gave us a precious gift, we now “receive the promised [Holy] Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14) By taking on our curse of sin, He freed us to have access to God through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit empowers the follower of Jesus to become increasingly like their humble Messiah, who proclaimed a counter-cultural understanding of discipleship.

2) What does Jesus mean by “whoever loses his life because of me will find it” in verse 25?
If Jesus’ statement in verse 24 was not puzzling enough, what He said in the following verse was probably causing the twelve disciples to scratch their heads even more. How does one simultaneously lose their life and find it? Let us first define what “life” would have meant to Jesus’ original audience. As modern readers, we get to the benefit of dozens of English Bible translations, but Matthew originally wrote his Gospel in Greek. This Jewish writer’s choice to write his account in Greek, rather than Hebrew or Aramaic, makes sense since it was one of the official languages of the Roman Empire and, after all, he had served as a Roman tax collector. That being said, the Greek word “psuché” can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; this explains why some translations replace “life” with “soul” in verse 26 (biblehub.com). Therefore, while life can allude to one’s physical existence, Jesus and the New Testament writers used this term figuratively: for immortality (Hebrews 7:16), conduct (Romans 6:4), salvation (John 3:16), and eternal life (Matthew 19:16-17) (blueletterbible.org). Thus, “life” here refers to more than a finite number of years, but to the place where our soul will find true rest for eternity. While every person must ultimately die (“lose his life”), a believer who places their faith in the Gospel (“because of Me (Christ)”) enjoys eternal life (“will find it”) that surpasses the temporary pleasures of our physical existence. Indeed, “God and Christ [are] the absolute source and cause of all life” (John 1:4), so trying to find eternal satisfaction apart from our Triune God is foolishness that leads to death (blueletterbible.org; verse 26).

3) Where else can we find “Son of Man” in Scripture?
When Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man,” he is not referring to humankind generally, but to a unique title for the Savior taken from Daniel 7:13-14 (blueletterbible.org). “And suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” In this vision, the prophet Daniel sees the “true humanity of our Lord. He had a true body and a rational soul. He was a perfect man” (blueletterbible.org). While Jesus’ followers do not refer to their teacher as the “Son of Man,” our Savior uses this term for Himself at least forty-three times throughout the four Gospels (blueletterbible.org; bibleproject.com). As the Bible Project points out, “The biblical story begins with God appointing humans as His royal images, that is, representatives who will rule creation on His behalf and in partnership with Him. Humanity is a glorious being, destined for even greater glory, to rule over heaven and earth (Genesis 1:26-28) Tragically, humanity forfeits this destiny when we are deceived by dark spiritual powers and lured into embracing our own self-destruction” (bibleproject.com). Unlike the long line of broken, flawed Jewish leaders whose stories fill the pages of the Old Testament, Jesus is indicating He is “the hope for a new humanity who will finally realize the ideal purpose that God has for the human family.” (bibleproject.com)

Everyday Application

1) Why does Jesus use the phrase “take up his cross and follow me”? (verse 24)
Today, we often see ornate crosses as decorative motifs. We hang these bejeweled ornaments as a final addition to a wall display of family portraits and Bible verses. However, a first-century observer would balk at proudly displaying this symbol of death in our homes. Yet, the Christian looks upon the cross with different eyes.  As Paul writes, the cross of Jesus bridges the divide between sinful humanity and our perfect God. (1 Corinthians 1:18; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 3:18; Colossians 1:20) Additionally, Jesus’ atoning work on the cross unifies those from different socioeconomic classes, genders, and races (Ephesians 2:16). It is by the cross that all our old “passions and desires” are put to death (Galatians 5:24), and we are made new. For the believer then, the mind-bending truth is this, the cross, once a symbol of execution and torture, becomes a symbol of hope and life. In Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, the writer observes that taking up one’s cross means, “The man is to deny his whole self, all his natural motives and impulses, so far as they come into conflict with the claims of Christ…The self-denial here commanded has, accordingly, its highest type and pattern in the act by which the Son of God, in becoming man, emptied Himself of all that constituted, if we may so speak, the ‘self’ of His divine nature” (biblehub.com). Let us then praise God for Jesus Christ, who redeems us from death that we would bring glory and honor to Him forever and ever.

2) What does Jesus mean by “whoever loses his life because of me will find it” in verse 25?
I admit that experiencing suffering, or watching others go through it, is not pleasant. Rather than run towards a friend who is suffering, I cringe, keep silent, and watch from a safe distance. I comfort myself with the belief that the sufferer needs space, time to grieve, and process their loss. Yet, I am only trying to protect myself. My heart whispers the lie, “Perhaps I will be spared personal pain if I avoid their grief.” However, the writer C.S. Lewis warns this is pure foolishness on my part. In The Problem of Pain, he writes, “Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself” (brainpickings.com). Indeed, the examples of Jesus Christ and His disciples promise us that suffering is inevitable. Indeed, Jesus promises in John 16:33 that trials will come, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” By “world,” Jesus means every evil power, temptation, and sin that would lead us astray. Through Him, we can lose our lives for His sake as John Gill observes, “[the disciple] is willing to forego all the pleasures and comforts of life, and be subject to poverty and distress, and to lay down life itself, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel, rather than deny Him, and part with truth, shall find it; in the other world, to great advantage; he shall enjoy an immortal and eternal life, free from all uneasiness and affliction, and full of endless joys and pleasures” (biblehub.com). As disciples, our eyes must be focused on things of eternal value rather than those of temporary, worldly gain.

3) Where else can we find “Son of Man” in Scripture?
The first Christian martyr, Stephen, is one of my favorite people from the New Testament. A decade ago, I committed to reading through the entire Bible when I was coming out of a difficult emotional and spiritual period in my life. One night, I sat in my quiet bedroom, utterly mesmerized by Stephen’s ministry and death found in Acts 6-7. Not only was Stephen a powerful preacher, but he was “full of grace and power…performing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Before his death at the hands of Jewish religious leaders, he gave a remarkable sermon that was 52 verses long (Acts 7:2-53). It is the “first apology for the universalism of the gospel as a message to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. It is the longest speech contained in the Acts,” which suggests that the author was drawing attention to its importance (blueletterbible.org). This disciple understood what Jesus meant when He said, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28) Indeed, Stephen sees the Son of Man in all His glory at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55-56) Stephen is not spared from suffering, but prays God would forgive those who are stoning him to death. (Acts 7:57-60) Just as I did ten years ago, I still cry every time I read Stephen’s story. Not merely because of his remarkable faith, but because he understood what few do. Stephen knew Jesus would indeed return one day as “the Son of Man…seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.” (Revelation 14:14) As John Gill writes, the white cloud represents “the purity, uprightness, and justness of [Jesus’] proceedings in judgment” and the golden crown is “an ensign of royal majesty, showing that his kingdom was now come, the time for Him to reign personally with His saints on earth a thousand years; and that it was a very glorious one; and that He should now reign before His ancients gloriously; and that it was pure, solid, and durable” (biblestudytools.com). Jesus holds a sharp sickle, a farming tool used for gathering and cutting down, in His hand, because He will institute perfect judgment and power over all nations (biblestudytools.com). The Son of Man is the better King David, King Solomon, and other Jewish leaders who briefly reflected God’s glory only to fall repeatedly into sin and rebellion. In our time of suffering, we can look to the Son of Man to encourage us and sustain us through every trial of this life.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Name!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Ten Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ten Day 1 Only One Worthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-4
Acts 17:22-31
1 Kings 18:20-46
Isaiah 44:9-23

Ten, Day 1

Since the beginning of time, created beings have had an affinity for worship, we were in fact, handcrafted for worship! Alas, we set our worship on what we can visually feast our eyes on, or we worship the longings of our hearts. In all transparency, we worship ourselves.

Before you push back from the table and roll your eyes, can you see it?
Laundry folded my way.
The routine planned in benefit of me.
The fight with my spouse because I wasn’t being heard.
The dishwasher re-arranged to satisfy my preference.
Frustrated at church because they didn’t play the music I like best.
My playlist.
My meal plan.
My fitness agenda.
My way.
My pride.

Hold on and take a breath in, then say this with me, “I worship myself.”
Oh, that stings doesn’t it?!
My eyes are burning with tears having just said that out loud with you. Let its truth sink into the far-reaching corners of your heart, the areas we toss decorative throw pillows so no one sees what’s actually under there, least of all ourselves.

So, why would God’s first, most critically important commandment, and the second, jump off the page because it calls our attention to solely focus on Him as being God and the only One worthy of worship?

Because He loves us.

Wait, what?

Yes, do it with me again, take a breath in and linger over each syllable as you whisper out loud, “Because He Loves Us.”

Oh, that fills my heart and chills my skin.
What radical love exists that desires to loosen our death-like grip on ourselves, lift our chin to One Worthy, and allow us to bask in pure, brilliant love cascading over us?!

You shall have no other gods before Me.
I alone am He who brought you out slavery. (Exodus 20:2)
I alone have chosen you for My own possession and beautiful inheritance. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
I alone have cleared the ground before you, giving freedom. (Psalm 18:19)

You shall make no carved image and shall not bow down and worship it.
I am a jealous God, longing to pour out My steadfast love on you. (Exodus 20:5-6)
I alone am forgiver and redeemer. Only I can do what no created thing can. (Isaiah 44:17-22)
I alone am worthy. (Revelation 5:1-10)

One man stood atop a high hill, flanked on all sides by men who worshipped wooden idols their hands had created. They mocked him for worshipping Yahweh.

The man called aloud an impossible challenge, “You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of my God. The God who answers with fire, He Is God.” He built an altar, dug a ditch around it, and flooded the entire area with so much water, it flooded the ditch.

All the while, the men mocked. They pleaded for hours and hours for their god to send fire. They cut themselves. They danced provocatively. They slaughtered an animal. Silence.

Dusk crept around the crowd, tensions ran high, and Elijah beckoned to each bloody man, “Come near me.” With an audience of enemies tightening around him, he lifted his head and said, “Answer me, Yahweh! Answer me so this people will know You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:37)

Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the meat, the stones, and even the water.

Only One Worthy

A death sentence pressing against him because he refused to worship a man, Daniel fought against the grip of pride, and fell to his knees before an open window, choosing to publicly worship the Only One Worthy. The Lord God shut the mouths of the lions and spared Daniel’s life. (Daniel 6:10-21)

Dusty feet walking around a mega-city, eyes falling on a sign over an altar reading, “To The Unknown God.” With burning clarity, Paul turned to the citizens following him and said, “This God you worshipped in ignorance, I now proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) He, the Creator of all things, does not live in a shrine made by human hands. He who breathes into your lungs and fashioned your DNA is drawing you to Himself that you might worship Him, and Him alone. For He is the Only One Worthy of your worship. (Acts 17:24-29)

A vast multitude, innumerable by any standard, representing every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, stood as one body. Robed in white. Palm branches in their hands. They cried aloud with one, thunderous voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”.  (Revelation 7:9-10)

One who had power to pay our death penalty for sin by dying in our place.
One who offers to slay our pride so we can enjoy eternal life with Him.
One who commands our true worship because He loves us.

Only
One
Worthy

Who will you worship?

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Blessed Day 12 Blessed Are The Peacemakers: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Blessed Are The Peacemakers!

The Questions

1) What does Paul mean in verse 1 when he relates being “justified” with having “peace with God”?

2) How does the peace mentioned in these verses teach us about the peace Jesus spoke about often in the four Gospels?

3) Jesus was the ultimate Peace-Maker. What does this mean for us? (verse 11)

4) What is the “much more” of having peace with God? (verse 15)

Romans 5:1-15

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many.

Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean in verse 1 when he relates being “justified” with having “peace with God”?
Humans were created to live in peace with God. At the beginning of time, all of creation was in sync and “it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27-31) Sadly though, the enemy of the human soul was hell-bent (literally!) on robbing us of our peace. (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12) Satan convinced the first man and woman they were missing something. They bought the lie that knowing more was better than knowing God, and the unrest and chaos of humanity began. (Genesis 3:1-7) Since that moment, every human has been searching for more. In Romans, Paul reminds his readers of their ancestry through Abraham. Their spiritual patriarch had been convinced in his heart of God’s faithfulness to His promise to redeem and restore peace to the descendants of Abraham. This promise was an eternal one, good for every person who also believes the only way to reconciliation (peace now) and eternal life (peace forever) is through the perfection of God Himself. We are beneficiaries of this lasting peace as a direct result of our justification. Jesus’ death on the cross defeated the enemy’s power to continue to wreak havoc in our lives. His resurrection proved that by being God, He was declaring our reconciliation with Himself. (Romans 4:20-25)

2) How does the peace mentioned in these verses teach us about the peace Jesus spoke about often in the four Gospels?
In verse 1, Paul tells those who are justified we have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Commentator Harry Ironside says this peace is “not a state of mind or heart. It is a prevailing condition between two who were once alienated. Sin had disturbed the relations of Creator and creature. A breach had occurred that man could not mend. But peace has been made by the blood of Christ’s cross. There is no longer a barrier. Peace with God is now the abiding state into which every believer enters. The sin question is settled.” (preceptaustin.org/romans) The Greek word used here is derived from the verb eiro which means “to bind together that which has been separated.” In Matthew 5, Jesus speaks about those who bring peace, “Blessed are the peacemakers …” (Matthew 5:9) The same Greek word translated “peacemaker” is used by Paul, and it speaks of the reconciliation for which Christ came and died. (Colossians 1:19-20) Jesus laid down His life to make peace between God and sinners. Those who receive His peace are now sons and daughters of God: “… for they will be called sons of God.”

3) Jesus was the ultimate Peace-Maker. What does this mean for us? (verse 11)
The reconciliation believers have with God, through Christ, is the reason for our boasting! The crushing weight of our own guilt was placed on Jesus when He was on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14) The shame we deserve to feel over the sin we commit against God was taken by Jesus. As those who trust in Jesus, such mercy we receive that we are not affected ultimately or eternally by Adam’s sin! Though we still struggle with sin, and will until we reach heaven, we are assured that Christ has rescued us and restored us to God. (Romans 7:18-25) Confession of our sins is not to establish peace with God. Jesus has already accomplished that. It is a demonstration that we rest in His reconciling work on the cross and depend on that work to produce daily desire, daily obedience, and daily peace with God. Even now, sin disrupts our fellowship with God. But we have an advocate who assures us our relationship with the Father will never change! The Peacemaker, Jesus, went to the cross so we could enter an ongoing and permanent entrance into Father’s presence. 

4) What is the “much more” of having peace with God? (verse 15)
It was a common expression in biblical times to use the term “much more”. We find the phrase scattered through the gospels. In Romans 5 it is used five times in some translations. Paul wants us to understand that Christ’s single act of obedience was infinitely greater than Adam’s single act of rebellion. God’s grace is substantially superior for our ultimate good than Adam’s sin was for our bad. Understanding this is essential. We must acknowledge our previous human condition. We inherited a nature that brings automatic distance from our Creator. (Genesis 3:22-24, Romans 5:12). In that sinful state, we are unable to attain peace with God. (Romans 3:23) Yet, even in our pitiful and detached condition, God took the initiative of reconciliation. Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), offers us peace with God. Scripture calls this reconciliation message the “gospel of peace”. (Ephesians 2:13-16, Ephesians 6:14-15). God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, became one of us. The angels of heaven gave the glorious announcement of His coming to shepherds, proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors” (Luke 2:14). THIS peace offers us much more. It offers us salvation and everything else we need to live godly lives! (1 Timothy 1:14, Colossians 3:15-17)

Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean in verse 1 when he relates being “justified” with having “peace with God”?
Peace is something most everyone desires, but does not easily obtain.  Wikipedia says it is a concept of “tranquility, harmony, or security.” Various forms of the word are found over 400 times in Scripture! The Bible mentions false peace, inner peace, peace with one another and most importantly peace with God. In the Old Testament, the primary Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom, and it refers to relationships between people and God’s relationship to us. In the New Testament, the primary Greek word for “peace” is eirene, and it refers to rest and tranquility. A key emphasis of peace in the New Testament is the coming of Jesus. At the moment we trust Christ as the only means of reconciliation to God, we are justified. That is, we are declared righteous. It is not the justification that makes us righteous, but it does pronounce that we are now at peace with God. We are kept in a relationship with God eternally. The peace that accompanies our being made righteous keeps our hearts and minds secure as we grow in spiritual maturity and discipleship.

2) How does the peace mentioned in these verses teach us about the peace Jesus spoke about often in the four Gospels?
There is a peace of God that is a more subjective peace in which believers experience daily assurance that their known sin is confessed and their consciences are clear. This inner peace is only available to those who have experienced reconciliation with God. Once we enter a relationship with God, that comes from a personal belief in Christ’s fully atoning and finished work on the Cross, [“When Jesus gave up his life as an obedient, deliberate, and purposeful sacrifice, He bore away the sins of His people once and for all.” Alistair Begg], we are able to walk in consistent peace that is beyond human understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7) Jesus called His followers to be people of peace, peacemakers. Once we have experienced the mercy of God, we are able to demonstrate mercy to others and to be vessels of reconciliation in a world of disorder, confusion and conflict.

3) Jesus was the ultimate Peace-Maker. What does this mean for us? (verse 11)
Jesus came to bring peace. The believer’s hope is secure, grounded in the knowledge and faith that Jesus has done all that was essential to make us right with God. After He ascended into heaven, we were gifted with the presence of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)He has been given to us to remind us of the peace and reconciliation provided to us. The Spirit of God convicts us of sin so we will seek God’s forgiveness and peace, He comforts us with deep peace in sorrow or suffering, and He reminds us of Jesus’ completed sacrifice on our behalf that brings us near to God. The reminders from God’s word to our hearts stir us, and the prompting we receive from the Spirit is evidence we are at peace with God.

4) What is the “much more” of having peace with God? (verse 15)
We had a good thing going with our Creator, but the thief of joy and peace destroyed what was good and pure and right. Thankfully, the Creator had a redemptive plan. He loved the people He had created and did not want us separated from Him. (2 Peter 3:9) Our good and merciful Father appointed His Son to accomplish what Adam could not. And now, anyone can call out to Jesus, sincerely believing and trusting He is the only way to be at peace with God. As we surrender our lives to Him, fully relying on His death, we can have a peace with God that holds us fast through eternity. This confidence in God’s sustaining salvation daily provides us with the means to take the message of reconciliation to a world so desperately in need of good news. We all need the good news that God’s mercy provides much more than we could ever imagine.
What riches of kindness He lavished on us.
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost.
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford.
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.
So much more! (His Mercy is More, Matt Boswell)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Blessed Are The Peacemakers!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Blessed Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Blessed Day 2 Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit!

The Questions

1) What was the situation/context when Jesus began to teach this parable? (verse 9)

2) What was the significance of the two characters in the parable, one a tax collector and the other a Pharisee?

3) What did the Pharisee in the story think of himself?

4) What did the tax collector in the story realize and admit about himself?

Luke 18:9-14

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself:  ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Original Intent

1) What was the situation/context when Jesus began to teach this parable? (verse 9)
The audience for this parable was mainly the disciples of Jesus, though others were likely in hearing proximity. (Luke 17:20-22) Chapters 16-18 of Luke highlight Jesus’ teaching about the difference between a works-focused obedience, which the Pharisees emphasized, and the sincere heart of a God-focused life. The parable in verses 10-14 is preceded by Jesus’ teaching about sincere and persistent prayer. The subtle connection between this parable and the preceding one is that they both include someone who is praying. The link between these two stories of Jesus is the character of the people He mentions and their genuine faith. (Luke 18:8) This parable contrasts those who rejected Jesus’ message regarding real righteousness with those who have understood and received God’s mercy. Jesus is painting a verbal picture to identify the characteristics of these two specific groups of people. In verse 9, the stage is set for the parable which follows. It gives us a description of the heart of many of the religious leaders of the day. Most of the Pharisees who criticized Jesus “were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.” Their prayers were often presented in pious ways. On other occasions, Jesus’ teaching confronted this kind of self-righteous praying. (Matthew 6:5-8)

2) What was the significance of the two characters in the parable, one a tax collector and the other a Pharisee?
The Pharisees were the Jewish religious leaders of the day who opposed Jesus’ message of mercy. They are seen throughout the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) separating themselves from those they regarded as unrighteous and unacceptable. Whether it was Gentiles or Jews, those who embraced a different view than they held about the Old Testament Law were to be avoided, excluded, and condemned. Their extreme interpretation of the Levitical law caused them to create standards for others that were not intended by God. Jesus consistently rebuked their hypocrisy, exposing their sinful hearts. (Mark 7:6-9) It’s ironic that the occupation of “tax collector” was looked down upon by these Jewish leaders as well as the general public. They were known for their dishonest schemes. Their fraudulently obtained wealth linked them to other tax collectors with whom they formed their own elite clan and separated themselves from the rest of society. (biblehub.com) A significant difference between these two groups – Pharisees and tax collectors – was Jesus’ interaction with them. Scripture indicates that Jesus spent a great deal of His time engaging these obviously unrighteous people. It also reveals that some of them humbly responded to Him, showing us that unrighteous people were more likely to see their need than self-righteous were.

3) What did the Pharisee in the story think of himself?
In the gospels we read that most of the religious leaders thought their own righteousness was so extraordinary it couldn’t possibly fail to bring about God’s acceptance. They held meticulously to the traditions of the Law, even producing their own standards for the people which were not what God had purposed. The specific Pharisee mentioned in the parable is the representation of all self-justifying religious leaders. In this one scene, Jesus gives His listeners a clear and contrasting image of a person who comes before God in arrogance and a person who approaches Him in humility. The Pharisee’s prayer offers no self-awareness of his sinfulness. What he does offer is a self-generated righteousness that confirms his justification before God. There is no hint of praise or thanksgiving to God for this good condition. Even his expression of thanks promotes only himself and elevates his life above the “other people” who live unrighteous lives. (verse 11) Once, there was a man who approached Jesus and rehearsed his good deeds, thinking they qualified him for eternal life. When Jesus stated that sincere desire is exhibited by a generous heart, the man walked away. His achieved goodness was merely a means in which to be self-justified. (Mark 10:17-22)

4) What did the tax collector in the story realize and admit about himself?
Jesus had asked His disciples a question in verse 8, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Jesus’ question implies there will be relatively few on earth who believe in Him at His return. (Luke 17:22-30) Although Bible scholars disagree about the specifics of Jesus’ return, His obvious assertion is that those whom God declares righteous “in that day” will not be the ones the Pharisees have thought to be so. (Matthew 7:21-23) In fact, it will be those who recognize their unworthiness who will be received by God. It will be those, like the widow in verses 1-8, who will have their prayers answered. The posture of the tax collector demonstrates his meekness and his sense of unfitness before God. There he is, with his head and heart bowed toward the ground. He is keenly aware of the distance created between himself and God by his own sinfulness. He knows he can only cry out to God for mercy. It is this kind of humility, not self-righteousness, that will be rewarded with eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

Everyday Application

1) What was the situation/context when Jesus began to teach this parable? (verse 9)
As I write this Digging Deeper Study, we are in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. It is possible that some of us are in contact with people who have adopted a mindset revealing a self-righteous attitude toward others. Maybe we have allowed prideful thoughts to enter our own minds or conversations as we look down on others based on their opinion. The enemy of our souls (Ephesians 6:11-12) allures us with the same temptations he used against Adam and Eve and Jesus. He strikes at our minds, convincing us that because of our hard work, our education and right living, we are deserving of a life of comfort and ease. We begin looking down on other people and countries and start believing our nation’s power and wealth are signs of being a “blessed” people. We proudly declare our thanks that we are not like “those people.” If that has become a subtle way of thinking for us, this pandemic has possibly humbled us. Jesus’ parable is relevant to us this very moment in time in a brilliant new light.

2) What was the significance of the two characters in the parable, one a tax collector and the other a Pharisee?
It is right for us to have a humble appreciation for how God has richly blessed us as a nation, as well as ways He has personally blessed our lives. But we must never associate the blessings of God as His way of demonstrating favoritism or partiality. If we entertain a mindset that promotes ourselves above others, this is not the posture God intends. Humans have never been very accurate at judging the value of one another. We have a difficult time looking beyond outward appearances. It has been this way since the beginning of time. With a heart of mercy, Jesus has a message for all of us when we exhibit these Pharisaical attitudes. Contained in His message is usually a tale of two hearts, one inclined to self-glory, and one inclined to God’s glory. Often, the unlikely hero of Jesus’ stories is typically the one least expected by the crowd.

3) What did the Pharisee in the story think of himself?
Many modern-day Christ followers have heard this parable so often we immediately recognize what Jesus was teaching. We have possibly studied Jesus’ life and interaction with the Pharisees, and we know to associate the religious leaders with self-righteous hypocrisy. What we may miss is the real point Jesus was making. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people held these leaders in high regard. The Pharisees were the models of righteous conduct. Maybe the crowd was hardly listening before that gutsy punchline. These leaders were the respected Bible teachers of the day. When Jesus said about the tax collector that “this man went down to his home justified” it was shocking! I can hear the gasps of the listeners even now. But before we rush to criticize this Pharisee in the story, we may need to ask ourselves if we pray similar prayers. And I must examine my own heart toward others. Because in a twist of irony, I can easily find myself rushing to judgment and praying a prayer of thanks that “I’m not like those Pharisees around me.” Ask the Lord to reveal your own heart motives in how you see others!

4) What did the tax collector in the story realize and admit about himself?
This parable offers us a picture of a tax collector who exhibits what Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3) When Jesus taught the large crowd on the mountainside, I doubt many of them had considered the blessings of God as Jesus described them. Jesus told them that true blessing came in poverty of spirit, in mourning, in humility, in a hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is of great importance to us. Every single person comes to God as an empty, destitute, reviled, penniless, pitiful, desperate spiritual beggar. Just as that tax collector recognized his sinful condition and cried out for mercy, we must confess our need of Christ in every facet of our lives. The evidence of grace in our lives is the recognition that we desperately rely on that grace for everything. We are indeed a people #blessed!
“Just as I am, I would be lost, but mercy and grace my freedom bought.
And now to glory in Your cross, oh Lamb of God I come, I come.
I come broken to be mended.
I come wounded to be healed.
I come desperate to be rescued.
I come empty to be filled.
I come guilty to be pardoned by the blood of Christ the Lamb.
And I’m welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.”
(Just As I Am by Travis Cottrell)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Blessed Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.