I have to laugh at what Jesus says when they’re ready to kill Him. He says, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone Me?” It’s as if He said, “Just out of curiosity, which of God’s good miracles annoys you the most? Was it the healings, or the man I raised from the dead, or the demons I drove out? Which one are you killing Me for?”
And it’s even funnier that they fall for it, and stop long enough to explain themselves! “Sure, we know You’ve done all these good things. We’re killing You for a completely different reason, because You say You’re God.”
Do you see how illogical that is? Here is this Man who everyone admits is doing good deeds. He heals the sick, drives out demons, feeds the hungry, even raises the dead. These are the kind of things God would do. They are also miracles, which means He has God’s power. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck, right?
But these people can’t bear to follow the logic and admit that Jesus really is God. Why? Well, because, if we admit the truth, we will have to treat Him like God—and that means obeying Him. And then suddenly we realize just how much our lives are broken and need fixing … oh dear. What do we do now?
We can’t fix ourselves. We can only turn to Jesus for mercy, admitting the truth about ourselves and trusting Him to forgive us. He will, you know. He came into this world for just that reason, to lay down His life on the cross to make us children of God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has overcome the power of evil—even in our own individual lives! And He invites us to trust Him to give us real, lasting peace with God forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, I admit that You are God. Please help me, because You can see that I need Your forgiveness and peace desperately. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. If Jesus were to suddenly appear before you, how do you think you’d react?
2. Is it easy to stand in the presence of God? Why or why not?
3. How does Jesus calm our fears and give us peace?