John 1:1-28

John begins with the same three words that began Genesis: "In the beginning". John starts off by showing Jesus at the beginning of creation, part of the Godhead. Everything that was created was created through Him. Jesus is the Light that dispels the darkness and brings salvation to those who believe in Him. Jesus was not just some man. He is the God of the universe who took on the body of mortal man to fulfill the need for a sacrifice for our sins. When we look at it this way, how can we not be amazed by the gift of grace and salvation we have been given?


John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus' ministry. He was telling everyone who would hear that the Messiah was almost here. When asked if he was the Messiah or Elijah or a prophet, he humbly answered he was none of those things, but merely a messenger for the coming Messiah. Like him, we need to find our role in God's kingdom, then humbly accept it and do what we have been commanded to do.

Luke 24:36-53

Jesus appeared to His disciples and some others who were with them after His resurrection. He told them that everything that had been prophesied about Him would be fulfilled and that they were witnesses to His resurrection. They would be empowered by God to go and bear witness to others about what they had seen.

We are all witnesses to the power of God. We can go and tell others what God has done in our lives. This is how the earliest Christians spread the gospel message. They didn't have the New Testament scriptures to refer to - just their own personal experiences. The best part is that you already know your story - no need for memorization!

Luke 24:1-35

On the third day after His crucifixion, some women came to finish anointing Jesus' body with spices and perfumes. The tomb was empty and there were angels who told them Jesus wasn't there and He had risen as He said He would. Later, Jesus appeared to two of His followers as they were traveling and spoke with them. They did not recognize Him at first, but when they did, He vanished.

Jesus showed He had power over death and the grave. If He had not risen on the third day as He said, His death would have been meaningless. Because He lives, we know His promise that we will be resurrected to live with Him forever will be kept.

Luke 23:39-56

One of the criminals being crucified with Jesus mocked Him just like everyone else, but the second chided him for doing so and asked Jesus to remember Him when He entered His kingdom. Jesus told him he would be in Paradise with Him that day. The second criminal realized his position as a sinner, rightly condemned to die and Jesus' innocence and Lordship. It is never too late to learn these truths. Even if you think the things you have done in your life make you unforgivable, Jesus paid the price to make you clean.


When Jesus finally died, the soldier in charge of the execution and the crowd of people realized He was innocent because of the phenomena that accompanied His final breath. His body was then taken by Joseph of Arimathea to be buried in his own tomb. The Bible makes no mention of what happened to the people who witnessed Christ's last moments, but we can be sure that if they only stopped at realizing Jesus' innocence and not fully realizing His Lordship, they were still as lost as ever. Simply knowing or acknowledging who Jesus is doesn't make anyone saved. Only by truly accepting Him and allowing Him to enter your life and change you from the inside out can you be saved.

Luke 23:26-38

Jesus was taken to be crucified and hung on a cross between two criminals. Even while this was happening, He prayed to God to forgive the people involved. On the cross, He was mocked by the people who had gathered as well as the soldiers and told if He was the King of the Jews, He should save himself. This is the ultimate example of loving ones enemies. Even while He was being crucified, Jesus prayed for His oppressors. People hurt others because they have been hurt themselves. The way to make a difference in someone's life is to break the cycle of hurt and show them love. This is what Jesus did and this is what we need to do if we want to make a difference in this world for Him.

Luke 23:1-25

Jesus was taken to Pilate and accused of telling people not to pay taxes and claiming to be a king. Pilate couldn't find any reason to convict Jesus of anything, so he sent Him to Herod. Herod, likewise, found Jesus not guilty and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate tried to convince the crowd to let Jesus go, but they cried out for His death. Finally, Pilate caved in and ordered Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus led a sinless life, but was tried as though He were a criminal. Even though He was found not guilty by His judges, mob rule won out and He was sentenced to death. Today, there are voices being raised against Jesus and His people. We have a choice to join them, ignore them, or confront them. Pray for the courage to stand for Jesus. The easy thing to do when things get rough is to give in to the crowd and compromise your values - what you know is true and right. It's hard to go against the grain and stick out in this world, but the ones who do will be rewarded in heaven.

Luke 22:54-71

Jesus was arrested and led away to the chief priest's house. Peter followed behind at a distance and when he got there, people began to notice him and ask if he had been with Jesus. Three people asked him and three times he said he didn't know Jesus, just as Jesus had said he would. Denying Jesus isn't just saying you don't know Him. We also deny Him when we live like He's not in our lives. Everything we do should be guided by our faith in Jesus.


Jesus was beaten and mocked, then was questioned about whether He was the Christ. He initially refused to answer on the grounds that they wouldn't believe Him anyway. Eventually, when asked if He was the Son of God, He admitted He was. This was what they were waiting for - in their minds, He had just admitted to blasphemy. Jesus made a bold claim: that He was God. The religious leaders of the day didn't want to believe this was true, so they did what they needed to do to get Him out of the way. Faced with this same claim, who do you say He is? C. S. Lewis wrote of Jesus, "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." You can choose to deny Him or you can choose to love Him, but everyone must choose and the choice you make has eternal ramifications.