Get the app#JESUS2019 - Daily DevotionalsSample
“I am the way,” Jesus says. This is the sixth of the seven “I am”-statements. With this statement Jesus provoked the Jews as well as the Romans. Because for the Jews there was only one God of Abraham. For the Romans there were a multitude of deities and even the emperors wanted to be worshipped as gods. “Many paths lead to Rome and just as many to their gods.” For this reason, the Romans and the Greeks as well thought Christians were striking a strange balance. They critiqued Jesus’ teaching. How can a god command his followers not to have any other gods besides him, and then have a son who has been given all the power in heaven and earth? Were there suddenly two gods? As the Father in heaven is the truth and the life, Jesus is the embodiment of God and through him people can come to the Father. But this requires trust in Jesus as God and faith that Jesus is really God’s son.
Recently I was in India preaching non-stop. I became aware that the Indians worship thousands of gods. On the day of my departure my driver took me to an old basilica in Chennai. According to records, the apostle Thomas is said to have moved to India after Jesus’ death. In 72AD he was killed with a spear on St. Thomas Mount. The Thomas who had doubted Jesus had left traces on this world like no other of Jesus’ disciples. Today there are about seven million Saint Thomas Christians. It is also noteworthy, that there are quantitively more Christians in India than in Europe. Perhaps you feel bad about yourself every now and then. You doubt like Thomas. But those who constantly doubt Jesus will lose their direction. Jesus’ half-brother James got to the heart of it. James 1:6 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Doubts block our way. They cause disorientation. However, if you overcome them, you can write history like Thomas.
ACTION STEP:
Consciously pray today: “Jesus, I lay down my doubt. I believe that you are the Son of God, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). You give me strength to overcome everything and to go on this journey with you.”
Dan Schmid - ICF Stuttgart
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About this Plan
During the weeks before Easter, we want to acquire deeper understanding of this fundamental event of our faith, get to know Jesus better and experience how his loving deed on the cross can change our lives forever. We will take a closer look at Jesus’ 7 “I am” statements and by doing this, we will find out who Jesus is and what he has to offer us in deeper ways.
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We would like to thank ICF Church for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://www.icf.church/jesus
