Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Audio PlayerWho Is Jesus? (Part 4 of 6)
Selected ScripturesSome people and religions agree that Jesus was a good man, maybe even a prophet—but they struggle to accept that He’s God incarnate. Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg explains why Christianity is meaningless without the incarnation of Christ.
From the Sermon
Who Is Jesus? — Part Two
Selected Scriptures Sermon • Includes Transcript • 47:36 • ID: 1766
You Can Face Tomorrow
Every once in a while, someone comes along and claims that we don’t need to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can still be Christians without the miraculous or supernatural elements of the Christian faith, they say. But the tragedy for them and anyone who follows such a claim is that the implications of there being no resurrection don’t just make the Christian life difficult; they make it ridiculous.
If there is no resurrection, Paul pointed out, then those who have died trusting Jesus have utterly perished, and there is no hope of ever seeing them again. If we try to live a Christian life without the resurrection, then “we are of all people most to be pitied.” In fact, Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). If we don’t believe in the resurrection, then we ought to buy into all the clichés that so many say (but few truly believe)— “This life is what you make it” and “He who dies with the most toys wins!”
Enticing as such platitudes may be, we all have a sneaking suspicion that death is not the end. God has put eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and there is no scraping it out—no matter what force of rational skepticism or indulgent hedonism we apply to it. We know, by design, that there is more to life than life itself.
We also know that tomorrow, and in every tomorrow, there will be sadness, pain, loss, fear, and disappointment. How can anyone cope? Without the resurrection, we can’t. That is why Paul reminded the Ephesians that before being brought near to Christ, they had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
“But Christ has been raised.” And those five words make all the difference, not only to eternal life but also to life today. If you take God at His word and trust Him in faith, then there is never any reason for hopelessness. You have “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). No matter what difficulties await you—and today, and tomorrow, there will be some—you will always have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (v 4). “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,” goes the song.[1] So can you—and you can do so with joy.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
One in Christ
11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called kthe circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember lthat you were at that time separated from Christ, malienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to nthe covenants of promise, ohaving no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were pfar off have been brought near qby the blood of Christ. 14For rhe himself is our peace, swho has made us both one and has broken down tin his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in uordinances, that he might create in himself one vnew man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might wreconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and xpreached peace to you who were yfar off and peace to those who were znear. 18For athrough him we both have baccess in cone Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer dstrangers and aliens,4 but you are efellow citizens with the saints and fmembers of the household of God, 20gbuilt on the foundation of the hapostles and prophets, iChrist Jesus himself being jthe cornerstone, 21kin whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into la holy temple in the Lord. 22In him myou also are being built together ninto a dwelling place for God by5 the Spirit.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
He Never Ceases to Remember
I remember the devotion of your youth.
Let us note that Christ delights to think upon His Church and to look upon her beauty. As the bird returns often to its nest, and as the traveler hurries to his home, so the mind continually pursues the object of its choice. We cannot look too often upon the face we love; we continually desire to have what is precious to us.
This is also true with our Lord Jesus. From all eternity He has been “delighting in the children of man.”1 His thoughts rolled onward to the time when His elect would be born into the world; He viewed them in the mirror of His foreknowledge. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Ps. 139:16). When the world was set upon its pillars, He was there, and He set the boundaries of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. Many a time before His incarnation, He descended to this lower earth in the similitude of a man—on the plains of Mamre (Gen. 18), by the brook of Jabbok (Gen. 32:24–30), beneath the walls of Jericho (Josh. 5:13), and in the fiery furnace of Babylon (Dan. 3:19, 25).
The Son of Man visited His people. Because His soul delighted in them, He could not stay away from them, for His heart longed for them. They were never absent from His heart, for He had written their names upon His hands and had graven them upon His side.
As the breastplate containing the names of the tribes of Israel was the most brilliant ornament worn by the high priest, so the names of Christ’s elect were His most precious jewels and glittered on His heart. We may often forget to meditate upon the perfections of our Lord, but He never ceases to remember us. Let us chide ourselves for past forgetfulness, and pray for grace that we might constantly and fondly remember Him. Lord, paint upon the eyeballs of my soul the image of Your Son.
1) Proverbs 8:31
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for December 17
2 Chronicles 19
Jehoshaphat's Reforms
1Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2But nJehu the son of oHanani pthe seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you qhelp the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, rwrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3Nevertheless, ssome good is found in you, for tyou destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have uset your heart to seek God.”
4Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to vthe hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 5He appointed wjudges in the land in all xthe fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, yfor you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 7Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for zthere is no injustice with the Lord our God, aor partiality or taking bribes.”
8Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat bappointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, yto give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. 9And he charged them: c“Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, dand with your whole heart: 10ewhenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and fwrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. 11And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you gin all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. hDeal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”1
2 Chronicles 20
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
1After this ithe Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,1 came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,2 from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in jHazazon-tamar” (that is, kEngedi). 3Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face lto seek the Lord, and mproclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not nGod in heaven? You orule over all the kingdoms of the nations. pIn your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7Did you not, our God, qdrive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of rAbraham your friend? 8And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9s‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,3 or pestilence, or famine, twe will stand before this house and before you—ufor your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10And now behold, the men of vAmmon and Moab and wMount Seir, whom xyou would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, yand whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11behold, they reward us zby coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not aexecute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but bour eyes are on you.”
13Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14And cthe Spirit of the Lord came4 upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, d‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, efor the battle is not yours but God's. 16Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of fthe valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17gYou will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ dDo not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, hand the Lord will be with you.”
18Then Jehoshaphat ibowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19And the Levites, of the jKohathites and the kKorahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20And they rose early in the morning and went out into lthe wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! mBelieve in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him nin holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
o“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
22And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set pan ambush against the men of qAmmon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, rthey all helped to destroy one another.
The Lord Delivers Judah
24When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there5 were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,6 for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, sfor the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29tAnd the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, ufor his God gave him rest all around.
31vThus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33wThe high places, however, were not taken away; xthe people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.
34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of yJehu the son of Hanani, zwhich are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
The End of Jehoshaphat's Reign
35aAfter this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36He joined him in building ships to go to bTarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. 37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, c“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1When the Lamb opened uthe seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2Then I saw the seven angels vwho stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3And another angel came and stood wat the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with xthe prayers of all the saints on ythe golden altar before the throne, 4and zthe smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5Then the angel took the censer and afilled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and bthere were peals of cthunder, rumblings,1 flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The Seven Trumpets
6Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
7The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed dhail and efire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a fthird of the earth was burned up, and a third of gthe trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
8The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like ha great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea ibecame blood. 9A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of jthe ships were destroyed.
10The third angel blew his trumpet, and ka great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on lthe springs of water. 11The name of the star is Wormwood.2 A third of the waters mbecame wormwood, and many people died from the water, nbecause it had been made bitter.
12The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of othe sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
13Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, p“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”
A Vision of a Golden Lampstand
1And fthe angel who talked with me came again gand woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, ha lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and iseven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3And there are jtwo olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4And I said to fthe angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, k“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to lZerubbabel: mNot by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7Who are you, nO great mountain? Before lZerubbabel oyou shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward pthe top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9q“The hands of lZerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also rcomplete it. sThen you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10tFor whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see uthe plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
v“These seven vare the eyes of the Lord, wwhich range through the whole earth.” 11Then I said to him, “What are these jtwo olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these jtwo branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil1 is poured out?” 13He said to me, x“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14Then he said, y“These are the two anointed ones2 who stand by zthe Lord of the whole earth.”
Jesus at the Feast of Booths
1After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because pthe Jews1 were seeking to kill him. 2Now qthe Jews' Feast of rBooths was at hand. 3sSo his brothers2 said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, tshow yourself to the world.” 5uFor not even vhis brothers believed in him. 6Jesus said to them, w“My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7The world cannot hate you, but xit hates me because I testify about it that yits works are evil. 8You go up to the feast. I am not3 going up to this feast, for zmy time has not yet fully come.” 9After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10But after ahis brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11bThe Jews cwere looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12And there was much dmuttering about him among the people. eWhile some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, fhe is leading the people astray.” 13Yet gfor fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
14About the middle of the feast Jesus went up hinto the temple and began teaching. 15The Jews therefore imarveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,4 when he has never studied?” 16So Jesus answered them, j“My teaching is not mine, but his kwho sent me. 17lIf anyone's will is to do God's5 will, mhe will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I nam speaking on my own authority. 18The one who speaks on his own authority oseeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19pHas not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. qWhy do you seek to kill me?” 20The crowd answered, r“You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21Jesus answered them, “I did sone work, and you all marvel at it. 22tMoses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but ufrom the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, vare you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24wDo not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Can This Be the Christ?
25Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom xthey seek to kill? 26And here he is, yspeaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that zthe authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27But awe know bwhere this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, cno one will know where he comes from.” 28So Jesus proclaimed, das he taught in the temple, a“You know me, and you know where I come from. But eI have not come of my own accord. fHe who sent me is true, gand him you do not know. 29hI know him, for I come ifrom him, and jhe sent me.” 30kSo they were seeking to arrest him, but lno one laid a hand on him, mbecause his hour had not yet come. 31Yet nmany of the people believed in him. They said, o“When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus
32The Pharisees heard the crowd pmuttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent qofficers to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, r“I will be with you a little longer, and then sI am going to him who sent me. 34tYou will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? uDoes he intend to go to vthe Dispersion among wthe Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36What does he mean by saying, x‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37yOn the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, z“If anyone thirsts, let him acome to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, bas6 the Scripture has said, c‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of dliving water.’” 39Now ethis he said about the Spirit, fwhom those who believed in him were to receive, gfor as yet the Spirit had not been hgiven, ibecause Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division Among the People
40When they heard these words, jsome of the people said, “This really is kthe Prophet.” 41Others said, “This is lthe Christ.” But some said, m“Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes nfrom the offspring of David, and comes ofrom Bethlehem, the village pwhere David was?” 43So there was qa division among the people over him. 44rSome of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45sThe officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46The officers answered, t“No one ever spoke like this man!” 47The Pharisees answered them, u“Have you also been deceived? 48vHave any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50wNicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51x“Does our law judge a man without first ygiving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52They replied, z“Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that ano prophet arises from Galilee.”
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]7
The Woman Caught in Adultery
53[[They went each to his own house,
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