Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Who is Jesus? He’s been considered a prophet, a philosopher, a revolutionary—even a madman! Discover how Christ actually fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as our perfect King, Prophet, and Priest. That’s our focus on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Divine Vandalism
As Jesus’ ministry progressed, one of the great concerns of the Jewish religious establishment was that He had, it appeared, claimed that He would destroy the temple and raise it again in three days (John 2:19). Indeed, this was one of the main charges brought against Him (Mark 14:58). When Jesus was on the cross, then, passersby mocked and ridiculed Him, shouting, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!” (Matthew 27:40). But there He remained, hanging on the cross, in the darkness.
And then, in the midst of the darkness and the upheaval of the crucifixion, all of a sudden something mysterious and utterly unexpected happened: God Himself desecrated the temple.
“The curtain of the temple was torn in two,” Luke tells us. This was the very curtain that hung in the temple to symbolically bar the way into God’s presence. It was the great sign that imperfect people could not be in the same space as the holy God. All through the Old Testament, anyone who had presumed to come into God’s presence without observing the ceremonial cleansing rituals and making the necessary sacrifices had died (for instance, Numbers 3:2-4). But now, suddenly, as Jesus was on the very verge of death, this symbol of restrictive exclusivity was destroyed. By destroying it, God declared that the old priestly ritual for entrance into His presence had been abolished and the barrier of sin dividing humanity from their Maker had been obliterated. There is no longer any need to keep our distance from God. Instead, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain” (Hebrews 10:19-20).
Our access to God isn’t restricted to a temple or a church or any other building, nor must it be through a merely human priest or a guru. No, 2,000 years ago God broke into history to establish direct access to Himself through Jesus. Now there is “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). The temple curtain being torn in two was divine vandalism on your behalf! You don’t have to be sidetracked by priests and rituals anymore. They can be nothing but pointless. Instead, you can come to God, just as you are, confident of welcome and mercy and help, all because of Jesus.
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?
The Full Assurance of Faith
19pTherefore, brothers,3 since we have confidence to enter qthe holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by rthe new and living way that he opened for us through sthe curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have ta great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts usprinkled clean vfrom an evil conscience and our bodies wwashed with pure water. 23xLet us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for yhe who promised is faithful. 24And zlet us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25anot neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see cthe Day drawing near.
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.
Your Cross
… Laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
We see in Simon’s carrying the cross a picture of the work of the church throughout all generations; she is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Notice, Christian, that Jesus does not suffer so as to prevent your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer. But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our case, as in Simon’s, it is not our cross but Christ’s cross that we carry. When you are persecuted for your piety, when your faith is the occasion of cruel jokes, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ’s cross; and what a privilege it is to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus!
You carry the cross after Him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. The mark of His blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. It is His cross, and He goes before you as a shepherd goes before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow Him.
Do not forget, also, that you bear this cross in partnership. It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible. Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the transverse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Certainly that is the case with you; you only carry the light end of the cross Christ bore the heavier end.
And remember, though Simon had to bear the cross for only a short while, it gave him lasting honor. Even so, the cross we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall receive the crown, the glory. Surely we should love the cross and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, for it works out for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
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 April 5
Consecration of Aaron and His Sons
1wThe Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and xthe garments and ythe anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. 3And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” 4And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
5And Moses said to the congregation, z“This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” 6And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7And he put athe coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band.1 8And he placed the breastpiece on him, and bin the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9And he set athe turban on his head, and con the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses.
10dThen Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12And ehe poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. 13And Moses brought Aaron's sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
14Then he brought fthe bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons glaid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15And he2 killed it, and hMoses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. 16iAnd he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. 17But jthe bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses.
18kThen he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 20He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned lthe head and the pieces and the fat. 21He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
22Then mhe presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and nput it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 25Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, 26and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. 27And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 29And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, as the Lord commanded Moses.
30Then oMoses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.
31And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. 33And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it pwill take seven days to ordain you. 34As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. 35At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has qcharged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” 36And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses.
I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds
1 To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben.2 A Psalm of David.
1I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your gwonderful deeds.
2I will be glad and hexult in you;
I will ising praise to your name, jO Most High.
3When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before3 your presence.
4For you have kmaintained my just cause;
you have lsat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5You have mrebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have nblotted out their name forever and ever.
6The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8and he ojudges the world with righteousness;
he pjudges the peoples with uprightness.
9The Lord is qa stronghold for rthe oppressed,
a stronghold in stimes of trouble.
10And those who tknow your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing praises to the Lord, who usits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his vdeeds!
12For he who wavenges blood is mindful of them;
he xdoes not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13yBe gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from zthe gates of death,
14that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of athe daughter of Zion
I may brejoice in your salvation.
15The nations have sunk in cthe pit that they made;
in dthe net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16The Lord has made himself eknown; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.4 Selah
17The wicked shall freturn to Sheol,
all the nations that gforget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and hthe hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19iArise, O Lord! Let not jman prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but jmen! Selah
1When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what1 is before you,
2and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3cDo not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4dDo not toil to acquire wealth;
ebe discerning enough to desist.
5When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
ffor suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6gDo not eat the bread of a man who is hstingy;2
ido not desire his delicacies,
7for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.3
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his jheart is not with you.
8You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
10kDo not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11for their lRedeemer is strong;
he will mplead their cause against you.
12Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
13Do not withhold ndiscipline from a child;
oif you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14If you strike him with the rod,
you will psave his soul from Sheol.
15qMy son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16My rinmost being4 will exult
when your lips speak swhat is right.
17Let not your heart tenvy sinners,
but continue in uthe fear of the Lord all the day.
18Surely vthere is a future,
and your whope will not be cut off.
19Hear, my son, and xbe wise,
and ydirect your heart in the way.
or among agluttonous eaters of meat,
21for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and bslumber will clothe them with rags.
22cListen to your father who gave you life,
dand do not despise your mother when she is old.
23eBuy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24fThe father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25fLet your father and mother be glad;
let gher who bore you rejoice.
26My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe6 my ways.
27For a prostitute is ha deep pit;
ian adulteress7 is a narrow jwell.
28kShe lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
29lWho has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has mwounds without cause?
Who has nredness of eyes?
30Those who otarry long over wine;
those who go to try pmixed wine.
31Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32In the end it qbites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter rperverse things.
34You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.8
35“They sstruck me,” you will say,9 “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I tmust have another drink.”
Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians
1For you yourselves know, brothers,1 that our fcoming to you gwas not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated hat Philippi, as you know, iwe had boldness in our God jto declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much kconflict. 3For lour appeal does not spring from merror or nimpurity or oany attempt to deceive, 4but just as we have been approved by God pto be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not qto please man, but to please God rwho tests our hearts. 5sFor we never came with words of flattery,2 as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—tGod is witness. 6uNor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, vthough we could have made wdemands as xapostles of Christ. 7But we were ygentle3 among you, zlike a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God abut also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9For you remember, brothers, bour labor and toil: we cworked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and dGod also, ehow holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11For you know how, flike a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and gcharged hyou to walk in a manner worthy of God, iwho calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13And jwe also thank God constantly4 for this, that when you received kthe word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it lnot as the word of men5 but as what it really is, the word of God, mwhich is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, nbecame imitators of othe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For pyou suffered the same things from your own countrymen qas they did from the Jews,6 15rwho killed both the Lord Jesus and sthe prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and toppose all mankind 16uby hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always vto fill up the measure of their sins. But wwrath has come upon them at last!7
Paul's Longing to See Them Again
17But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, xin person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire yto see you face to face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan zhindered us. 19For what is our hope or ajoy or crown of boasting bbefore our Lord Jesus at his ccoming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.
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