JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from John 12:32.
Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
There is good reason to believe that Jesus was referring to His crucifixion here, because the next verse says, “He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
Darkness covered the land when Jesus died, but the cross stands as a light to a dark world where hope can be found.
Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” Jesus did this willingly for us. He was cursed so we could be blessed. He bled so we could be healed. The message of the cross continues to be the power of God for those who are being saved.
This Light Reflection inspires us to draw near to Jesus with worship and gratitude in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from First Corinthians 1:18.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote these words, lived with the awareness that the death of Jesus was his pathway to salvation. At the cross, Jesus shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. He willingly laid down His life so that we could be reconciled to God and live with Him forever. Embracing this message changes our values and priorities.
The message of the cross becomes the power source of our lives. That’s where God’s grace shines brightly as our source of salvation, and source of strength to live out the Christian life.
This Light Reflection inspires us to embrace the message of the cross in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 19:30.
From the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
This was not an admission of defeat. It was a statement declaring that His mission was successfully accomplished. The Scripture foretelling the death of Jesus was fulfilled. The price has been paid for our redemption.
The crucifixion of Jesus is the most vivid example of how God can overcome evil with good. His death was not wasted. His death was the pathway to the resurrection and our lifeline to true and lasting freedom.
The words of Jesus inspire us to embrace the message of the cross as the power of God in the Year of Redemption.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the controversy of the cross.
The cross, as a symbol, has been challenged in the courts as to whether or not it is appropriate to display it on public land.
The cross, as a symbol, is often displayed in churches, at gravesites, and on the jewelry some people wear.
But the cross is more than just a symbol to the follower of Jesus. It is a message to be embraced and the way to follow Jesus. The cross was the way that Jesus died, and Jesus is the way for us to have eternal and abundant life.
First Corinthians 1:18 shows us how different kinds of people respond to the cross. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
The message of the Cross reveals the power of God’s love to reach a world of sinners who needed His grace. It humbles us, and if we receive God’s precious gift of grace, it saves us from our sins.
Just as the Bible says, the message of the cross is a subject of controversy and is a reason to believe in God’s good news.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
