Which books of the Bible are about Jesus? All of them! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 19 Q. How do you come to know this? A. The holy gospel tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; finally, he fulfilled it through his own dear Son. Summary These words of Jesus come as part of his response to those who were upset that he healed a man on the Sabbath. As Jesus pointed out to the crowd, they had been looking for salvation in the Old Testament scriptures. This was not a problem, as God’s plan of salvation can be seen throughout the Old Testament. The issue was with those who look to the words of the Old Testament for salvation while refusing to see the repeated foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. Those who search for salvation in the scriptures apart from Christ will not find it. The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament foretold that Jesus would come, and so it was not Jesus accusing them, but the words of Moses. Jesus does not quote a specific passage but speaks of Moses writing about him. Even so, it is easy enough to find examples in the Old Testament of Moses writing about Jesus, particularly Deuteronomy 18:15: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen! Not only does Moses point forward to this new prophet, but also declares that the people shall listen to him. This again puts the critics in the crowd at odds not only with Jesus, but also with the words of Moses. Dig Deeper The five solas are thought of as a rallying cry of the Reformation. The first of these 5 key beliefs is sola scriptura which means 'scripture alone'. In a world that wants to turn everything into a 'gray area', sola scriptura is a reminder that the Bible alone is the source of authority for Christians. In the Bible we see God’s plan for redemption laid out. The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Christ, the Gospels share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the rest of the New Testament addresses how to live in light of the resurrection. The Bible is authoritative not because it teaches about Jesus, but because it is the inspired Word of God. People are imperfect, we are all prone to mistakes, including your pastor. But the Bible is the inspired Word of God, meaning that the Holy Spirit directed the writings of the authors of scripture. While the Bible has human authors, what differentiates the Word of God is the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing process. The authority we find in scripture comes not from those who wrote it, but from our God who inspired these writings. What that means for you as a believer is that you have a rule of faith to measure against. You do not need to have blind trust in what others teach because you can go to the source and read that which is true. The Bible is a wonderful gift from God; do not rely solely on the word of others when God’s Word is close at hand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father, you sent your Son in your name, which we read about so clearly in your Word, which is inspired by your Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the words of Scripture would continue to come to Christ to have life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 13

The one thing separating your sin from God's wrath is the Man in the middle. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 18 Q. And who is this mediator— true God and at the same time truly human and truly righteous? A. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given us to set us completely free and to make us right with God. Summary Paul’s reminder that there is one God echoes the words spoken to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. This is expressed in the Shema, which comes from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.” For the Israelites these words would have been a reminder that they serve the one true living God, not the idols worshiped by surrounding nations. Likewise, Paul expresses that there is one God and continues that there is also one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. As we know, Jesus is more than our mediator, he is also our redeemer. Jesus gave himself as a ransom, paying a price to secure our freedom from our bondage to sin. A price had to be paid as God’s punishment on sin, and Jesus paid that price on our behalf. Dig Deeper A mediator is the “middle-man” in a dispute. It is the role of the mediator to go between the various sides in a dispute and work towards reconciliation. In this case, it is humanity and God who are “in dispute” with one another. As a result of our fallen nature, humanity is at odds with God via our rebellion and refusal to obey God's law. Despite the deposition of human hearts against God, we have peace with God because of Jesus’ work of reconciliation. Jesus is not the first mediator between God and his people. Moses, for example, served as mediator between God and his people. And while there have been other mediators, Christ is superior to them all. Not only is Jesus our deliverer, but he also continues to mediate on our behalf. Jesus is the one mediator Paul refers to in 1st Timothy. You need no other mediator, no saints to pray on your behalf, or priests to hear your confession, because Jesus is already your perfect mediator, continuing to speak on your behalf even now. Take great comfort in knowing the one speaking on your behalf is the same who was willing to take the penalty that you deserved. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would fully trust in Christ as your mediator, and that you would submit all things to His Lordship (v8-15) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 12

The Son of God became the Son of Man to save the sons and daughters of Adam. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 17 Q. Why must he [our Savior] he also be true God? A. So that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God’s anger in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life. Summary Perhaps the most well known of all Bible passages, these verses strike to the heart of the Gospel. The popularity of John 3:16 is unsurprising considering the way it eloquently lays out the key themes of the Gospel. What did God do? Gave his only Son Why? To save sinners How Come? Out of love John continues into verse 17, expressing Jesus’ reason for coming into the world, which was not to condemn but to save. John describes Jesus as God's only Son, alluding to Jesus’ divine nature. While we are considered children of God, adopted through faith in Christ, Jesus is described as God’s only Son. Other translations use the phrase only begotten Son, which further points to Jesus being 'of the same substance' as the Father. Dig Deeper Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Out of God’s great love for us, Jesus, the only one capable of paying the penalty of our sin, did exactly that. No sinful human could pay the penalty for another. Jesus, the only one not stained by original sin, took on a human nature with the intent of paying humanity's penalty on our behalf. We refer to this as the 'dual natures of Christ.' Jesus is divine and He also took on a human nature. He doesn't transition between divinity and humanity, rather He remains both truly human and truly divine. This is the miracle of Jesus, that His human nature did not corrupt the divine nature, yet His divine nature did not overcome His human nature. Instead, Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Furthermore, the humanity of Christ did not cease upon his resurrection. Instead, the one who is seated at the right hand of the Father is truly fully human and fully divine. Instead of leaving you to face the consequences of your sin, Jesus came as the only one who could redeem a fallen humanity, thanks be to God! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, you so loved the world that you sent your only Son; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to fully believe in Him so that I will not perish, but have eternal life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 11

Both death & life come through a man. Which one of these men represents you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 16 Q. Why must he [our Savior] be truly human and truly righteous? A. God’s justice demands that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for its sin; but a sinner could never pay for others. Summary The Apostle Paul describes Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. This imagery aligns with the requirement from Leviticus 23:10 for the Israelites to bring the firstfruits, or first part of their crop, as an offering. The offering of the firstfruits of the harvest symbolized how the entirety of the harvest belonged to God. Likewise, Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection, signifying that although he is the first to be raised, he will not be the last. Through the initial act of disobedience in the Garden, sin entered the world, and through that one action, all of creation suffers. This is what we call original sin, meaning that even as infants we inherit the sinful nature brought forth through the first human Adam. Since death, which is the end result of sin, entered the world via the actions of Adam, it makes sense that the resurrection of the dead comes in a similar way; although this new life comes through the second Adam, that is, Jesus Christ. Dig Deeper In Q&A 16 the catechism raises an important question… why? Why was Jesus born into the world? Why did Jesus through the incarnation take on a human nature? Why is Jesus the only one who can pay the penalty of our sin? It all comes back to the origination of our sin. It is our human nature that stands at odds with God because of our sin, so that means that the one to be the recipient of God’s justice must also be fully human. Furthermore, a sinful person can't pay the sin of another. One cannot take on the penalty for another that they already owe themselves. This is why we need grace. As humans, we find ourselves in a place of sinfulness and deserving of God’s wrath against unrighteousness. Since the penalty must be paid by a human - one without sin at that - there is no worldly means to escape God’s wrath. So thank God for the grace given through Jesus: that although God would have been perfectly justified to let humanity face the consequences of our sin, instead Jesus came as the only one who could redeem a fallen humanity. For the only one who could be our mediator and deliverer is He who is both human and, as we will cover tomorrow, divine. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has the power to give everlasting life and also to take it away; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May my thoughts, words and deeds reflect my position in Jesus Christ, who has brought me from death to life ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 10

We can't pay for our sin, and no other creature can... so now what? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 15 Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then? A. One who is truly human and truly righteous, yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God. Summary Working with young kids is a fantastic way to learn how to communicate what you believe. I have been asked so many questions over the years, and I have really had to think about my response so that I can explain my answers to the kids in terms they can understand. The questions have ranged from simple Bible questions like, “Why is the book of Exodus called Exodus?” to questions like, “How is Jesus both human and God?” and “How has God always existed?” Those last two questions were recently asked by my son. When he asked them, I pulled up the gospel of John, and we read through John 1:1-5. After reading those verses, I asked him what he thought they meant. Jesus has always existed. From the very beginning, Jesus was present, just as the Father was present, and just as the Spirit was present. As we continued to talk, I pointed out v3, that all of creation happened through him. Jesus is God. The Christmas story tells us about Jesus’ humanity. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. It was a miracle, and an act of God. In Jesus, we have someone who is fully human, and fully God. Dig Deeper Throughout this month, we've been looking at the guilt of our sin, and the justice it requires. We have sinned against God, and we owe a debt to God because of that sin. As we have seen, we cannot pay this debt. It is beyond our ability. So what are you to do? There is one who can pay this debt. A mediator. One who is a true and righteous human, and at the same time truly God. This mediator can deliver us from your sins. There is one who can pay the debt of your sin! There is hope in Jesus! That is what I want to leave you with this week. You have hope because of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. God has sent Jesus as a mediator to deliver you from your sin. Someone who is a true and righteous human, and true God. This deliverer can set you free from the bondage of sin. You have hope because of Jesus! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God of hope, you are our deliverer. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I trust in the work of Jesus, knowing that he is a true and righteous human, and true God. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 8

How do we pay for sin if we can't afford the payment? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 14 Q. Can another creature —any at all— pay this debt for us? A. No. To begin with, God will not punish another creature for what a human is guilty of. Besides, no mere creature can bear the weight of God’s eternal anger against sin and release others from it. Summary The book of Leviticus starts off with various offerings the people of Israel must make. There is the burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. These offerings were made by the people of Israel as an act of worship and submission, as an acknowledgment of guilt, and repentance. But none of them could actually atone (make payment) for their sin. While these offerings acknowledged their sin, and may have been an act of repentance, none of them could remove sin from the people. Which makes me wonder how they would have viewed these offerings and sacrifices; These offerings and sacrifices didn't actually remove sin, and they had to be repeated regularly. Did they wonder if there was a way to remove sin? Could the guilt of their sin actually be completely removed? Is grace possible? Or would they still be held accountable to God’s wrath? After all, no mere creature can bear the weight of God’s eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it. Is there a way to remove sin? Is there someone who could possibly bear the weight of God’s eternal wrath against sin? Dig Deeper Today, we do not make burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, nor guilt offerings. There are no stone altars in our sanctuaries. We do not bring bulls, or goats, or doves to worship. There are no priests who stand ready to sacrifice these offerings on the altar for the people of God. Yet, God still requires that his justice be satisfied. If we do not offer sacrifices, how is God’s justice satisfied? Someone must pay the price. The author of Hebrews tells us who that person is: Jesus. Jesus is no mere creature. He is no mere human. Jesus is God made flesh. 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Jesus is the one who paid the price for your sin, so you no longer need to offer sacrifices or make burnt offerings because of Him. Your sin must be accounted for, and Jesus is the one who does that. He did it by taking on flesh and blood, by becoming a human being. No mere creature can bear the weight of your sin; Praise God that Jesus isn't a creature, he is God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Jesus Christ, you are God. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank you Jesus for paying the price for my sins. May I live my life as your servant, acknowledging your great sacrifice. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 7

God grants us grace; we need to extend it to others as well. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 13 Q. Can we pay this debt ourselves? A. Certainly not. Actually, we increase our guilt every day. Summary When I was a kid, many stores offered a service known as layaway. A customer would bring an item to the layaway department, and make a small payment on that item. The store associate would mark down the customer's information and how much was owed and hold on to the item. Over a period of time, the customer could continue to make payments on the item until they paid for it in full, and then they would take it home. What would it be like to go to the layaway department to make your final payment on the item, only to find that it was now going to cost you more to pay for that item? Each time you would come back expecting to pay off the item, and each time the cost of the item increased. With our sin, not only can we not make the payment to appease God’s wrath, but the debt increases more every day! Dig Deeper When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he included a short prayer of confession in the Lord’s Prayer: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (v12). We offer prayers of confession because of the constant increase in our sin. No matter how often we try to keep ourselves from sin, we cannot completely live a sin free life. It simply is not possible, no matter how righteous a person may appear. All it takes is an unkind word, a seemingly small lie, or an impure thought. They are all sins. Just because you sin, and your sin increases every day, does not mean that you should stop asking for forgiveness or give up on walking God’s righteous path. In teaching His followers how to pray, Jesus commands you to continue to ask for forgiveness from God. Not only that, but you must grant others forgiveness too. When Jesus is teaching the Lord’s Prayer, He takes the act of forgiveness one step further. Not only must you ask God for forgiveness, you need to pass along what you've been given to others. You cannot live with bitter and angry hearts, holding on to the sin that others have committed against you. You are to live with grace. God grants us his grace, so we need to give it to others as well. Who do you need to forgive? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is in heaven, your name is holy. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Grant me forgiveness for my sin, and help me to forgive others. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 6

We have all sinned immensely; yet Jesus paid it all. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 12 Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment both in this world and forever after: how then can we escape this punishment and return to God’s favor? A. God requires that his justice be satisfied. Therefore the claims of his justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves or another. Summary If you could see a list of all your sins, would you want to? How long would that list be? Would it take up a whole filing cabinet? Would it fill hundreds of books? I cannot imagine how many sins I have committed in my life, and honestly, I have no desire to know. Knowing that I am a sinner is enough. Isaiah confirms what we already know in the first half of v6: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; It's verses like this that so many people with only a slight knowledge of the Bible think the Bible and the Church is full of: condemnation, guilt & shame... telling us what we already know: that we're really messed up. But so often these scoffers miss the second half of v6: and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. This is the message of the Bible: we sinned but Christ fully paid the claims of God's justice. Dig Deeper The prophet Isaiah is speaking to a people who need to hear words of hope. They are going through a very difficult time, and they need to know that things are going to work out. Part of Isaiah’s prophecy focuses on what God is going to do. One day he is going to send the Suffering Servant. This servant is going to be righteous. He will justify many. He will bear their iniquities. Isaiah is talking about Jesus. When Isaiah says that the Suffering Servant will bear their iniquities, he is saying that Jesus will take on our sin. He does not pay for just a few of them. He does not remove only the worst ones. He does not take the seemingly small and insignificant sins. When we confess our sin to God, Jesus pays for all our sins in full. Every sin separates us from God. Jesus takes all our sin. He pays them in full. Truly, this is amazing news. To satisfy God’s justice, Jesus pays for our sins in full. Think about all the sins you have committed in your life. Jesus pays for them all. Not one is unaccounted for. Not one is overlooked or forgotten about. Praise God, Jesus paid it all! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Most holy God, who knows everything about me. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank you for what Jesus has done for me. May I know that my sin has been covered completely by the work of Jesus. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 5

You cannot receive mercy without justice, so to receive God’s grace, you have to first acknowledge your sin. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 12 Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment both in this world and forever after: how then can we escape this punishment and return to God’s favor? A. God requires that his justice be satisfied. Therefore the claims of his justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves or another. Summary When watching an action or adventure movie, it usually doesn't take long to figure out who the bad guy is. As the movie continues, we see their deeds, and our dislike for them grows. By the end of the movie, we are ready for them to receive their punishment. We not only want the good guy to win, we want the bad guy to lose, and lose big. There also should be some justice. It is not enough for the bad guy to lose; they also need to end up paying for their crimes. In this passage, we're reminded that in the drama of life, we're the bad guy... our sin is going to be punished. Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There is no escaping judgment. Our holy and righteous God must account for our sin; it cannot go unpunished. Dig Deeper Justice is important. Sin needs to be held accountable. Question & Answer 12 is a transition point in the Heidelberg Catechism. We are going from the section on our guilt and misery, the fact that we are sinners, to the section on God’s grace. But for you to receive God’s grace, you must understand that you are a sinner. While you may not want to think of yourself as the bad guy, you have sinned against God. And that sin requires justice. It must be held accountable. God requires that his justice be satisfied. So how do you do that? This week we are going to begin to dive into satisfying God’s justice. How do we do it? Can we do it? Is there someone else who can do it for us? The first step in fully understanding God's amazing grace is acknowledging your sinfulness, and that your sin requires justice. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Lord Almighty, you are righteous and just. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: I am a sinner who has sinned against others and against you. Please forgive me. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 5

Jesus is coming soon to settle up. What will He bring for you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 11 Q. [God won't permit sin to go unpunished...] But isn’t God also merciful? A. God is certainly merciful, but he is also just. His justice demands that sin, committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty— eternal punishment of body and soul. Summary Today's passage is from the closing passage of the Bible, and it's packed full of theology that ought to give you hope. First of all, and most importantly, Jesus announces that He is coming soon! Yes, these words were recorded two millennia ago and we're still waiting, but remember God operates in the Divine Time Zone, which is entirely different than how we experience time in our world. So you ought to be ready at any moment. Second, Jesus is returning with His settlement. Since as a believer you've been given the perfect righteousness of Jesus, you ought to look forward to this! Jesus expands on what your reward will be in v14: "you will have the right to the tree of life, and you may go through the gates" and into the Kingdom of God! But a settlement cuts both ways. Those lacking the perfect righteousness God requires will get what they have coming as well, and it can be summed up in one word: exclusion. They will not be allowed in, and in fact their fate was sealed a few chapters earlier when they were cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:11-15). Dig Deeper Certainly the average American has a very distorted view of God in which the Father is viewed as an grandfatherly type who forgives sins and simply wants to bestow blessings upon His children, which they deserve for all of the good deeds they have performed in their lifetimes. So when they read that at the end, Jesus will return with His reward, they eagerly anticipate this, not understanding that a positive reward will be reserved only for those individuals possessing perfect righteousness, while all others will be paid back with the eternal wrath which their sins deserve. It ought to be obvious to you that you don't have the perfect righteous God requires, and if you're not putting your full faith in Jesus Christ, this ought to trouble you greatly! Don't be one of the myriads of people who shortchange themselves by just considering Jesus as their good buddy up in the sky whom they can call on when they get in a jamb. Christ came so that you might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). He did this by putting your sin upon Himself, and in exchange giving you His perfect righteousness, which you so desperately need. And He's coming... Soon! Be ready for His settlement by making sure that in every aspect of life, you belong to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The Alpha & Omega, the First & the Last, the Beginning & the End (v13) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will submit every aspect of your life to Christ's Lordship, so that you can eagerly anticipate His settlement. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 4