The final promise Jesus made before dying is the most comforting of all. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 57 Q. How does “the resurrection of the body” comfort you? A. Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head, but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ’s glorious body. Summary This is a story of two criminals, one hanging on either side of Jesus, but both looking at their present situation from vastly different perspectives. To call them 'criminals,' or even 'thieves' as the older translations put it, is an understatement. In modern parlance, these guys would be classified as terrorists or insurrectionists guilty of murdering multiple people and fomenting violence wherever they went. Regardless of how they're referred to, they represent two different types of people in this world. The one insults and belittles the Son of God hanging next to him, since God is not giving him exactly what he wants. The other better understands the reality of the situation: God is giving the both of them exactly what they deserve. It's this ability to look past the lies that come from within - an ability given by the Holy Spirit - that results in the proper attitude as he approaches his maker: This second, humbled criminal fears God. But notice this properly grounded fear of God doesn't result in terror and dread, rather it brings about one simple request to the Savior innocently suffering the same punishment as him: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus' reply, likely coming between gasps for air as he hung, forms the foundation for one of the most comforting doctrines in the Bible. He says to this sinner turned saint, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." Dig Deeper Although this criminal's theology was spot on in his dying moments, it certainly wasn't well developed or comprehensively applied to life. He'd likely never read the Bible, and the only thing he knew about God's law was how to break it. But he obviously wasn't saved because of his lifetime of faithful service or good deeds, nor because of what he knew about the man hanging in the middle. Rather, his salvation came because of what Christ remembered of him, that he was a child of the God he ultimately came to fear, chosen before the creation of the universe to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Today we're focusing on the immediacy of the criminal's salvation. Because of this short conversation between two dying men, you can have absolute certainty that those you've known who placed their faith in Jesus Christ instantly were welcomed into paradise upon drawing their final breath. In addition, you can live the life of gratitude that this criminal would have most certainly lived had he been given the chance, knowing that you're last day in this life will instantly give way to your first day in eternity. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who judges justly and calls all sinners to account. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the assurance of and gratitude for your sure salvation. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 10

Why do Protestants confess to believing in a holy catholic church? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 54 Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”? A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member. Summary Put yourself in the place of the disciples. Everything you've heard Jesus teach on has been mind blowing and has shattered nearly every preconceived notion that they had prior to meeting Him. So every time Jesus asked a question, they probably sweat bullets hoping that Jesus wouldn't pick them to answer, because chances are they'd get it wrong. But here Jesus asks a question that's easy to answer: "who do others say that I am?" It's always easy to report what others say, so the disciples are quick to give an answer to this first question. It's the second question that gets them. "Who do you say that I am?" You can imagine the awkward silence that followed the question. Finally the boldest of the group spoke up, and I don't think it was with a wavering voice. Peter finally gets it. "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus rewards Peter's bravery and correct answer with a new name: Petros - the Rock. What comes next has been the subject of oceans of ink: "on this rock - petra - I will build my church." You can see the slight difference in the Greek words. Does this mean that Simon Peter is the rock that the church is built on, or is 'this rock' that Jesus refers to a different rock - perhaps Himself? But focusing on the slight variation in wording misses the point of this passage. Don't miss Jesus' huge promise here: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Peter plays an important role for sure in church history, but clearly the foundation, architect, builder and finisher of the Church is our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Dig Deeper The doctrine of the Church (known as ecclesiology) is one of the primary differences between the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) understands Jesus here to be appointing Peter as the head of the Church, and they then extrapolate from this other doctrines like apostolic succession and the papacy. Since those concepts lack Biblical support, the Reformers turned away from them. So it often seems odd to us in Protestant churches to recite the line from the Apostles' Creed stating that we "believe a holy catholic church." After all, the reason we're called protestants is because we're protesting the Catholic Church! But understand the Apostles' Creed far predates the formal RCC, so it's referring to something different when it uses the word catholic (small c). The Latin word it originally used is catholicus, a word that simply means 'universal.' So when you confess to "believe in the holy catholic church" you are confessing that Jesus Christ has been and still continues to build His church over all times and places and among every language, tribe, and people. He's making His Church holy, that is, He's separating you and every other member of His Church from the sinful world we live in. Praise God that the gates of hell will never overcome it! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who revealed to His elect that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for making you a member of His Church, and pray that it will be the biggest priority in your life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 5

Jesus' sheep listen to His voice, so make sure your ears are directed to Him! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 45 Q. How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us? A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he won for us by his death. Second, by his power we too are already now resurrected to a new life. Third, Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection. Summary The 'Feast of Dedication' is better known to us as Hanukkah, and Jerusalem would have been decked out for this winter festival in the same way our communities are for Christmas. But not everyone was in a festive mood; Jesus had shown up, and the Jewish establishment had had just about enough from Him. Their request sounds so pure and noble: tell us plainly if you're the Messiah, Jesus! But it's really a trap, and in their eyes Jesus falls right into it. But Jesus is much more coy than they think He is. He knows right off that He's dealing with wolves, not sheep. He knows the wolves will never listen to Him. Jesus' concern is only for His sheep. Jesus knows His sheep, which have been given to Him by His Father, and His sheep have two primary characteristics that can be easily seen: They listen to Jesus' voice; They follow Him. But the big idea we want to focus on today are the massive guarantees Jesus gives His sheep: He gives them eternal life; They shall never perish / be destroyed; No one will ever snatch them, because they are held forever not just in Jesus' hands, but in His Father's as well. Since Jesus is talking with wolves, they don't listen to His voice, rather they hear only what they want to hear, and all they hear is Jesus claim that God is His Father, so once again, they pick up stones and are ready to kill Him. Dig Deeper This week we've been focused on the benefits we gain because of Jesus' resurrection. Since He has overcome death, you have overcome death. Since accomplished perfect righteousness, you have perfect righteousness. Since He is already resurrected, so you too already are resurrected to a new life. All of these resurrection benefits are guaranteed for Jesus' sheep. Your only comfort in life and in death is knowing that you're a sheep belonging to Jesus. Consequently, make every effort to know for sure that you belong to Him! Do you hear His voice? To hear it, you must be listening. You're listening to God's Word right now, so that's a great start. Plan on joining the flock as they gather on the Lord's Day to listen to Him as His Word is proclaimed. Surround yourself with good Christian teaching all week long (our Christian podcast site, Drive.Faith, is a great place to start). Then follow the commands you hear from Him. Repent & believe. Know the Father's expectations and do all that you can to meet them. Live with the peace of comfort of the resurrection that's been guaranteed to you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has you securely grasped in His hand; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will take comfort in the guarantees of new life you've been given as you listen to Jesus and follow Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 15

When your focus is Christ, life is a gift, but so is death. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 42 Q. Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die? A. Our death does not pay the debt of our sins. Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life. Summary Paul’s words for the Philippians express how Christ is his reason for being. For as long as Paul is breathing, he will live in service to Christ’s message, values, and mission. The words that tend to raise eyebrows are what follows: “to die is gain”. To die is to lose one’s life, so how can that be to gain? The gain to which Paul is speaking is not the loss of life, but what comes after this life: to be with Christ. Paul is wrestling with these two realities. On one hand, Paul desires to be with Christ, yet he recognizes what is left to be done on earth. Remaining in the flesh, in his physical body, Paul can continue his ministry, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ so that more might hear and believe. Although his desire was to be with Christ, Paul recognized what still lay before him. Paul believed that his work was not complete, that his remaining in the flesh was necessary for the sake of the church in Philippi. However, Paul was not in control of his fate. Paul was writing during his time of imprisonment for Christ. While he expected to be released, this outcome was not a certainty. Regardless of what Paul’s individual fate may be, his desire was to see Christ honored. Being convinced that God had more for him to do in the Philippian church, Paul believed he would be freed. However, if the outcome of the trial turned out to be unfavorable, Paul was not in fear of death. For while there was more to do in his body, Paul was confident that even if his life was taken from him, he would not be worse off, since dying meant to be with Christ. Dig Deeper One of the most common fears is the fear of death. Arguably even more prevalent is the fear of a loved one dying. I have lost track of how many movie villains are the product of a misguided effort to thwart death. Perhaps this villain backstory is reused so often because it makes the “bad guy” relatable. The fear of death, or at least the desire to save others from it is understandable. Yet I can’t help but be reminded of the words of a fellow minister, who stated that “sometimes death comes as a friend in the night." If you have ever seen a loved one suffer in the last days of life, these are words you understand well. As much as we cling to this life, there is something greater in store in the life to come. This life, marred by suffering and sin, cannot compare to the eternal life that awaits. This life is precious, each breath a gift from God. Like Paul, find God’s purpose for your time on earth. And when the day comes where Jesus calls you home, fear not, because to die is gain for on that day you go to be with Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who in His perfect will determines how long we live and when to call us home; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you live in such a way that confirms the words that to live is Christ and to die is gain. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 10

Jesus was unfairly convicted so that you could be considered innocent. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 38 Q. Why did he suffer “under Pontius Pilate” as judge? A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by a civil judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us. Summary Anyone who has heard the crucifixion account before knows that Jesus was unjustly crucified. The chief priests conspired against Jesus because they believed he was blaspheming God. Jesus had been speaking boldly and performing miracles, which got their attention. What drew their anger was his refusal to deny the claim that he was the Son of God. The chief priests had Jesus arrested and ultimately brought before Pontius Pilate. When he was brought before Pontius Pilate, Pilate found no reason to crucify him. Three times Pilate tried to reason with the chief priests, even stating that Herod, a second Roman official, found no reason to punish Jesus by death. Pontius Pilate did not want to crucify Jesus, he wanted to release him. The chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law would not let that happen. They stirred up the crowd and eventually the shouts and demands of the crowd prevailed and Pilate decided to crucify Jesus for no reason, other than to appease the crowd. Jesus was innocent, but he was going to die. Dig Deeper The Heidelberg Catechism ensures that we know that Jesus was innocent. There is very good reason for that: there should be no doubt or question of his innocence. Jesus did not deserve to die; he committed no crime. Whenever a crime is reported on the news, oftentimes the suspect’s past behavior is shared. Has the suspect been arrested before? Does the suspect have past criminal behavior? Has the suspect been convicted of crimes before? This information may or may not help the audience in discerning the suspect’s guilt. If Jesus’ trial were to happen today, there would be no past criminal behavior to bring forth. There would be no evidence of malicious intent or conspiracy to overthrow the government. All the public would find is Jesus, the Son of God, preaching boldly to anyone who would listen that the kingdom of heaven is near. There would be thousands of witnesses to Jesus’ miracles who would corroborate the report that he has done amazing things. All that to say, Jesus did not deserve to die on that cross. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was wrongly sentenced to death. Jesus was innocently condemned to death by the early judge, Pontius Pilate, so that you would not experience the judgment from God you actually deserve for your sin. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is a holy and just God who will judge all people righteously ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess the many times you've unfairly condemned others, and thank God Jesus endured unjust judgment so that you'd be freed from God's righteous judgment ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 5

Jesus Christ has been controversial since the moment He was conceived. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 35 Q. What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”? A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might become David’s true descendant, like his brothers in every way except for sin. Summary Imagine how terrified Mary, probably 11 or 12 years old here, felt when Gabriel, one of God's chief angels, appeared before her. Luke, who is somewhat known for his dry sense of humor in how he reported the facts in his gospel and the book of Acts, writes that Mary was 'greatly troubled' and that she 'wondered what kind of greeting this might be.' I'll bet she wondered! My guess is that Gabriel's announcement that she was 'highly favored' and that the 'Lord is with you' didn't immediately take root in her mind. She was probably too flabbergasted for it to register. But as if those opening announcements weren't shocking enough, the next thing Gabriel said would have pushed most people completely over the edge. Mary would bear a child - but not just an ordinary child - one who would be called 'the Son of the Most High.' Somehow Mary is able to gather her wits at this point and push back on Gabriel a bit. Everything she'd been taught about the birds and the bees argued against what she was being told. She was a virgin, and this sort of thing doesn't happen to girls like her! Gabriel's reply probably made sense to him, but imagine what it would be like for Mary to hear that she would become pregnant when the power of the Holy Spirit of the Most High would overshadowed her. I wonder, did those words comfort her or terrify her more? But Gabriel still has one more shock for Mary. It turns out that barren old Aunt Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months now. Dig Deeper The doctrine of the virgin birth is one of the most doubted and disbelieved in all of Christian history. Some people have denied it because they deny all of the supernatural and miraculous claims the Bible makes, but others seem to be willing to accept many of the Bible's miracles, but draw the line at a virgin conceiving a child. No doubt young Mary struggled with these doubts as well. Think of how she must of tossed and turned at night wondering who in the world would believe her story. It was even too much for Joseph, until Gabriel showed up to set him straight at least. As we're going to see this week, the doctrine of the virgin birth is not just some Biblical oddity that you can take or leave. In fact, your entire salvation depends on this bizarre sounding account being true. Mary's resolve seems to strengthen upon hearing the last thing Gabriel said to her: For no word from God will ever fail (v37) Look at how Mary aligns her life with God's will after hearing this. "I am the Lord's servant," she said. Make sure your life models Mary's faithfulness, even when God's will seems shocking or contrary to everything you thought you knew. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose will often looks so different than what we expect. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the words Mary prays upon hearing this shocking news: "May your word to me be fulfilled." ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - James 3

Jesus gave the shortest, most powerful sermon ever, and it's good news for you! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 31 Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance; our only high priest who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us. Summary Jesus' public ministry took off like a rocket after His baptism. His cousin, John the Baptist, was already gathering crowds who went far out into the wilderness to hear this eccentric prophet speak about the coming Messiah, so you can imagine the anticipation people had after the heavens were torn open, a booming voice indicated it was pleased with 'my son,' while a dove descended upon Jesus. Soon after His baptism and subsequent months-long time of temptation in the wilderness, Jesus re-emerged into society and the miracle show began. All sorts of people were healed, water was turned to wine, and Jesus has become a rock star with mobs of people following Him everywhere He went. The opportunity came for Jesus to return to His home synagogue in Nazareth, and you can imagine the locals packed the synagogue to hear their native son who had become famous. What would he say? It just so happened that the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Jesus, and He unrolled it nearly all the way to the end. He read the passage quoted by Luke: The Spirit of the Lord is on me... He's anointed me... He's sent me to proclaim good news, freedom, and the Lord's blessing. When Jesus finished reading, He sat down. You can bet the packed room was on pins and needles. Every eye, Luke writes, was fastened on Jesus. Jesus then delivers one of the shortest, most powerful sermons ever preached: Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This was the ultimate mic drop moment. It stunned those present. From that moment on, the devil, who'd just been defeated by Jesus in the desert, sets about to turn public opinion against Jesus until they ultimately had Him nailed to a cross. Dig Deeper It often may seem like Christ is simply Jesus' last name, but that's not the case. Both the Greek word Christos and the Hebrew word Mashiyach (Messiah) both are titles which mean the same thing: Jesus, the anointed one. The concept of anointing is a distinctly ancient near eastern idea. The thought of oil being poured over our head doesn't seem all that attractive to us, but in the Old Testament, it was a big deal to be anointed. In fact, only a small contingent of men were anointed: prophets, priests, and kings. As we go through this week, we're going to see how Jesus the Christ fulfills all three of those offices, and why that's so important for you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who through His Spirit anointed His Son Jesus to save us, His covenant people; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies on your behalf; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 12

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

Sometimes the truth hurts, but God's truth hurts in order to heal. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 3 Q. How do you come to know your misery? A. The law of God tells me. Summary One of our human tendencies is to lay blame on others while claiming yourself as blameless. These actions are common in children, yet adults are not immune to this either. It is this type of situation to which Paul steps in to give clarification. In these passages Paul argues that the Jewish believers were not in a superior position to the non-Jewish followers of Christ. The crux of his argument is the fact that both are under sin. Paul quotes a series of Old Testament passages from the Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah which together show the sinfulness of all mankind. Following this reminder of the sinfulness of all people, Paul points out in v19 that the law, in what we today call the Old Testament, was written to the Jewish people. The words so that every mouth may be stopped come as a reference to court customs of the Jewish people. When someone was done with their defense, they would put their hand over their mouth to signify they were finished speaking in their own defense. Since the law was given to the Jewish people, their mouths are silenced, for there is nothing else they can say in their defense. They were given the law, and Paul was certain to point out that they did not keep the law. In v20, Paul gives the clarification the Jewish people needed to hear: no one can be justified by upkeeping the law. Yes, they had the law, but they were unable to keep it. Instead, the function of the law is the agent through which we come to know our sin. Dig Deeper Learning is a life-long process. Regardless of what kind of diploma one might go on to earn, there is always more to know. Some of this is based upon our own limitations to learn, our inclination to forget, or more information being discovered. There are different ways that we learn, through life experience, a class, or reading a book. When it comes to our sin, which is the source of our misery, the Bible is where we learn the depth of our sinfulness. While it is unpleasant to be confronted with your own sinfulness, this serves an important role in your life. It is through this confrontation with our sin that we come to know the depth of our misery and our need for a savior. Truly, if you had no awareness of your debt of sin, how then could you come to know your need for the grace of Jesus? Praise God for all that He does on our behalf, including giving us the Word of God which makes us aware of our sinful state and need for redemption. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, your name is holy, and your law demands perfect righteousness. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Keep me close to your law, so that I continually recognize my own sinfulness and cling even tighter to the cross of Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 6

You have to let go of the darkness to walk in the light 1 John 1–2:2 (NIV) 1 That which was from the eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2   But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2   He Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Today: 1 John 2