What Jesus Did! from Heartlight

'Plotting His Death' - John 7:1

Tue, 19 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.

—John 7:1 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus stays away from Judea ... at least for now ... until the time is God's time. Jesus will not be hurried or rushed by the agenda of others. He follows God's timetable, not ours or his family's or anyone else's. He concentrated his work on teaching people who needed God's grace and on going to the places that were ready to receive his message. He was wise and prudent even under pressure, and he didn't allow the threats to curtail his service. What a powerful message for us today, especially for those of us who sometimes find ourselves in horrible and challenging circumstances.

Today's Prayer

Give me strength, O God, and a pure heart for my journey to you. Don't let me be deterred by those who would seek to dilute my faith or derail my sense of mission. At the same time, dear Father, please help me honor the people around me with respect. Give me the wisdom to know how to honor those I should honor while remaining true to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

'Treachery Lurks Below the Surface' - John 6:70-71

Mon, 18 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil." He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.

—John 6:70-71 NLT

Key Thought

We know the story before we read it. Lurking in the shadows was the traitor. Treachery was afoot. Scripture doesn't explicitly tell us why Judas betrayed Jesus, but at least part of the motivation may have been just the money. ^[1] The Holy Spirit tells us that Judas did betray Jesus - and already, Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. Quite remarkably, Jesus did the heart of his ministry and offered his deepest and most genuine service to his disciples knowing all the while that one of them would hand him over to be tortured and crucified. I don't know about you, but that is a bittersweet comfort to me. Bitter, because I hate that the LORD Jesus, who created all that is in our world, had to face such a heartbreaking breach of trust. Sweet, because I know he knows what betrayal and suffering are like - not just as God, but also as a brokenhearted friend who has been betrayed for inexplicable reasons. Sounds like my world. Sounds even more like my Savior!

[1] Matthew 26:14-15; John 12:6, 13:27-30.

Today's Prayer

Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, thank you. Thank you for not being a god who is far off. Thank you for living in my world and bearing the brunt of its brokenness. Please bless me with confidence as I approach you and may I always remember that you know the deepest pains of my heart from experience and not just from omniscience. Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

'Are You Leaving, Too?' - John 6:67-69

Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

[When many of Jesus' disciples deserted him, he] turned to the Twelve and asked, "Are you also going to leave?"

Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God."

—John 6:67-69 NLT

Key Thought

We come to many crucial decision points in our lives. None is more important than this one. What do you do with Jesus? For several days in these devotionals, he has been pressing us to decide about him. Most of the world will turn away from him. Even though God's grace has prepared the way, the path is too narrow and the demands too difficult for most people. Most don't want to have to give up control. Most want a messiah whom they can tame and manipulate and make into their servant. Jesus would be our King - -not just prince or prophet, not just rabbi or ruler, but King. So will we turn away? Will we leave? No, for he is King. Only he has the words of life.

Today's Prayer

Father God, please sweep out of my heart any competing loyalty that would disrupt my wholehearted devotion to Jesus. I want to follow him fully. Please help me find life in his words. In his name, I pray. Amen.

'New Life from the Spirit' - John 6:63-66

Sat, 16 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

[Jesus said,] "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, "That is why I said that people can't come to me unless the Father gives them to me."

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

—John 6:63-66 NLT

Key Thought

The Bible opens with the creative and life-giving power of God's word revealed: He speaks, and order is formed out of chaos and life out of inanimate dust. His Spirit hovers, and God fills his precious human creations with the breath of life! Jesus claims to have this same creative and life-giving power in his words. His words bring life. His words set loose the holy wind of heaven, and the Spirit brings life to those who are spiritually dead. The people of Jesus' day couldn't handle such powerful claims, especially on the heels of such demanding and hard teaching. The story begins with them wanting to make Jesus king, but he will not be king on their terms. He calls them to follow him as heaven's King, but most cannot accept that kind of king and turn away. Will you? Is Jesus the King of your life or do you want him to be just another religious "king" you can control on your own terms?

Today's Prayer

Father, I confess that I sometimes try to make Jesus into the kind of messiah, the kind of king, that I want him to be. Please forgive me! I want to honor him as you want him honored. I want to hear his words and be changed. I want to receive the Spirit he has promised and be transformed. I really do want Jesus to be my King. I confess this, and ask for your power and grace, in the name of Jesus, my LORD and King. Amen.

'Hard to Understand' - John 6:60-62

Fri, 15 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Many of [Jesus'] disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?"

Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?"

—John 6:60-62 NLT

Key Thought

"Make it easy for them!" That seems to be the slogan today. "Don't set the bar too high!" "Don't make it difficult!" Unfortunately, the best things in life and the truest things in life are sometimes the hardest to acquire and to achieve. Quite often, the truest things in life are the hardest to discern. If we make them easy, then we make them less than what they are. Jesus didn't make following him easy for the disciples. Instead, he made it even more challenging. He made sure those seeking him knew the stakes involved; so for that reason, he refused to water down the challenge to them. While I want people to come to Jesus and receive his grace that has been so freely offered, I surely don't want to rob his message of its bite, of its power, or of its demands. Jesus calls us to follow a road that sometimes may be tough, but it leads to a wonderful place of glory and grace. Don't let his challenging words put you off. He is the only way.

Today's Prayer

Give me the heart to follow only you and your true messengers, O LORD. Please don't let me be deceived by those who are false or misled by those who don't know the way. Give me discernment so that I know your will more completely and follow you more passionately. In your name, I pray. Amen.

'Live Forever?' - John 6:57-59

Thu, 14 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

[Jesus said,] "I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever."

He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

—John 6:57-59 NLT

Key Thought

Our power comes from a living LORD who was sent to us by the living Father! He gives us his power. He blesses us with his life. We will not die! But how is this so? Won't we surely die? Of course, our physical bodies will die. However, there is a part of us that will never die. We belong to Christ. When our physical bodies die, we go to be with him. When Christ comes again, we will be given new immortal bodies and go to be with him and with all those who are his, forever. No bread can give us this kind of life except the true bread from heaven: Jesus Christ, God's Son!

Today's Prayer

Father, please bless those on my heart who are struggling with broken, aging, and diseased physical bodies. We often find it hard to deal with our mortal physical bodies. However, dear God, please help those on my heart not to lose faith in Jesus' promise that the real and lasting part of them will never die. Give them courage and hope as they face the roughest part of their physical journey on their way to the best part of their spiritual journey. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

'No Backing Off!' - John 6:52-56

Wed, 13 May 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Then the people began arguing with each other about what [Jesus] meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked.

So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him."

—John 6:52-56 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus doesn't make things easy for folks to follow him. We sometimes forget his demands on us. We live in a time when so much "bait" is used to try to attract people to Jesus. Chapter 6 of John reminds us that Jesus challenged the pre-conceived and small-sized notions people had of him and pushed them to make an all-or-nothing decision about his identity and his importance. He would not allow himself to become simply a miracle-making hero of the masses. Instead, he challenged the people of his day either to follow him with everything they had or to reject him and turn away. The same challenge is for us as well, if we are honest with ourselves! Jesus is either everything God intends for us, or he is a dangerous lunatic to be rejected. Which will it be for us? Jesus refuses to be just our kind religious leader; he challenges us to see him as our life and our sustenance. The question is not only whether we believe he is our life and our sustenance, but also whether we live with this conviction as a reality in our daily lives!

Today's Prayer

Father, I confess that I often want my discipleship made easier. I find I often want your truths to be more easily understood. I love Jesus with all my heart; but for some reason, I find myself not depending on him as my life and my sustenance. Father, please don't just forgive me, but also give me a deeper hunger for your living bread in my life. Feed me with his life as I seek to place him first in all I do. In his name, Jesus Christ the LORD, I pray. Amen.

What Jesus Did! from Heartlight

'Plotting His Death' - John 7:1

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Related Scripture Readings

'Treachery Lurks Below the Surface' - John 6:70-71

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

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'Are You Leaving, Too?' - John 6:67-69

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

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'New Life from the Spirit' - John 6:63-66

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

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'Hard to Understand' - John 6:60-62

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

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'Live Forever?' - John 6:57-59

Key Thought

Today's Prayer

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'No Backing Off!' - John 6:52-56

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Today's Prayer

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