Key Passage
[The man in the tomb said:] "Now go and tell his followers. And be sure to tell Peter. Tell them, 'Jesus is going into Galilee. He will be there before you. You will see him there like he told you before.'"
— Mark 16:7 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus was about ministry. He wanted his disciples to carry on his ministry. So he wanted them to know that as they ministered in his name, he would be with them. They would see him personally raised from the dead after his resurrection, but they could also "see" him after his ascension by ministering to others. Jesus continues to meet his followers in the places of ministry. While it is not emphasized in Mark, Matthew speaks of Jesus as Immanuel—God with us. Then Jesus reminds his disciples that they will experience his presence in their fellowship and worship (Matt. 18:20), in their service to those in need (Matt. 25:27-30), and in crossing cultural boundaries to share his teaching with others (Matt. 28:18-20). Matthew will be the focus of this next year's "What Jesus Did!" devotional series. As we stand at the close of one year and look forward to another, let's use both Mark and Matthew to remind us that Jesus will meet us in the place of ministry!
Prayer
Gracious, holy, and merciful God, please use me as an instrument of your peace, grace, and reconciliation. May I be found as a "vessel of honor"*—a tool you can use for your purposes in ministry to others. I know, dear Father, that your Son will be present as I minister. Please make his presence real to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.(* This phrase comes from older translations of 2 Tim. 2:21, one of our parallel passages that accompany this devotional.)
Related Scriptures
The Lord wants to use you for special purposes. So make yourself clean from all those evil things. Then you will be holy, and the Master can use you. You will be ready to do any good work.
— 2 Timothy 2:21
But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You know that those teachings are true. You know you can trust the people who taught you those things. You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. Those Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people the things that are wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:14-17
"The Son of Man will come again. He will come with great glory. All his angels will come with him. He will be king and sit on his great throne. All the people of the world will be gathered before the Son of Man. Then the Son of Man will separate all people into two groups. This is like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The Son of Man will put the sheep (good people) on his right and the goats (bad people) on his left. "Then the king will say to those good people on his right, 'Come. My Father has given you great blessings. Come and get the kingdom God promised you. That kingdom has been prepared for you since the world was made. You can have this kingdom, because I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your home. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me.' "Then the good people will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?' "Then the king will answer, 'I tell you the truth. Anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.'
— Matthew 25:31-40
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
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