Key Passage
When the high priest heard this, he was very angry. He tore his clothes and said, "We don't need any more witnesses! You all heard him say these things against God. What do you think?" All the people said that Jesus was wrong. They said he was guilty and must be killed.
— Mark 14:63-64 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus comes to us and demands a decision. He offers us the body of his work, his life here on earth, as the testimony we have to accept or reject. There is no middle ground: he is either the promised Messiah and our Lord, or we reject him. There is no partial acceptance here. It is one or the other. What will you decide to do with Jesus? He doesn't want you to stay on the fence of indecision or in the throes of lukewarm discipleship. To refuse to follow with your whole heart is to reject him as your Lord. "What is your verdict?" Or, in the words of the Scripture, we each need to ask ourselves "What do you think?" about who Jesus is?
Prayer
O Father, I choose Jesus. However, dear Father, you know that I am sometimes weak and fail. You know that I am sometimes sinful and need your forgiveness. However, dear Father, I don't want to be indecisive about my love and loyalty to your Son. Help me live decisively for him. In Jesus' name I ask for this help. Amen.
Related Scriptures
The people who believe that Jesus is the Christ are God's children. The person who loves the Father (God) also loves the Father's children. How do we know that we love God's children? We know because we love God and we obey his commands. Loving God means obeying his commands. And God's commands are not too hard for us. Why? Because every person that is a child of God {has the power to} win against the world. It is our faith that has won the victory against the world. So who is the person that wins against the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. I write this letter to you people who believe in the Son of God. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now.
— 1 John 5:1-5, 13
I know what you do. You are not hot or cold. I wish that you were hot or cold! But you are only warm—not hot, not cold. So I am ready to spit you out of my mouth. You say you are rich. You think you have become wealthy and don't need a thing. But you don't know that you are really terrible, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy gold from me—gold made pure in fire. Then you can be truly rich. I tell you this: Buy clothes that are white. Then you can cover your shameful nakedness. I also tell you to buy medicine to put on your eyes. Then you can truly see. "I correct and punish those people that I love. So start trying hard! Change your hearts and lives! Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If a person hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person. And that person will eat with me. "I will let every person that wins the victory sit with me on my throne. It was the same with me. I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne. Every person that hears these things should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."
— Revelation 3:15-22
If any person is ashamed of me and my teaching, then I will be ashamed of that person. I will be ashamed of that person at the time I come with my glory and with the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
— Luke 9:26
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