DAILY BREAD FELLOWSHIP
DBF-001-040
Today’s Scripture
John 2:19 (ESV)
“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’”
Opening the Scriptures
The Jewish authorities had challenged Jesus after He cleansed the temple. They wanted a sign proving that He had the authority to do what He had done. Jesus answered them with remarkable words: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
They thought Jesus was speaking about the temple building, but He was speaking about His own body and pointing forward to His death and resurrection. Already, near the beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is directing our attention toward the cross and the empty tomb.
Jesus knew what was coming. He knew that He would be rejected, crucified, and placed in a tomb. To those watching, His death would appear to be a terrible defeat. Yet Jesus knew the end before the suffering began. He declared that in three days He would rise again. The cross would not be His defeat, and the grave would not be His end. Jesus Christ would conquer death and rise from the dead.
Living God’s Word Today
The resurrection is not merely a doctrine Christians confess. It must change the way we live. If Jesus Christ truly died and rose again, then our confidence cannot be controlled by our circumstances.
This becomes especially important when life does not unfold according to our expectations. Perhaps you have been praying about something that has not changed. Perhaps you are carrying a burden nobody else knows about. A door may have closed that you desperately wanted opened, someone may have disappointed you, or you may be struggling with the same temptation again and wondering whether genuine change is possible. You may simply be facing circumstances in which you cannot understand what God is doing.
These are the moments when resurrection faith must become personal. The disciples would eventually watch Jesus die, and everything they had expected seemed to collapse before their eyes. Yet while they saw defeat, God was accomplishing redemption. While they saw a sealed tomb, God’s sovereign purpose was still moving forward. What they could see was not the whole story, and neither is what you can see today.
We must therefore be careful not to judge God’s faithfulness entirely by our present circumstances. A difficult situation does not mean that God has abandoned us. An unanswered prayer does not mean that He has stopped listening. A painful chapter does not mean that the story is finished. The resurrection teaches us to trust God even when we cannot understand what He is doing.
That trust, however, must produce obedience. Because Christ is alive, we do not surrender to fear or become passive while waiting for circumstances to change. If there is sin to confess, we should confess it. If someone needs forgiveness, we should forgive. If we have fallen, we should repent and return to Christ. If fear has prevented us from doing what is right, we should take the next faithful step. If prayer seems unanswered, we should continue praying. If obedience becomes costly, we should remain faithful.
Our confidence is not that God will arrange every circumstance according to our wishes. Our confidence is much greater: Jesus Christ is alive, He is Lord, and our lives are in His hands.
One Concrete Practice Today
Identify one situation in your life that is causing fear, discouragement, or uncertainty, and write it down. Underneath it write, “Jesus Christ is alive. This situation is not beyond His sovereign authority.”
Pray specifically about that situation and then identify one act of faithful obedience you can take today. You do not need to solve everything or know what tomorrow will bring. Take the next faithful step and leave the outcome with God.
Closing Encouragement
You may not know what God will do with the situation you face today, but you know the Savior in whose hands you have placed it. Jesus said, “In three days I will raise it up,” and He did.
The resurrection gives us confidence to move forward without having every answer. Christ is alive, His Word is true, and His sovereign purposes cannot fail. Therefore, trust Him today, obey Him today, and leave tomorrow in His hands.
Question for Today
What situation in your life do you need to place completely into Christ’s hands today?
Respond: “My hope is in the risen Jesus Christ.”
DBF-001-040
Today’s Scripture
John 2:19 (ESV)
“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’”
Opening the Scriptures
The Jewish authorities had challenged Jesus after He cleansed the temple. They wanted a sign proving that He had the authority to do what He had done. Jesus answered them with remarkable words: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
They thought Jesus was speaking about the temple building, but He was speaking about His own body and pointing forward to His death and resurrection. Already, near the beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is directing our attention toward the cross and the empty tomb.
Jesus knew what was coming. He knew that He would be rejected, crucified, and placed in a tomb. To those watching, His death would appear to be a terrible defeat. Yet Jesus knew the end before the suffering began. He declared that in three days He would rise again. The cross would not be His defeat, and the grave would not be His end. Jesus Christ would conquer death and rise from the dead.
Living God’s Word Today
The resurrection is not merely a doctrine Christians confess. It must change the way we live. If Jesus Christ truly died and rose again, then our confidence cannot be controlled by our circumstances.
This becomes especially important when life does not unfold according to our expectations. Perhaps you have been praying about something that has not changed. Perhaps you are carrying a burden nobody else knows about. A door may have closed that you desperately wanted opened, someone may have disappointed you, or you may be struggling with the same temptation again and wondering whether genuine change is possible. You may simply be facing circumstances in which you cannot understand what God is doing.
These are the moments when resurrection faith must become personal. The disciples would eventually watch Jesus die, and everything they had expected seemed to collapse before their eyes. Yet while they saw defeat, God was accomplishing redemption. While they saw a sealed tomb, God’s sovereign purpose was still moving forward. What they could see was not the whole story, and neither is what you can see today.
We must therefore be careful not to judge God’s faithfulness entirely by our present circumstances. A difficult situation does not mean that God has abandoned us. An unanswered prayer does not mean that He has stopped listening. A painful chapter does not mean that the story is finished. The resurrection teaches us to trust God even when we cannot understand what He is doing.
That trust, however, must produce obedience. Because Christ is alive, we do not surrender to fear or become passive while waiting for circumstances to change. If there is sin to confess, we should confess it. If someone needs forgiveness, we should forgive. If we have fallen, we should repent and return to Christ. If fear has prevented us from doing what is right, we should take the next faithful step. If prayer seems unanswered, we should continue praying. If obedience becomes costly, we should remain faithful.
Our confidence is not that God will arrange every circumstance according to our wishes. Our confidence is much greater: Jesus Christ is alive, He is Lord, and our lives are in His hands.
One Concrete Practice Today
Identify one situation in your life that is causing fear, discouragement, or uncertainty, and write it down. Underneath it write, “Jesus Christ is alive. This situation is not beyond His sovereign authority.”
Pray specifically about that situation and then identify one act of faithful obedience you can take today. You do not need to solve everything or know what tomorrow will bring. Take the next faithful step and leave the outcome with God.
Closing Encouragement
You may not know what God will do with the situation you face today, but you know the Savior in whose hands you have placed it. Jesus said, “In three days I will raise it up,” and He did.
The resurrection gives us confidence to move forward without having every answer. Christ is alive, His Word is true, and His sovereign purposes cannot fail. Therefore, trust Him today, obey Him today, and leave tomorrow in His hands.
Question for Today
What situation in your life do you need to place completely into Christ’s hands today?
Respond: “My hope is in the risen Jesus Christ.”
DAILY BREAD FELLOWSHIP
DBF-001-040
Today’s Scripture
John 2:19 (ESV)
“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’”
Opening the Scriptures
The Jewish authorities had challenged Jesus after He cleansed the temple. They wanted a sign proving that He had the authority to do what He had done. Jesus answered them with remarkable words: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
They thought Jesus was speaking about the temple building, but He was speaking about His own body and pointing forward to His death and resurrection. Already, near the beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is directing our attention toward the cross and the empty tomb.
Jesus knew what was coming. He knew that He would be rejected, crucified, and placed in a tomb. To those watching, His death would appear to be a terrible defeat. Yet Jesus knew the end before the suffering began. He declared that in three days He would rise again. The cross would not be His defeat, and the grave would not be His end. Jesus Christ would conquer death and rise from the dead.
Living God’s Word Today
The resurrection is not merely a doctrine Christians confess. It must change the way we live. If Jesus Christ truly died and rose again, then our confidence cannot be controlled by our circumstances.
This becomes especially important when life does not unfold according to our expectations. Perhaps you have been praying about something that has not changed. Perhaps you are carrying a burden nobody else knows about. A door may have closed that you desperately wanted opened, someone may have disappointed you, or you may be struggling with the same temptation again and wondering whether genuine change is possible. You may simply be facing circumstances in which you cannot understand what God is doing.
These are the moments when resurrection faith must become personal. The disciples would eventually watch Jesus die, and everything they had expected seemed to collapse before their eyes. Yet while they saw defeat, God was accomplishing redemption. While they saw a sealed tomb, God’s sovereign purpose was still moving forward. What they could see was not the whole story, and neither is what you can see today.
We must therefore be careful not to judge God’s faithfulness entirely by our present circumstances. A difficult situation does not mean that God has abandoned us. An unanswered prayer does not mean that He has stopped listening. A painful chapter does not mean that the story is finished. The resurrection teaches us to trust God even when we cannot understand what He is doing.
That trust, however, must produce obedience. Because Christ is alive, we do not surrender to fear or become passive while waiting for circumstances to change. If there is sin to confess, we should confess it. If someone needs forgiveness, we should forgive. If we have fallen, we should repent and return to Christ. If fear has prevented us from doing what is right, we should take the next faithful step. If prayer seems unanswered, we should continue praying. If obedience becomes costly, we should remain faithful.
Our confidence is not that God will arrange every circumstance according to our wishes. Our confidence is much greater: Jesus Christ is alive, He is Lord, and our lives are in His hands.
One Concrete Practice Today
Identify one situation in your life that is causing fear, discouragement, or uncertainty, and write it down. Underneath it write, “Jesus Christ is alive. This situation is not beyond His sovereign authority.”
Pray specifically about that situation and then identify one act of faithful obedience you can take today. You do not need to solve everything or know what tomorrow will bring. Take the next faithful step and leave the outcome with God.
Closing Encouragement
You may not know what God will do with the situation you face today, but you know the Savior in whose hands you have placed it. Jesus said, “In three days I will raise it up,” and He did.
The resurrection gives us confidence to move forward without having every answer. Christ is alive, His Word is true, and His sovereign purposes cannot fail. Therefore, trust Him today, obey Him today, and leave tomorrow in His hands.
Question for Today
What situation in your life do you need to place completely into Christ’s hands today?
Respond: “My hope is in the risen Jesus Christ.”
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