Matthew 24:4-5 - For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ'

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." - Matthew 24:4-5 (NIV)

Taught during the last week of His life, Jesus was giving His followers some strong boundaries so that they would not fall away after He was gone. Here he talks of people who say that they are the Christ (“anointed one”). Notice the word that Jesus uses - deceive. To be deceived is to not know the difference between the truth and a falsehood - they both look the same. In a time when many are saying, “I am God’s anointed now.”, Jesus explicitly tells us that God’s anointed One is found in only one place - Jesus the Christ. Jesus is God’s final statement to humanity.

Today's commentary by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

What do you think? Discussion at: http://facebook.com/DailyBibleVerse

John 12:23-26 - The man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." - John 12:23-26 (NIV)

The message of the gospel is so powerful that it is best described in the language of death and resurrection. It seems that as we follow after Christ we are brought to places where we must die to our will and plans. Unless we are willing “hate his life in this world” we will always go the route of safety and comfort. Yet the Christian walk is the road less traveled. Many times the roadblocks that we face can only be crossed when we let go our our lives to enter into the path that Christ walked on this Holy Week - a path of losing our lives to find them.

Today's commentary by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

What do you think? Discussion at: http://facebook.com/DailyBibleVerse