Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Pride’s a dangerous pitfall, even for longstanding believers. It can cause solid faith to become shaky. Find out how Jesus dealt with His faltering disciples at the Last Supper—and continues to do the same for believers today. That’s on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Majestic Surrender
The Gospel writers all cover similar events from Jesus’ life, but each highlights particular details and aspects of Jesus’ identity. One of John’s intentions was to establish Jesus’ supremacy and victory over the very circumstances that were meant to degrade and humiliate Him. Consider Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane: He surrendered willingly but authoritatively, revealing His majesty as Savior of the world. Once, people had tried to force a king’s crown upon Jesus, and He had withdrawn because He knew that worldly kingship was not His destiny (John 6:15). Here, when the soldiers came to force a cross upon Him, He knew all that would unfold. They were surely expecting to have to search far and wide for this notorious Galilean carpenter. Instead, here He was, willingly surrendering, with a majesty in His voice, a look in His eye, and a bearing about His person that contributed to the magnitude of the moment. No wonder they “drew back and fell to the ground.”
When Jesus surrendered Himself to those who would treat Him as a blasphemer and a criminal, He did not deny who He was. In fact, He used language that communicated His divine identity and authority. Jesus used the phrase “I am” not only to tell the soldiers He was Jesus of Nazareth but also to identify Himself as the one who had appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This was the same phrase that had, months earlier, seen Him nearly stoned (John 8:58-59), for it was a clear claim to be the self-existent, living God.
Now here is this God, stepping forward to stop His friends resisting and allow His enemies to kill Him. Why? As Christ came forward in the garden, He was not only protecting His disciples but also providing for His people. He stepped forth as the substitute for sinful humans, as the fulfillment of all that had long been anticipated. He knew exactly what He stepped toward: “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
In His combination of willing surrender and divine authority Christ took the next step toward the cross, where His sacrifice won our salvation. He did not run from the cross but rather walked resolutely toward it. And He did that for you.
It is a thing most wonderful,
Almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven,
And die to save a child like me.[1]
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
1When Jesus had spoken these words, nhe went out with his disciples across othe brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew pthe place, for qJesus often met there with his disciples. 3rSo Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, sknowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, t“Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”1 Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6uWhen Jesus2 said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7So he asked them again, t“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9vThis was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10Then Simon Peter, whaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant3 and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; xshall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas
12So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews4 arrested Jesus and bound him. 13First they yled him to zAnnas, for he was the father-in-law of aCaiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews bthat it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Competing Prayers
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.
O death! Why do you touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness finds rest? Why do you snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If you must use your axe, use it upon the trees that yield no fruit; then you may be thanked. But why will you chop down the best trees? Hold your axe, and spare the righteous.
But no, it must not be; death strikes the best of our friends: the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is through Jesus’ prevailing prayer—“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.”
It is that which bears them on eagle’s wings to heaven. Every time a believer moves from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ’s prayer. A good old divine remarks, “Many times Jesus and His people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say ‘Father, I desire that Your saints be with me where I am’; Christ says, ‘Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.’”
In this way the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: The beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which of the two who plead shall win the day? If you had your choice, if the King should step from His throne and say, “Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another,” which shall be answered? Oh, I am sure, though it were agony, you would jump to your feet and say, “Jesus, not my will, but Yours be done.” You would give up your prayer for your loved one’s life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction—“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.”
Lord, You shall have them. By faith we let them go.
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for March 22
The Command to Leave Sinai
1The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you oand the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To pyour offspring I will give it.’ 2I will send an qangel before you, rand I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3sGo up to a land flowing with milk and honey; tbut I will not go up among you, ulest I consume you on the way, for you are a vstiff-necked people.”
4When the people heard this disastrous word, they wmourned, and xno one put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a vstiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would yconsume you. So now xtake off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 6Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and zhe called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who asought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and beach would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the cpillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord1 would speak with Moses. 10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11Thus dthe Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his eassistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses' Intercession
12Moses said to the Lord, “See, fyou say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, g‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please hshow me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is iyour people.” 14And he said, j“My presence will go with you, and kI will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, l“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? mIs it not in your going with us, nso that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
17And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, ofor you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Please pshow me your glory.” 19And he said, q“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And rI will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for sman shall not see me and live.” 21And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a tcleft of the rock, and I will ucover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall vnot be seen.”
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
1Six days before ithe Passover, jJesus therefore came to Bethany, kwhere Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. lMartha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3mMary therefore took a pound1 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii2 and ngiven to the poor?” 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and nhaving charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it3 for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus4 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, owhom he had raised from the dead. 10pSo the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11because qon account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12The next day rthe large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of spalm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, t“Hosanna! Blessed is uhe who comes in the name of the Lord, even vthe King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15w“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”
16xHis disciples did not understand these things at first, but ywhen Jesus was glorified, then zthey remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17aThe crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him bwas that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, c“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, dthe world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20Now eamong those who went up to worship at the feast were some fGreeks. 21So these came to gPhilip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told hAndrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, i“The hour has come jfor the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, kunless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25lWhoever loves his life loses it, and mwhoever nhates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must ofollow me; and pwhere I am, there will my servant be also. qIf anyone serves me, rthe Father will honor him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
27s“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, tsave me from uthis hour’? But vfor this purpose I have come to uthis hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then wa voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, x“An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, y“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31zNow is the judgment of this world; now will athe ruler of this world bbe cast out. 32And I, cwhen I am lifted up from the earth, dwill draw eall people to myself.” 33He said this fto show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that gthe Christ remains forever. How can you say that hthe Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, i“The light is among you jfor a little while longer. kWalk while you have the light, lest darkness lovertake you. mThe one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become nsons of light.”
The Unbelief of the People
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38oso that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
p“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39Therefore they qcould not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40r“He has blinded their eyes
and shardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41Isaiah said these things because the saw his glory and uspoke of him. 42Nevertheless, vmany even of the authorities believed in him, but wfor fear of the Pharisees they did not xconfess it, so that they would not be xput out of the synagogue; 43yfor they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus Came to Save the World
44And Jesus cried out and said, z“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but ain him who sent me. 45And bwhoever csees me sees him who sent me. 46dI have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone ehears my words and does not keep them, fI do not judge him; for gI did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48hThe one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; ithe word that I have spoken will judge him jon the last day. 49For kI have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father lwho sent me has himself given me ma commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
The Way of Wisdom
1vWisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her wseven xpillars.
2She has yslaughtered her beasts; she has zmixed her wine;
she has also aset her table.
3She has bsent out her young women to ccall
from dthe highest places in the town,
4e“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
fTo him who lacks sense she says,
5“Come, geat of my bread
and hdrink of zthe wine I have mixed.
6Leave iyour simple ways,1 and jlive,
kand walk in the way of insight.”
7Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8lDo not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
mreprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give instruction2 to a wise man, and he will be nstill wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will oincrease in learning.
10pThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and qthe knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11For by me ryour days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12sIf you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
The Way of Folly
she is seductive3 and vknows nothing.
14She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on wthe highest places of the town,
15calling to those who pass by,
who are xgoing straight on their way,
16y“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17z“Stolen water is sweet,
and abread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18But he does not know bthat the dead4 are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
By Grace Through Faith
1jAnd you were kdead in the trespasses and sins 2lin which you once walked, following the course1 of this world, following mthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in nthe sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in othe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and pwere by nature qchildren of wrath, like the rest of mankind.2 4But3 God, being rrich in mercy, sbecause of the great love with which he loved us, 5even twhen we were dead in our trespasses, umade us alive together with Christ—vby grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and wseated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable xriches of his grace in ykindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For zby grace you have been saved athrough faith. And this is bnot your own doing; cit is the gift of God, 9dnot a result of works, eso that no one may boast. 10For fwe are his workmanship, gcreated in Christ Jesus hfor good works, iwhich God prepared beforehand, jthat we should walk in them.
One in Christ
11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called kthe circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember lthat you were at that time separated from Christ, malienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to nthe covenants of promise, ohaving no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were pfar off have been brought near qby the blood of Christ. 14For rhe himself is our peace, swho has made us both one and has broken down tin his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in uordinances, that he might create in himself one vnew man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might wreconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and xpreached peace to you who were yfar off and peace to those who were znear. 18For athrough him we both have baccess in cone Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer dstrangers and aliens,4 but you are efellow citizens with the saints and fmembers of the household of God, 20gbuilt on the foundation of the hapostles and prophets, iChrist Jesus himself being jthe cornerstone, 21kin whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into la holy temple in the Lord. 22In him myou also are being built together ninto a dwelling place for God by5 the Spirit.
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