Key Thought

The Cross was the place where the prince of this world, Satan, lost at his own game. Satan had intended to use Jesus' horrible death to destroy God's work. Instead, God used Jesus' death on the Cross to be a sacrifice for our sins. Through the resurrection of Jesus, God defeated the power of sin and death. The powers of darkness that had controlled the world lost their victory at Calvary because of Jesus' obedience to the will of God and his love for us!

Today's Prayer

Father, please give me the courage to live with the confidence that darkness, and the prince of darkness, are defeated because of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

There were some Greek people there too. These were some of the people that went to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover festival. These Greek people went to Philip. (Philip was from Bethsaida, in Galilee.) The Greek people said, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Now is the time for the Son of Man to receive his glory. I tell you the truth. A grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die. Then it grows and makes many seeds. But if it never dies, then it will always be only a single seed. The person that loves his own life will lose it. But the person that hates his life in this world will keep it. He will have life forever. The person that serves me must follow me. Then my servant will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will give honor to people that serve me. "Now I am very troubled. What should I say? Should I say, 'Father save me from this time {of suffering}'? No, I came to this time so that I could suffer. Father, do what will bring you glory!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have already brought glory to myself. I will do it again." The people standing there heard the voice. Those people said it was thunder. But other people said, "An angel spoke to Jesus!" Jesus said to the people, "That voice was for you and not for me. Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world (the devil) will be thrown out. I will be lifted up from the earth. And when this happens, I will bring all people to me." Jesus said this to show how he would die. The people said, "But our law says that the Christ will live forever. So why do you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" Then Jesus said, "The light will be with you for only a short time more. So walk while you have the light. Then the darkness (sin) will not catch you. The person that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. So put your trust in the light while you stillhave it. Then you will become sons of light." When Jesus finished saying these things, he left. Jesus went to a place where the people could not find him.

Related Scripture Readings

Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the Good News I told you about. You received this message, and you continue strong in it. You are saved by this message. But you must continue believing the things I told you. If you don't do that, then you believed for nothing. I gave you the message that I received. I told you the most important things: that Christ died for our sins, like the Scriptures say; that Christ was buried and was raised to life on the third day, like the Scriptures say; and that Christ showed himself to Peter and then to the twelve {apostles together}. After that, Christ showed himself to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time. Most of these people are still living today. But some have died. So this {body} that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, then the Scriptures will be made true: "Death is swallowed (defeated) in victory." "Death, where is your victory? Grave, where is your power to hurt?" Death's power to hurt is sin. And the power of sin is the law. But we thank God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don't let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.

Those children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like those people and had the same experiences people have. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death. That one is the devil. Jesus became like those people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.

Jesus was given to die for our sins. And he was raised from death to make us right with God.

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