Tag Archives: 40 days with Jesus

Bible Gleanings, devotions

You Are Barabbas | Bible Gleanings | February 8-9, 2025

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The mob multiplied into a multitude, and their enraged voices grew hoarse from shouting. They demanded that justice be served to this alleged blasphemer and revolutionary. Nothing less than the maximum penalty under the law would satisfy them. However, the governor failed to find sufficient evidence to exact such a swift and severe punishment. Therefore, he turned justice over to the mob and, bringing out an actual convicted felon, he gave them a choice: punish one man and let the other go.

“Whom do you want me to release for you,” asked the governor, Pilate. “Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matt. 27:17). These two prisoners stood before him. One had a bruised and battered face from the prior night’s abuse, while the other smiled with a menacing grin of rebellion. One was wrongly accused of blasphemy and spoke not a word in His defense, while the other was justly found guilty of murder and leading violent uprisings. One Man remained strangely calm, while the other shifted around impatiently, hoping to be released.

The choice was in the hands of the crowd: either release an innocent Christ and re-chain a murderous Barabbas, or release Barabbas and put Jesus to death. Suddenly, a single voice rang out, joined by hundreds of others: “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (John 18:40b). Pilate tried one last time to persuade them otherwise, rightly asking, “Why? What evil has he done?” (Mark 15:14a). But the crowd erupted like waves crashing on the shore: “But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Mark 15:14b-15).

Thus, Christ’s punishment ensured Barabbas’ freedom. The unfair treatment of the Lord Jesus may produce heartache and perhaps even anger, but it should result most of all in humbling self-abasement, considering that we are Barabbas. Who we are in this story is clear. Sinners are guilty and the Son is righteous. Sinners deserve to die and Christ deserved to live.

And yet, because of the great love with which Christ loved us, He traded places with Barabbases like us. The guiltless Christ took on our guilt. The spotless Lamb of God became marred by the filth of our sin. The righteous Jesus became unrighteous in our place. It was just as the prophet Isaiah predicted: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Good Shepherd | Bible Gleanings | January 25-26, 2025

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If Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs had been filmed in ancient times, the tough and time-consuming job of shepherding would have certainly gotten its own episode. Every day, all day, they were herding sheep and preventing them from getting separated from each other. Sheep also had to eat, and since they weren’t hunters or predatory, shepherds had to find and furnish food for their flocks. Shepherds were also tasked with warding off hungry predators that prowled the area, as sheep could not defend themselves against such dangers. Sheep are also incredibly naive and dangerously curious, making it perplexing that, “Curiosity kills the cat,” is a more popular saying than, “Curiosity has killed many sheep”! Thus, a shepherd’s hardest assignment was leading the stubborn flock.

And this is the job Jesus willingly signed up for as the Good Shepherd. Christ tends to His own sheep through leading and feeding, just like earthly shepherds. But unlike human shepherds, Jesus leads His flock all the days of their life, both beside tranquil waters and dark valleys (Psalm 23:2b-4). Moreover, He feeds His sheep with the green pasture of His nourishing and sanctifying word (Psalm 23:1-2; Matt. 4:4; John 17:17; 1 Peter 2:1;). And without this soul-nurturing food, the Lord’s sheep will collapse from deprivation while climbing life’s hills and valleys.

Furthermore, while most earthly shepherds are unable to distinguish one sheep from another, the Good Shepherd knows all of His sheep by name and everything there is to know about them: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). None of the Lord’s sheep blend into the fold, resulting in being forgotten. Rather, every member of His flock is known, loved, and cared for, as though they were the only one.

The Good Shepherd is also superior to human shepherds because He will never lose one sheep among His fold. He promised, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Nothing can ever sever or separate you from the Lord’s flock. But most of all, Jesus is greater than earthly shepherds because He was willing to die for His sheep: “and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15b). The Good Shepherd died as a spotless Lamb to obtain the flock of God with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Look at the Birds | Bible Gleanings | January 18-19, 2025

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The man was married to a woman who was a worry-wart. All of her daily exercise came from pacing the floor and wringing her hands. Unfortunately, the health benefits from wearing a hole in the carpet were diminished by her inner turmoil of anxiety. And one day, her frustrated husband flat-out asked her, “Dear, why are you always worrying when it doesn’t do any good?” In a flash, she shot back: “Oh yes it does! Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen.”

Oftentimes, what we worry about never even happens. And, according to Christ’s teaching about anxiety, we typically worry about tomorrow’s food or fate (cf. Matt. 6:34). We often fret over our futures and become overly concerned about how our needs will be supplied. And to conquer worry, Jesus did not teach us to retreat from life like hermits or fill our medicine cabinets with prescriptions. Instead, and remarkably, Jesus told us to look at the birds.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life . . . Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt. 6:25a, 26).

Think about what birds do. They clock in early looking for food—there’s a reason they say, “the early bird gets the worm.” And they work hard for their meals. You’ve probably seen them pecking the ground and gathering worms to bring back for their young to eat. Not to mention, they constantly fly around collecting branches and bristles to build and maintain their nests. And at nightfall, most birds sleep until they repeat the process the next day.

Now, think about what birds don’t do. They don’t worry or even store food for the future. And yet, their food-needs are always provided for. This is because, in the order of creation, God has ordained that they get their food through natural processes. Feeding the birds of the air is on God’s to-do list.

And the point of Jesus’ teaching is this: if God cares for the least of all His creation, then He will certainly care for the greatest of His creation—you. God cares for birds—the least significant creature in all of creation—so you can rest assured that He cares for you, the most significant creature He ever made. If He never forgets to feed robins, cardinals, and blackbirds, then He isn’t going to forget to feed you. That is why there is no reason to worry. The deep and personal level of God’s care for you diminishes worrying about your life, your future, or anything else. 

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Personal Jesus | Bible Gleanings | January 4-5, 2025

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He had to get away from it all. Despite the endless films and paintings depicting Jesus as welcoming throngs and hordes with open arms, there were many times when Jesus pulled back (Mark 3:9; 7:24; Luke 5:15-16; John 6:15). However, such retreating certainly appears to be counterproductive to the development of an earthly ministry, don’t you think? After all, if you want to build a support base, wouldn’t you want to gain a larger following and increase the size and scope of your ministry?

Needless to say, establishing a large following and building a big ministry is not why Jesus came into the world—He came for needy sinners. And His continual withdrawal from the crowds doesn’t mean He outright despised them—rather, it demonstrates His preference to minister to people one-on-one. Jesus sought to know people on a name-and-need basis—He didn’t care about filling stadiums or boasting of great numbers. Jesus always prioritized intimate interactions over large-scale miracles, superficial popularity, or mass appeal. His mission was to seek and save the lost through personal encounters.

Jesus deliberately traveled through Samaria in order to minister to the Samaritan Woman and bring her the good news of salvation (John 4:1-26). Rather than making him a spectacle, Christ took the deaf man by the hand and led him away from the crowds—and He restored his speech and hearing in private (Mark 7:31-37). Jesus healed the blind man from Bethsaida away from prying eyes by leading him outside of the town (Mark 8:22-26). Amidst a multitude of invalids at Bethesda’s pool, Christ set His sights on only one man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years, and He healed him (John 5:1-15). And Jesus singled out little Zaccheus, who climbed a sycamore tree to view Him because of the crowd size—and Jesus focused on him instead of the masses (Luke 19:1-10).

Any of the individuals whom Christ healed and ministered to would tell you that you are more than just a name and face to Jesus. He loves you and cares about you as an individual. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be keeping up with the number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30). Moreover, if God keeps track of the death of sparrows, then He certainly keeps track of the needs of His saints (Luke 12:6-7). The Lord even cares for you as though you were His only child: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.