Tag Archives: Jesus

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Grace for the Guilty | Bible Gleanings | March 1-2, 2025

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The women who discovered the empty tomb were frozen by fear, but it was time to get moving. This was not the time for fascination, but rather, for proclamation. The angel commanded them to hightail it and spread the good news to the brokenhearted disciples (Matthew 28:7). The eternally significant message of Jesus’ resurrection would not reach the others by their staring into the tomb, but through their sharing that it was empty. “Go,” declared the angel, “tell them all the good news. And make sure you track down Peter. Whatever you do, don’t forget to tell Peter” (cf. Mark 16:7).

Peter. His name was as good as mud. He caved underneath the weight of fear and denied his Lord not once, but three times (Mark 14:66-72). The most outspoken disciple failed to speak up for Jesus. He messed up big time, and weeping bitterly in the shadows, he disappeared from the scene. “It’s all over now,” he must have thought. “I can never be saved. Jesus will never forgive me. I’m done for.”

But the angel’s message was clear: Peter’s story was not over. The risen and victorious Lord was calling him back by name. Even after such a humiliating failure, Jesus did not write Peter off. He wanted him to know that He was alive, and eagerly awaited their reunion. Only a few hours prior, Jesus had bought Peter with a price, paid for his sin of betrayal with His life, and now testified through His resurrection that God had accepted the atoning work of His beloved Son.

Perhaps there are times when you feel like Peter: “Well, that’s it then. I am too sinful to be forgiven. I’ve messed up too much.” But Jesus’ message of grace is for you, too. If you had accompanied those women 2,000 years ago, the angel would say to you: “Jesus hasn’t written you off. He still loves you. He wants you to be forgiven.” And Peter would be the first sinner to tell you that you cannot out-sin the grace of the Lord Jesus. As a matter of fact, He died and was raised for you, knowing that you have blown it: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

This devotional column 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.

Other, Theological Reflections

The Unexpected Blessing of Unanswered Prayer

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Unanswered prayer is a razor-sharp instrument of sanctification that the Lord uses to slice open our idolatrous, covetous, unbelieving, and impatient hearts.

That has been my experience, anyway.

When the Lord does not grant us what we want or think we need, our sinful inclination is to desire what we are praying for more than we desire the will of God, which may or may not include the things we have prayed for. The things for which we have yearned for and cried for in prayer may even be good, but our idol-worshipping hearts have a way of turning good things into god-things (Rom. 1:25). A good thing can swiftly become a golden calf and we can easily become fixated upon what we want, allowing everything in our lives to revolve around it, thus, inhibiting contentment with the Lord and His will.

Of course, this is contrary to the kind of God-pleasing obedience which Jesus exemplified in the gloomy garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). He prayed that the cup of God’s righteous indignation would pass from Him, if it were possible. For a brief moment, He prayed for a plan B. Nevertheless, He submitted to God’s sovereign plan of redemption, content with the Lord’s will, which was to “crush Him” (Isa. 53:10). Jesus desired the will of God more than what He prayed for.

Unanswered prayer can also reveal our unholy disposition to question God’s promises and provision, as if His word has failed because we have failed to receive what we have asked for in prayer. When the Lord denies our request(s), we can slip into unbelief and falsely suppose that God is going to give us a serpent or a stone, or worse, that He will withhold the bread and good gifts which He promises to give His children. Walking by sight instead of by faith, we can easily interpret a “No” from God as His displeasure or a failure to keep His word.

Unanswered prayer can also expose our impatience and unwillingness to wait upon the Lord. Perhaps He will give us what we are praying for, but today is not the day. Tomorrow may not be the day, either. Perhaps His denial or delay is because He has something much better in store. Only the Lord knows. But what is certain is that when we do not immediately receive what we are praying for, we have a tendency to grow frustrated and impatient.

To be certain, unanswered prayer can be painful, but it is often painful in the same way that open heart surgery is painful; the heart has to be lacerated and opened in order to get it working right. And the Lord has a way of using unanswered prayers to expose the evil of our hearts and show us that all we truly need is Him. Because of this, unanswered prayer can often be an unexpected blessing.

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

It Is Finished | Bible Gleanings | February 22-23, 2025

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Everything suddenly grew eerily quiet and frightfully dark. The mocking voices of the multitudes hushed and darkness enveloped the land for three hours. The Son of God was nailed to a crucifix, suspended between life and death, bearing the full weight of God’s wrath against sinners. Then came the ninth hour—Jesus’ last hour of life on earth. He lifted His bloody head, and after drawing a deep breath, His voice shattered the silence as He cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

It was not a howl of defeat, but a cry of victory. Jesus had completed His ultimate mission: to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). And God, fully satisfied with His saving work, tore the veil of the Temple in two, signifying the end of separation between a holy God and sinful man (Luke 23:45). The earth shook, the rocks shattered, and the tombs opened, as creation itself testified to the eternal weight of Christ’s cry from the cross (Matt. 27:51-52). The redemption of sinners was complete.

And no one can add to Christ’s work by their obedience, nor subtract from it by their disobedience—it is finished. The most righteous saint cannot improve on what Christ has done, and the most vile sinner cannot take away from what Christ has done—it is finished. Sin can no longer condemn those for whom Christ died, neither can Satan accuse them any longer—it is finished. The sting of death has been nullified because death died through the death of Christ—it is finished. For those who believe in the finished work of Christ, there is no more sin debt to pay, no more death to fear, no more wrath to face, and no more separation from God to suffer from—it is finished.

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

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, Sermons

The Foot-Washer | Bible Gleanings | February 1-2, 2025

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Confusion permeated the room. The air was heavy with a sense of mystery. This particular evening just felt different. Jesus stood up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin without saying a word. And puzzled glances were on every face as the Creator stooped low to wash the dirty feet of His disciples as a slave-servant.

The Lord washed His followers’ feet with carpentry-calloused hands, and then He got to Peter, who naturally objected to the notion of His Savior bringing shame upon Himself by performing the task of a slave. He protested, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” (John 13:6b, emphasis mine). What was Jesus doing? Did He consume too much wine? Had someone stolen Jesus’ identity to impersonate Him and make Him a laughing stock?

Suddenly, Christ broke the silence, explaining why He had stooped to such a low level, although He was the Lord of glory: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). The Savior demonstrated supreme humility, doing what only slaves did, in order to give all of His disciples a model of others-focused service to follow. Jesus was essentially saying, “Do for each other what I’ve done for you: serve like a slave.”

This is specifically what Paul the apostle meant when he commanded all Christians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3-5).

According to Paul, if the exalted Christ temporarily set aside His divine rights and glory for the salvation of unworthy sinners, then believers can certainly put the needs of others before their own. And if Jesus washed the feet of sinners, then His saints can surely wash each other’s feet through burden-bearing, need-meeting, prayer-uplifting, encouragement-giving, reproof-issuing, and any form of loving service that puts others first.

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

Forgetfulness of Faithfulness | Bible Gleanings | January 11-12, 2025

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The last thing you want to forget on a long road trip are snacks. Thankfully for modern travelers, there is a FiveStar or Casey’s off every exit, stocked with enough candy to make Willy Wonka’s teeth ache, and enough greasy food to rival a McDonald’s fryer. For ancient travelers, however, heading out with an empty knapsack wasn’t just inconvenient—it could quickly turn deadly. And the disciples made this mistake when they set sail on the sea (Matt. 16:5, 7-8). They searched for a loaf of bread while they rowed, and when none was found, they panicked and, “they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread” (Mark 8:16).

One could sympathize with their fretting if they were traveling solo, but they weren’t alone. Jesus was on board with them, and He had recently fed over 10,000 people with—you guessed it—bread (cf. Matt. 14:13-21; 15:29-39). The disciples had something better than Panera Bread or Texas Roadhouse—the greatest bread Multiplier who ever lived was right beside them! Why, therefore, were they concerned about their next meal? According to Jesus, the reason for their fear was multifaceted: their memories were short, their faith was faint, and their eyes were closed.

Jesus explained their unfounded worry with a series of questions: “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” (Mark 8:17b-19a).

We may never find ourselves breadless in a boat, but there is no shortage of situations that blind us from seeing our blessings. The disciples weren’t the only ones forgetful of Christ’s miraculous workings of the past. Sometimes, we are forgetful of yesterday’s provision and yesteryear’s mighty wonders, and our present problems often seem bigger than the Lord’s power and providence. Oftentimes, the sight of our needs eclipses our sight of the Need-Meeter, who is always right beside us. Just like the disciples, we often have short memories and small faith.

Fortunately, Jesus is patient with forgetful and faithless disciples like us. However, when we fret about having no bread, we need to inquire of our souls: “Do you not see or remember?” Allow His past provision to fuel your faith in the present. Keep your eyes of faith open to see His constant providential workings in your life. Look back at Christ’s faithfulness in the past and look around at His faithful provision in the present.

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.

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.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Friend of Sinners | Bible Gleanings | December 28-29, 2024

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Blasphemer. Drunkard. Glutton. Servant of Satan. King of the Jews. The negative nicknames hurled at Jesus during His earthly ministry dripped with scorn. But one rose above the rest—a name intended as an insult, but embraced by the Savior who came for sinners: “a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matt. 11:19b).

Jesus shared supper with social outcasts, misfits, and rejects on multiple occasions. Once, after answering the call to follow Jesus, Matthew (also called Levi) held a banquet for His Lord and invited all kinds of sinful folk (Luke 5:29). Reclining at the dinner table were gamblers, moneylenders, thieves, prostitutes, and the worst of them all: tax collectors. “Has He lost His mind?” the scribes and Pharisees must have wondered. After all, this was not the best approach for gaining street credibility for a newly-launched ministry. Dining with such detestable delinquents would actually destroy His ministry—that is, if His ministry was focused on numbers and fame instead of sinners who need grace and mercy.

Therefore, the religious leaders questioned, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30b). Ask and you shall receive, and they received quite an answer, as Jesus wisely responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). In other words, Jesus was saying, “The kind of people you criticize and despise—I came for them. The people that make you shriek in your phony piety—I came for them. The people you believe the world would be a better place without—I came for them.” Jesus came to seek and save the sin-sick, not the self-righteous.

The lesson Jesus taught by eating with evil people is that all sinners are invited to His table. And if you consider yourself to be one, there is good news: Jesus welcomes you to His table of salvation, where you may feast on the blessings of redemption freely. He has saved a seat for every repentant sinner, especially “the poor, the crippled, the lame, [and] the blind” (Luke 14:13). The banquet of everlasting life is not for great saints—it is reserved for great sinners who recognize Christ as a great Savior. Jesus is a Friend and Savior to those who see themselves as God’s enemies in need of salvation, not those who falsely presume that they are on “good terms” with God and do not need saving.

The devotional column above is taken 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.