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26 April:  

Jesus Said: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”      Mtt 11:28-30   

TGC:  The Verse That Helped My Spiritual Anxiety    04/04/2026 Sara Gonzalez

(all emphasis is mine)

Sara Gonzalez wrote the following article that we are going to be looking at.

Let me just say up front that all the words written in bold are of my own choosing. This story starts out with Sara asking a question:

“Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing?”  Sara says: I thought I was doing fairly well in the Christian life—until a few years ago, when I started reading the Bible on my own more.   As I read the Word, I began to understand God’s standard of perfection and just how short I fell. Realizing my potential for sin before a perfect God began a weighty, restless anxiety in me. I filtered every action, big or small, through God’s holy standard, feeling condemned when I fell short.

Of course, I knew that Jesus died for my sins and gave me His righteousness. But that righteousness felt like a label for the future, not who I am NOW.   As I struggled against this anxious introspection, the Holy Spirit kept bringing me back to 2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”      I’d read this verse many times growing up, but I hadn’t really considered what it meant for me. I’d understood it as a label that would come in handy later when I died rather than an identity I could claim in this life.   But as I carefully considered Paul’s teaching in this verse, I found help to lay aside my anxiety over my sin and rest in Christ’s righteousness now.

My Old Nature Died with Christ

We’re not perfect, and we know it. The more we get to know our perfect, holy, righteous God, the more we understand just how short we fall –  Rom 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.   When we can’t change on our own, the flesh tempts us to fear God’s judgment, as if God is as ill-tempered as our sinful nature. Works  (wrongly) become a way to soothe a guilty conscience, training us  (wrongly)  to rely more on our strength than on God’s grace.     We know theologically that we can never be good enough on our own to merit God’s favor and that by believing in Christ’s death for our sins, we’re counted righteous: 2 Cor 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”   Do you see what we are being told here? We are becoming righteous because Jesus died, was punished, because of our sins. NOW, those sins are removed and we are empty and undeclared. If we have any kind of good sense then we are going to rush forward and claim the righteousness of God for ourselves because it has been made available to us. We, as sinless people, because Jesus died for us to remove our sins, can now accept the mantle of righteousness. And who in their right mind would not accept that opportunity?

Yet the flesh tempts us to feel like impostors when reminded of the truth that we’re pure and washed clean.  And you know who is behind that feeling, don’t you?  It is Satan. He is the one who is trying to make us feel like it is not possible for sinner me – to now be pure and clean. But, I think that I will listen to what God says rather than what Satan is saying.

Notice what Paul says in 2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” The verb tense here is important. The old has passed away. Yes, we’ll struggle with sin on this earth. But our identity is no longer defined by sin.

As Christ bore the punishment for us guilty sinners, He uttered, “It is finished” (John 19:30)   Those words marked the end of our old, wretched selves. As we continue to struggle against our sin, we do so with the hope that one day we’ll sin no more and the assurance that, even now, our sin isn’t our identity. 

Christ took away the power of our old nature, but that’s not all. Paul also says in that verse that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation . . . the new has come” (emphasis added). The new isn’t just a future label. It’s the true identity of the believer—right now. Just as our old nature died with Jesus, we have been raised to life with Him: Col 3:1,2 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”    Our identity is irrevocably bound to Him. Christ is our life     Col 3:3,4 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  Again, listen to what God has just told us. Don’t listen to Satan. We are hidden in Christ and when Christ is revealed at the end of time – then we too will burst forth and be accepted into the presence of God.

Understanding our present identity in this way changes our motivation for pursuing righteousness. Paul explains, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised”  (2 Cor 5:14,15)

As new creations, we live out of love for Christ because He killed our condemning identities. Understanding who we are shapes how we approach the Christian life: Col 3:5-8 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality…..in them you also once walked, when you were living in (the world). But now you (have) put them all aside”.

Remembering My Identity Brings Rest

If we’re identifying with the old self, we’ll seek sanctification by anxious works. However, if we see ourselves as God does—a new creation in Christ— sanctification will be the fruit of restful dependence on Him. But how can we shed our old identities and live as new creations in Christ?

We can do this by accepting Jesus’s call: Mtt 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

(When we finally come to grips with the nature of sin and how it affects our relationship with our heavenly Father then we can hear and obey Peter’s instructions to another group of people who committed a great sin against Jesus Christ, Himself: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”, Acts 2:38 )

Living in our new identity involves learning about the gentle, loving, lowly heart of Christ. It involves following Him in obedience and trust, not forging a moral life in our own fleshly strength. Our identity is tied to, yoked to, Christ. Just as He bore the death of our sin, He now bears the burden of our new growth.

If you’re in Christ, you can lay down the burden of your anxious striving. The old has passed away. The new has come. You  can't and  won’t be perfectly righteous  on your own  on this side of heaven, but Christ’s perfect righteousness covers you now.

I think Peter wraps up this lesson very well:      “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls._1 Peter 1:8,9

And it is this knowledge, this assurance of our salvation, that is the source of our love for the Son of God who died for us and restored our relationship with the heavenly Father! Like the Prodigal Son who was received back, unashamedly, and unconditionally, we love and appreciate our loving Father who accepts us into His presence.

 

 

19 April: My Hour Has Not Yet Come  John 2:1-11                     Taken from:  Jesus’ Miracles’  by Jason Elder

In studying God’s word, we can find many insights and directives for our lives. This is no less true with the very first miracle that Jesus brings about:

John 2:1-11 “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ ⁴ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ ⁵ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ ⁶ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. ⁹ When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ ¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

This is the first of many signs which are recorded during His brief ministry here on this earth. Though brief and simple there are several details which we might look at and gain some insight.  Weddings in first-century Jewish culture were week-long celebrations of covenantal joy, symbolizing God’s blessing on family and community. To run out of wine was more than social embarrassment—it threatened the honor of the hosts and disrupted the symbol of divine joy. Fixing this problem was of paramount importance which apparently included Mary’s concern – especially since she believed that she knew of a solution to the problem. The problem as Jesus saw it was that this situation was not in His plan with regard to bringing glory to His mission and His heavenly Father.

Christians are frequently tempted, like Jesus’s mother was, to bring Jesus into situations that are focused strictly on this world’s concerns and issues. Thankfully, now, like then, Jesus does respond to our cries for help. I am reminded of Israel’s cries for help - time and time again - and how God hears their cries and responds with deliverance. While Jesus does provide for our physical needs, we should never forget the primary purpose Jesus has been assigned to accomplish on our behalf is our spiritual connection with our Father in heaven. If you remember in John 17 Jesus prays: “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me”. (John 17:21).  Rom 5:1, 5 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ …. because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  His divinely appointed hour saves us from sin, death, and eternal judgment.

In looking more closely at the story we can see a couple important details.  

A) Plentiful & Good Wine:  Jesus does what His mother asks and produces the wine that is needed. But His provisions are noteworthy:  1) Jesus instructs that the six stone jars that are standing nearby for the purpose of purification ceremonies (each holding twenty to thirty gallons of water) be filled with water. With the marriage ceremony well into the week’s celebrations it can be imagined that these 120 – 180 galleons of wine should be more than enough.   2) The second noteworthy detail in this story is the quality of wine which Jesus produced. It was good enough to catch the attention of the chief steward who was so impressed that he felt the need to investigate.

Jesus’ provisions/blessings for us are likewise just as superior as illustrated here. Isn’t that one of the implications in Jesus’ statement that He has come to bring to us life – abundant life!   Christians are often times tempted to find  their  answers / satisfaction in the “cheap wines” of this world. This may be career success, family stability, the cheaper pleasures of food and drink, or any of the other worldly blessings that can be found in this world.   1 John 2:15,16 “Do not love the world nor the things of the world… For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father; but is from the world.” Our search for the blessings of THIS world will always fall short of providing fulfillment and contentment.

This wedding miracle of Jesus invites His followers to drink of the “good wine” and find its ultimate hope and identity in the One who gave His blood (wine!) to rescue and restore.

So what might be the ‘good wine’ which the Lord has provided for us – for you and me? What might be that ‘abundant life’ promised us?  1) God’s promise to be with us:          Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously took about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”   Jer. 29:11 “ ‘For I know the plans that I have for your,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not calamity to give you’re a future and a hope.’” Heb 13:6 “so that we can confidently say: ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Rom 8:26 ““In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

2) God  WILL  provide:  John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.     1 John 5:14, 15 “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”     Eph 6:10,11 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”     Phil 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”    2 Cor 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”        Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”.     Eph 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”.

We know Scripture assures us of God’s protection and we see in Mary’s request and expectation a belief in her Son and what He was capable of. Against this backdrop, Jesus’ response reveals more than just compassion.

B)  A second detail that is worthy of consideration is Jesus’ Response: it refers to the arrival of the messianic age.   “My hour has not yet come”:   Jesus’s response to His mother may sound abrupt to modern ears (John 2:4), but it was probably more politely received in its original context. Jesus’ response reveals an unwavering commitment to the Father’s mission and resists the misplaced expectations His mother and we ourselves may often put on Him. Consider Jesus’ words recorded in John 14:13,14 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”    We can see here in Jesus’ words another example of a focus and intent which is centered on doing the will of the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer we are encouraged to desire God’s kingdom to be revealed and complied with. In this particular instance, God’s hour for Jesus refers to His eventual placement on the cross. John 7:6, 30 “So Jesus said to them, ‘My time is not yet here ….’  So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.” In numerous other places the opposition tries to eliminate Jesus but because it is NOT His hour those situations are miraculously avoided (John 7:44; 8:59; 10:39; Luke 4:29; Mtt 12:14).

A third factor to consider is Our Response:  Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). To follow Him is to go about doing the will of the Father. Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ. Paul went about doing God’s will in sharing the gospel. 2 Cor 5:20 tells us that we are God’s ambassadors and are representing God’s righteousness.    Eph 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”     Rom 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”   Col 1:9,10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the k knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God”.

 

 

This miracle story is more than a proof of Jesus’s divinity.  When we read the miracle stories theologically, we are invited to trust in God’s character, rest in His redemptive work, and hope in the restoration He has promised. The miracle stories provided give us the source needed to nourish us and grow us into being the disciples that the Lord desires us to be. John 20:31031 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

May OUR belief in the Lord Jesus Christ be evident in our lives as we live for and with Him!

D)  Final Observation regarding this miracle:    John 2:8–10 – The Best Wine Last

When the master of the feast tastes the wine, he declares that the bridegroom has kept the best for last. This reversal illustrates the message of the gospel: God saves the best for the end. The old covenant prepared the way, but the fullness of grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). The new wine represents the joy of the messianic kingdom, foretold by prophets who envisioned wine flowing freely in the age of salvation (Amos 9:13; Isaiah 25:6) leading us to eternal life with God. Titus 1:2 “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago”.      1 John 2:25 “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”   Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”