Read Zechariah 3 (p.1055) (Refer to commentary on page 1056) Day 1 Do you ever have feelings of unworthiness before God? Do you ever feel like giving up because you re sure you ll never be good enough and you ll just mess up anyway? In a courtroom a prosecuting attorney is a lawyer who cross-examines and makes a case against the accused person. The defense attorney defends the accused person. The judge, of course, is the one who listens to both sides and declares the final judgment and the sentencing. The setting of Zechariah 3 is what could be called a heavenly courtroom. In this passage Joshua stands accused in filthy clothes. Who is the accuser, or the prosecuting attorney? Was Joshua guilty in other words, was there some truth to the accuser s statements? What is the Lord s response to the accusations of this prosecuting attorney? (verse 2) What is the Lord s response to Joshua, the accused? (verse 4) Satan tries to do the same thing to us as he did to Joshua in this story. He accuses us before God. We begin to feel defeated, unworthy, and unrighteous. We may think thoughts like How could you do that and be a Christian? You re not really a child of God he doesn t love you But we must remember that we have an undefeatable defense attorney JESUS! What has God clothed us in instead of filthy clothes? Read Isaiah 61:10 (p.819). What promise did the Lord give to Joshua in Zechariah 3:7? This promise holds true for all who are forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ and who walk in his ways. Is Satan filling your mind with accusing thoughts? Are you listening to his accusations? Take time to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what accusations of Satan you have believed. Then say out loud these words from the Bible: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1-2)
Read: Hebrews 7:23-28 (p.1428) (Refer to commentary on page 1429) Day 2: Jesus Our Advocate Can you think of a time when you were being accused of something and someone came to speak up in your defense? How did this make you feel? Under the old law the law of the First Testament if you sinned, you deserved death. Sometimes that is exactly what happened. Read the story of Achan in Joshua 7 (p.239). Sin also separates us from God. Under the old law, to be made right with God again required an animal sacrifice. In other words, an animal died in the place of the sinner. Read about some of the sacrifices that the people of Israel had to make for sins: When a community sinned Leviticus 4:13-21 (p.112) When a leader sinned Leviticus 4:22-24 (p.114) When an individual sinned unintentionally Leviticus 4:27-28 (p.114) Other specific sins such as thoughtless sins or sins of omission Leviticus 5:7,11 (p.115) Now think about the sins you have committed this week. If you were living in Old Testament times, how many animals would have had to die in your place for this week s sins? Jesus was the perfect, blameless, and final sacrifice. He offered himself up in our place. We only have to come to God through Jesus and then our sins past, present, and future are forgiven. Read Hebrews 7:24-28 (p.1428) which tells about the final sacrificed lamb. Satan still wants to steal us away. He wants to keep us in darkness by accusing us and getting us to believe his lies. But Jesus remains at the right hand of God and speaks in our defense. His sacrifice completely covers our sin. Jesus is our defense attorney. Read these words and really think about them: If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). Take time to confess your sins to God. Thank Jesus for sacrificing himself in your place. Thank him for speaking up in your defense at the throne of grace.
Read Matthew 7:13-23 (p.1085) (Refer to commentary on page 1086) Day 3: The Narrow Way The commentary for today says, The struggle going on in our mind is similar to taking a walk along a narrow street that leads to a door through which we can see Jesus. Buildings line the narrow street, and people pop their heads out of doors and windows, tempting us and accusing us, saying, You don t believe this religious garbage, do you? Come on in with the rest of us and have a good time. Are you still on the narrow path, or are you opening the doors and following the voices? If you are still on the path, are you moving closer to Jesus than you were when you first became a Christian? A defeated Christian is a person who is listening to other voices and going against God s will. Read the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 (p.1240). Were they walking the narrow way? Where are you at with your walk with God? Are you giving in to temptations that lead you off the straight and narrow path to Jesus? Sometimes we aren t giving in to sin, but we aren t growing in the Lord either. Perhaps we are too busy talking and trying to convince him that we are victorious. Many times Christians live with unnecessary worry, anxiety, or fear. These fears are rooted in the lie that we cannot trust God to help us win the battles we face. Sometimes we fall into the trap of being too busy for God. Read Numbers 13 (p.159). What were the spies afraid of in the new land? Did they trust in God, or were they busy listening to voices that kept their eyes off of what God could do? As the commentary says, Victorious Christians fix their eyes on Jesus and keep walking by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. They don t pay attention to deceiving spirits and will not be distracted by them. Look at the story of Stephen in Acts 6:8 7:60 (p.1243). On whom were Stephen s eyes set? We need to strive to be more like Stephen fixing our eyes on Jesus and closing our ears to the voices of the enemy. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any ways that you have been tempted to leave the narrow path or have not focused on Who is waiting at the end of the narrow path. Ask the Lord to enable you to run with perseverance the race marked out for [you] and to fix [your] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of [your] faith (Hebrews 12:1-2, p.1435).
Read Mark 3:22-30 (p.1127) (Refer to commentary on page 1128) Day 4: The Unpardonable Sin Are you aware that there is an unpardonable sin a sin which will never be forgiven? The Bible teaches this in Mark 3:29: Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin. To blaspheme means to speak carelessly, falsely, or insultingly about God or holy things. With that meaning in mind, do you think you have ever blasphemed the Holy Spirit? Read Romans 8:14-16 (p.1290). According to these verses, what does the Spirit of God do? The commentary explains that one of the roles of the Spirit is to lead us to Christ, and the work of Christ is to forgive all who come to him by faith. Those who reject the Spirit s prompting and witness in their life do not come to Christ. If they never come to Christ, they are never forgiven, and then are guilty of eternal sin. Those who do accept Christ as their personal Savior and Lord are forgiven of their sins and blasphemies. So Christians cannot commit the unpardonable sin, because they have already been pardoned by Christ. Read the following passages in John about a Pharisee named Nicodemus: John 3:1-21 (p.1201), John 7:45-52 (p.1210), and John 19:38-42 (p.1228). It s obvious in these passages that Nicodemus, though a Pharisee, was following Jesus and questioning his own beliefs and practices. What role do you think the Spirit of God was playing here? Thank the Holy Spirit for drawing you to Christ. Thank Jesus for dying for you and for forgiving your sins. Is there someone you love and care about who doesn t know Christ? Commit to praying for that person daily. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide him/her into all truth and ultimately to Christ.
Read John 21:15-19 (p.1231) (Refer to commentary on page 1230) Day 5: Betrayal and Restoration Earlier Peter had denied knowing Jesus not just once but three times. When have you, either with words or in other ways, denied knowing Jesus or his power within you? Read about Peter s denial of Jesus John 13:37-38 (p.1221) and John 18:15-27 (p.1226). Put yourself in Peter s place what might he have been feeling as he heard those questions asked of him? What thoughts and memories might have been going through his mind as he thought about how to answer them? What words would you use to describe how he must have felt when he heard the rooster crow? Jesus graciously gives Peter another chance a chance to show that he truly does love Jesus. What question does Jesus ask Peter? (John 21:15ff.) How many times does he ask it? Why do you think he asks it three times? If you have recently denied knowing Jesus either by what you ve said or by what you ve done ask Jesus to forgive you now. Then, if you agree with the statement of belief written in the last paragraph of today s commentary, read it out loud as a declaration of your relationship with Christ.