Thoughts

• Jesus was determined to always do those things which pleased His Father. When He was a boy, He stayed behind in Jerusalem while His parents traveled to Nazareth so He could sit in the midst of the teachers in the temple, both listening to them and asking them questions. According to verse 49, the goal was to be about His Father’s business (Luke 2:41-50). After He had talked with the Samaritan women in John 4, in verse 34, He told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” In Luke 22:42, as He faced a horrible death on the cross, Jesus prayed, “not My will, but Yours, be done.”
• One way that Jesus recognized God’s will was by learning His word. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil. Each time He was tempted, Jesus responded by saying three very important words, “It is written.” Jesus had learned God’s word, so He knew what not to do. He also learned what to do in order to please the Father.
• As we go through this study, 50 Days of Purpose, the basis for what we learn will be the Bible. According to Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” If we as individuals or as a church are going to become what God wants us to be and accomplish what God wants us to do, we need to spend much time in His word, hear, and obey.