Today Daily Devotional

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

— 1 Peter 1:6

During the 19 years that our family lived in China, we were “resident aliens.” We were living in one country, but we had citizenship in another. Writing to Christians who were scattered throughout Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), Peter reminds them that they are like resident aliens, citizens of two worlds.

When he wrote his first letter, Peter was likely in his mid-sixties and writing from Rome. According to some Bible scholars, his readers may have been former residents of Rome who were forced to relocate (see Acts 18:2). Drawing from his decades of following Jesus, Peter urges these scattered believers to keep two things in mind. First, they should live with great joy. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, they have been given a hope that absolutely nothing could spoil. Second, though they are facing difficulties—even persecution—they should keep trusting in Jesus and living as respectful and faithful residents of their present land.

In a sense, wherever we live, we followers of Jesus are “resident aliens.” In this life our hope is in Jesus while we await our promised eternal life with him in his kingdom, which will culminate in the new heaven and earth. So we too should live with joy, keeping our eyes on Jesus. And although we may face difficulties in our present circumstances, we can live as faithful citizens of his kingdom wherever we are.

Lord Jesus, help us to focus on our citizenship with you while we seek to follow wherever you lead us. Amen.

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

— Galatians 2:11

After his formative, life-changing encounter with Cornelius the centurion, Peter and others led the early church in understanding God’s grace for all people (see Acts 10-11, 15). Later, however, Peter tended to favor Jesus’ Jewish followers, while Paul continued working for the Lord as a missionary to Gentiles (Acts 9, 13-14, 16-28). Though Peter believed that Jesus’ love was for all people, he sometimes slipped back into ethnic prejudices, avoiding eating with Gentiles for fear of offending Jewish believers. In Antioch, Paul confronted Peter (Cephas) as a hypocrite for separating himself from Gentiles.

Though Paul’s response may have been excessive, we can thank God that Paul did not go along with twisting Jesus’ gospel of love and unity. And, sadly, again we see Peter, “a pillar” of the early church, showing weakness in the face of peer pressure from Jewish hardliners.

Yet Peter didn’t completely collapse here. From his later teaching we can tell that he accepted Paul’s reprimand and moved on without holding a grudge. In a letter to Christians in Galatia and other parts of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), Peter describes Paul as “our dear brother,” who had also written to them “with the wisdom that God gave him” (2 Peter 3:15).

Like Peter, we can expect to fail at times. As we grow in becoming disciples, though, we can also, like Peter, humbly accept correction and continue to follow Jesus.

Lord, by your grace, may we continue to follow and serve you. Amen.

“Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

— Acts 10:47

Have you heard the saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same”?

Though Jesus had come to change the spiritual lives of all who would believe in him as Savior, some things in the lives of Peter and others remained the same. But a divine appointment changed everything.

As a leader in the early church, Peter set an example for the Jewish followers of Jesus. He kept the Sabbath with prayer and rest. He kept kosher, carefully minding the strict Jewish dietary rules. What’s more, he shunned contact with Gentiles (non-Jews), and, like all Jews, he hated the Romans. But that wasn’t how the Lord wanted the church to be.

So the Lord sent Peter a troubling vision and put him on a mission to visit a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1-23). And Peter learned that he needed to change his mind. And when he saw that the Holy Spirit came on all the Gentiles who had heard the good news of salvation, Peter began to understand the wideness of God’s love for all people. So he called for these Gentiles be baptized in Jesus’ name.

Here God used Peter’s standing in the church to begin a crucial turning point in the history of the church. If you love Jesus, God loves you. It doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish or not. Jesus calls us to love and serve all of God’s children.

Lord, thank you for your love for people of every language and nation. Help us to love as you have loved us. Amen.

Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?”

— Acts 5:9

“Kill the chicken to scare the monkey,” says a Chinese proverb. In other words, put the fear of punishment into people, and they will not break the rules. Is that what Peter does in this unnerving story about Ananias and Sapphira?

In the early chapters of Acts, the writer Luke includes progress reports on the growth and character of the early church. At the end of Acts 4 we read that the believers were “one in heart and mind” and “shared everything they had.” We also read of a generous donation by Barnabas, who sold some land and gave all the money to the church.

The story of Ananias and Sapphira, however, reveals a web of deceit. The couple sold some land and kept some money for themselves while pretending to give all the proceeds to the church. Peter harshly condemned them—not for keeping some of the profit but for lying and thinking they could deceive the Holy Spirit.

What should we make of this story? Is Peter making an example of this deceitful couple? Well, this story isn’t mainly about Peter. The Holy Spirit, who lives and moves within us and the church, is carrying out Jesus’ plans for redemption. Ananias and Sapphira’s story reminds us that we should rely only on the Spirit for growth and blessing—and we should never forget that the Spirit is the Lord Almighty.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit, our comforter. Help us to trust and honor the Spirit in all things. Amen.

“When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit. . . .”

— Matthew 10:19

Are you ever at a loss for words? I am, at times, in difficult or sensitive situations, where the cost might be high. In our reading for today, we see Peter and John living out a promise that Jesus had given them—that the Holy Spirit would provide them with words in difficult situations.

Jesus had commissioned his disciples to continue his ministry (Matthew 28:18-20), and now they were doing as he had taught them. They were healing people and proclaiming his forgiveness of sins and his resurrection from the dead.

But Peter and John were arrested and brought before the religious authorities in Jerusalem, and those leaders wanted to know how the disciples had the authority to heal a lame man. The critical moment had come, and Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” proclaimed boldly that they had healed the man in the name of Jesus Christ, who had risen from the dead, and that salvation is found only in him.

Unlike Christians in parts of the world that are hostile to the church today, most of us have not been called to account for our belief in Jesus. We can be grateful, though, for the faithful witness of Jesus’ followers. And we can trust that the Spirit will give us what we need when we too may be called on to share the truth about our Lord and Savior.

Jesus, help us to trust you and the Spirit to help us speak with love and boldness when are called to do so in your name. Amen.

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

— Acts 2:38

How many keys do you have? I have several keys that I use often, and we have lots of old or unused keys at home.

Jesus gave Peter the most important keys in the world. When Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). Jesus affirmed Peter’s declaration, saying it was revealed to him by his Father in heaven, and then Jesus promised to give Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (16:19).

What are those keys?

Speaking to a flash mob on Pentecost morning, Peter used the keys of the kingdom. In a ringing speech citing Old Testament proofs that Jesus is the Son of God, Peter proclaimed that Jesus came to save sinners. He died to pay the price of our sin, and he rose from death so that we could have new life in him, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s listeners were cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter responded by offering the keys of the kingdom of heaven: “Repent and be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

In addition to your house keys and car keys, do you have the keys of the kingdom? If not, ask Jesus to reveal himself to you and to forgive your sins. And as a forgiven sinner, thank Jesus and ask him to use you to share those keys with the people around you who don’t know him.

Help us, Lord Jesus, to share the keys of your kingdom with all who need you. Amen.

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty). . . .

— Acts 1:15

Have you heard of the “Peter Principle”? It’s a management theory by Laurence J. Peter suggesting that employees will rise to the level of their incompetence. In other words, people can be promoted into roles for which they don’t even have the necessary skills. And people at the top are often not the best suited to fill those top positions.

What about Peter in the Bible? Was he suited for his position at the head of the early church?

Though Peter’s heart was often in the right place, he was prone to extreme ups and downs, from boldly proclaiming Jesus as the “Son of God” to denying that he even knew his Lord. But before Jesus ascended to heaven, Jesus gave Peter the charge to take care of his sheep.

So in the opening chapter of Acts, we see Peter speaking as the leader of the disciples and Jesus’ other followers in Jerusalem. He leads the process of selecting Matthias to replace Judas, who had betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders. From this time on, Peter stands at the head of the founding and growth of the church in its early days.

Was Peter suited for this role? In truth, no. Nevertheless, Jesus chose him, despite his flaws and failings, for a pivotal role in nurturing the early church.

Are we suited for serving Jesus? In truth, no—but he will use us, if we listen to him.

Before you, Jesus, we all fall short. Thank you for loving us and calling us to enjoy life in you. Help us to honor and serve you faithfully. Amen.

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

— John 21:17

This passage echoes a couple of earlier scenes in the story of Jesus and his disciples.

On the night Jesus was arrested, while Peter crouched for warmth by a fire in the high priest’s courtyard, he was asked three times by some of the people there if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. And he denied Jesus each time (John 18:15-27).

In our reading today we find another fire—this one for cooking a breakfast of fresh fish. And here, as Jesus had done when he had first met Peter and the others fishing (Luke 5:4-7), he has just directed the disciples to catch a boatload of fish. Like bookends, these two catches of fish and two fires highlight Peter’s calling and his being forgiven.

And the story doesn’t end with forgiveness. After breakfast, Jesus challenges Peter with a razor-sharp question: “Peter, do you love me more than these [other disciples]?”

“Lord, you know I do,” Peter insists.

Jesus asks and Peter answers three times. Three affirmations for three denials. And with each one Jesus tells Peter to care for his sheep.

As it was with Peter, our being made right with God is not our happy ending. It’s our new beginning. Do you love Jesus with all your heart? If you do, Jesus calls you to feed his lambs and take care of his sheep. Wherever we live, we can help with tending God’s flock, his people bought with the precious blood of Jesus.

Jesus, our good shepherd, you have provided all that we need. Lead us to love and serve everyone around us. Amen.

Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter. . . .

— John 20:3

I’m not much of a runner. I prefer walking. In an urgent situation, though, I would run if I had to. When Peter and John heard that Jesus’ tomb had been opened, they raced there urgently to see for themselves.

Significantly, Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance was to Mary Magdalene and several other women who had come to his tomb. But the disciples did not believe them at first, dismissing their account as “nonsense” (Luke 24:10). Yet despite their doubts, John writes that he and Peter ran to the tomb. John, the younger man, got there first and peeked in, but Peter was the first to go into the empty tomb. Later, Peter is reportedly the first of the disciples to see Jesus risen from the dead (Luke 24:34).

Though Mary Magdalene is the first person to see Jesus alive (John 20:14-15), why is Peter the first among the disciples? Maybe this distinction shows that Jesus has forgiven Peter’s denial. In addition, this could point to Peter’s central role as a leader among the apostles, who established the church, Christ’s body on earth. Broken and flawed, yet willing and eager to serve, Peter and Mary and all of Jesus’ other disciples are chosen to spread the good news of his salvation to others—and eventually to the world.

Though we, too, are broken and flawed, Jesus can use us as we join the urgent race to share in his mission.

Lord, you have set the race before us. Give us the strength and courage to endure till we meet you face to face. Amen.

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

— John 18:11

I sometimes carry a small pocket knife—not for protection, but for small tasks like slicing apples to eat. Peter, however, carried a sword for protection on the night that Jesus was arrested.

Anticipating a deadly trap, Peter concealed a sword in his cloak. And when some soldiers came along with several religious leaders to arrest Jesus, Peter drew out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. When Jesus saw Peter’s violent act, he rebuked him, healed the servant’s ear (Luke 22:51), and challenged Peter, saying, in effect, “Shall I not do what the Father has given me to do?”

Strangely, in an earlier passage in Luke, Jesus seems to advise his disciples to carry swords (Luke 22:36-38). Was Jesus speaking figuratively there about swords for spiritual warfare, as Paul does in Ephesians 6:10-18?

Though that passage in Luke is a bit unclear, we can be certain of one thing: Jesus never condones physical violence in order to spread the good news of his salvation. Submitting to God’s will, Jesus gave himself as a humble sacrifice to demonstrate his love for us all.

And he invites us to do the same for others.

Jesus, Prince of Peace, help us to submit our will to you, and with acts of humble obedience may we love and serve you in the world. Amen.