Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Jesus replied, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not Mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto Myself.” He said this to show what kind of death He was going to die.
– John 12:23-33
Devotion
In response to the interest of the Greeks attending the festival, Jesus declared that “the hour” had arrived for the Son of Man to die. It was only through His death that the fruit of changed lives would be made possible. And it was only through His death that the evil one would be defeated. Just as the book of Daniel predicted, the Son of Man would arrive right on schedule. But He would arrive and subsequently be put to death, not seated on an earthly throne. His death would secure the salvation of many. His resurrection would infuse hope into a world that had lost hope and had been stumbling in darkness. The light of the world came into the world and His own people did not recognize Him.
The Big Question
Daniel prophesied certain things about the Messiah roughly 500 years before Jesus. Jesus said many things that completely aligned with Daniel’s message. This is the convergence between prophecy and fulfillment. How does this alignment between Daniel and Jesus encourage you? How does it shape your ability to take God at His Word?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God revealed to you today.