AUGUST 02 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#23 “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32)

 

AUGUST 02  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   

JQ#23

  “What do you want Me to do for you?”  

(Matthew 20:32)

LIVING FOR JESUS Daily Prayer   

JESUS, what Peace it is to know that regardless of any earthly 

circumstance that we find ourselves in, that You are able to carry 

us through. As we move closer to You and our eternity, You have 

proven that You will give us the strength to face whatever situation 

we must face in this “valley of the shadow of death” as long as we 

keep our focus on You! Our strength comes because we know that You

 are right here with us and the Peace of knowing  that You are with

 us cannot be described by mortal tongue. Lord Jesus, I trust You in 

ALL THINGS and I praise You for Your very near Presence 

as I awoke today. Lord, my prayer is not for me but for those 

that are praying for me, bless them. 

Lord Jesus, keep us all drawn to You—

 for You ARE PERFECT PEACE!   

AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus made this very definitive statement about

 “who” He was and “why” He was on earth 

in response to a question Thomas (His disciple) had asked,

 “Lord, we do not know where You are going, 

and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5) 

Jesus had previously Taught the disciples by example as John writes

 about the last Passover Jesus shared with His disciples: 

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things 

into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going 

to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, 

took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water 

into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, 

and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” 

(John 13:3-6) 

Jesus could not have been any clearer in His Teachings to His disciples —

—— Jesus had come to “serve” and to “sacrifice” Himself, 

Jesus did everything on earth because of God’s purpose for His 

earthly life and now Jesus was preparing His disciples to continue

 the work of the Father. Jesus had just told the disciples 

“I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, 

I will come again and receive you to Myself;

 that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-4) 

Jesus has Taught by example that they were to “serve” others,

 Jesus stated that

 His work for the Father was to be “sacrificed” 

to reveal God’s Glory of the Resurrection

 from the dead on the “third day” 

and now Jesus says that He is preparing a mansion for them in

 “My Father’s house” 

and yet Thomas was so blinded by the world’s fear of death

 that Thomas pleads, “how can we know the way?” 

Jesus has always been patient with His disciples and here 

Jesus did not reprimand Thomas, Jesus simply reminded Thomas that

 “where I go you know, and the way you know…” (John 14:4) 

and 

“The words I speak to you I do not speak 

on My own authority;

 but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10)

 Now that Jesus has the disciples in Jerusalem again for 

another Passover, He is again Teaching them about His 

purpose and their responsibilities to His Teachings 

as He asks Question JQ#23 

“What do you want Me to do for you?”  

(Matthew 20:32) 

which after all the examples Jesus has set before them with His helping

 others and His willingness to “serve” others and to “Sacrifice Himself”

 for others and clearly stating that everything He does

 is the work of the Father,

 that this simple Question becomes paramount in the disciples lives and

 in our lives, for if we know that

 Jesus is the Son of God 

and that all His works are of God as part of God’s Plan of Salvation, 

then truly we should look into our soul and decide,

 “What do we want Jesus to do for us?”?!?!?!? 

Here is your chance — do you want to let Jesus “show you the way” 

to eternal life, do you want Jesus to tell you the Truth about God

 and His purpose and plan for your life, or perhaps all you really want 

is to be immortal but instead of eternal peace in heaven you desire 

to spend your immortality “lording” your supremacy over the 

weak in the world??? This really is a serious Question, 

“What do you want Jesus to do for you — really?”  

But just remember this promise Jesus made about your requests:

 

“And whatever you ask in My name,

 that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”

 (John 14:13)

 

——— so make sure that what you want from Jesus

 is going

 to glorify the Father 

when Jesus gives it to you!!!

AUGUST 01 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#23 “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32)

 

AUGUST 01  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  

JQ#23

  “What do you want Me to do for you?”  

(Matthew 20:32)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, I find myself once again completely amazed at how You 

have brought all the circumstances of my life together into a single 

purpose and it is obvious that indeed everything in my life of following

 You will work together for the best ——— and the unspoken blessing

 is Your Unconditional Love that drives it all, Your Love is at the center

 of it all,  and Your Love is becoming my all in all — Lord, whatever happens

 in terms of earthly circumstances is of no consequence as long as it

 is Your Love consuming my old worldly self and the Light of Your Love

 is leading this old sinner down the paths of righteousness. Lord forgive

 me of all my earthly weaknesses that have caused me to worry and 

to take my eyes off the Heavenly Prize of Your Calling, even for a 

single second or even for a passing glance at my old life, keep me always

 singing Your Words that Your Holy Spirit gave to me as You led me

 to write these lyrics: 

Remember My Word, And all that you’ve heard, 

Believe that the Father sent Me, 

That I came to Save, Put Death in the Grave, 

My Blood won the Victory, 

Because I’m Risen, Your sins are Forgiven, 

For all Eternity, 

I drank the Cup that the Father filled up, 

And I died to set you Free ——— 

My Blood will Wash you Clean!”

 {Chorus from “Grain of Wheat”}.    

AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus begins JQ#23 by once again telling His disciples that 

His purpose for His “living in the flesh” 

will be His “dying on the cross”

 so that the Glory of God will be demonstrated when 

Jesus the Son of God through the Power of the Holy Spirit 

is Resurrected on the “third day” by God the Father!!!   

Jesus reminds us about the centerpiece of 

His Purpose

 and then immediately Teaches that how we respond to the

 Truth of God that Forgiveness of Sins 

is the primary mission of Jesus becoming flesh 

and how 

His Purpose 

impacts our eternity because the 

Resurrection of the Son by the Father and 

His ascension 

into heaven to intercede on our behalf

 is the cornerstone of our Faith! 

There is significance to the 

“Resurrection Prophecy” 

and to the place where the prophecy will be fulfilled, Jerusalem! 

Matthew records: 

“Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples 

aside on the road and said to them, 

‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man

 will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; 

and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles

 to mock and to scourge and to crucify. 

And the third day He will rise again.’” 

(Matthew 20:17) 

 

Jesus again Taught a very valuable Kingdom Lesson to the disciples 

who seemed to always turn to thoughts of their own glory every time 

Jesus revealed that 

in the Resurrection that it was God who would be glorified 

and not Himself and certainly not the disciples 

— in Galilee Jesus had reminded them that 

“The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 

and they will kill Him, and the

 third day He will be raised up.” (Matthew 17:22) 

Immediately the disciples came to Jesus and asked

 “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

and Jesus Taught that 

“unless you are converted and become as little children, 

you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-3) 

Then later Jesus Taught the parable of the landowner after reminding

 the disciples that the Resurrection would be a 

“regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His Glory”

 and that it is God Himself who calls all the followers of Jesus to enter into His

 “Labor” (Matthew 19:28) 

and concludes the parable stating

 “So the last will be first, and the first last. 

For many are called but few are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16) 

But now the disciples are in Jerusalem with Jesus and when He says

 the Son of Man will die and be

 “resurrected on the third day” 

that the disciples again turn their thoughts to what are “they” going to get

 when Jesus goes to heaven? This time the issue was actually raised 

by the mother of James and John as she requested that Jesus allow them to

 “sit [with Jesus], one on Your right hand and the other on the left, 

in Your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:21) Jesus started His Lesson 

on what the disciples true responsibilities would be as 

He turned and asked the mother 

JQ#23a, “What do you wish?” (Matthew 20:21) 

and when she asked for her sons to be honored by Him,  Jesus replied, 

“…you do not know what you ask…” (Matthew 20:22) 

Jesus begins Teaching how we should respond to the 

Truth of God 

that even though His death on a cross was for the Forgiveness of our sins,

 that it should be viewed from the perspective that

 

Forgiveness of Sins is in Truth 

all about the Glory of God 

in bestowing “Grace” 

on our undeserving lives, 

and certainly not to elevate us to a position of “honor” but should

 instill in us “humility”! 

Mankind has and always will try to take credit

 for ourselves instead of giving God the glory! 

Just stop and think then how important it is to look at our motivation

 for asking Jesus for anything at all, for He knows your thoughts 

and the desires of your heart so He will know the “Truth”

 when you have to answer Him 

when He asks you, 

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

 (Matthew 20:32)