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Related topics Week 9 - His Outrageous Temple Claim Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple revealed a radical claim: He Himself was the true meeting place between God and humanity, making God’s presence accessible to all.
John 2:12–25 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up ” (John 2:19). After the wedding at Cana, Jesus spent a few days beside the Sea of Galilee with His mother, brothers, and the four or five disciples who had joined Him at the Jordan River. He then headed to Jerusalem for Passover to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt centuries earlier. When He arrived, the city was alive with pilgrims, its streets filled with music, dancing and expectation. But He found the Temple—the place of God’s presence, healing, forgiveness and worship—like a noisy and chaotic marketplace. Shocked, He took a rope as a whip. He chased the traders out, drove the cattle and sheep from the courtyard, overturned the moneychangers’ tables—scattering their coins across the stones—and told those selling doves, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” The disciples must have watched in awe and confusion, wondering at His boldness. In the short time they had known Him, they had not seen Jesus like this. His actions were intentional and revolutionary. But what was He doing? The Torah required these sacrifices (see Leviticus 1:1–17), and moneychangers facilitated the system by exchanging ordinary coins for the Tyrian shekels required in the Temple. Their role was essential for worship at the Temple, but they had turned it into a profit-driven, exclusionary process. In confronting them, Jesus disrupted their corruption. But it was more. This was the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The Temple had been rebuilt by Herod the Great on a massive 15-hectare (37-acre) plateau—the Temple Mount—where hundreds of thousands could gather. This Herodian Temple vied in size with Baalbek in Phoenicia (now Lebanon) and Serapis in Rome . Jesus was on a world stage. This Temple was the pinnacle of Jewish identity. He was confronting religious power and Israel’s nationalism. And when the Jewish leaders demanded a sign of His authority, Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Clearly, this was not a symbolic tidy-up of the Temple. It was a bold protest and redefinition. He was not merely cleansing the Temple—He was deconstructing it and Israel’s nationalism. In the boldest possible way, He was declaring that He was the Temple—the living dwelling place of God, the heart and soul of God’s kingdom. By presenting Himself as the true temple—the meeting place between God and humanity—the focus of worship was no longer a building, and God’s kingdom would no longer be a nation with borders and with Jerusalem as its capital. This was a radical, unprecedented, audacious, provocative and outrageous shift. But He wasn’t dismissed as crazy. The temple authorities took Him seriously. Literally. They recalled that it had taken 46 years to build Herod’s Temple, and they were indignant that He would speak of Himself as the new temple through which God’s presence would dwell among humanity—both Jews and gentiles. It was blasphemous! This Passover was the first of His ministry (in 28 CE) and marked the beginning of a radical redefinition. From there, He took the temple activities of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and miraculous signs to city streets, marketplaces and villages—crossing ethnic and national lines. God’s presence was no longer confined to stone and rituals. His one-man temple system challenged the entire religious, political and social structure of Israel—and the Roman Empire. His kingdom movement emphasised a living, accessible God, not buildings or systems. This deconstruction continued through His life and was integral to His faith movement. It culminated in His predicting the Temple’s destruction (see Matthew 24:1–3), the ending of temple sacrifices with His death (see Matthew 27:45–56) and, ultimately, the dwelling of God’s presence in His followers (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Jesus demonstrated that God’s presence is personal, intimate and transformative, dwelling within those who follow Him rather than within walls of stone. He replaced the old system. He positioned Himself as the new meeting place between God and humanity. God was now accessible to all. In a city built around its temple, this was seismic! Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple revealed a radical claim: He Himself was the true meeting place between God and humanity, making God’s presence accessible to all.

Week 9 - His Outrageous Temple Claim

Related topics Week 8 - His Spirit Dependence Jesus’ ministry was shaped by dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer, obedience, Scripture, humility and transformative relationships.
Jesus was led by the Spirit (Matthew 4:1) Matthew 3:1–4:12; Mark 1:9–13; Luke 3:1–3, 21–23; 4:1–13; John 1:15–2:12 From a life of obscurity has come the most influential movement in history. But if you look closely at Jesus’ life, there is no hint of self-promotion, no calculated bid for power. Instead, there is a quiet, consistent reliance on “the Holy Spirit.” To understand how this movement began—and why it endured—we must understand this dependence. The Spirit was not a newcomer. The “Spirit of God” appears in the opening lines of the ancient Hebrew scriptures, hovering over creation, then is referred to more than 100 times through these scriptures, also known as the Old Testament. The Spirit is described as personal and active—guiding, empowering, speaking. From the beginning of Jesus’ life, He related to this Spirit. His conception was attributed to divine action. Then, at about age 30, when He was baptised in the Jordan River, witnesses reported that the Spirit descended and a voice affirmed Him. Immediately after, He retreated into the desert for 40 days, facing hunger, isolation and temptation. But the same Spirit led Him there! This is not the profile of a person grasping for control. It is the portrait of someone operating from deep dependence. Modern culture defines power as visibility, influence and dominance, but Jesus’ model looks almost inverted. Not muscle, but surrender. Not control, but trust. His POWER flowed from prayer, obedience, Scripture, humility and relationships: [i] Prayer is not about making polished speeches to heaven—in repetitious or religious language. It is about showing up—honestly, quietly—seeking alignment with Someone larger than oneself. In Jesus’ case, prayer anchored His sense of identity and direction. According to Luke’s Gospel, it was while praying after his baptism that Jesus’ defining moment occurred—the heavens “opened” and He received affirmation for His mission. For Him, prayer was not ceremonial. It was oxygen. Before major decisions, after exhausting days, in moments of grief or pressure, He withdrew to pray. Obedience meant staying true to His calling, even when easier options were available. Jesus was led into the wilderness to face a series of temptations—shortcuts to fame, spectacle and political control. Each time, He refused. He would not manipulate spiritual power for personal gain. He would not seize influence by compromising His mission. Obedience meant resisting the kind of power the world understands. What Jesus called “the word of God” (Mark 7:13) was His internal compass. When challenged, He quoted from Israel’s sacred texts. When teaching, He built on them. The Gospel of John portrays His earliest interactions with followers—men like Andrew and Peter—not as rallies, but as conversations rooted in those ancient writings. For Jesus, Scripture was not a rulebook to wield against others; it was a living story He inhabited. Exalting God. His humility, His refusal to centre attention on Himself is striking. The affirmation He received at His baptism pointed beyond Himself to the Father. In the wilderness, He insisted that only God is worthy of worship. He consistently redirected praise upward. In an age of self-branding, this is a radical posture. And finally, Relationships . Before sermons or miracles, Jesus began by inviting a few ordinary people to “Come and see.” Fishermen. Questioners. He spent time with them, answered their doubts, shared food and entrusted them with responsibility. His movement multiplied not through spectacle, but through intentional, person-to-person investment. Taken together, these activities redefine spiritual power. It is not loud or coercive. It is cultivated in dependence—through prayer, steady obedience, immersion in Scripture, honouring God above self, and building intentional transformative relationships. After 2000 years, the movement that began on dusty roads in first-century Judea circles the globe. At its foundation was not charisma alone, not strategy nor force. It was a life shaped—moment by moment—by reliance on the Holy Spirit. Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

Jesus’ ministry was shaped by dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer, obedience, Scripture, humility and transformative relationships.

Week 8 - His Spirit Dependence

Related topics Week 7 - His Second Invitation: “Follow me” Jesus’ invitation to “Follow me” reveals discipleship as a shared journey of relationship, trust, everyday life and growing faith.
John 1:35–2:12 Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me” (John 1:43). Jesus’ way of making disciples was disarmingly simple, yet profoundly relational. He did not begin with a program, a syllabus or a strategy session. He began with the invitation: “Come and see.” Those who accepted were invited into His life to watch, listen, ask questions and slowly discover who He truly was. As they walked with Him, Jesus interpreted Himself through the Scriptures they already knew—the Law of Moses, the Psalms and the Prophets—showing how Israel’s story found its fulfilment in Him. What is striking is how quickly this way of disciple-making was caught and reproduced. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and declared, “Look, the Lamb of God.” Two of his disciples followed their curiosity and asked Jesus where He was staying. His response was not an address, but the invitation: “Come and see.” After spending a single evening with him, Andrew ran to his brother Peter—excitement spilling over—announcing, “We have found the Messiah.” Philip did the same with Nathanael, grounding his joy in Scripture: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote.” And again, came the invitation— “Come and see” (John 1:45, 46, NIV). What Jesus did, His disciples instinctively multiplied. A unique feature of this movement was the immediate participation of new disciples. Those invited soon invited others. New disciples made new disciples! The next invitation went deeper. Jesus was intentional. He went and found Philip, and said to him, “Follow me .” To follow Jesus meant walking the road of everyday life together—a shared journey. Disciple-making was not confined to formal teaching; it happened in conversations, meals, celebrations and travel. It required time and shared experiences. When Philip invited Nathanael to join, he encountered scepticism: “Nazareth! . . . Can anything good come from Nazareth?” The idea that God’s promised Messiah could come from such an unremarkable place—and be a local tradie—seemed absurd. Nathaniel was from Cana, less that 10 kilometres (6 miles) away. He knew the reputation of small villages and ordinary families. He knew the people. Yet Philip did not argue or become defensive. He simply echoed Jesus’ own words: “Come and see.” And it was to a family wedding in Cana that Jesus led His new disciples, not to a synagogue lecture or a political rally. He brought them home! They saw the world that had shaped Him—the rhythms of village life, the laughter and labour, the relationships of family and community. They met His mother, brothers and sisters. They discovered that the Son of God was deeply human, rooted in a real place, among real people—their people! At that wedding, Jesus also quietly revealed that He was more than human. When the wine ran out, Mary trusted Him to act, even though He protested, “My time has not yet come”—indicating more momentous events! But in response, Jesus generously turned water into wine—abundant and excellent. John tells us that in this first sign, Jesus “revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” Amid celebration and joy, they glimpsed the hidden glory of God, not as spectacle, but as a gift. Afterward, Jesus did not rush on alone. He walked to Capernaum with his now four or five disciples, as well as His mother and brothers, where they stayed for a few days. Disciple-making continued in shared space and unhurried time. Perhaps families met, stories were exchanged, fishing nets were mended and hearts were prepared for what lay ahead. All of this unfolded against the backdrop of intense messianic expectation. Israel longed for a liberator like the fierce revolutionary Judas Maccabeus, one who would overthrow Rome and restore national dignity. But Jesus did not fit that mould. He was not the Messiah they expected. Yet His disciples followed Him anyway, drawn not by political power, but by the truth, grace and life they encountered in Him. Having come and seen, they followed Him. They could not turn back. Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

Jesus’ invitation to “Follow me” reveals discipleship as a shared journey of relationship, trust, everyday life and growing faith.

Week 7 - His Second Invitation: “Follow me”

Related topics Week 6 - His First Invitation: “Come and See” Jesus’ first invitation, “Come and see,” reveals how His ministry began through relationship, hospitality, trust and personal encounter.
John 1:19–51 Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said (John 1:38, 39). Jesus’ baptism and temptations introduced His public life. Having been immersed in the Jordan and endured desert trials, He emerged with clarity about who He was and how His kingdom movement would unfold—shaped by humility, obedience and solidarity. The next step was strikingly simple. Jesus invited people to be with Him. Matthew, Mark and Luke move quickly from Jesus’ temptations to John the Baptist’s imprisonment and Jesus’ return to Galilee, but John slows the story. Writing decades later, with the whole sweep of Jesus’ life in view, John deliberately opens a window into those first 18 months of ministry in Judea. His purpose is that readers see that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God” and believe (John 20:31). In this often-overlooked phase, Jesus lays the relational foundations of His movement. It is no accident that Jesus looked for His first disciples among John the Baptist’s followers. They were already awake to God, longing for renewal, and shaped by repentance and hope. When John saw Jesus walking by, he pointed away from himself and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” Authentic spiritual leadership always knows when to step aside—and two of his disciples followed Jesus, curious and unsure, yet willing to move. Jesus turned and asked a disarming question: “What do you want?” Their reply was tentative: “Rabbi, where are you staying?” And Jesus answered with His first recorded invitation: “Come and see.” It was not a lecture, a demand, nor a slogan. It was an invitation to the curious—into relationship, to experience. And they went and spent the rest of the day with Him. In that culture, this meant time—shared food, long conversations, listening, watching, asking questions. Those first disciples did not sign up to a program; they began spending time with Jesus. Something profound happened in those unrecorded hours. Lives were shaped through presence. When Andrew left, he immediately found his brother Simon Peter, saying, “We have found the Messiah (which means ‘Christ’).” He did not argue to persuade; he simply shared his experience. What John the Baptist had hinted at—the Lamb of God, the Spirit-anointed Son—had become personal. Andrew’s confidence suggests Jesus likely opened the Scriptures, connecting Moses and the prophets to Himself. The invitation to “Come and see” became conviction: “We have found . . .” This pattern is instructive. Jesus did not begin by asking for commitment; He offered hospitality. He trusted that truth, when embodied and experienced, will speak for itself. It is relational and organic: one friend invites another—curiosity leads to encounter and encounter leads to confession. John’s Gospel helps us see why this matters. Matthew presents Jesus as King, Mark as powerful Son of God, Luke as Saviour for all people. But John goes even deeper. He pulls back the curtain and tells us that this Jesus is the eternal Word through whom all things were made, the One in whom life itself resides—and that this eternal Word “became human and made his home among us” (see John 1:1–18) The God who created the universe now says to two ordinary men, “Come and see where I’m staying.” This first invitation sets the tone for everything that follows. Later, Jesus will say, “Follow me,” calling people into deeper relationship. He will invite them to fish for others, to love enemies, and to receive the Spirit for empowered witness. But it all begins here—with presence, openness and shared life. Even on the cross, Jesus continues this pattern, welcoming a dying criminal into hope, and strengthening those who watch and believe. In our systems, success demands measurable outcomes and quick results, but Jesus built His movement on the foundations of time, trust and invitation. “ Come and see” remains one of the most powerful ways to be introduced to Him—not as a concept, but as a living person encountered in shared life, conversation, Scripture and prayer. Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

Jesus’ first invitation, “Come and see,” reveals how His ministry began through relationship, hospitality, trust and personal encounter.

Week 6 - His First Invitation: “Come and See”

Related topics Week 5 -  His Baptism and Temptations Jesus began His public ministry not with power or applause, but with baptism, wilderness, and temptation. At the Jordan, His identity as God’s beloved Son was affirmed; in the desert, that identity was tested. Through both experiences, Jesus revealed the foundation of His movement: solidarity instead of status, obedience instead of shortcuts, and Spirit-led trust instead of control.
PHASE TWO: FOUNDATIONS for His faith movement For a faith movement that has grown to be the most influential of all time, the way Jesus stepped onto the public stage—to begin the second phase—still feels improbable. He was about 30. With no headlines or manifesto, He walked to the Jordan River to be baptised in its muddy waters by the desert preacher John the Baptist. Then, instead of gathering supporters, He disappeared into the wilderness east of Jerusalem for six weeks. Many times, I have led groups down through the Wadi Qelt, a jagged ravine slicing through the Judean desert between Jerusalem and Jericho. Drivers leave us on a cliff edge, to take a zigzag path down into silence and heat. Across the gorge, the Monastery of Saint George of Choziba clings to the cliff. In the 5th and 6th centuries, more than 70 such monasteries and hermit caves dotted this wilderness—a kind of desert city. For Jesus it was harsh and risky. Summer temperatures climb past 40°C (104°F). Winter nights can drop near 5°C (41°F). It was a refuge for wild animals, fugitives and fringe religious groups. Less than 20 kilometres south lay Qumran, home of the Essenes—the community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jesus went into this desert alone. Then, after a 40-day fast, weakened and exposed, He faced a barrage of tests aimed at His identity, allegiance and purpose. The public launch of His history-shaping movement began not with triumph but with hunger and degradation. And what followed over the next year and a half—before Jesus relocated north to Galilee after John’s arrest—formed the foundation of everything that came later. All four Gospel writers mark this transition from private life to public ministry, but the apostle John lingers on this early Judean period, as if to say: Stop. Pay attention. This is where the pattern is set. Judea, Samaria, Galilee Week 5 - His Baptism and Temptations Matthew 3:1–4:12; Mark 1:9–13; Luke 3:1–3, 21–23; 4:1–13; John 1:15–35 After his baptism . . . he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 3:16–4:1). When Jesus stepped into public view, He was not welcomed with popular applause but introduced by two unsettling experiences—baptism and temptation. These were foundational to what both Jesus and His relative John called God’s kingdom—something radically different! Jesus arrived at the Jordan River, where John was calling Israel to repentance. John’s life and message were stark: desert solitude, simple food and uncompromising words—fitting Israel’s expectations of the return of the prophet Elijah (see Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 11:14). Crowds desperate for spiritual cleansing were confessing their sins and stepping into the muddy river as a sign of turning back to God. When Jesus joined them, John was shocked! Why would One conceived by the creative miracle of the divine Spirit and without sin submit to a baptism meant for the guilty? He tried to talk Jesus out of it. Jesus’ response was quiet but profound: “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:14, 15, NIV). For the first time, Matthew records Jesus speaking of righteousness , a word that would shape Jesus’ entire teaching. It was not about rule-keeping or moral superiority, but faithfulness to God’s saving purpose. By entering the waters, Jesus was identifying fully with those He had come to save—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the desperate, broken and repentant. This is what righteousness is like, immersed in the mud and reeds of the Jordan, choosing solidarity over status. As He paused on the riverbank to pray, the Spirit descended as a fluttering dove upon Him, and a voice from the heavens declared, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” The silence of 30 years was broken, and Jesus heard His identity proclaimed aloud. He was God’s Son. This was later described as His anointing (see Acts 10:37, 38). He was Jesus Christ, meaning Jesus the anointed— the Messiah. His ministry and movement building would flow from this identity—empowered to bring good news, healing and freedom. The Spirit then led Him into the wilderness. The same Spirit who affirmed Him drove Him into isolation, hunger, testing—and temptation. It jars. It seems wrong! But for 40 days Jesus faced the devil’s assaults, each temptation offering a shortcut to power without obedience. Turn stones to bread—and meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. Jump from the temple—to force God’s hand and secure public acclaim. Bow down—and gain the kingdoms of the world without the cross. Each temptation was designed to undermine and cast doubt on His identity. “ If you are the Son of God . . .” the tempter mocked. Jesus responded not with spectacle or strength, but with Scripture, trusting His Father’s word. He refused to grasp, manipulate or dominate. The wilderness revealed the kind of king He would be. His kingdom is not built on appetite, presumption or control, but on trustful obedience. He was Spirit-anointed and Spirit-led. Then, after the testing, angels attended Him and He returned to the Jordan where John the Baptist declared, “Look! the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John pointed to future sacrifice and promise. He declared that Jesus is “the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” He is “the Chosen One of God,” “the Son of God.” The foundations of this movement were strangely counter-intuitive, but what began in unsettling humiliation in muddy water and a harsh desert environment was divine purpose. Jesus’ baptism and temptations uncovered the nature of the triune God—Father, Son and Spirit—fully present in our world, living in our neighborhood. With Spirit-anointing and Spirit-leading, these experiences of status reversal, even degradation, revealed Jesus’ real identity—and were foundational to His radically different movement. Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

Jesus began His public ministry not with power or applause, but with baptism, wilderness, and temptation. At the Jordan, His identity as God’s beloved Son was affirmed; in the desert, that identity was tested. Through both experiences, Jesus revealed the foundation of His movement: solidarity instead of status, obedience instead of shortcuts, and Spirit-led trust instead of control.

Week 5 -  His Baptism and Temptations

Related topics No Stones at SonRise
Illustrative image At Southern Adventist University’s SonRise Resurrection Pageant, Gabriela Phillips shares the story of Jesus with two Muslim refugee friends from Iraq.
The candlelit room and a deep voice transport us to the Passion Week’s final scenes. Beside me sit my friends, Mohammad and Khadija, refugees from Iraq, whom I’ve invited to the SonRise Resurrection Pageant at Southern Adventist University. A student portraying Mary Magdalene steps from the shadows. She explains how the Jesus she knew wasn’t a detached preacher of truth. He saved her life by writing in the dust and commanding that “those who are free from sin cast the first stone.” As we leave the church and walk to the next station of the pageant, Khadija clasps my hand and says, “We all need to live by the words of Isa, alyahi salam” (Jesus, peace be upon Him). And for the next few minutes, she imagines a world ruled by Jesus, a world where no one throws stones and sins are forgiven. Both Khadija and I feel drawn to Him as we reflect. A little later, as the Gethsemane scene unfolds, Mohammad wonders aloud who Jesus is praying to. Underneath his question lie many layers of theological debris, resulting from centuries of Christian-Muslim misunderstandings. I’ve told Mohammad before that I believe Jesus is God. “So, is God praying to Himself?” he asks. I could launch into a detailed explanation of the Trinity, but I don’t want to interrupt the Holy Spirit’s influence. “Jesus is praying to his beloved Father,” I answer simply. Over the years, I’ve learned that truth that is not presented in the context of a relationship seldom moves the heart. So, I add, “Just before coming to the garden, Jesus prayed for all who would one day follow Him. He was thinking of us all.” Next, we approach the court of Pilate. Mohammad hears voices calling for Jesus to be crucified and is confused. “Why would anyone wish to crucify Jesus, who is the purest of prophets?” he asks. He reflects on current events in the Middle East and the need to return to Jesus’ example. I’m curious to hear more of his thoughts, but our group is moving toward the crosses, and our conversation lags. Muslims view the crucifixion differently. In their story, God demonstrates His power by rescuing Jesus and taking Him to heaven before He dies. This interpretation upholds justice— Jesus’ innocence is vindicated and someone who is truly guilty is crucified in His place. For Christians, the cross represents God’s love through His willingness to die for humanity. As we stand at the scene of the three crosses, I explain to Mohammad what makes Jesus’ death different from that of the thieves beside Him: “In Jannah (paradise), God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to live an abundant life because He loved them. He told them that their lives would continue forever if they didn’t sin, but that the consequence of sin was death. They chose sin, and ever since, we have all been subject to sin and death. Everyone except Jesus, who was sinless, which the Qur’an affirms. The only way death could touch Jesus was if He gave up His life. I believe He died on the cross, as prophesied in the Torah, and that He did so voluntarily to show His love. He was the Adam that didn’t sin. Death came into the world by the first Adam; deliverance from it came from the second one.” Mohammad listens quietly, while I pray for God to reveal Himself to us afresh. Finally, we move to the last scene of the pageant, where music about our risen Lord moves me to tears. “Brother,” I say, “this is the heart of my faith: because Jesus carried the sins of each sinner, we can be purified with the purity of Jesus, but death could not hold Him in the grave. On the third day, He was raised back to the right hand of God, where He rules with love. Soon, He will return as a just judge and will break open all the graves, for he is the resurrection and the path to eternal life.” Mohammad is also moved; this version of Jesus is full of hope. His response surprises me: “We Muslims need to return to Jesus, not the Jesus of Islamic scholars and traditions, but the real Jesus. We keep telling Christians with our mouths that we also love Jesus, that he is one of our prophets, while collecting stones with our hands. We need to listen again to Jesus, for he is peace for us too.” I left the scene sensing that Jesus not only had ministered to our needs, but He had also won our confidence, and now it was time to follow Him. More from Mission 360° Magazine Get to know the region Topics

At Southern Adventist University’s SonRise Resurrection Pageant, Gabriela Phillips shares the story of Jesus with two Muslim refugee friends from Iraq.

No Stones at SonRise

Related topics Week 1 – A Baby While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:6. He came to us as a baby. The Gospels begin here. Not with power, miracles, or crowds, but with vulnerability—with the breath of a newborn in the arms of his young mum.
PHASE ONE: PREPARATION for a life that would multiply Long before Jesus became a public figure—before crowds formed and His words were recorded—He lived a life that appeared unremarkable by most measures. For around 30 years, Jesus remained largely unseen. There were no sermons, miracles or followers. He grew up in a small village, lived within a family, learned a trade and took His place in a local community. His days were shaped by work, relationships, prayer and Scripture. These were slow years, marked more by faithfulness than drama. Yet these decades were not a pause before the real work began. They were the necessary preparation. The first four reports in this book examine these unseen years—not to idealise them, but to take them seriously. What does it mean that such a world-changing faith movement began in quiet preparation? Only later, when John the Baptist publicly identified Him at the Jordan River, did Jesus step into view. Then, His public teaching and activities lasted only a few intense years. At the end, He left His followers with a simple but expansive commission: “Go and make disciples [followers or apprentices] of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). The movement He began grew through ordinary people sharing who they had found with others. Behind it all stands a striking claim, later summarised by the apostle Paul: that Jesus was fully divine but that he “made himself nothing,” entering human life without privilege or advantage (see Philippians 2:5–8, NIV)—learning, waiting and accepting limitations. Week 1 – A baby Luke 1:1-2:38; John 1:1-18; Matthew 1:1-25, cf. Luke 3:23-38 While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:6. He came to us as a baby. The Gospels begin here. Not with power, miracles, or crowds, but with vulnerability—with the breath of a newborn in the arms of his young mum. The beginning of this movement, surprisingly, is a womb, not a throne room. Matthew names his flawed family—including abusers and murderers; with four women— Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife—whose lives were marked by scandal, tragedy and deep sorrow. Jesus was the Son of David, and quite literally the Son of outsiders, immigrants, the overlooked and exploited. Luke brings us closer to the family drama surrounding his arrival. Mary’s pregnancy shocked her village. Joseph wrestled with hurt, doubt and anger before stepping into extraordinary obedience and courage. Both were asked to accept something that would cost them dearly—and both said yes. Luke also records Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s prophecy—announcing both revolution and mercy: with social injustice overturned, the proud scattered, and the humble valued. Long before his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was reshaping the world— the script being rewritten by an unmarried village girl and her aging cousin’s husband. And there is the birth story itself. We often imagine chaotic scenes: frantic travel, rejection at every door, a desperate couple in a lonely stable. But Luke simply says, “While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born”—suggesting something calmer. In a simple village home, with women who knew what to do—and the manger a practical crib available in the family living space, not a sign of neglect—Jesus entered the world into warmth, care, and community. The first to hear the news were not the rulers, scholars, or priests in nearby Jerusalem, but shepherds—poor, rough men whose testimonies held little weight. To them, the sky split open with song: “Today… a Saviour has been born to you” (Luke 2:11 NIV)— not only for the powerful, self-righteous, or self-serving; but for those who smell of sheep, the overlooked. His first worshippers were from the margins. They ran, saw, believed, and then told everyone they met—the first evangelists. His earthly life and kingdom began there at the edges with their unpolished joy; the holy One held in their rough hands. John reminds us that this baby was “the Word” who had always been—present before creation, eternally with God, eternally God—who chose to become one of us. Fragile. Dependent. Learning obedience and trust as we do. Jesus was not a mythical character, but a real infant with all the limitations of human life. He entered the world as we do—fragile, dependent, needing care. He willingly accepted the slow pace of human development—experiencing hunger, cold, tears, learning to walk and talk. He surrendered or veiled his divinity—not losing it but not drawing upon it. He lived within ordinary human limitations, as one of us. He launched his movement from this place of vulnerability. He did not ask of followers what he was unwilling to embrace himself. The way of his kingdom still begins here: emerging from unlikely places, with surrender, humility, and presence. Not in perfection or strategy, but in quiet availability—perhaps in a renewed sense of gentleness, a slower pace, a greater respect for small beginnings, a readiness to look for God at the margins, and a desire to honour the ordinary people he chooses! Might his invitations still come disguised as interruptions, misunderstandings, or pain— calling for courage? How did his becoming a baby—one of us, who understands us—shape his preparation for the most significant faith movement of all time? Excerpted and adapted from After 2000 Years: Reading the First Reports of the Life of Jesus by Dr Peter Roennfeldt. More Devotionals

While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:6. He came to us as a baby. The Gospels begin here. Not with power, miracles, or crowds, but with vulnerability—with the breath of a newborn in the arms of his young mum.

Week 1 – A Baby

Related topics A Dream Job Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited the Adventist Volunteer Service website. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume.
Jenny never planned to move to Chile from the United States. When she graduated from Andrews University, she volunteered to teach English there for a year. She thought she would return to the United States at the end of the year. But five years later, she found herself teaching Bible classes at Chile Adventist University. Here is what happened. Jenny had wanted to become a missionary ever since she was a young girl. While completing undergraduate theology studies at Andrews University in Michigan, she spoke about her desire with one of her teachers. The teacher had helped another student go to Chile for a year with Adventist Volunteer Service and suggested that Jenny consider a similar path. Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited the Adventist Volunteer Service website. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume. Before long, she was accepted and went to Chile to spend a year teaching English at a center of influence. The year passed in a flurry of English classes, Bible studies, and friendships. Jenny was invited to stay a second year, and she agreed. By the end of the second year, she could speak fluent Spanish, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Central Chile Mission was looking for a bilingual assistant. She was offered the position as a volunteer. Jenny agreed, and, for the next three years, managed church membership records, trained church secretaries, and served as the local leader for Adventist Volunteer Service—the very organization for which she was volunteering. Along the way, she also got married to a Chilean. Then, Chile Adventist University called, asking if she would be willing to teach Bible classes. Jenny was excited to return to her roots after majoring in theology at Andrews University. When she became a legal resident of Chile, she transitioned to a Bible teacher at the university. For the first time in five years, she wasn’t part of Adventist Volunteer Service but a full-time university employee. Today, Jenny is one of five Bible teachers at the university. She and the other teachers teach general Bible classes that are required of all students but theology students, who have their own classes. Many of Jenny’s students learn about God and the Bible for the first time in her classes. About three-fourths of the university’s 3,000 students come from non-Adventist families. Jenny, who is 28 years old, couldn’t be happier. Being a missionary with Adventist Volunteer Service opened the door to a career she had never dreamed possible. “I meant to come to Chile for one year, and now it has been more than six years,” she said. “I feel like it was here that God wanted me.” If you’re interested in volunteering, visit AdventistVolunteers.org to explore service opportunities. More from Mission 360° Magazine Topics

Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited the Adventist Volunteer Service website. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume. 

A Dream Job

Related topics A Dream Job Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited VividFaith.org, an Adventist Church website where people can apply for positions with Adventist Volunteer Service. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, December 20. Jenny never planned to move to Chile from the United States. When she graduated from Andrews University, she volunteered to teach English for a year in Chile. She thought that she would return to the United States at the end of the year. But five years later, she found herself teaching Bible classes at Chile Adventist University. Here is what happened. Ever since she was a young girl, Jenny had wanted to become a missionary. While completing undergraduate theology studies at Andrews University in Michigan, she spoke about her desire with one of her teachers. The teacher had helped another student go to Chile for a year with Adventist Volunteer Service and suggested that Jenny consider a similar path. Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited VividFaith.org, an Adventist Church website where people can apply for positions with Adventist Volunteer Service. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume. Before long, she was accepted and flying to Chile to spend a year teaching English at a center of influence. Jenny couldn’t have been happier! The year passed in a flurry of English classes, Bible studies, and friendships. Jenny was invited to stay a second year, and she agreed. By the end of the second year, she could speak fluent Spanish, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Central Chile Mission was looking for a bilingual assistant. She was offered the position as a volunteer. Jenny agreed and for the next three years managed church membership records, trained church secretaries, and served as the local leader for Adventist Volunteer Service — the very organization for which she was volunteering. Along the way, she also got married to a Chilean. Jenny couldn’t have been happier! Then Chile Adventist University called, asking if she would be willing to teach Bible classes. Jenny was excited to return to her roots after majoring in theology at Andrews University. When she became a legal resident of Chile, she made the transition to Bible teacher at the university. For the first time in five years, she was not part of Adventist Volunteer Service but a full-time university employee. Today, Jenny is one of five Bible teachers at the university. She and the other teachers teach general Bible classes that are required of all but theology students at the university. Theology students have their own classes. Many of Jenny’s students learn about God and the Bible for the first time in her classes. About three-fourths of the university’s 3,000 students come from non-Adventist families. Jenny, who is 28 years old, couldn’t be happier. Being a missionary with Adventist Volunteer Service opened the door to a career that she had never dreamed possible. “I meant to come to Chile for one year and now it has been more than six years,” she said. “I feel like it was here that God wanted me.” This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, will go toward two projects at Chile Adventist University in Chillán, Chile. One project is to open an Adventist Volunteer Service center that will send 30 missionaries into the world every year. The center will have five classrooms for training students to be missionaries and an auditorium with 250 seats. In the second university project, dormitories will be expanded to allow 50 more students to study on the campus. Currently, the university has about 3,000 students, the vast majority of whom are not Adventist and live off campus. The new dorm rooms will be open to all but are especially needed by Adventist theology and education students who come to the university from far-off places and are studying to work in Adventist churches and schools. Thank you for your generous offering  Story Tips Show South America and Chillán, Chile, on the map. Watch a short YouTube video of Jenny at: bit.ly/Jenny-SAD. Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq . Fast Facts Cape Horn is the southern tip of South America. Before the Panama Canal was built, ships sailed all the way around South America to get from Europe and Atlantic ports to the Pacific. It was a very dangerous route because Cape Horn is known for strong winds and dangerous waves. Children in rural areas of Chile have to wake up very early in the morning to walk to school or meet the bus. Some have to travel two hours each way to get to school. On the long coastline of Chile you can see penguins, pelicans, and sea lions, and in the water you can see whales as they swim to and from feeding and breeding grounds. Chile’s copper mines are located in its desert region.  More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Jenny liked the idea. After graduating from the university, she visited VividFaith.org, an Adventist Church website where people can apply for positions with Adventist Volunteer Service. She saw an opening in Chile and sent her resume.

Related topics Squid or Dog Meat? Then something unusual happened. He began to feel uncomfortable worshiping on Sunday. He felt so uncomfortable that when he was asked to preach at his church, he made excuses about needing to go somewhere else.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, June 7. By Andrew McChesney Jhon had a busy preaching schedule in Indonesia. A pastor of a Sunday-keeping church in Papua, he had just finished a series of meetings on one island and needed to return home for another series of meetings. He was supposed to fly, but the plane was fully booked. So, he bought a boat ticket for the three-day voyage. It was a decision that would change his life. Jhon bought the cheapest ticket on the economy deck, a long hall where scores of passengers slept side-by-side on the floor. While awake, passengers passed the time by chatting. Jhon chatted with a woman seated nearby. As a kind gesture, Jhon offered her part of one of his meals. She shook her head as he held out a plastic container of steamed squid seasoned with a sprinkle of oil. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t eat that kind of food.” Jhon thought that she didn’t like squid, so he pulled out another container. This one had dog meat that he had bought from a street vendor just before boarding the boat. But the woman refused it, too. “I don’t eat that kind of food,” she said. Jhon was surprised. “Why don’t you eat these kinds of food?” he asked. “It’s because I’m an Adventist,” she said. The only thing that Jhon knew about Seventh-day Adventists was that he had taught an Adventist student at a mission school where he had worked before becoming a pastor. But he respected the woman’s desire to be faithful to her beliefs. So, he put away the food, and the two talked about other things. He learned that her name was Ingrid. Now, when Jhon had boarded the ship, he hadn’t told anyone that he was a pastor. But Papua is a predominantly Christian island, and Indonesians who live there have a sailing tradition. At some point on a voyage, the ship captain always asks, “Is there a pastor on board? We want to ask you to pray for us and to have a worship service.” On the last day of Jhon’s voyage, the ship captain raised the question. Jhon made known his position and led the passengers in prayer and worship. Ingrid was surprised to learn that he was a pastor, and she didn’t seem certain that she wanted to keep talking to him. But when the ship docked, Jhon insisted that they exchange phone numbers. When he asked to see her again, she invited him to the Adventist church. Every Sabbath for the next month, Jhon attended worship services with her. Then something unusual happened. He began to feel uncomfortable worshiping on Sunday. He felt so uncomfortable that when he was asked to preach at his church, he made excuses about needing to go somewhere else. When he told his church that he intended to become an Adventist, he was offered a higher position with a higher salary. But he wasn’t tempted. In his personal study of the Bible, he had grown convinced that the seventh-day Sabbath was God’s true day of worship. He also had accepted the biblical prohibition on unclean meat like squid and dogs. Three years after the boat trip, Jhon and Ingrid got married. Today, Jhon is wrapping up his studies as a theology student at Klabat University on Sulawesi island. He is glad that Ingrid rejected his food. Through her witness, he ended up learning about the seventh-day Sabbath. He is looking forward to returning home to Papua and teaching others about the Lord of the Sabbath. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help spread the gospel on Jhon’s home island of Papua. The funds will go toward the construction of classrooms, an administrative building, a library, and an auditorium for Papua Adventist Theology College in Nabire, Papua. Incidentally, Klabat University, where Jhon is studying, on Sulawesi island, received part of a 1981 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thank you for planning a generous Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on June 28 to continue to support the proclamation of the gospel in Indonesia.  Story Tips Show Papua, Indonesia, on the map. Watch a short YouTube video with Jhon at: bit.ly/Jhon-SSD . Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq . Share Mission Posts and Fast Facts from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division: bit.ly/ssd-2025 . Know that this mission story illustrates Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan, “To disciple individuals and families into Spirit-filled lives.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo.org . Fast Facts Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea, making it the world’s largest archipelago. Indonesia was ruled by the Netherlands until 1945. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature.  More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Then something unusual happened. He began to feel uncomfortable worshiping on Sunday. He felt so uncomfortable that when he was asked to preach at his church, he made excuses about needing to go somewhere else.

Squid or Dog Meat?

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