Activate High School Ministry's Blog

Thursday: To Redeem and Adopt — Galatians 4:4-5

The Word: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

The Breakdown: According to these verses, Jesus came when “the fullness of time had come,” meaning that He came at the precise timing that God ordained. Because all of humanity was under the Law, He was born under God’s Law so that He could perfectly obey and fulfill all of its requirements. Therefore, He came to redeem those under the Law because it demanded a price for those who failed to keep it—death. He became our substitute and died the death and paid the penalty for sin that we deserved, thereby redeeming us and enabling us to receive adoption as sons (Eph. 1:5). As non-believers, we “were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), but because Christ came to redeem us (pay for our freedom from the Law), we can now cry “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15).

Activate: Think about these two acts: that Christ came for redemption and adoption. Let them stir within you a heart of thanksgiving, for He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Because of this, we receive adoption as sons!

A Thought: “Christ, by nature Son of God, became Son of Man, that we, by nature sons of man, might become sons of God. Wonderful exchange!” – Robert Govett

Friday: To Preach, Proclaim, Heal, and Liberate — Luke 4:18-19

The Word: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The Breakdown: As Jesus stood in the synagogue, He read Isaiah 61:1-2 and identified Himself as the “anointed One” (the Messiah). Think about the Messiah’s mission: to preach the gospel to the poor (poverty), to heal the brokenhearted (sorrow), to proclaim liberty to the poor (bondage), to give sight to the blind (suffering), to liberate those who are oppressed (oppression), and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, meaning that He presented the opportunity at the acceptable time for all to come to Him to experience saving grace. Have you experienced everything that Christ came to do?

Activate: When Jesus said these words, all the eyes of the synagogue were fixed on Him (v.20), and “all spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from His mouth” (v.22). But unfortunately, those who heard it did not accept His testimony because they knew Jesus as Joseph’s son (vv.23-24), and they desired to kill Him (v.29). They were amazed at His claims, but they did not believe them. Is the same true for you?

A Thought: Have you received the gospel? Has your broken heart been healed? Have you been liberated from captivity and oppression? Have you been given sight? If not, come to Jesus and experience His loving work, because it is for these reasons He came!

Saturday: To Save People from Perishing — John 3:16-17

The Word: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

The Breakdown: These verses describe both why Jesus was sent and why He wasn’t sent into this world. Because of the love of God, Jesus was sent into this world to save people from perishing in order that they might be saved through Him. God had every right to send Christ to condemn the world, but He didn’t. Christ was sent to rescue and save people from perishing in order that they may obtain eternal life through His sacrifice.

Activate: Think about the world that Christ was sent into. It was one that was lost and perishing. Indeed, Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke19:10).

A Thought: Although God had every right to condemn us for our sin, He decided to pardon our sin instead by sending Christ and placing our condemnation upon Him. Be thankful that you have been saved from perishing through belief in Jesus Christ!

Sunday: To Preach the Good News — Luke 4:43

The Word: “I must preach the good news of thekingdom ofGod to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

The Breakdown: Jesus was sent to this world to preach the good news of thekingdom ofGod. This is reiterated in Mark 1:38, which states that Christ’s purpose for coming was to preach. When He refers to the “good news of thekingdom ofGod,” He is referring to the godly kingdom that He came to establish, in contrast to a political kingdom, which is what the Jews were looking for. The good news is the gospel of Christ. He didn’t come to preach the good news only in a specific town, but in many places. Ultimately, the message will go forth to the “end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) as the gospel is proclaimed to the “whole creation” (Mark16:15).

Activate: Are you imitating Jesus by preaching the good news in many places? Do you have the mentality that you have to go to “the other towns as well?” Don’t limit your Christian witness to one place; whether it’s at home, school, work, or in the community, be a witness at all times!

A Thought: Christ provided us with the perfect example of what to say when preaching: “Jesus came intoGalilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and thekingdom ofGod is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark1:14).

Monday: To Call Sinners to Repentance — Luke 5:32

The Word: “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

The Breakdown: When Jesus states that He didn’t come to call the “righteous” to repentance, He was referring to the Pharisees and the scribes. He didn’t believe they were righteous, in fact, He called them children of Satan (John8:44). He was referring to their false sense of self-righteousness. Christ didn’t come to call the self-righteous to repentance, but sinners, such as the tax collectors, who were the outcasts of society, because they saw their need for a Savior.

Activate: Although Christ befriended sinners by eating and drinking with them, He did not tolerate their sin. In fact, Christ is described as the friend of sinners, but only believers are described as friends of Christ (John15:15). He loved them enough to call them to repentance, so they would turn from sin and trust in Him. Likewise, we should show love to the outcasts and call them to repentance, because if they do not repent then they will perish (Luke 13:3).

A Thought: Take this message to others: Christ came to call sinners to repentance!

Tuesday: To Render Judgment and Give Sight — John 9:39

The Word: “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

The Breakdown: Christ’s coming into this world to render judgment is a byproduct of His coming to save. First and foremost, Christ came to save (John3:17), but judgment is the inevitable result for all who reject Him. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus previously healed a blind man and was being questioned by the Pharisees. Christ declared judgment by expressing the true spiritual condition of the Pharisees. They were in darkness, but they thought they had the light; they thought they could see, but they were blind. Thus Christ came to give sight to the blind and to remove the supposed “light” from those who think they have spiritual sight, in order to show them that they are actually spiritually blind. He came to render true spiritual judgment.

Activate: Jesus told the Pharisees that they remained guilty because they claimed to see, but their actions showed that they were blind (v.41). Even though they claimed to have fellowship with God, they lied and did not practice the truth because they walked in darkness (1 John 1:6). Is the same true for you? Do your actions demonstrate that you have spiritual sight?

A Thought: Like the blind man, those who have been given sight should worship Christ (v.38)!

Wednesday: To Save Sinners — 1 Timothy 1:15

The Word: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

The Breakdown: Due to sin, we live in a world that lacks faithful sayings that are worthy of all acceptance. But as Christians, we have the most faithful sayings because they are from God, and they are worthy of all acceptance because all need to hear them. Such a saying is that Christ came to save sinners. Paul personalizes this verse by saying that Christ came to save him, the “chief” (first in rank) of all sinners. He thought of himself this way because of the consciousness of his own sin and his past life. As a sinner, Paul realized he needed a Savior.

Activate: Many know that Christ came to save sinners, but they don’t focus on what He came to save them from. The fact that sinners needed to be saved implies they need to be saved from something—namely, from perishing (John3:16) and the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

A Thought: Do you see yourself as one who sins only a little, or as the chief of sinners? Do you recognize that sin had such a dominion over you that Christ had to come into this world to save you from eternal death? Like Paul, personalize this verse: Christ came to save you, a sinner!

Many are familiar with the story of how Christ came into the world, but few know exactly why He came into the world. Ultimately, Jesus appeared in the manger so that He would go to the cross; He came to die for our sins. Although, encompassed within this great truth, Scripture reveals several other specific reasons as to why Christ came into this world. Join us as we look at the intention of the Incarnation—why the Word (God the Son) came and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14), and how it relates to you personally!

Thursday: To Take Away Sins — 1 John 3:5

The Word: “You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.”

The Breakdown: Jesus appeared—came into this world—to take away sins. He was the only person who could do such a thing because He is the only one in whom “there is no sin.” In this passage of Scripture, John clearly describes how those who know Christ will not live in a continual lifestyle of sin, because to do so is to completely deny and disregard Christ’s purpose for coming into the world—to take away sin. Therefore, it’s impossible for believers to continue in a lifestyle of sin because it would contradict Christ’s mission.

Activate: Have your sins been taken away by Christ? Does your life demonstrate this truth, whereas you live a life of sanctification rather than of sin? If not, beware, because those who continue to live in a lifestyle of sin do not know God (v.6).

A Thought: If your faith is put in Christ then know that your sins have been taken away. If something is taken away, it must be placed somewhere else, which is exactly what happened with our sins—they were placed upon Christ. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter2:24).

Friday: To Be Our Life and Propitiation — 1 John 4:9-10

The Word: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The Breakdown: These verses reveal two reasons why Christ came into the world: to be the propitiation for our sins and so that we might live through Him. He needed to be the propitiation for our sins, which is to satisfy God’s holiness for the punishment of sin, because we were guilty and God’s demands needed to be satisfied. He came so we would live through Him because we were dead and needed the life that He provides.

Activate: John describes these two reasons why Christ came as being love. God’s love was made manifest by Christ’s entrance into the world, allowing us to live through Him and to become the recipients of mercy as God’s wrath and our sin were removed and replaced with grace and the righteousness of Christ. The love of God is truly amazing.

A Thought: Even though you didn’t love God, He loved you, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for your sins in order that you might live through Him. That is amazing grace!

Saturday: To Propitiate and Show Righteousness — Romans 3:25-26

The Word: “God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

The Breakdown: Christ came to be a propitiation. This means that His sacrifice satisfied God’s justice and removed God’s wrath from us, providing us with mercy by not requiring us to pay the penalty for our sins. He did this to show God’s righteousness, in that He is just and the justifier of believers. God’s justice was not compromised for your sins; it was completely satisfied because Christ exhausted and absorbed the wrath of God for you.

Activate: Christ was put forward to be received by faith. Have you done this? Have you trusted in His work on the cross, whereas He satisfied God’s wrath and replaced it with mercy? Do you have full confidence that you are justified because He is just?

A Thought: Be thankful that God demonstrated His righteousness through Christ’s work on the cross instead of making you demonstrate your own righteousness for salvation. He paid a debt that He did not owe because you paid a debt you could not pay. God is just in forgiving you and is your justifier, declaring that you are forgiven and holy in Jesus Christ.

Sunday: To Serve and Give Himself as a Ransom — Mark 10:45

The Word: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The Breakdown: This Scripture describes two reasons why Christ came into the world: to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Throughout His ministry, Christ demonstrated service both to man and to His Father. Christ gave us an example of what it means to be a servant in John 13:5-17, and promised that we would be blessed if we followed His example. Also, Christ gave His life as a ransom for (in the place of) many, which refers to the price paid to free a slave or a prisoner; it is the payment for redemption. Our debt was not cancelled, but rather, Christ paid the full amount. We were bought at a price (1 Corinthians6:20), and the price was Christ’s life. We were ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter1:18-19)!

Activate: Since Christ provided us with the perfect example of how to serve, are you imitating His example as a servant? He made this statement as a response to the prideful requests of His disciples in Mark 10:35-44, in order to show them that true greatness is found in humble service.

A Thought: Christ performed the greatest service by paying a debt that He did not owe!

Monday: To Send Us — John 20:21

The Word: “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”

The Breakdown: Just as Christ was sent into the world by the Father for a specific purpose, He has sent us into the world for a specific purpose. He not only sends us, but He gives us a clear commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). The Father sent Christ, and Chris has sent us!

Activate: Christ came into this world in order to provide us with an example of what it means to be “sent” and what it looks like to accomplish a specific task. Like Christ, we can be successful in accomplishing the task that we have been given, especially since He will work through us.

A Thought: At the end of the ministry that Christ was sent to accomplish, He prayed, “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). When your life comes to an end, will you be able to say the same? Do what Christ sent you to do!

Tuesday: To Destroy the Works of the Devil — 1 John 3:8b

The Word: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

The Breakdown: The way Jesus destroyed the works of the devil was through the cross. Hebrews 2:14 states that through His death He destroyed the “one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” By doing so, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, which describes how the Messiah would give a fatal blow to Satan’s head. Christ destroyed (demolished and brought to an end) the works of the devil, which refers to all forms of sin along with its power.

Activate: The fact that Jesus specifically came to destroy the works of the devil shows that we cannot overcome the enemy on our own efforts; we are completely helpless and instead of being able to destroy his works, we were being destroyed. Christ set us free from the works of the devil. Therefore, are you free from the enemy’s works? Or are you still in bondage to sin? You can only overcome the bondage of sin by trusting in the One who destroyed it!

A Thought: We were all Satan’s captives, but Christ destroyed the captor and set us free! The purpose of Christ’s coming into this world was to bring destruction in order to produce freedom!

Wednesday: To Put Away Sin — Hebrews 9:24-26

The Word: “He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (v.26b).

The Breakdown: This portion of Scripture compares Christ with the Old Testament high priest. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered theMost Holy Place to offer sacrifices in order to provide atonement for the nation ofIsrael, both corporately and individually. Although, only those who had genuine faith and repentance were able to receive its benefits. Sin was taken away temporarily; they had an annual atonement. But Christ came to take away sin permanently and provide eternal forgiveness. The high priest would do this once a year, but Christ’s offering was once for all, never needing to be repeated. This wasn’t accomplished through the sacrificing of animals, but “by the sacrifice of Himself,” providing a perfecting sacrifice (Hebrews10:14).

Activate: Has your sin been put away? Or are you still trying to cover it up? You will never be able to take your own sin away; it can only be taken away by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

A Thought: “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12). Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever (Hebrews 10:12), enabling sin to be “put away” and thus providing eternal redemption!

The Breakdown: This hymn ends with Christ’s ascension, that Christ was “taken up in glory.” Acts 1:9-10 describes the event, and Heb. 1:3 states, “After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Phil. 2:9-11 describes such glory, that “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” And He says, “I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore (Rev. 1:17-18).

Activate: In His glory, Jesus promises, “I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). May we all look forward to seeing the Savior in all His glory!

A Thought: Paul’s hymn about the Church’s confession of Christ was small, but it is powerful because it summarizes the gospel: God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, died for our sins, was victorious over death, was honored by angels and feared by demons, and ascended into glory. His Word was proclaimed, and many have received Him as their Lord and Savior.

The Breakdown: Jesus told His disciples, “you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Apostles were obedient to Christ’s command as the gospel was preached in Jerusalem (Acts 1-6), Judea and Samaria (Acts 7-8), and to the ends of the earth (Acts 9-28). As Christ was “proclaimed among the nations,” He was “believed on in the world.” Being “believed on in the world,” doesn’t mean that every person in the world believes, but that, as John states, there will be “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9). From around the world, many believe in Him.

Activate: Some “believe” in Jesus and acknowledge His existence (Jas. 2:19), but they remain unchanged. But true faith is the belief in His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and heavenly reign; to believe that He is both Lord and Savior. True belief in Jesus produces transformation—to believe and to receive is to become (Jn. 1:12); you become “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

A Thought: Christ is the Savior of the world (1 Jn. 4:14), and the church confidently confesses that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

The Breakdown: The church confesses that Christ was “proclaimed among the nations,” because Jesus specifically told the church to do just that—to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Right before His ascension, He told the disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Christ was first proclaimed locally, and then globally, which resulted in Him being “proclaimed among the nations.” As the Savior of the world, the person and work of Christ is proclaimed universally.

Activate: The church today still confesses the same truth, and is still responsible to the same commission—to proclaim Christ. This work is not reserved for pastors and evangelists, but for every member of the church. Every Christian is to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). To proclaim Christ is to make Him known—to exalt and to explain His life, death, resurrection, and to share His love for humanity.

A Thought: May we proclaim just as Paul did, who wrote, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:28-29).

The Breakdown: Angels were actively involved throughout Christ’s earthly ministry, and that’s why the church confesses that He was “seen by angels.” Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Lk. 2:9-14), ministered to Him at His temptation (Matt. 4:11), and strengthened Him in Gethsemane (Lk. 22:43). And likewise, at His death and resurrection, He was “seen by angels,” both by the fallen and the holy angels. The fallen angels saw Jesus because He “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame,” (Col. 2:15), and therefore “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison” that He triumphed over them (1 Pet. 3:19). The holy angels saw Jesus because they rolled away the stone at His tomb (Matt. 28:2), appeared to the women (Lk. 24:4-7), and were present at His ascension (Acts 1:10-11); and they looked with great interest (1 Pet. 1:12)!

Activate: The fact that angels were heavily involved in Christ’s early ministry shows that there was a divine approval on Christ as the incarnate Messiah. The angels were ready and able to serve Him and to serve for Him, which is why Jesus could call on them to come (Matt. 26:53).

A Thought: Because angels were active and present in Jesus’ life, as His followers, we can be sure that they will be present in ours as well, for they are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14); so be aware of them (Heb. 13:2)!

The Breakdown: In addition to His manifestation in the flesh, the church confesses that Christ was “vindicated by the Spirit.” The word vindicated means “to justify” or “to declare righteous.” This means that, by the Spirit, everything that Christ did and claimed about Himself was fully established. Jesus was the sinless sacrifice “who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God” (Heb. 9:14). Although all His works proved Himself to be true, it was especially the resurrection of Christ that the Spirit fully vindicated Christ’s words and work. Rom. 1:4 says that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead.”

Activate: Jesus was manifested in the flesh to die on the cross and the Holy Spirit affirmed His work to be true by raising Him from the dead. He lived the perfect life, made perfect atonement through His death, and proved such perfection in His resurrection.

A Thought: Although Christ “was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3), He was proven to be true as He was vindicated by the Spirit. And as we believe this truth, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).

The Breakdown: In regards to Christ, the church first confesses that “He was manifested in the flesh.” This is a direct reference to the incarnation of Christ—that as God, Jesus took on human flesh, thus God became man in the person of Jesus. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14). The word manifested means “to make visible,” and it refers to how Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15).

Activate: Many are familiar with the story of how Christ came into the world, but few know exactly why He came into the world. Ultimately, Jesus appeared in the manger so that He would go to the cross; He came to die for our sins. 1 Jn. 3:5 states, “You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.” Jesus came to take away sin by taking it upon Himself at the cross, thus becoming sin for sinful humans (2 Cor. 5:21).

A Thought: Paul writes, “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Treasure this great truth: that Jesus, the living, eternal God, was manifested in the flesh so that you may be saved.

The Breakdown: In his letter to Timothy, Paul writes about conduct within the church, describing “how one ought to behave in the household of God.” He describes the church as “the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). First, this shows that the church belongs to God; it isn’t a human institution, but God’s (Matt. 16:18). The church is not so much a house, but a household; not a building, but a family. The church consists of a community of Christians, a body of believers who have been “called out.” And as God’s church, the church serves as “a pillar and buttress of truth,” meaning that it is the foundation and pillar that holds up the truth of God—His divine revelation, including His Word, work, and worth. The mission of the church is to uphold God’s truth.

Activate: The primary way in which the church supports, upholds, and guards God’s truth is by being faithful to God’s Word—by believing, memorizing, meditating, studying, obeying, defending, living, and proclaiming the Bible. Church members must do this both corporately and individually, as they meet with other believers and grow in their own faith.

A Thought: There’s never been a churchless Christianity. Are you part of Christ’s church?

The Word: “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.”

The Breakdown: In his epistle, Jude describes Christians as being called, beloved, and kept. These are three key defining words that describe the life of believers. Called refers to God’s elective call to salvation whereby He calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Beloved refers to the unconditional and unending love that God shows to us, which is demonstrated in the crucifixion of Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). And kept (preserved) refers to the completion of salvation that we will receive through the security that is found in Christ.

Activate: Dwell upon these wondrous truths. Take great joy in the fact that you have been “called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6), that you are passionately loved (Rom. 8:38-39), and that you are “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Pet. 1:5).

A Thought: Let these truths persuade you that nothing can separate you from the love of God!