Invitations of Jesus: Episode 15 The Tomb

Hello, my walking friend! I hope you have been blessed as we have walked through this series of invitations presented to you by Jesus. You have been invited to the table, the wedding, to trust, to be amazed, to be Jesus’ friend, to follow, to be known, to decide, to live a life of adventure, to work with Jesus, to be alongside him in victory, to run free, to sit with Jesus, and to get out of the boat. If you missed any of these podcast episodes, I would encourage you to go back and listen.

Today is the 15th and final episode in the Invitations of Jesus series. And it is the most important invitation of Jesus. Today we are reflecting on his invitation to believe.

Our verse to meditate on is John 3:16 NIV:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Everything else Jesus invites us to do is meaningless unless we first accept his invitation to believe – to believe that he is the son of God. To believe that he is not only the son of God, but that he is God. To believe that he is the only one who led a perfect, sinless life. To believe that he is the only way to be rescued from an eternity apart from God. To believe that we can never be good enough, without him, to be in the presence of a holy and perfect creator. To believe that he died, was buried in a tomb, and three days later was brought back to life. To believe that he has the power to do the same for us – in this life, to forgive us of our sins and allow us to live in relationship with him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and to live as new creations. And in the afterlife, to resurrect our bodies and join him in paradise.

Believe. One very powerful seven letter word. One invitation that means life or death to every single human being ever born.

If you have stumbled on this podcast because you think it is uplifting and you like the teachings of Jesus because they are positive, kind, and loving, then I am glad you are here. But I would strongly encourage you to study Jesus – his words, his claims, his life – really dig deep – see that he is inviting you, inviting everyone, to accept that he said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father (God) except through him. Now, I am going to be bold, step outside my comfort zone, and say what I truly believe to be true – there are not many paths that lead to eternal life in heaven – there is only one and his name is Jesus. I truly pray that you have accepted his invitation to believe.

Now let’s take a little time to meditate on John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Did Jesus reveal anything special to you as you meditated on the verse? I was inspired to write a poem based on the events that happened after Jesus’ crucifixion. It is titled The Tomb and you can read the poem in my poetry devotional entitled, Invitations Poetry Devotional.  

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

Let’s take some time to meditate again on Jesus’ invitation to believe and what that means to us.

Today I am going to pray – for those who haven’t accepted this invitation, this will be an opportunity to do so. For those of us who have, it is a prayer to remember the commitment we have made to our Savior.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I do believe you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins.
I invite you to come into my life and make me a part of the family of God.
Come into my life and take control of it.
Thank you for your gift of eternal life and for your Holy Spirit who has come to live in me.
I ask this in the precious name of Jesus, the one who invites me.
Amen

Here are some questions for you to consider:

Have you made Jesus, the Son of God, who is fully man and fully God, your personal Lord and Savior? If so, remember how you came to make that decision and take some time to thank Jesus for redeeming you. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, what is keeping you from taking that step? Consider your answer now.

Doubts are a normal part of the spiritual life. Many great saints and disciples struggled with them. Do you ever find yourself struggling with doubts in your spiritual journey? If so, how do you deal with them? Take time to consider this now.

What does the empty tomb mean to you personally? Does the magnitude of Jesus’ love for you cause you to live life differently? Consider your answer now.

Before we wrap up, listen to today’s verse one last time John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Remember, he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to Jesus now.

Good job, my friend! If you have been walking along for this whole series, then you have spent 15 days meditating on the invitations of Jesus. And I hope that you answered a bold yes and amen to each one!

This series of podcasts were adapted from my poetry devotional called Invitations. For information on this devotional, or any Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to LynneLeite.com. You will find the URL for this book and other resources in the podcast show notes.

I hope we can walk together again, friend. My next Walk with Jesus podcast series will be on gratitude and we will spend much of our walking time thanking Jesus because it is right to give him thanks and praise!

Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus!