What Jesus Did! 'More than a Name' — Matthew 12:36-37

Sunday, June 15, 2025

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[Jesus continued:] "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."
— Matthew 12:36-37 NLT

Key Thought

"Oh no! Not this judgment stuff again." Yep! To a culture which wants no consequences, only blessings, this is a hard concept. But when we look at all the horrible things that occur in our world, all the horribly guilty who go free, then we know there has to be a settling time - Jesus calls this "judgment" time, and Matthew most clearly emphasizes this. What is shocking here is Jesus' clear and adamant declaration about careless words, especially words against him and the work of the Holy Spirit through him (Matthew 12:24, 31). Jesus' work is not to be trivialized. He does make strong claims for his identity, and those both ancient and modern who denigrate or belittle him must hear his call to take seriously what they say about him, because at judgment, they will certainly be scrutinized. I don't know about you, but that does not frighten or threaten me since I joyfully proclaim that Jesus Christ, God's Son and my Savior, is Lord!

Today's Prayer

Holy God, I know those who belittle your Son and use his name in vain cause you pain and anger. But for those of us who know your Son as our Savior, we view his name as precious, powerful, and holy. Thank you for sending him to deliver me from sin, law, and death. Thank you for letting me share in the new birth of water and Spirit through faith. Thank you! Your Son is glorious and marvelous. I praise you through his holy name, Jesus Christ! Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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3 Related Resources by Heartlight

Worthless Religion?
Article by Tammy Marcelain
What can empty our faith of its value? Tammy Marcelain shares insight on who we welcome and how we welcome them into our midst, and also reflects on what we do to push them away and hurt them with our words and actions.
Words and the Internet
Article by Bill Sherrill
How long will what you have written actually live? Our language and speech lives on long after we do, and the Internet is a reminder of just how far and wide such things can go.
A Prayer for My Words
Article by Tom Norvell
What's going to come out of our mouths next? Tom Norvell reminds us to guard our words by praying for speech coming out of Psalm 143

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 12:36-37 NLT — [Jesus continued:] "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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