What Jesus Did! 'Greater Than' — Luke 11:31-32

Sunday, July 30, 2023

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[Jesus continued,] "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here — but you refuse to listen. The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here — but you refuse to repent."
— Luke 11:31-32 NLT

Key Thought

There were far greater leaps of faith made in the past to believe in God's messengers than Jesus was asking people to take in his day. The queen of Sheba traveled a long way to learn from Solomon. [1] The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of a hated enemy who proclaimed a foreign God to them. [2] Jesus was far greater than Solomon and Jonah were, and yet sadly, his own people often refused to believe. Their refusal, however, will not go unnoticed in heaven. There are huge stakes in our faith, or refusal of faith, in Jesus. He came and claimed to be "greater than..." and asks us to believe. No fence-straddling is allowed. No lukewarm position is included. No middle ground. The call is to believe! Regardless of our choice to believe or not to believe, Jesus is always greater than...

[1] 1 Kings 10:1-5.
[2] Jonah 3:3-6.

Today's Prayer

Thank you, dear heavenly Father, for calling me to get off the fence and place my weight down fully on my faith in Jesus. I know that so much of my life — my values, my hope, my character, my morals, my code of life, my closest friendships, etc., are all dependent on this one crucial choice. So, dear Father, I proclaim to you and all who know me that I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son and my Lord and Savior. I believe I will stand in your presence and honor him for his sacrifice. I believe that because of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, I now stand before you forgiven and cleansed, one of your holy children. I believe, dear Father, and so I thank you for my faith and the one in whom it is invested and in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • John 1:9-12
  • John 20:30-31
  • Galatians 3:26-29

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 11:31-32 NLT — Now someone greater than Jonah is here — but you refuse to repent.

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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