21/Jesus: A Devotional for Busy People

By John Greco

How would you describe Jesus to someone if they asked? What if you only had a few minutes? That’s the idea behind 21/Jesus. It’s a devotional for busy people who want to know Jesus better. Each of the twenty-one readings focuses on an important, and sometimes overlooked, part of Jesus’ identity or mission. And the chapters are intentionally brief. The book can be read in a single sitting or completed in three weeks by reading just a few minutes each day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Greco
• Release date: May 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463381663

Book preview

1

Manage Time Like Jesus

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

—J. R. R. Tolkien

Read John 11:1–44. It occurs to me, as I read through the Gospels, that Jesus is never early, nor is He late. Like Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring, He arrives precisely when he means to. While on earth, the Holy Spirit set Jesus’ appointment calendar, and Jesus went where and when He was directed according to a timetable that was not His own.

One evening when Jesus was healing the sick, for example, His disciples urged Him to release the crowds so they could get something to eat. But Jesus listened for His Father’s voice rather than the dinner bell—and so He miraculously fed five thousand men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:13–21). A bit later, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat, while He stayed behind to pray. He missed the boat because it was more important for Him to keep in step with the Father. Later on, He walked on water to catch up with His friends (Matthew 14:22–33).

And then, of course, there was the time Jesus showed up late for His friend Lazarus’s funeral. He had received an early warning that Lazarus was sick. Jesus could’ve rushed to His bedside and healed the man, but He didn’t.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus heard Lazarus was seriously ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was (John 11:6 ESV). When He finally did arrive at his friend’s home, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus’ delay was intentional. God had something in mind other than the healing of a horrific disease. God wanted His Son to raise Lazarus from the dead to show that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

God’s purposes are better than anything we could plan on our own, and His timing is perfect. No matter how busy life may seem, God has a plan for every minute of every day. Following Jesus means letting God set our schedules and listening to His voice.

In some ways, living this way can be scary; it means giving up control. But it’s also liberating. After all, who better to trust with your hours, days, and weeks than the Creator of time itself?

2

See Like Jesus

"It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as