Wednesday, December 16 Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?​—Acts 1:6.

[Áine]

Wednesday, December 16

Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?—Acts 1:6.

 

Expectations about the Messiah, such as those held by Jesus’ disciples, doubtless led the people of Galilee to want Jesus to become their king. We can imagine that they were thinking that Jesus would be an ideal leader. He was an outstanding speaker; he could cure the sick; he could even supply food for the hungry. After Jesus fed about 5,000 men, he sensed the mood among the people. “Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain all alone.” (John 6:10-15) The following day on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the enthusiasm may have died down some. Jesus then explained to the crowd the true nature of his work. He had come to bring spiritual, not material, benefits to the nation. “Work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for everlasting life,” he told them.—John 6:25-27. w18.06 4 ¶4-5

[Alexa]

Jesus refused when people seize him to make him their king. He wants us to work hard for our hope of everlasting life because he brings spiritual benefits with his life here in Earth especially to his nation.