DAILY TEXT, Today, Saturday February 24, 2024, I, Jehovah your God, hold your right hand; I am the one who tells you: “Do not be afraid. I will help you” (Is. 41:13).

DAILY TEXT, From today Saturday February 24, 2024, I, Jehovah your God, hold your right hand; I am the one who tells you: “Do not be afraid. I will help you” (Is. 41:13).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Saturday February 24, 2024

I, Jehovah your God, hold your right hand; I am the one who tells you: “Do not be afraid. I will help you” (Is. 41:13).

Let's think about Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected man in Jewish society. He was a member of the supreme court of the Jews, the Sanhedrin. But he didn't have much courage during Jesus' ministry. John says that he “was a disciple of Jesus, although secretly, because he was afraid of the Jews” (John 19:38). Although he was interested in the message of the Kingdom, he hid his faith in the Son of God. He sure was afraid of losing the respect of the community. Be that as it may, the Bible tells us that, after Jesus' death, Joseph finally “took up his courage, stood before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15:42, 43). Joseph's faith was no longer a secret. Are you worried about what they will say, like what happened to him? w23.01 30 paras. 13, 14.

Why does it help us to be brave to think about what Jesus said the night before he died? (John 16:32, 33).

The night before he died, Jesus told his disciples: “In the world you are going to have suffering. But be brave! For I have overcome the world” (read John 16:32, 33). What helped Jesus to be brave when his enemies threatened him and to be loyal to the death? His trust in Jehovah. Because Jesus knew that his disciples would go through similar trials, he asked Jehovah to take care of them (John 17:11). Why does that help us to be brave? For Jehovah is more powerful than any enemy we may have (1 John 4:4). And he is very aware of everything. We are convinced that by relying completely on Jehovah, we can overcome our fears and be courageous.

What effect did the joy of seeing the resurrected Jesus have on the disciples? (Luke 24:52, 53).

When Jesus died, his disciples felt deep sadness. How would you have felt in his place? The disciples had lost a dear friend and their hopes had gone with him (Luke 24:17-21). But Jesus appeared to them later and took time to explain that he was fulfilling Bible prophecies. Furthermore, he gave them a very important task (Luke 24:26, 27, 45-48). And, by the time Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days later, the sadness of his disciples had already turned into great joy. It made them very happy to know that Jesus was alive and that he would help them fulfill his new mission. That joy prompted them to praise Jehovah without stopping. (Read Luke 24:52, 53; Acts 5:42.)

How can we follow the example of Jesus' disciples?

And we, how can we follow the example of Jesus' disciples? Serving Jehovah with joy every day, not just during the Memorial season. To achieve this, we must put the Kingdom of God first. For example, some have changed their work schedule so that they have more time to preach, go to meetings, and do family worship each week. Some have even decided to deprive themselves of things that others consider essential in order to help more in the congregation or to go preach where there are very few Witnesses. It is true that we must be perseverant to continue serving Jehovah, but he promises to bless us greatly if we put the Kingdom first (Prov. 10:22; Matt. 6:32, 33).

What should we do during this time of the Memorial?

We hope that Tuesday, April 4, will arrive to celebrate the Commemoration. But there is no reason to wait until that day to meditate on the life and death of Jesus, and on the love that he and Jehovah have shown us. Take advantage of any time you have during the Memorial season to do so. For example, you can take time to carefully analyze the events in Appendix B12 of the New World Translation, titled “Jesus' Last Week on Earth.” Look for passages that nourish his gratitude, his love, his courage, and his joy. And think of concrete ways to show that he is grateful from the heart. Let there be no doubt about it: Jesus will value everything we do to remember him during this time of the Memorial (Rev. 2:19).

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