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Audible TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Daniel 7–8; Psalm 137; Luke 4 One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided...
Key Takeaways
- In Daniel 7 and 8, strange visions of earthly empires and beasts contrast sharply with the vision of the 'Son of Man,' to whom an everlasting kingdom is given.
- Encountering Jesus in the desert reveals a profound temptation where Christ is offered worldly power, spectacle, and control, yet ultimately refuses to build his kingdom through domination.
- Jesus emerges from the wilderness to declare in Nazareth that his kingdom brings good news for the poor, freedom for captives, and sight to the blind.
- Operating from a place of belovedness allows believers to resist worldly identities based on success, power, and the need to constantly prove themselves.
- Instead of turning power into domination or acting like the beasts of worldly empires, citizens of Jesus' kingdom are called to choose love, mercy, and service.
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- TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Daniel 7–8; Psalm 137; Luke 4
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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 21st, and our readings are Daniel 7–8, Psalm 137, and Luke 4.
Daniel sees strange and unsettling visions of kingdoms, beasts, violence, and earthly powers rising and falling. Yet in the middle of these visions, Daniel sees another figure, one “like a son of man,” coming with the clouds of heaven. To him is given an everlasting kingdom, one that will never be destroyed.
Psalm 137 gives voice to the anguish of people living in exile. They sit beside the rivers of Babylon and weep as they remember Jerusalem. Their grief is raw, and so is their anger.
Then Luke takes us into the wilderness.
Jesus has just heard the Father declare, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Now that beloved Son is tempted.
The temptation is about far more than bread. Jesus is offered power, spectacle, and control. He is offered the kingdoms of the world if only he will bow to another way.
But Jesus refuses.
He will not build his kingdom through domination.
He emerges from the wilderness and returns to Nazareth, where he tells us exactly what his kingdom will look like:
Good news for the poor.
Freedom for captives.
Sight for the blind.
Freedom for the oppressed.
The time of the Lord’s favor has come.
Daniel saw kingdoms rise and fall.
Jesus announces the kingdom that will remain.
And he shows us what that kingdom looks like.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
Another Kind of Kingdom
Jesus is offered the kingdoms of the world.
That caught my attention today.
The devil takes Jesus up and shows him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And then comes the offer:
“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them.”
Just bow down.
Just play the game.
Use power the way power has always been used.
Dominate.
Control.
Take the throne.
Make people comply.
And Jesus says no.
That's important.
Because Daniel has just given us these strange visions of kingdoms that look like beasts.
They devour.
They crush.
They destroy.
That's what kingdoms can become.
And then Jesus walks into the wilderness.
The true Son of Man has come.
And he is offered the opportunity to become another beast.
He refuses.
Jesus will have a kingdom.
But it will not look like the kingdoms of this world.
And Luke doesn't leave us wondering what Jesus' kingdom will look like.
Jesus walks into the synagogue, opens the scroll of Isaiah, and tells us:
Good news for the poor.
Freedom for the captives.
Sight for the blind.
Freedom for the oppressed.
The Lord's favor.
That's his kingdom.
Jesus doesn't conquer by becoming a bigger beast.
He conquers by remaining human.
Fully human.
The true human.
The Son who lives in communion with the Father and refuses to turn power into domination.
And I think that's good news for us because we are constantly being invited to play the old game.
Win.
Control.
Prove yourself.
Get the upper hand.
Protect what's yours.
Make sure you're the one on top.
But Jesus shows us another way.
The way of the kingdom is not domination.
It is love.
It is liberation.
It is healing.
It is mercy.
It is good news for people who have spent their lives receiving bad news.
And notice where all of this begins.
Before the wilderness.
Before the temptation.
Before the ministry.
Before Jesus does anything.
The Father has already said:
“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Jesus enters the wilderness from belovedness.
He doesn't have to prove who he is.
He doesn't need the kingdoms of the world to validate him.
He already knows whose he is.
Maybe that's part of the invitation for us today.
The powers of this world will always offer us identities.
Successful.
Important.
Powerful.
Right.
Victorious.
But Jesus invites us into something deeper.
Beloved.
And when we know that we are beloved, we don't have to turn ourselves into beasts to survive.
We can follow Jesus.
We can choose love over domination.
Mercy over vengeance.
Service over control.
We can live as citizens of another kingdom.
A kingdom that Daniel says will never be destroyed.
A kingdom embodied in Jesus.
So when the kingdoms around you roar, remember who you are.
And remember whose kingdom you belong to.
You are beloved.
Follow the Son.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
And now Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, Joy. Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life. Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ. Amen.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What scriptures are covered in the September 21st episode of Encounter Christ in Scripture?
This episode covers Daniel 7–8, Psalm 137, and Luke 4, guiding listeners through biblical passages about exile, prophetic visions of kingdoms, and Jesus in the desert.
What does the temptation of Jesus in the desert teach us about God's kingdom?
The temptation shows that Jesus rejected worldly power, control, and domination. Rather than building an empire like the beast-like kingdoms in Daniel's visions, Jesus established a kingdom defined by love, mercy, and good news for the oppressed.
How does Jesus' identity as the beloved Son impact his time in the wilderness?
Before facing temptation in the desert, the Father declared that Jesus is His dearly loved Son. Jesus entered the wilderness from a place of belovedness, meaning he did not need the kingdoms of the world to validate his identity.
What is the primary message of Psalm 137 in this episode?
Psalm 137 gives raw voice to the deep anguish, grief, and anger of the Israelites living in exile by the rivers of Babylon.
