111 – Have you ever wondered what Jesus was grateful for?

There are only four times during Jesus's ministry when his gratitude was recorded in one of the Gospels.

In this week's episode we talk about each one in detail to get a deeper insight into Jesus's mindset.

Sometimes Jesus expresses gratitude for very specific things. Other times the Bible simply says that Jesus "gave thanks."

Jesus was grateful when people understood and accepted his message. He specifically thanked God for revealing it to the childlike thought of those who were receptive.

But  had you ever noticed that Jesus also thanked God for not revealing his message to those who thought they were so wise and clever. There's a very good reason for this, which I explore this week.

The second recorded time Jesus gave thanks was when he had just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish to feed a crowd of thousands. He simply thanked God. 

When we thank God, no matter what the outward circumstances are, there will always be a bountiful blessing.

The third time mentioned when Jesus was grateful was just before he called Lazarus out of the grave. He thanked God for hearing and answering his prayer even before he prayed it or it was answered.

We usually thank God after we receive a blessing or a healing. But Jesus thanked God beforehand. This is a good example for us.

The final time the Bible mentions that Jesus gave thanks was at the Last Supper. Even though he knew he was about to be arrested, put on trial, falsely accused, and crucified, he still gave thanks.

There really was a lot to be grateful for and I explore what some of those things could be in this episode. 

When you are facing a tumultuous challenge, will you follow Jesus's example to pause and give thanks?

In this Thanksgiving season, I invite you to adopt the mindset of Jesus in giving thanks when things are going well, and when there are challenges. This will bring a multitude of blessings in to your life.

I'd love to hear your favorite way to be grateful.