The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 18:31-33,
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."
This is what Jesus told his twelve disciples prior to going up to Jerusalem. He told them of all he was going to suffer and of his resurrection from the dead. Three days after his death he would rise from the grave and visit them, demonstrating his Father's satisfaction with what he set himself to accomplish.
What happened to Jesus at his arrest and crucifixion was not something that overtook him, but something that he planned. His death on the cross, which paid the penalty for our sins, was why he came. I am reminded of the well-known prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-6, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Jesus death on the cross was the literal fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.
This sacrifice Jesus made of himself had a consequence that would forever change the opportunities for all mankind. Through his death on that cross we all have a way to eternal life in God's family with all the many blessings it will bring. As John the Baptist saw Jesus he claimed, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29. Embracing Jesus in faith is all that is needed to bring the benefit of Jesus' sacrifice to us.
In Hebrews 10:17-22 we read, "'Their sins and lawless acts I [the Lord] will remember no more.' And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
How wonderful this sacrifice Jesus made of himself! Costing him dearly, he expressed an unfathomable love for people, a kindness this world had never seen before and a mercy beyond our wildest imaginations!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
No comments:
Post a Comment