Marian
Scriptures: Matthew 27 Isaiah 53 1 Timothy 2:6 Colossians 2:6-16 John 11:25-26
As I begin writing this devotion, we’ve entered Holy week when once again we remember the final hours of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again I’ve heard friends triumphantly chanting, “Its Friday, but Sunday’s coming!”
The church will be remembering that first Maundy Thursday – the re-living of the last Supper of Jesus on earth. Jesus, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, began his farewell meal by washing the feet of His disciples as they gathered to celebrate the annual Jewish Festival of Passover. Whilst none of us would argue over the absolute WONDER that surrounds Jesus’ resurrection, I would like to suggest we linger awhile longer at His cross this year.
As I write, the memory of bygone Easters when I was a teenager spring to mind. The Billy Graham rallies when we were all challenged by the gospel message and I witnessed thousands coming to Christ. The annual Easter witness in the town centre on Good Friday when Church Leaders would proclaim the Gospel message in all its truth to those who gathered to listen. Often tears began to flow as the reality of all that Jesus went through was retold in raw brutality. Painful words that caused me to think how I might have felt if I had been among the women who surrounded the cross - Mary, the mother of Jesus or Mary Magdalene whose life had been radically changed since first encountering Jesus. There were others not so familiar to us.. Maybe the women who had been caught in adultery, or the woman whose “issue of blood” had been miraculously healed the moment she touched the hem of His garment, were present and weeping. There were men too whose lives had been radically changed by this amazing Man named Jesus.
Truly Jesus was ‘The Servant King, Messiah, Saviour, Healer, Baptiser and Coming King to whom all earthly kings will one day bow.. Jesus remains the only perfect person who ever walked on earth. Yet on that first Maundy Thursday we find Him washing the feet of His disciples, before sitting with them around a table to re-tell the story of the first Passover meal thousands of years earlier when God had rescued the Jews from their captivity in Egypt. His disciples must have been quite surprised when Jesus began to deviate from the usual story. Instead of re-telling how the Angel of Death passed over their ancestors when a perfect lamb had been sacrificed and its blood sprinkled over their door-posts, Jesus substituted Himself as the sacrifice!
This year my eyes have been opened wide to see the immense importance of the Cross in our salvation story, as well as the amazing miracles surrounding the death of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The curtain tore from top to bottom! The sky turned dark, the earth shook, the rocks were split, the graves were opened and many saints were raised to life. Jesus chose the moment to give His spirit into the hands of His Father, and the guards, seeing the earth quake, declared, “Truly this was the Son of God.” Wow!
As I reflect upon the state of our nation and the world today, I am witnessing things I never dreamed could possibly happen, even among church leaders in high office. The result has been division, sadness, and a turning away from the Word of God. Where did it all go wrong? How could church leaders have moved so far away from God as to deny Scriptures that no longer fit their agenda, caring more about what the biblical critics think of them than what our dear Lord – the Author – has written?
Could it be that the church began to lose its way as the prosperity and easy grace messages in the Western world began to spread and take precedence over the more serious understanding of the true biblical gospel message – the message where Jesus warns us of the consequences of sin, and that following Him does not guarantee us an easy path?
Could it be that the move toward modern hymns and songs, often ‘performed’ on stages with glaring flashing lights and a ‘pop’ culture image, have drawn us away from the beautiful sacrificial words we sang years ago? Whilst many new songs are beautifully biblical and prophetic, I’ve noticed an influx of songs that turn our focus onto ourselves.
Could it be because Governments in the West have removed the Bible from our State Schools, until children grow up knowing more about sexual deviations from God’s design of man and woman, than they do of the Scriptures?
Only God has the answer to these question, and only God can once again touch the hearts of us all with His Truth, as written in His Word.
The doctrine of the atonement is central to Christianity, focusing on the reconciliation of humanity to God through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. In my youth I remember how we were taught about the warnings in Scripture and developing a healthy fear of the Lord. This foundation alongside the immense blessings we don’t deserve, yet God offers to every repentant sinner, is surely the foundation given by the Apostles teaching throughout the New Testament, and it lines up completely with the teachings of Jesus. Good Friday is a time for us to reflect on our own life, how we treat others, and above all to kneel in heartfelt repentance, weeping over our transgressions.
I realise now that God’s greatest love for us is not shown in all that He lavishes upon us in worldly terms. His love does not conform to the laws of this world, but the laws of His eternal paradise where sin, sickness, tears, sorrow and suffering will be no more.
By the time you read this, Resurrection Sunday will have dawned and we will all rejoice greatly. However, may we not be SO eager to rush on that we lose the message and importance of the cross of Christ. It was on the cross where Jesus defeated the powers of evil. This Good Friday Jesus opened my eyes to see that the overcoming of evil was not dependent upon His resurrection! In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul writes,
“...having disarmed the powers and authorities He made a pubic spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
It was on the cross where Jesus defeated evil and sin.
It was in His Resurrection that He defeated our final enemy – death itself.
‘Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even thought they die, and whoever lives in Me will never die.”(John 11: 25-26)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we come before you and rejoice over Your amazing Resurrection this Easter day, may we never forget all that You suffered on our behalf when obediently You took the beatings and carried Your cross to Calvary. Even more amazing is the fact that no one took your life from You, but You gave it up willingly because Your love for sinful mankind is so immense. “Love SO amazing, SO divine, Demands my soul, my life my all….” Amen
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