Luke 23:44
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
Its Easter time again, its that time of year we celebrate the Supreme Sacrifice of God the Son for the forgiveness of our sins.
This season is actually more important, more holy to us than Christmas is! Yes the world has much more emphasis on Christmas, and the true meaning of Christ's coming to earth gets lost behind a flurry of gift giving and receiving.
At Easter there is no hiding, not even the chocolate eggs can obscure the terrible price God Himself paid for our sin, this was the great day of reckoning, a supreme demonstration of the self-sacrificial love of our God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, as the Lord Jesus stepped into the breach.
Yes not only the supreme demonstration of love, but also God's supreme demonstration of His Holy wrath against sin! He did not spare His Son the torment of taking sin upon himself and paying the price for our redemption in His death. God's Holy hatred of sin was punished to the full extent that His infallible law and His righteousness demanded.
What the Roman Centurion said what was absolutely true about Jesus, he had seen many people die in all kinds of ways as a soldier of the Empire. In Jesus however he saw someone die as he had never seen before, the manner of Jesus' death made huge impression on him, yes Jesus was innocent, he even died the death of an innocent.
What impression, what impact will the death of Jesus have on you over this period of time, if it is not life changing, then pray to God that he will still have mercy!
He is a merciful God, not willing that any should perish in their sin!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
The Lord is my Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalms 23:1
A passage we all know very well, and it is a text that is very comforting to us when we hear it.
The Lord God, Creator of the Universe and everything in it, God All-powerful, Omni-potent, and he desires us to see His as a Shepherd, as our shepherd.
Being a Shepherd is and was never was a very glamorous job, in fact it cannot even be described as a desirable job by any stretch of the imagination. Sheep have a predisposition to scatter, to wander off on their own and get into trouble or danger, to get separated from the rest of the flock, to get tangled up in overhanging branches or bushes. Sheep need constant watching, it is a 24 hour job, and thankless task, and dangerous job, and one with little reward for the shepherd. A shepherd is not a harsh dictator, a merciless tyrant, and unfeeling master. A shepherd gives names to all his sheep and knows each one and calls each one by name, a shepherd speaks gently and softly to the sheep under his care, a shepherd does not hesitate to place himself in danger in order to protect his flock from any harm. A shepherd leads from the front, waking out ahead of and guiding his sheep to pleasant pastures and a good supply of fresh water. A shepherd takes care of the needs of his sheep.
Jesus is our good Shepherd, he knows us each by name, he calls us to himself, he has gone on ahead of us, and He has laid down his life for us. He saved us from our sin, and from the consequences of that sin, which is death and eternal separation from God. Jesus has provided full and final salvation for us.
Is Jesus your Shepherd?
May he lead and guide you from this day forward as your ever loving Shepherd
Psalms 23:1
A passage we all know very well, and it is a text that is very comforting to us when we hear it.
The Lord God, Creator of the Universe and everything in it, God All-powerful, Omni-potent, and he desires us to see His as a Shepherd, as our shepherd.
Being a Shepherd is and was never was a very glamorous job, in fact it cannot even be described as a desirable job by any stretch of the imagination. Sheep have a predisposition to scatter, to wander off on their own and get into trouble or danger, to get separated from the rest of the flock, to get tangled up in overhanging branches or bushes. Sheep need constant watching, it is a 24 hour job, and thankless task, and dangerous job, and one with little reward for the shepherd. A shepherd is not a harsh dictator, a merciless tyrant, and unfeeling master. A shepherd gives names to all his sheep and knows each one and calls each one by name, a shepherd speaks gently and softly to the sheep under his care, a shepherd does not hesitate to place himself in danger in order to protect his flock from any harm. A shepherd leads from the front, waking out ahead of and guiding his sheep to pleasant pastures and a good supply of fresh water. A shepherd takes care of the needs of his sheep.
Jesus is our good Shepherd, he knows us each by name, he calls us to himself, he has gone on ahead of us, and He has laid down his life for us. He saved us from our sin, and from the consequences of that sin, which is death and eternal separation from God. Jesus has provided full and final salvation for us.
Is Jesus your Shepherd?
May he lead and guide you from this day forward as your ever loving Shepherd
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