Day 26 - Friday, November 6th
LIFE Journal
This Week's Memory Verse
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Psalm 16:8-9
Devotional
The dinner was finished and the disciples and Jesus left the room they shared an important moment in. Jesus took a moment to enter into a quiet place called Gethsemane, where he pleaded for his Father’s will to be done. There, in that hidden place, he felt the weight of what God was asking of him. His friends couldn’t keep their eyes open long enough to pray for him like he requested and the time had come. Moments later, guards arrived ready to take him away at first sight of a kiss from his betrayer. He was brought before the courts where lies swirled and testimonies were falsified and justice was no where to be found. The verdict: condemned. Stamped like red letters across the sentencing page of a felon.
One of his closest friends denied even knowing him and the soldiers make a mockery of him, dressing him like a king as he marched to his death. A large heavy, wooden cross laid across his shoulders and he would drag it the mount where it would be erected for him to hang upon. Placed between two criminals, his beaten, naked, broken body was lifted up for all to see. And there his breaths grew more and more shallow as the shouts and jeers from the crowd grew louder.
Separated in a moment from his Father, bearing the weight of every evil act and thought, the pain was excruciating:
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” - Mark 15:33-39 NIV
They call it good, but when you read the accounts of what happened you start to wonder, how could all that pain be good? It’s good because someone had to pay the price for our disobedience. It’s good because God wanted restoration with those who would choose Him. It’s good because the years and years of systematic sacrifice were done with and a once and for all atonement had been made. Because in that moment, everything you and I had ever done, ever messed up sinful thing we could ever imagine doing, was nailed with the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
He was perfect, without blemish, without sin, and yet, humbly, like a lamb for slaughter, he took on our debt. We can never forget the good found in Good Friday. We can never forget that the resurrection that is to come doesn't happen unless death comes first. God can only resurrect that which died.
Think On This Verse:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Colossians 3:1-5 NLT
Ask and Answer:
As Christ died that day on the cross, so did we. Our orientation towards sin was nailed to that cross and while we still may find that we stumble daily, we can rest knowing that our old self is dead. Often, we can see areas in our lives where resurrection, life restored, hasn’t come because death hasn’t come yet. While Jesus’ death completely turned us around from moving towards sin to moving towards Christ, we can still find ourselves entangled in our old ways of living. Death hasn’t come yet if you don’t see life resurrected. What needs to be crucified in your life? What do you, with the help of Jesus, need to put to death? Is there sexual sin? Evil desires? Greed? Worship of the things of this world? Dig deep into this question and confess them to God and ask Him for his help. Then watch life spring forth.
One of his closest friends denied even knowing him and the soldiers make a mockery of him, dressing him like a king as he marched to his death. A large heavy, wooden cross laid across his shoulders and he would drag it the mount where it would be erected for him to hang upon. Placed between two criminals, his beaten, naked, broken body was lifted up for all to see. And there his breaths grew more and more shallow as the shouts and jeers from the crowd grew louder.
Separated in a moment from his Father, bearing the weight of every evil act and thought, the pain was excruciating:
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” - Mark 15:33-39 NIV
They call it good, but when you read the accounts of what happened you start to wonder, how could all that pain be good? It’s good because someone had to pay the price for our disobedience. It’s good because God wanted restoration with those who would choose Him. It’s good because the years and years of systematic sacrifice were done with and a once and for all atonement had been made. Because in that moment, everything you and I had ever done, ever messed up sinful thing we could ever imagine doing, was nailed with the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
He was perfect, without blemish, without sin, and yet, humbly, like a lamb for slaughter, he took on our debt. We can never forget the good found in Good Friday. We can never forget that the resurrection that is to come doesn't happen unless death comes first. God can only resurrect that which died.
Think On This Verse:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Colossians 3:1-5 NLT
Ask and Answer:
As Christ died that day on the cross, so did we. Our orientation towards sin was nailed to that cross and while we still may find that we stumble daily, we can rest knowing that our old self is dead. Often, we can see areas in our lives where resurrection, life restored, hasn’t come because death hasn’t come yet. While Jesus’ death completely turned us around from moving towards sin to moving towards Christ, we can still find ourselves entangled in our old ways of living. Death hasn’t come yet if you don’t see life resurrected. What needs to be crucified in your life? What do you, with the help of Jesus, need to put to death? Is there sexual sin? Evil desires? Greed? Worship of the things of this world? Dig deep into this question and confess them to God and ask Him for his help. Then watch life spring forth.
Prayer
Jesus, Friday was good because you took my debt on as your own. As you hung on the cross, so did all my past sins, my present sins and my future sins. I no longer have to walk like a dead man, because your grace and mercy has made me alive. Help me to remember how certain things are dead now that I am in you: my orientation towards sin, my old ways of thinking, and the sinful, earthly things lurking within me. In your name I pray, Amen.