THE MISSION: JESUS ANNOUNCED HIS MISSION FROM THE CROSS.
HOLY WEEK DEVOTION – DAY 1
THE MISSION: JESUS ANNOUNCED HIS MISSION FROM THE CROSS.
MINISTER COLE BAKER
What love extends forgiveness, redemption, and righteousness to those who have mocked, beaten and hung the savior of the world on a cross? The Sunday School answer, right? Jesus does! Chances are if you answer most questions that you receive in church this week with the name of Jesus you will be correct… I am glad that we know the answer to this question. It also saddens me that we can declare the name of Jesus so easily without taking a moment to pause and truly consider what Jesus’ prayer of forgiveness from the cross means for our lives today.
What did Jesus say?
After the torturous events that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus He is left hanging on the cross by nails through His wrists and through His feet. In this time Jesus prays to the Father and says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Ask yourself again, what love extends forgiveness, redemption, and righteousness to those who have mocked, beaten and hung the savior of the world on a cross? After Jesus is beaten, mocked, and whipped He hangs on the cross and prays that the Father forgives those who have put Him there.
There are two things at play at this moment…
1. The weight of our sin.
Jesus is praying to the Father regarding the forgiveness of sin for the people who have beat Him, mocked Him, and ultimately put Him on the cross. As humans I believe we must put ourselves into this group of people. Look for a moment to 2 Corinthians 5:21 where Paul says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. Here Paul proclaims that the reason that Jesus had to go to the cross was because of our sin. Jesus knew no sin, not once, and not ever did Jesus know sin, until he bore the weight of the sins of the world hanging there on the cross. Peter in 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” Like Paul, Peter does not shy away from the fact that it is our sins that hold Jesus on the cross. Passages like this should cause us to consider the weight of our sin. Yes, Jesus died a gruesome death. A death that was horrible and meant for criminals. Yes, this is worth mourning, but how often as believers do we mourn the sin that drives the crown of thorns onto the head of Jesus? How often are we pausing to consider and repent of the idolatry, sexual immorality, lying, stealing, and other sin in our life that pushes the nails deeper into the wrists and feet of Jesus? Taking time to consider these things makes what I will share next so much sweeter…
2. The grace of our God.
What this prayer that Jesus prays to God ultimately represents is the character of our God. A God who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression of sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” (Exodus 34:6-7). It is by this same gracious God that we are offered forgiveness of our sins through the blood of His son Jesus. The price of our forgiveness was not cheap. It cost the spilt blood of God’s one and only “Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), yet He still accomplished it for our sake. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It is only by our recognition of this that we can face the weight of our sin and look forward in hope because of what the Lord has accomplished for us.
Our Response
As we seek to be faithful to the Lord this Holy Week let's pause to consider two things: Let’s pause first to consider the weight of our sin. Our sin is heavy, burdensome, and rebellion against the most Holy God. Second, let’s pause to consider that it is the grace of this most Holy God that sent His son to pay the penalty for your sin. It is by His grace that we may be saved!
Reflection
1. Read Luke chapters 22-23 and end your reading at chapter 23 verse 34. In your reading remember Jesus’ prayer from the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
2. In what ways have you made the grace of God “cheap” in your life? In what way have you understood that it took the death of God’s only son to accomplish forgiveness of your sins?
3. Read Isaiah 53:12. Sit and reflect on how this prophecy in Isaiah was fulfilled in Jesus’ words, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
4. Lastly, re-read 1 Peter 2:24. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” Sit and receive the accomplishment of forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus!