Tag: cross

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Psalms Devotionals 2

God’s humility

Cross

You have given me the shield of your salvation;
your right hand upholds me,
and your humility exalts me. (Psalm 18:35)

It’s probably because Christmas is fast approaching that those words resonate with me.

“Your humility exalts me.”

Though by the world’s standards, I’m insignificant, God humbled himself, became a man, and took the form of a servant.

He then went to the cross paying the price for my sin. (Philippians 2:7)

And because of what Christ did there, insignificant little me has now become a child of God.

That’s awesome to ponder.

The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!
The God of my salvation is exalted. (Psalm 18:46)

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Colossians Devotionals

Hold on to Jesus

Cross

They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God. (Colossians 2:19)

“They don’t hold on to the head.”

Those words struck me this morning.

I want to hold on to Jesus.

I don’t hold on to Jesus by merely trying to keep a bunch of rules, as if I have somehow need to earn his acceptance. (20-23)

I am already accepted. My certificate of debt was canceled at the cross. (14)

I hold on to Jesus by reminding myself:

  • He is good
  • He already loves and accepts me.
  • He knows and desires my best.

And so with a heart filled with gratitude, I choose to live moment to moment, day to day, believing and following my Lord.

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:6-7)

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Mark Devotionals

That he might save me…

cross

In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!” (Mark 15:31)

Those words always resonate with me. The chief priest and scribes said those words to mock Jesus. But their words were truer than they knew.

In order to save us, Jesus couldn’t save himself. He had to die an excruciating death, taking all our sins on himself. All of God’s wrath toward us was poured out on him.

And because of him, the curtain that separated us from God was torn in two.

I’m so grateful that Jesus chose not to save himself so that he could save us.

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Bible Original

Throwback Thursday — Prayers every believer needs

Throwback Thursday

A litle something that I wrote a few years ago, but God is really impressing on my heart in recent days.

Prayers that every believer needs
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Isaiah Devotionals

The God who “mercies” us

three crosses

In this Easter season, it’s good to think about why Jesus had to die.

This passage is interesting in that on one hand, Isaiah prays that God would rend the heavens and come down, revealing himself to the nations.

At the same time, he recognizes that should God do so, it would mean judgment not only for Israel’s enemies, but for Israel itself, because the people had turned their backs on God.

And so he prays,

Lord, do not be terribly angry
or remember our iniquity forever.

Please look—all of us are your people! (Isaiah 64:9)

That prayer reveals why Jesus had to die. Jesus bore the wrath of God for us on the cross. And it’s because of Jesus and what he did there that our sins are forgiven.

The translation of verse 4 into Greek (which is the translation the early church used) is very interesting.

It says something like, “From eternity, we have not heard, nor have our eyes seen any God except for you, and your works that you do for those waiting for mercy.

The ultimate work of God’s mercy toward us was shown on that cross.

Paul seems to see it that way. Talking about the cross, he paraphrases Isaiah 64:4.

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The cross was no tragic accident. It was God’s plan from eternity past to save us, to “mercy” us.

That’s an awesome thing.

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Isaiah Devotionals

How can you be so good to me?

cross

Jesus, you came to this earth, and you became just like us. There was nothing in your appearance that people would desire you. You were just an ordinary looking man.

You understood rejection. You experienced illness.

And then you were pierced. You were crushed. By the time you were crucified, your appearance was so disfigured, you did not even look like a man anymore (Isaiah 52:14).

And all that because of me. You were pierced and struck for my rebellion. Crushed for my iniqutiies.

The whole reason I have peace with the Father was because you took my punishment for me. And by your wounds, my brokenness caused by my sin is healed.

I was like a sheep gone astray. I had turned to my own way. But like a good shepherd, you went chasing after me. And you took the punishment I deserved on yourself.

No one forced you to do this. You willingly submitted yourself to death. You bore my sin.

And you intercede for me even now: “Father, forgive him, for he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Jesus, you carried my iniquities on the cross, and because you did so, I now stand justified before the Father.

You saw anguish and death. But you rose from the grave, and now you see me and all those you died for and are satisfied.

Jesus, I stand in awe of your grace. How can you be so good to me?

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12 Days of Christmas Devotionals

Tenth day of Christmas

grace

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and she said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph and said, “May the Lord add another son to me.” (Genesis 30:22-24)

Joseph sound like the Hebrew for “he has taken away” but means “he adds.”

Just as God took way Rachel’s disgrace by giving her a son, he took away the disgrace of our sin by giving us his Son to die on the cross for our sins.

And now because of Jesus, he adds to us grace upon grace upon grace each and every day.

And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness. (John 1:16)

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John Devotionals

Behold Your King

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[Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” (John 19:4)

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. (John 20:19-20)

I don’t usually wax poetic, but yesterday and today, I felt particularly inspired.

Behold your King.
Body, bloodied and torn.

Behold your King.
Crowned with thorns.

Behold your King.
Face, battered and bruised.

Behold your King.
Unjustly abused.

Behold your King.
Crucified.

Behold your King.
For you, he died.

Behold your King.
His empty grave.

Behold your King.
In glory, raised.

Behold your King.
His hands, his side.

Behold your King.
In his peace, abide.

Behold your King.
Coming soon.

Behold your King.
Making all things new.

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Mark Devotionals

Ashamed?

Mark

For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)

There is a certain irony in Jesus’ words that I had never noticed before. He calls the people in our world, “an adulterous and sinful generation.”

That is something they should find great shame in. But the truth is, nowadays, many people boast about their sin. Not only that, they cheer on those who engage in it. (Romans 1:21-32)

And if that weren’t enough, they try to put to shame those who follow Christ and his words.

But Jesus said,

If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (34)

The cross was perhaps the most painful and shameful kind of death ever. People were nailed naked on a cross. And when Jesus was on the cross, people mocked him.

To be a disciple of Christ means taking up our cross and experiencing the suffering and shame he did.

Not everyone will like us.

Some will mock us.

But Jesus said in our shame, we find blessing. (Matthew 5:10-12)

More, through our boldness, some of the very people that mock us now may find salvation.

So let us say with Paul:

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… (Romans 1:16)

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Psalms Devotionals

My gate. My righteousness.

Psalms

Father, you have opened up to me the gates of righteousness.

Jesus is my gate (John 10:9). He is my righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30)

And now through him, I have access to you. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

So now, Father, I enter into our presence with thanksgiving, because you have answered me and become my salvation. (Psalm 118:19-21)

The stone that the builders rejected and put on a cross has now become the cornerstone of your church, Father. (Psalm 118:22, Acts 4:10-12, Ephesians 2:19-22)

This is from you, Father, and it is wondrous in our sight. This is the day you have made. I will rejoice, and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:23-24)

You are good, Lord. Your steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms Devotionals

The God who came down

Psalms

Psalms 113-118 were traditionally sung during the Jewish Passover feast.

When Jesus and his disciples were singing during the last supper, they were probably singing these hymns. (Matthew 26:30)

With that in mind, verses 4-6 really struck me.

The Lord is exalted above all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God—
the one enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113:4-6)

Yet God did not simply stoop down to look. He actually set aside his glory, came down, and became one of us. And he did it to die for our sins. (Philippians 2:5-8)

And because of what Jesus did for us, we have been raised from the dust, from the trash heap of our sin, and are now seated with him as children of the King. (Psalm 113:7-8, Ephesians 2:1-7)

So as we remember that, let us sing with the psalmist,

Hallelujah!

Give praise, servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.

Let the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and forever.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised. (Psalm 113:1-3)

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Psalms Devotionals

Joy

Psalms

This psalm was written by David, probably after his sin that took place in I Chronicles 21. And it talks about the joy of forgiveness and restoration.

But I also see Jesus in this psalm.

On the cross, the Father hid his face from Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t suffering for his own sins as David did. He suffered for ours.

And while David, cried, “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit?”, there was great gain in Jesus dying for us. On the cross, he paid the price for our sins.

But he didn’t stay dead. The Father brought him back up from the grave and has lifted him up, giving him the name above every other name.

And because Jesus suffered God’s wrath for a moment, now we can enjoy his favor for a lifetime…for eternity.

Because he wept, we now have joy.

So whatever you’re going through, remember the cross. Remember that because of Jesus, we have hope.

And let us sing with David:

Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name. (Psalm 30:4)

I will exalt you, Lord…Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (1, 12)

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Jonah Devotionals

And the lot fell on…Jesus

Book of Jonah

I was reading Jonah again today, and again thought about the parallels between Jesus and Jonah.

I didn’t talk about it yesterday, but it did strike me that both in the boat and at the cross lots were cast.

Coincidence? Maybe. Certainly, the casting of lots were for totally different purposes.

At the cross, it was to decide who would get Jesus’ garment.

In the boat, it was to decide who was responsible for the storm.

In verse 7, it says,

So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)

My first thought was that had Jesus been in the boat, the lot would have fallen on everyone else but Jesus.

But then I thought about the cross.

If lots had been cast that day to decide who was guilty, who was responsible for all the tragedy, all the pain, all the evil in the world, who would have it fallen on?

If Jesus had stood on one side, and we on the other, who would have it fallen on?

Obviously it should have fallen on us.

But on that day, 2000 years ago, it fell on Jesus.

Not because he was at fault. But because he took all the blame that we deserved on himself.

As Isaiah said,

But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.

We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6)

Thank you Jesus, that 2000 years ago, the lot fell on you. That you took the blame for all our sin. And that because you did, I can now have peace with the Father.

May I never take for granted what you did for me on that day. In your name I pray, amen.

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Galatians

What really counts

Galatians

Paul closes this letter by basically summarizing all that he has said in it. And here he discounts all that doesn’t really count for anything in this world.

  • What others think of us doesn’t matter, particularly their approval (Galatians 6:12).
  • Our own efforts to keep the law don’t matter. None of us can keep it perfectly anyway, and that’s the standard if you’re trying to gain God’s approval through the law (Galatians 6:13a).
  • Our pride in what we have “accomplished” for God doesn’t matter. Particularly if we are mistaken about what he approves of (Galatians 6:13b).
  • Circumcision or uncircumcision, rituals, and mere outward religious practices that don’t have any effect on the heart mean nothing (Galatians 6:15a).

We have died to all these things. And these things are dead to us. At least they should be (Galatians 6:14).

Instead, there is only one thing that really counts. The new creation that we become because of what Christ did on the cross (Galatians 6:14-15).

Our lives are not a matter of reformation through our own efforts, but of retransformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what counts.

Paul told the Galatians,

Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:16)

The Judaizers told the Galatians, “You become part of the Israel of God by getting circumcised and following the law of God.”

Paul told them, “No. It is only by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit as you put your faith in Christ that you become God’s people.”

The result when we truly understand this?

You find peace, in contrast to the strain of trying to keep the law of God in your own strength. And you start to truly understand God’s mercy in your life, realizing you are no longer under any condemnation.

How about you? Are you trying to live the Christian life in your own efforts? Is it your focus on being the “good Christian” by trying to keep the rules?

Or are you resting in the grace you have received, walking with the Spirit each day, and following his leading?

My prayer for you is the same as Paul’s.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers (and sisters). Amen. (Galatians 6:18)

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Galatians

The main problem with a gospel of works

Galatians

Throughout this chapter, Paul has kind of been on the defensive, fighting the claims that God’s gospel of grace leads to a promotion of sin.

But here in verse 21, he goes on the offensive. He says,

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21)

In short, he was saying to these Judaizers, “If we need to keep the law in order to be righteous before God, what was the point of Christ’s death? God could have just kept the old system, and Christ would not have had to come at all.

Are you telling me that God let Jesus get punched, whipped, beaten, bloodied, battered, and crucified…just to put us back under law again? That’s ridiculous!”

Yet many people hold this idea today, particularly in the cults where they say, “Yes, Jesus died for your sin, but that’s not enough to pay for your sin. You have to work for your salvation as well.”

But Paul totally debunks that view, saying, “That’s ridiculous! It is simply impossible to do enough to earn your salvation. If it were possible, God would have never sent Jesus in the first place.”

Paul’s argument also debunks the idea that Jesus is just one of many ways to God. That people can get to God through Buddhism, or Hinduism, or through one of the countless other religions in this world.

If it were possible, God would have just used those methods. Why let Jesus suffer as he did if there was another way? It makes no sense.

So let us do away with the idea that there are other ways to heaven. And let us do away with the idea that we can somehow earn God’s favor through our own works.

Jesus suffered on the cross because there was no other way for us to be made right before God. Let us never spit upon what Jesus did for us on the cross by claiming there is another way.

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John John 19 Luke Luke 23 Mark Mark 15 Matthew Matthew 27

If we were forced to bear the cross Christ bore

The gospels

We know very little of this man of Cyrene, this Simon. It is conjectured that he is the father of the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13, the only other Rufus mentioned in the Bible.

In all probability, he was a pilgrim from Northern Africa, a Jew who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, perhaps for the first time ever.

But when he arrived, he got more than he expected. He saw the true Passover lamb sacrificed for him. (I Corinthians 5:7).

For a time, though, Simon had to bear the cross Jesus was eventually crucified on.

As Jesus was going up the hill, the physical strain, the loss of blood, the scourging, the beating he had taken at the hands of the soldiers, and the emotional strain, of being betrayed and abandoned by those he loved most dearly, became too much and he fell under the weight of the cross. He could no longer bear it.

And so Simon had to carry it for him.

And it makes me think. What would have happened if Jesus had said to us at Calvary, “Enough. I can’t bear this anymore. You carry the cross. You die on that cross. You deserve it, after all, not me. I’ve never sinned. You have.”

In a sense, Simon had to experience that, if only for a short time. A cross that he should have been carrying anyway because of his sin, was put on him because Jesus simply couldn’t do it anymore.

Did he realize later, “I was doing Jesus no favor by taking up that cross for him. I was carrying the cross I deserved anyway.

It was he who was doing me the favor by trying to carry my cross up to Calvary. It was he who helped me, he who saved me by dying on that cross when I should have been the one hung there.

But what if he had chosen not to? What if he had simply felt like he could not bear it any longer? Where would I be now?”

The answer? Hell. Because that’s what we all deserve. Hell.

But Jesus did bear the cross. He loved us so much that he died there, and by doing so he took the punishment we deserved upon himself.

And now, because of what he did, our sins can be forgiven, and we can find life as we were meant to have it. A life in relationship with the God who loves us more than any other.

So let us never take the cross for granted. And when we look at it, may we look to the One who died there with hearts full of gratitude.

Jesus Christ,
Praise your name,
Lord, I sing
Without shame.

You bore the cross.
So much love.
All my life, all I need is you.
–James Gabriel