Tag: the cross

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Psalms Devotionals

The blessedness of forgiveness

Psalms

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity…(Psalm 32:1-2, ESV)

When was the last time you thought of the blessedness of forgiveness? I mean really thought about it?

David knew that blessedness after his sin with Bathsheba. The weight of his sin was crushing him. But in His mercy, God forgave him. (2 Samuel 11-12)

Peter knew that blessedness after denying Jesus 3 times. He bore incredible guilt for what he had done. But with one conversation, that guilt was wiped away. (John 21)

The woman caught in adultery knew that blessedness. She should have died for her sin. Instead, she found mercy. (John 8:1-11)

Why is it that we so often fail to marvel at the blessedness of forgiveness?

Perhaps it is because we take our sin so lightly now. We don’t think our sins are so bad.

Or perhaps it’s because we are so overwhelmed by feelings of guilt that we feel there can be no forgiveness for us.

Both extremes are wrong.

Remember the cross. Remember the suffering Jesus went through because of our sin. Not just the “major” ones. Every sin. For even the “smallest” sin, even the sin we take lightly would have sent us to hell.

Remember the cross. God doesn’t just pardon us because he’s a nice guy. He pardons us because his Son paid a terrible price for us.

And when he died, he said, “It is finished! Your debt of sin is paid in full!”

Now because of Jesus’ work, there can be forgiveness for even the worst of our sins. There is no sin that is unforgivable if we repent.

Look to the cross.

Marvel at the grace we have been given.

And sing with David,

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity… (1-2)

Categories
Psalms Devotionals

God’s favor for a lifetime

Psalms

I was just meditating on David’s words in verse 9 today.

He said,

What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit? (Psalm 30:9, ESV)

For David, there was no profit.

But hundreds of years later on the cross, the answer to that question was quite different.

Through Jesus’ death, there was great profit: our salvation.

And because of his death and resurrection, our mourning is turned into dancing. God’s anger was shown but for a moment on the cross, but now his favor toward us lasts a lifetime.

So this Christmas season, let us sing out in praise with Paul.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

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Mark Devotionals Psalms Devotionals

The one who understands our suffering

Psalms

As I was reading Mark 15 this morning, I thought about Jesus’ words “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus was of course quoting from Psalm 22, and as I read it, I came across these words.

For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried to him for help. (Psalm 22:24)

Jesus knows what it’s like to have the Father hide his face from him. To feel abandoned. (Although the Father never truly abandoned Jesus).

And it is for that reason that he does not despise or abhor those who are suffering.

Although we may feel abandoned by God at times, or feel as if he is ignoring our prayers, he does not hide his face from us. And he does turn his ears to our prayers.

So whatever you’re going through now, turn to him. And remember the words of the writer to the Hebrews.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

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2 Corinthians Devotionals

Who we are pointing to

2 Corinthians

It’s so easy to compare ourselves with others. I do it all the time.

We say things like:

“I read my Bible every day.”

“I pray.”

“I fast.”

“I tithe.”

“I sacrifice for the church.”

And then we look at others and ask, “What are you doing?”

But to compare ourselves with others, Paul says, is to lack understanding. (2 Corinthians 10:12)

What are we not understanding?

That each and every one of us stands on God’s grace alone.

Of course it’s good to read your Bible, pray, fast, and all the rest. But notice the first word of all those sentences: “I.”

And our salvation, our Christian lives, rest on what Jesus did, not what we do.

When you talk with others, who do you point to?

Yourself?

Or Jesus?

Do you point to what you do?

Or what he did on the cross, and the grace he pours on you each day?

If you’re boasting about yourself, you’re no longer living by grace. And you’re no longer standing in awe of Jesus and his cross.

So let’s stop looking at ourselves and comparing ourselves with others. Instead, “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (17)

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2 Thessalonians Devotionals

Prayers that every believer needs

Worship at the cross

As I was reading 2 Thessalonians today, Paul’s prayers really touched me.

The things that he prayed for the Thessalonians is what I need prayer for.

They’re what every Christian needs prayer for.

He said,

We always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

So often we think that we have to make ourselves good. To change our lives by our own strength and will.

But here Paul prays that God would make us worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill our every desire to do good, and to bring to fulfillment every work we do by faith.

And as we do so, Jesus will be glorified in us, and us in him.

Not because of how good and wonderful we are, but because of the grace of the Father and the Son operating in our lives.

He then prays,

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word. (2:16-17)

And again,

May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance. (3:5)

At the root of our Christian faith is one basic fact: God loves us.

And Paul prays that Jesus would drive us to the Father’s love each day, so that we can receive the encouragement and hope we all need. As we do, he will strengthen us in every good work we do and every word we speak.

More, Paul prayed that when we face trials and afflictions as the Thessalonians did, that we would look to Christ and take courage from the endurance he showed in going to the cross for us to pay for our sins.

Like I said, so often we look inwardly as we walk this Christian life, trying to live in our own strength.

But let Jesus direct you to the Father’s love.

Remember the cross on which Jesus died.

And as you meditate on these things, let these be the things drive you each day in everything you say and do.

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

That scripture would be fulfilled

The gospels

One thing that becomes crystal clear as we look at these passages is that Christ’s death was no accident. It was no mistake on the part of God. Rather, he had planned it from the beginning of time for our salvation.

The irony was that when the chief priests asked for a sign from Jesus to prove that he was the Messiah, Jesus did give them a sign. They were just too blind and deaf to perceive it.

They demanded he come down from the cross. He pointed them to prophecy.

He couldn’t have been more clear when he cried out,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

The priests thought he was calling for Elijah. But Jesus was actually pointing them to Psalm 22. Why? If they had only seen, they would have understood that Jesus was fulfilling many of the things that David had written.

He was scorned, despised, mocked, and insulted. In fact, the chief priests themselves used virtually the very words that David prophesied they would say.

He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him. (Psalm 22:8)

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ (Matthew 27:43)

David also gave a graphic description of suffering on the cross. He said,

All my bones are out of joint. (Psalm 22:14a)

This disjointing of the bones is what often happened to people hanging on a cross.

David then said,

My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. (Psalm 22:14b)

John records that when the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side, water and blood flowed out, which doctors today say is a sign that he had suffered heart failure.

David prophesied Jesus’ great thirst upon the cross, saying,

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. (Psalm 22:15)

And he prophesied Jesus’ hands and feet being pierced. (Psalm 22:16).

More, a person hanging on a cross could probably see his ribs pressing against his flesh, thus David saying,

I can count all my bones. (Psalm 22:17)

And of course, David prophesied the casting of lots for Jesus’ clothing, saying,

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. (Psalm 22:18)

All these pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, but the chief priests who knew the scripture, couldn’t see it.

John points to other scriptures, Psalm 34, Psalm 69, and Zechariah 12, all of which point to the cross.

And of course, Isaiah 53 describes even more.

Jesus being pierced for our sin and taking our punishment for us.

Being silent in front of his accusers.

Interceding for those who killed him.

Being originally assigned a grave with the wicked, but instead being buried in a rich man’s tomb.

And of course, being resurrected from the dead.

In short, again, this was no accident. It was planned and purposed by the Father for our salvation from the beginning of time.

So let us never take the cross for granted. Instead let us praise God with hearts full of thanksgiving for the price his Son paid for our salvation.