Likewise, the divine communion within the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) has existed from eternity past. But what happened when the Son was bearing the weight of the sins of humanity on His Cross and incurring the full wrath and judgment of God? Was the divine communion severed in that dark hour?
We invite you to use the following daily meditations in which we will explore the divine communion and comfort among God the Father, Son, and Spirit; and provide encouraging applications for Christ-followers.
Day 1: Eternal Communion: Father, Son, Spirit
Scripture:
My God, my God,
why have You forsaken me? -- Psalm 22: 1
He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2: 17
Consider:
My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me: These were the anguished words of Jesus Christ from His Cross outside Jerusalem (Mark 15: 34). But the same inspired words expressed the anguish of the psalmist David's soul when he cried out to God one thousand years earlier (Psalm 22: 1). The same God who heard David's cry also heard the passionate cry of Christ, His beloved Son. When the Triune God --Father, Son, and Spirit, heard David's cry, did He already know the extent of the agony of the Cross as if He had already experienced it? If God is omniscient, it would seem so. Therefore, we might say that the "Passion of Christ," or "Passion of God," was not simply real on "Passion Week." God's passion for fallen mankind remained as an intense expression of His love from eternity past to the entry of sin in the Garden of Eden and onward through Christ's birth, death, and resurrection as a sacrifice for our sin.
My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me: These were the anguished words of Jesus Christ from His Cross outside Jerusalem (Mark 15: 34). But the same inspired words expressed the anguish of the psalmist David's soul when he cried out to God one thousand years earlier (Psalm 22: 1). The same God who heard David's cry also heard the passionate cry of Christ, His beloved Son. When the Triune God --Father, Son, and Spirit, heard David's cry, did He already know the extent of the agony of the Cross as if He had already experienced it? If God is omniscient, it would seem so. Therefore, we might say that the "Passion of Christ," or "Passion of God," was not simply real on "Passion Week." God's passion for fallen mankind remained as an intense expression of His love from eternity past to the entry of sin in the Garden of Eden and onward through Christ's birth, death, and resurrection as a sacrifice for our sin.
God's passionate love for His creation and mankind is continuous and eternal. But, when the weight of human sin and consequential suffering fell upon the Son of God during the dark hours on His Cross, the eternal communion of Father, Son, and Spirit seemed to vanish for the Son. He [God the Father] made Him [the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Although He was God in human flesh, Jesus had lived in perfect communion with the Father. But when the burden of humanity's sin fell upon Jesus there on the Cross, instead of the perfect communion, He faced the wrathful judgment of the Father unleashed upon Him because of your sin and mine being heaped upon Him on the Cross?
Response:
How would God have you respond when you consider the fact that God foreknew that He would experience injustice, rejection, abuse, suffering, and death on a Roman cross, and yet press forward in loving passion toward that day? Can you speak from experience how unconfessed sin interrupts your communion with God? Remember...you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps...(1 Peter 2: 21).
How would God have you respond when you consider the fact that God foreknew that He would experience injustice, rejection, abuse, suffering, and death on a Roman cross, and yet press forward in loving passion toward that day? Can you speak from experience how unconfessed sin interrupts your communion with God? Remember...you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps...(1 Peter 2: 21).
Day 2: Jesus Christ: With God in the Beginning
Scripture:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... - John 1: 1-3a, 14a
On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word... - Hebrews 1: 1-3a
Notice from our Scriptures for today that both the Book of Hebrews and the Gospel of John reveal that the "spoken word" (or in Greek, logos) is the means by which God reveals His actions and His nature. Jesus Christ bears the name, "Word of God," or "logos of God" because Jesus is the perfect revelation of God in thought, speech, and divine nature. Indeed, many theologians believe the relationship of God to Jesus Christ is in like manner to the relationship of thought to spoken word [Read more HERE.]. And, this intimate relationship or Oneness of God the Father and God Son in thought and in Word is an eternal relationship. As John wrote, "He was in the beginning with God" (John 1: 2). [Reread the Scriptures above and marvel at their message.]
Application:
We can begin to grasp how much God loves the world, His fallen creation, when we realize that He gave His most cherished Gift; namely, His Son, the exact representation of Himself, to be born in human flesh and to show us by His example a perfect communion and obedience to His Father; and then, dying at the hands of sinners as a sacrifice for all who will believe in Him.
Response:
The question all of us must answer is, "What will I do with the claims of Jesus Christ as recorded in God's inspired Word?" Meditate on the fact that the eternal fellowship of God the Father and the Son within the triune godhead was altered when Christ came to Earth as Messiah. Can you personally relate to the blessing of regular communion with God the Father in prayer? If so, thank Him now for making it possible through Christ. If not, we hope you will prayerfully use these Easter meditations to consider God's great love for you and desire to commune with you, uninterrupted by unconfessed sin (Isaiah 59: 1-2).
Day 3: "The Man of Sorrows" Cried Out in Prayer
Scripture:
In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. - Hebrews 5: 7
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. - Psalm 57: 1
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The Book of Genesis recounts how God created the heavens and the Earth and formed the first human beings, Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3: 8 we learn that Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect fellowship with God, walking with him in the cool of the day, hearing the sound of His voice, and receiving the warmth of His love. But one day, possibly just before the "cool of the day" instead of walking with God, Adam and Eve made the fateful choice to doubt and then reject God's loving provision for them. Instead of eating from their choices of many other trees God had provided, they ate fruit from the only forbidden tree! The effect of their rebellious choice and action (their sin) was immediate! Guilt, fear, and alienation from a holy God caused them to hide from Him. But God came seeking them! This action was His first step toward redeeming mankind from sin. The Old Testament of the Bible gives the account of God pursuing mankind, a pursuit that culminated in His sending His beloved Son to be the sacrificial Lamb to take away the sin and penalty from all who would receive Him by faith.
Application:
Even before Adam and Eve chose to sin, and even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1: 4), God had already determined that He would redeem Adam's fallen race, including all who will turn to Him by faith. Because of his sin, the first Adam forfeited his close communion with God and lost his ability to represent God's image in creation (Genesis 1: 27). But God so loved His creation and the communion He had with Adam that He came as the incarnate God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, the "second Adam" (1 Corinthians 15: 45). Jesus, being fully God yet fully human, left Heaven's glory to live the perfect life the first Adam had failed to live. Then, Jesus give His life in our place to atone for Adam's fallen descendants including us.
Take time to reread the Scripture above for today and try to imagine how very much Jesus, In the days of His flesh, needed to [offer up] ...both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death. Christ avoided sin, separation, and death because He did not yield to the trials and temptations that would separate Him from His close communion in the will of His Father. Have you experienced at least something of this same need to cry out to God when you face trials and temptations? If so, thank God for drawing you "into the shelter of His wings until the danger passes by."
Day 4: Christ Our Example 'Learned Obedience'
Scripture:
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation... - Hebrews 5: 7-9
...although He (Jesus Christ) existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. - Philippians 2: 7-8
Consider:
The title "Son of God" signifies the deity of Christ, or His intimate kinship within the divine nature. If Jesus Christ is One with God the Father who possesses all power and all knowledge, how can it be said that Christ "learned obedience from the things He suffered?" According to the Bible Hub Commentary, the term "learned" points to Christ's experiential learning as a human being who "tasted the cost of obedience in real time-- practical, active submission to the Father's will, climaxing in the Cross. Jesus’ suffering was not corrective (He had no sin) but perfective, revealing flawless submission. Each episode of pain—rejection, betrayal, Gethsemane, the scourge, the nails—became a fresh arena where obedience was proven."
The title "Son of God" signifies the deity of Christ, or His intimate kinship within the divine nature. If Jesus Christ is One with God the Father who possesses all power and all knowledge, how can it be said that Christ "learned obedience from the things He suffered?" According to the Bible Hub Commentary, the term "learned" points to Christ's experiential learning as a human being who "tasted the cost of obedience in real time-- practical, active submission to the Father's will, climaxing in the Cross. Jesus’ suffering was not corrective (He had no sin) but perfective, revealing flawless submission. Each episode of pain—rejection, betrayal, Gethsemane, the scourge, the nails—became a fresh arena where obedience was proven."
How do we benefit from the fact that Jesus "learned obedience" and was "made perfect" because of His "practical, active submission to the Father's will?" We benefit because Jesus "emptied Himself," exchanging His divine privileges and glory to walk on the Earth as a human where he demonstrated "flawless submission" to His Father's will. Christ's obedience enabled Him to become God's "spotless Lamb." Now, as our Great High Priest, Jesus continually serves as our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4: 15-16).
Response:
Although Jesus was the divine "Son of God," He still had to submit His human senses and desires to the Father in perfect obedience. As humans, we know how hard it is to submit our thoughts, desires, and selfish tendencies to God. Thankfully, Jesus our High Priest understands our struggles perfectly. Why not call upon Him now and often for His love and forgiveness based on the wonderful assurance of Hebrews 4: 15-16 (above)?
Although Jesus was the divine "Son of God," He still had to submit His human senses and desires to the Father in perfect obedience. As humans, we know how hard it is to submit our thoughts, desires, and selfish tendencies to God. Thankfully, Jesus our High Priest understands our struggles perfectly. Why not call upon Him now and often for His love and forgiveness based on the wonderful assurance of Hebrews 4: 15-16 (above)?
Scripture:
He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel,
In Whom I will show My glory.”
But I said, “I have toiled in vain,
I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;
Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD,
And My reward with My God.”
And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am honored in the sight of the LORD,
And My God is My strength),
He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
-- Isaiah 49: 3-6 (Inspired through Isaiah, ~700 BC)
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and ...a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well-pleased.” -- Matthew 3: 16-17 (in part); ( ~AD 27-29)
-- Isaiah 49: 3-6 (Inspired through Isaiah, ~700 BC)
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and ...a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well-pleased.” -- Matthew 3: 16-17 (in part); ( ~AD 27-29)
Consider:
Our Scripture for today is an inspired recording of part of an intimate conversation between God the Father and God the Son, here referred to as "the Servant" or "My Servant Israel." Amazingly, we are allowed to "listen in" as the Father speaks to the preincarnate Jesus Christ (at least 700 years before His coming to Earth, and possibly many millennia earlier). God the Father uses the title "Israel" to refer to both the nation Israel and to Christ as His Messiah. God had charged Israel to be a light of the nations so that [His] salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49: 6b). Israel had failed in being a holy light to the Gentile nations --i.e. a multiethnic company of peoples” (k’hal ‘amim; Gen 28: 3; kahal, is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek ekklesia translated “church” or “assembly.”). Jesus Christ came to fulfill what Adam and God's "chosen people" (Israel) of the Old Testament had failed to do (see Day 3). But this would be a very hard mission and the Servant would have to suffer and die (See e.g. Isaiah 53).
Our Scripture for today is an inspired recording of part of an intimate conversation between God the Father and God the Son, here referred to as "the Servant" or "My Servant Israel." Amazingly, we are allowed to "listen in" as the Father speaks to the preincarnate Jesus Christ (at least 700 years before His coming to Earth, and possibly many millennia earlier). God the Father uses the title "Israel" to refer to both the nation Israel and to Christ as His Messiah. God had charged Israel to be a light of the nations so that [His] salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49: 6b). Israel had failed in being a holy light to the Gentile nations --i.e. a multiethnic company of peoples” (k’hal ‘amim; Gen 28: 3; kahal, is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek ekklesia translated “church” or “assembly.”). Jesus Christ came to fulfill what Adam and God's "chosen people" (Israel) of the Old Testament had failed to do (see Day 3). But this would be a very hard mission and the Servant would have to suffer and die (See e.g. Isaiah 53).
Please take time to reread today's Scripture, including verses 1-4. Then, meditate on this intimate conversation in which the human aspect of the Servant is evident in His expression of doubt and dismay in anticipation of His rejection, humiliation, and suffering. But note also the forceful and compassionate words of comfort from God the Father (vv. 1-3; 5-8). Centuries and perhaps millennia later, when Jesus ascended from the Jordan River, having been baptized by John and Baptist, God the Father again affirmed His love and approval of His Servant-Son as Matthew records, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
Response:
We hope you are inspired and encouraged by today's meditation. The same God who so loved and encouraged God the Son in ways beyond our understanding is the God of all comfort for His sons and daughters in Christ today (2 Corinthians 1: 3-5).
We hope you are inspired and encouraged by today's meditation. The same God who so loved and encouraged God the Son in ways beyond our understanding is the God of all comfort for His sons and daughters in Christ today (2 Corinthians 1: 3-5).
Day 6: The Father Comforts the Son...in His Testing
Scripture:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. -- Hebrews 1: 1-3a
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law... -- Galatians 4: 4
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” -- Matthew 3: 16-17
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. Matthew 4: 1-2; 10-11.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law... -- Galatians 4: 4
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” -- Matthew 3: 16-17
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. Matthew 4: 1-2; 10-11.
Consider:
The Book of Hebrews opens with a summary of God's plan to redeem fallen mankind and creation, first through the patriarchs, then through the prophets, and finally through His Son. And "when the time was right" (Galatians 4: 4), Christ was born and lived approximately 30 years in the home of Jewish carpenter. Then, Jesus began His public ministry by submitting to John's baptism in the Jordan River. Although Jesus had no sin of which to repent, His willing submission endorsed John's "baptism of repentance" and identified Himself with the humanity He had come to redeem from sin. In this manner, Jesus began His public ministry as the Father's Servant on the way to becoming our Savior.
The Book of Hebrews opens with a summary of God's plan to redeem fallen mankind and creation, first through the patriarchs, then through the prophets, and finally through His Son. And "when the time was right" (Galatians 4: 4), Christ was born and lived approximately 30 years in the home of Jewish carpenter. Then, Jesus began His public ministry by submitting to John's baptism in the Jordan River. Although Jesus had no sin of which to repent, His willing submission endorsed John's "baptism of repentance" and identified Himself with the humanity He had come to redeem from sin. In this manner, Jesus began His public ministry as the Father's Servant on the way to becoming our Savior.
But notice from our Scriptures for today that there were two aspects to the "inauguration" of Jesus's ministry on Earth. First, Jesus enjoyed the experience of submitting to the waters of baptism in the company of those He had come to rescue; and then, Jesus heard His Father in Heaven affirm Him as the "Son in whom He is well pleased." But, after these "mountaintop experiences" of sorts at the Jordan River, Jesus immediately yielded to the Spirit who led Him into the wilderness for a time of testing. In God's plan, His Servant-Son, the "second Adam," had to enter into the same kinds of temptations from Satan that the first Adam had faced-- "yet without sin" (Hebrews 4: 15; see Day 3). Praise God, the Lord Jesus did not yield to repeated testing and came through victorious!
Response:
Can you recall times of testing in your life when you came through it without giving in to sin? Can you remember times when you did fall prey to temptation and was defeated? What made the difference between victory and defeat? Why not take time to thank God for sending Christ who was made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2: 17-18).
Response:
Can you recall times of testing in your life when you came through it without giving in to sin? Can you remember times when you did fall prey to temptation and was defeated? What made the difference between victory and defeat? Why not take time to thank God for sending Christ who was made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2: 17-18).
At a Time of Need
Scripture:
Application:
If we pause and meditate on our Scriptures and commentary above, we discover one of the most intimate revelations of the heart and emotions of Jesus, the God-man and suffering Servant. From your experiences of times of grief, can you relate to Jesus's condition? But even here, Jesus models how we His followers ought to respond-- in three phases:
1) Jesus considers how to petition the Father: "...what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour?'"
2) Immediately, Jesus responds in firm resolve: "But for this purpose I came to this hour [predestined from eternity past]."
3) Jesus declares His resolve to the Father: "Father, glorify Thy Name."
Scripture:
And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. -- John 12: 23-34
Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” -- John 12: 27-28
Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” -- John 12: 27-28
Consider:
In our Scriptures for Day 5, we "listened in" on the intimate conversation between God the Father and God the Son at least 700 years before Jesus came to Earth (Isaiah 49):
(1) God the Father affirms the Son: "You are My Servant, Israel, in Whom I will show My glory.”
(2) God the Son responds in seeming reservation: " “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity..."
Flash forward to a few days before His crucifixion. Jesus says, "the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." Then, as our Scriptures for today recount, Jesus likens His death and resurrection to a seed which, unless it enters the soil and dies, it cannot bear fruit. Then, apparently, in anticipation of His suffering and death, in His humanity, Jesus bears His soul and says, "Now My soul has become troubled..."
In our Scriptures for Day 5, we "listened in" on the intimate conversation between God the Father and God the Son at least 700 years before Jesus came to Earth (Isaiah 49):
(1) God the Father affirms the Son: "You are My Servant, Israel, in Whom I will show My glory.”
(2) God the Son responds in seeming reservation: " “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity..."
Flash forward to a few days before His crucifixion. Jesus says, "the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." Then, as our Scriptures for today recount, Jesus likens His death and resurrection to a seed which, unless it enters the soil and dies, it cannot bear fruit. Then, apparently, in anticipation of His suffering and death, in His humanity, Jesus bears His soul and says, "Now My soul has become troubled..."
If we pause and meditate on our Scriptures and commentary above, we discover one of the most intimate revelations of the heart and emotions of Jesus, the God-man and suffering Servant. From your experiences of times of grief, can you relate to Jesus's condition? But even here, Jesus models how we His followers ought to respond-- in three phases:
1) Jesus considers how to petition the Father: "...what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour?'"
2) Immediately, Jesus responds in firm resolve: "But for this purpose I came to this hour [predestined from eternity past]."
3) Jesus declares His resolve to the Father: "Father, glorify Thy Name."
Response:
As you meditate on this revealing dialog between Christ and the Father God, can you see how the Scripture provides for us a blueprint for how we can gain victory physically, emotionally, and spiritually during times of testing? Pause in prayer to thank Jesus our Savior, remembering the truth that because He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2: 17-18). Praise be to Christ for His example and for His comfort through His abiding Holy Spirit, our Comforter (2 Corinthians 1: 3-5).
As you meditate on this revealing dialog between Christ and the Father God, can you see how the Scripture provides for us a blueprint for how we can gain victory physically, emotionally, and spiritually during times of testing? Pause in prayer to thank Jesus our Savior, remembering the truth that because He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2: 17-18). Praise be to Christ for His example and for His comfort through His abiding Holy Spirit, our Comforter (2 Corinthians 1: 3-5).
Day 8: God the Father Affirms the Son's Sacrifice
Scripture:
Today, no matter if we feel like we are living on a mountaintop or in a dark valley of trial, we can rely on Jesus, the Good Shepherd who walks with us to comfort us through His Word and the fellowship of fellow believers. Because Jesus walked through the valley of suffering and death ahead of us all the way to His Cross, He is able to come to our aid (Hebrews 2: 18).
Scripture:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. -- 2 Corinthians 5: 21
Consider:
Our first Scripture verse for today summarizes the Gospel, the "good news" that the sinless Christ willingly took on the sins of humanity and died as an atoning sacrifice in place of sinful mankind so that all who accept His substitutionary death may receive His righteousness. We saw in Day 7 above the anguished prayer and then the resolve of the Son, "Father, glorify Thy Name." Then, Jesus willingly went to the Cross and gave His life. But how do the Scriptures reveal to us whether the righteous God and Father of Jesus Christ was satisfied with what His Servant-Son accomplished on the Cross?
As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He [God] will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I [God] will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors. -- Isaiah 53: 11-12
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. -- Ephesians 1: 18-23
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. -- Ephesians 1: 18-23
Our first Scripture verse for today summarizes the Gospel, the "good news" that the sinless Christ willingly took on the sins of humanity and died as an atoning sacrifice in place of sinful mankind so that all who accept His substitutionary death may receive His righteousness. We saw in Day 7 above the anguished prayer and then the resolve of the Son, "Father, glorify Thy Name." Then, Jesus willingly went to the Cross and gave His life. But how do the Scriptures reveal to us whether the righteous God and Father of Jesus Christ was satisfied with what His Servant-Son accomplished on the Cross?
Application:
Can you find the answer to our question in our Scriptures from Isaiah and Ephesians? In the Isaiah passage, God the Father speaks prophetically as He sees into the future past the Cross and Resurrection. God saw Christ's suffering and sacrifice and His wrath against sin was satisfied.
Can you find the answer to our question in our Scriptures from Isaiah and Ephesians? In the Isaiah passage, God the Father speaks prophetically as He sees into the future past the Cross and Resurrection. God saw Christ's suffering and sacrifice and His wrath against sin was satisfied.
Response:
The Ephesians passage above records part of the Apostle Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus and for believers today. This inspired prayer conveys the heart of God through His Spirit who desires that our "spiritual eyes" will be opened to realize what God has done through Christ and for Him in affirming His sacrifice and raising Him from the dead to be our Savior and King. Take time to meditate on these powerful Scriptures and pray that God will open and enlighten the eyes of your heart during this Easter Season.
What Is Your Decision?
Some among you may be asking, "What if I have ignored or rejected the claims of Christ and His lordship in my life?" If so, you may want to reconsider why you are choosing to face an eternity on your own merits and without God's forgiveness. Please consider that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is well documented in biblical manuscripts as the basis for the Christian faith and the hope of Eternal Life (e.g. Read 1 Corinthians 15). If you are open to seeking answers, here are two helpful resources:
How to Come to Faith in Christ: "Steps to Peace with God" -- Click HERE.
Wondering if there is a God? Read “Ultimate Questions" Click HERE. Order copies, HERE.
More Daily Devotional Meditations: "Passion of God…Long Before “Passion Week.” [Go HERE.]
The Ephesians passage above records part of the Apostle Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus and for believers today. This inspired prayer conveys the heart of God through His Spirit who desires that our "spiritual eyes" will be opened to realize what God has done through Christ and for Him in affirming His sacrifice and raising Him from the dead to be our Savior and King. Take time to meditate on these powerful Scriptures and pray that God will open and enlighten the eyes of your heart during this Easter Season.
What Is Your Decision?
Some among you may be asking, "What if I have ignored or rejected the claims of Christ and His lordship in my life?" If so, you may want to reconsider why you are choosing to face an eternity on your own merits and without God's forgiveness. Please consider that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is well documented in biblical manuscripts as the basis for the Christian faith and the hope of Eternal Life (e.g. Read 1 Corinthians 15). If you are open to seeking answers, here are two helpful resources:
How to Come to Faith in Christ: "Steps to Peace with God" -- Click HERE.
Wondering if there is a God? Read “Ultimate Questions" Click HERE. Order copies, HERE.
More Daily Devotional Meditations: "Passion of God…Long Before “Passion Week.” [Go HERE.]
Today, no matter if we feel like we are living on a mountaintop or in a dark valley of trial, we can rely on Jesus, the Good Shepherd who walks with us to comfort us through His Word and the fellowship of fellow believers. Because Jesus walked through the valley of suffering and death ahead of us all the way to His Cross, He is able to come to our aid (Hebrews 2: 18).
