Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The Jericho Road is a time when Jesus is not only remembering the great moments of his ministry, but also gathering all of my ick, and your ick, to take it to the cross. Jesus is going to carry the heavy load of the sin of the world, all in the name of justice and love. I can't even carry my own ick, let alone that of someone else. My need for a Savior is obvious when I'm alone and consider what it would mean to answer for all of my mistakes. Jeepers, I know I don't even know them all, so how could I even begin. However, they are all paid for. I get to claim the finished work of Jesus. My unworthiness in my own eyes doesn't change the unconditional love I receive from my Savior. That's a lovely, life-changing truth.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Friday, March 6, 2020
A Focus Adjustment
Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
What a different viewpoint! This is one of the most difficult things to relearn...unlearn...I don't know how to say it. I find it incredibly difficult to look at the world through the eyes of Jesus. I know He does not see things from my earthly perspective, nor does He do things with an earthly perspective. The disciples found themselves doing some crazy stuff: healing, walking on water, and eventually dying for the One they believed in. I am sure they would all tell us that the only way they were able to do any of this was due to the power of Jesus, either through Him personally or through the Holy Spirit. Their focus, as we often read, had to be on Jesus the entire time or they failed miserably. We have the same issue, or at least I do. When my eyes are focused on the world, I feel overpowered and defeated. I panic in the storm. As soon as I focus on Jesus, He changes my perspective and reminds me of His Kingdom and His Sovereignty. It is His strength and power He offers me, so I can experience Heaven now. I don't need my circumstances changed, I need my focus adjusted. I fix my eyes on Jesus and all I need is available to me. I find I truly can do all things through Christ.
What a different viewpoint! This is one of the most difficult things to relearn...unlearn...I don't know how to say it. I find it incredibly difficult to look at the world through the eyes of Jesus. I know He does not see things from my earthly perspective, nor does He do things with an earthly perspective. The disciples found themselves doing some crazy stuff: healing, walking on water, and eventually dying for the One they believed in. I am sure they would all tell us that the only way they were able to do any of this was due to the power of Jesus, either through Him personally or through the Holy Spirit. Their focus, as we often read, had to be on Jesus the entire time or they failed miserably. We have the same issue, or at least I do. When my eyes are focused on the world, I feel overpowered and defeated. I panic in the storm. As soon as I focus on Jesus, He changes my perspective and reminds me of His Kingdom and His Sovereignty. It is His strength and power He offers me, so I can experience Heaven now. I don't need my circumstances changed, I need my focus adjusted. I fix my eyes on Jesus and all I need is available to me. I find I truly can do all things through Christ.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Selah Moments
Mark 7:33-35 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). At this the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
For Jesus, every step on this last trip to Jerusalem, the Jericho Road, has deep meaning. He is walking through memories of people and places, collecting them, as it were, stopping and pausing to praise God for the work he was sent to do. "Selah Moments" if you will. I'm sure every healed person's name came to his mind: the Centurion's son, the bleeding woman, the demon-possessed boy, the man with his mat, the blind man, the deaf/mute. The compassion of Jesus for His creation had to be deepening with every step he made. This wasn't just about getting to Jerusalem. It was so much more. There were relationships built and lives changed. There was hope revealed and peace gained. Jesus is stepping purposefully as he journeys to the cross.
For Jesus, every step on this last trip to Jerusalem, the Jericho Road, has deep meaning. He is walking through memories of people and places, collecting them, as it were, stopping and pausing to praise God for the work he was sent to do. "Selah Moments" if you will. I'm sure every healed person's name came to his mind: the Centurion's son, the bleeding woman, the demon-possessed boy, the man with his mat, the blind man, the deaf/mute. The compassion of Jesus for His creation had to be deepening with every step he made. This wasn't just about getting to Jerusalem. It was so much more. There were relationships built and lives changed. There was hope revealed and peace gained. Jesus is stepping purposefully as he journeys to the cross.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
It's a Head Shaker
Psalm 91:11-12 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
I'm thinking back to an earlier post today. In Hebrews 12:2, when Paul talks about the joy set before Jesus and he endured the cross and so on, I'm thinking once again about me being the joy of Jesus. Who is this God? What must He be that man/woman is His joy? There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about God's protection over us. He is for us time and again, even when we are not for Him. It's a head shaker. The love of God far outweighs anything we as humans could ever accomplish. It's a love that moves Him to die for the very people who want to kill Him. I don't have that in me yet, but I want that same love to radiate from me. I want to know this love from Jesus so deeply, to depend on His mercy and experience His grace so fully that my only response is gratitude, adoration, and affection for my Savior. Who wouldn't want to be loved like that?! God isn't a big overbearing know-it-all. He is a compassionate friend of man/woman. He's personal. Have you met Him?
I'm thinking back to an earlier post today. In Hebrews 12:2, when Paul talks about the joy set before Jesus and he endured the cross and so on, I'm thinking once again about me being the joy of Jesus. Who is this God? What must He be that man/woman is His joy? There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about God's protection over us. He is for us time and again, even when we are not for Him. It's a head shaker. The love of God far outweighs anything we as humans could ever accomplish. It's a love that moves Him to die for the very people who want to kill Him. I don't have that in me yet, but I want that same love to radiate from me. I want to know this love from Jesus so deeply, to depend on His mercy and experience His grace so fully that my only response is gratitude, adoration, and affection for my Savior. Who wouldn't want to be loved like that?! God isn't a big overbearing know-it-all. He is a compassionate friend of man/woman. He's personal. Have you met Him?
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
That's What Love Does
Luke 9:51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Dad made the comment that as Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem for the last time, there is a carpenter building the cross he will hang on. That is a sobering thought. No one knew what was coming, and yet, I'll bet if you asked the disciples or Mary, they would have told you something in Jesus had changed. He sets out for Jerusalem and he will not be deterred. He knows exactly why he's going. He knows the outcome. His death is imminent. So why go? Why would he have such resolve to get there, to go through with what is coming. Jesus knows he is the only one who can do anything about condition. Jesus knows me. He knows you. He knows the winners and losers, so to speak. He knows our struggle with ourselves and our desire to be in relationship with God, even before we realize it. Jesus knows he is the only one who can make this relationship happen. He is the only one who can fulfill the necessary judgment that must be had. He knows he is going to have to take our place because we couldn't do it. That's what Love does.
Dad made the comment that as Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem for the last time, there is a carpenter building the cross he will hang on. That is a sobering thought. No one knew what was coming, and yet, I'll bet if you asked the disciples or Mary, they would have told you something in Jesus had changed. He sets out for Jerusalem and he will not be deterred. He knows exactly why he's going. He knows the outcome. His death is imminent. So why go? Why would he have such resolve to get there, to go through with what is coming. Jesus knows he is the only one who can do anything about condition. Jesus knows me. He knows you. He knows the winners and losers, so to speak. He knows our struggle with ourselves and our desire to be in relationship with God, even before we realize it. Jesus knows he is the only one who can make this relationship happen. He is the only one who can fulfill the necessary judgment that must be had. He knows he is going to have to take our place because we couldn't do it. That's what Love does.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Humbling and Empowering
John 17:20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message."
Jesus' prayer in the garden is a stark reminder of who was on his mind before he was arrested. I was. You were. Every one of us crossed his mind as he prayed. Jesus is taking his last moments of solitude to pray His strength, His glory, and His love onto us. The intercession of Jesus on my behalf has long been something I have dwelt upon. The interesting thing to me today is the fact that I never really thought about his intercession for me while he was walking the earth. I tend to think of it as happening now, as He sits on the mercy seat and I live out my life on earth. But the truth is, He has had me in His mind from the very beginning. What a humbling and empowering thought! The Lord of Life and my personal Creator has been thinking of me and praying for me before I ever came to be. His purpose has always been for me. What a loving God!
Jesus' prayer in the garden is a stark reminder of who was on his mind before he was arrested. I was. You were. Every one of us crossed his mind as he prayed. Jesus is taking his last moments of solitude to pray His strength, His glory, and His love onto us. The intercession of Jesus on my behalf has long been something I have dwelt upon. The interesting thing to me today is the fact that I never really thought about his intercession for me while he was walking the earth. I tend to think of it as happening now, as He sits on the mercy seat and I live out my life on earth. But the truth is, He has had me in His mind from the very beginning. What a humbling and empowering thought! The Lord of Life and my personal Creator has been thinking of me and praying for me before I ever came to be. His purpose has always been for me. What a loving God!
Sunday, March 1, 2020
A Sabbath Prayer
Lord, on this day, may I find rest in You. Help me to stop and be still. I want to experience Your peace and Your solitude as I quiet myself. This is not a simple task for me, Lord. My mind races with all of the tasks I need to complete. My body attempts to do the work that needs to be finished. Help me to set those things out of my mind and get my body into a resting position. I will put my trust in You, that You will help me to remember and do those things after I have rested in You. Rejuvenite my mind, body, and soul during our sabbath together today. Amen.
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