Jesus’s Cross is Jesus’s Ultimate LOVE
It’s Good Friday. What makes it good? Jesus did what only Jesus could do, stepped down into earth, stepped down to where all sins got taken from us, and was raised up by God’s ability and power and plan. It’s good for us because not only do we get the rescue via Jesus, it’s good for us because we CAN’T do this ourselves. We can’t! He did.
His LOVE brings us this time now: “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”
Last night after Thursday evening service, I remembered we were supposed to be able to see Starlink in the sky, a string of satellites, lights looking so strangely connected traveling synchronized in the sky. I told someone and pointed to what I thought was west, they both (men of seasoned age, having grown up in that neighborhood) looked at me like I was crazy, west was a whole other way, oops. I never did see it, even if it was a crystal clear night, I didn’t even know the direction, I do now, I think…
Following Jesus is like that, we want to see more and more, we want to have awareness and self-help vision, but we don’t always know our east from the west. We are becoming transformed by His mercy and grace, but our sense of direction will often trip us up. Our humanness makes us flawed, and although that is not an excuse for bad behavior, it is a reality for our weaknesses, which God-help pulls us through. Our awareness is more and more, even to become childlike when we awe at the Lord’s abilities and majesty. Our level of awareness of His awesomeness needs our awareness of Him and only Him being able to be so aware of us as human frailty, and chose to save us. He is the only God Who could.
I once was working at a used book sale, inexpensive prices, but the patron who brought books to my counter said “these were free”, no cost, because the sign said “self-help”. I chuckled but gently explained to the non-native speaker that self-help was a genre of books to help yourself improve, not help yourself for free. And isn’t that true, we can help ourselves improve, but our ultimate ultimate help is not free, Jesus-costly, and by the time all this world is no more for us, we must and only can rely upon what comes from the Lord. There is no free self-help, only Jesus’s Ultimate LOVE and sacrifice. Everything comes through Jesus, fully God, and fully ours.
Jesus’s Cross is Jesus’s Ultimate LOVE, ultimate power, ultimate awareness, ultimate sacrifice, ultimate help.
On this Good Friday, let us absorb thankfulness for Jesus walked our way to show us the Way – looking towards Him, being as Christ-like as we can, and remembering that we fall short but it is Jesus Who has already picked us up.
Amen
An Ultimate Amen!
Philippians 4:4-8 NKJV
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Meditate on These Things
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
1 Peter 2:1-12 NKJV
Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Living Before the World
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Debbie Upper 