Daily Devotional

-April 3, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Looking Unto Jesus The Author And Finisher Of Our Faith-

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(Hebrews 12:2).

Yesterday was Good Friday and tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Today is the in between day, after the cross and before the resurrection from the tomb. Jesus, the Son of God, the author and finisher of our faith bore our sins and died for us. As the author, He came down from heaven to earth to take on human flesh, yet without sin. As the finisher He completed the work of our salvation on the cross.

Jesus started and finished the work that the Father gave Him to do. Jesus said in John 17:3-5, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

At this point in the chronology of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He completed everything: every sermon was preached, every person was healed, every miracle was done. He then went to the cross and died for us as our Substitute, Sin Bearer, and Savior. Six hours of agony on the cross lay before Him. He said in John 19:30 while on the cross, “… It is finished.” He then bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

The cross was extremely hard to bear and He bore it. He is our example of enduring to the end. The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Jesus endured and won the victory and rose again from the dead. We must also press on to victory to win the race, the race of faith.

It is hard for us to imagine the depth of suffering that our Savior experienced at Calvary physically, let alone spiritually. He was beaten, scourged, slapped, the beard was ripped from His face. He bore His cross along the Via Delarosa. He was nailed to the cross, He bore our sins, He experienced the wrath and judgment of God in our place. The hymn writer Katherine Kelly wrote, “O make me understand it, help me to take it in, what it meant to Thee the Holy One to bear away my sin.”

We have so much to be thankful this Easter! We remember His love in laying His life for us and His power in taking it up again. When Jesus ascended back to heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, a place He has forever in glory. What a tremendous victory He w we on and we share in.

Have a blessed day rejoicing in the results of cross and in the empty tomb. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

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