Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning.
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Jesus is Crucified
Bible Verse:John 19:16-22 (ESV)
"So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”"
Message:
Having read through John from the first verse, it is a shock (to me at least) to see Jesus actually crucified. Despite knowing that this is his destiny, and the preparation he gave to his followers; despite knowing that this is what is necessary to save the world, that this is the very reason he was sent to earth in the first place, and that he will be resurrected in three days, it is shocking.
This gentle simple man. He may have seemed a bit proud or sharp-tongued at times, to those who didn’t believe his message, but still. Imagine grabbing one of your neighbors and hanging him up on a cross, to die of torture, because you don’t like him inferring that he is the Son of God. Or because he heals people on Sunday. And especially, a man with such a beautiful message of peace and hope. It was a terrible thing.
Crucifixion, Velazquez
It was so terrible for a reason, though. It reminds us of the sins of the entire world. In this one action lies a symbol of all the evil man is capable of doing. Every lynched “Negro,” every gassed Jew, every peasant tortured and starved to death by Mao Tse Tung or Josef Stalin.
Every Huguenot hung on a cross by the side of a French road, every Roman Catholic burned by Oliver Cromwell, every early Christian thrown onto the sand-covered floor of an arena with a pack of hungry lions, while the onlooking crowd cheered in amusement. Every witch burned by Puritans and every Puritan burned in England, with the added blasphemy of murder in the name of Christ. Every Vietnamese peasant burned alive by Democratic napalm, every Afghan child blown to bits by Republican drone bombs. Those who espouse Christ with their words are often those who kill Him by their actions. Satan cunningly uses race, and politics, and even religious affiliation in pursuit of his evil ends.
Reading today’s Scripture is the time to remember the terror of sin. Sins we have committed in our lives. Sins others have committed, especially atrocities of hatred — many of which were, and still are, committed by persons who claim to be acting in the name of Christ.
Who killed Christ? We did. Let us pray for forgiveness, for God, “being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” (Ephesians 2:4.)
Meditation
:
Prayer :
Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my mind. Give me a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity, so that I may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will.............Amen
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