Friday of Trinity I - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Friday after Trinity I 
Proverbs 22:1-21      John 18:1-14 

Did you pay attention to this text? In it, there is contained something which to me is astounding. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth…

Went forth for what? To have all the things that were coming upon Him, happen. He knew what was coming and endured it for you!
He knew what was coming and endured it for me!
He knew what was coming and endured it for every person who ever lived, who is living, or will ever live.

As God incarnate, He knew the Law. There is no leniency in the Law. It cannot be broken or there will be consequences. We see God’s Law in the things of nature, things that cannot be broken – they happen according to their Divinely ordained purpose. Gravity for example is what holds this planet, the moon, the other planets in our solar system in place. It is what causes night and day to happen like clockwork. It keeps things from (literally) spinning out of control.

That Law was written on the hearts of man created in the image of God. It was also iterated in one rule in the garden, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Disobey God’s rule, His Law, you will die! Adam did! He died! And that fallen image of God has been handed down from generation to generation, sinfulness – disobedience to God’s Law inbred in all of us. And because of it, all will die.

The Word of God took on humanity in the womb of Mary, He was born as Jesus, God enfleshed (incarnate). Conceived without sin, although tempted in every way as we are, remained sinless (in thought, word, and deed). His active obedience to the Law would be sacrifice, and as the God-man, His sacrifice would pay for the sins of all mankind.

So yes, He knew what was coming and endured it, to be the fulfilling sacrifice, to suffer death, so that those who disregard His Law might be freed from sin and death. He knew what was coming and endured it, knowing our willful disobedience to His law. He who knew no sin, became sin for us.

He knew the things that were coming.
He knew He was going to be tried in a sham of a court by the Jewish Council, for they already planned to declare Him guilty – unto death.
He knew He was going to be spat upon, slapped, and beaten there.
He knew He would be brought before Pilate.
He knew the soldiers would mock him, beat Him, and spit upon Him.
He knew that a cat-o-nine tails would strip the flesh from His body at the hands of cruel executioners, leaving Him half dead.
He knew they would robe Him in purple and press a crown of thorns into His head.
He knew He would be brought out before the people who claimed to worship Him, His Father, and the Holy Spirit – but they would clamor for His crucifixion.
He knew that He would carry His cross to Golgotha where they would nail His hands and feet to the cross, lift it up, set it in place, and leave Him to die.
He knew He would die!

What is so astounding to me is that GOD in human flesh knew all these things, knew were coming upon Him – because of and for me!

Hebrews explains it so well when it declares:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of 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.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

You and I are the joy set before Him for which He endured the cross, despising the shame – that we might be freed from sin and death. He knew what was coming upon Him, and He knew how my sinfulness would mock that sacrifice, and yet He did it anyway…He did it knowingly… for you, for me – for we are the joy set before Him.

He knew that on the third day the Father would declare His sacrifice acceptable by raising Him from the dead. He did this so that we might have a new life, a life in Him, a life of resurrected and glorified flesh on the last day.

It was He desire to do this all so that He might make and keep us as His dear children, united to His death and His resurrection in the waters of baptism. It was His joy to do it. He did this so that we do not grow weary and lose heart life also. He did this so that we might love others just as He has loved us.

Let us Pray:    Dear Father in heaven, we give You thanks, for You have adopted us into Your divine family through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, we have died to sin and risen to new life. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we would live lives of daily repentance and faith, ever clinging to Jesus, our living Redeemer, for forgiveness, life and salvation.  Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday after Trinity X - Devotion in semi-Exile

   Lection for Tuesday Trinity X 2  Samuel 7:18- 29      1 Corinthians 10:2 3-11:16   In later editions of Luther’s Small Catechism there appears a set of twenty questions “for those who intend to go to the Sacrament.” These questions reflect the teaching of 1 Corinthians which suggests that a man “should examine himself” before he eats or drinks at the Lord’s Supper. (1 Cor. 11:23-32 specifically vs. 28). I like to use these questions and answers myself, usually on Sunday mornings before the first service, but sometimes even on Saturday evening before going to bed.   I pray that you find them useful in your regular devotional life.   Christian Questions with Their Answers   Prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament [The “Christian Questions with Their Answers,” designating Luther as the author, first appeared in an edition of the Small Catechism in 1551, five years after Luther's death.]   After confession and instruction in the Ten Commandments, t
Read more

Wednesday after Epiphany I - A devotion

Lectionary for January 13 Ezekiel 36:13-28        Romans 4:1-25 Let us take a moment to look at the last few verses of our Old Testament reading. 22  “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.  23  I will vind icate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.  24  For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.  25  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  26  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and
Read more

Misericordias Domini Friday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Friday  Exodus 39:32-40:16       Luke 8:22-39 With tomorrow being Opening Day of fishing Wisconsin, my memory wandered a bit to a past trip with a friend in his boat fishing. We were out in the middle of the lake, leaned back with feet up on the gunwale relaxing, soaking up the sun. Fishing was slow, you’re a bit relaxed. I finally got a bite, put my feet down and they splash as water comes up over my shoe-tops and fills them. The fish on the end of my pole took a secondary priority as the 6 inches of water in the bottom of the boat was a bit of a shock and quickly got my attention. It did not scare me, but I was a bit concerned, we were in the middle of the lake after all. I shouted at Steve, in the same leaned back position, “Hey, where’d all the water come from?” He looked down and immediately scrambled to the back of the boat.   I grabbed the empty coffee can and proceeded to bail water as Steve began the frantic search for the plug.
Read more