Thursday after 3rd Last - A Devotion

Devotion for Thursday after 3rd Last 

Jeremiah 25:1-18       Matthew 26:1-19

Our reading from Matthew begins with these words:

When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.” 

Jesus knew what was coming upon Him, He states it explicitly, "the Son of Man is to be handed over FOR  CRUCIFIXION!!!"

Would you remain anywhere in the near vicinity if you knew that you were going to be crucified? If you knew they the outcome, if you could truly see the future and know what was going - that you would be arrested, they'd lie about you, find you guilty, bring you before Pilate who would wimp out and hand you over to Roman soldiers to beat and whip you, finally taking you out to be crucified, would you stick around?

Jonah was supposed to go proclaim God's Word to Nineveh, but he also knew they'd repent. He did not want God's MERCY to be showered upon the city so he tried to hop on a boat going in the other direction. He fled because of God's mercy!

Jesus knew that He was going to endure God's wrath! He was going to do it for those men gathered around Him - those who claimed to love Him, but whom He knew would flee and abandon Him in His greatest hour of need.

That is love! No, not some feeling in your heart toward another. True "love" does for another, even when the cost to self might be beyond measure.

This is what John 3:16-17 truly means. Do you remember Jesus' words there?  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him."

God's condemnation of the world for sinfulness is carried out upon the cross, Christ bears the consequences against sin in His own flesh for the world. In the crucifixion of Jesus, you see the wrath of God - meted out upon His own Son - for you.

Jesus knew what was coming upon Him in two days. He knew why it was coming upon Him. And so He loved!

As Hebrew 12:2 proclaims: Looking only to Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the 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.

You are the "joy" set before Jesus! 


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