“Listen,” [Jesus] said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”
Key Thought
Jesus knew what lay ahead. While he warned his followers, he was also emphasizing his own awareness of the horrible price his gift of love would cost him personally. Yet he went on to his fate in Jerusalem for you and me. He did it knowingly. He did it sacrificially; he deliberately held back his own power to stop what was going to happen to him. The cross that awaited him, the mockery that lay in waiting, and the ugliness that would be heaped on him by those who hated him were known and accepted by him… even, to a certain extent, embraced. Why? Because a ransom had to be paid and sin had to be atoned. By his wounds, the very wounds he was anticipating, we are healed.
Today’s Prayer
O God, what thanks can I offer? What words, dear Father, are adequate to say thank you for the price that was paid for my sins? While my words are inadequate, I trust that the Holy Spirit will present the yearnings of my thankful heart to you with my deepest appreciation for your sacrifice and the personal cost to your Son. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
2 Corinthians 5:19-21Isaiah 53:3-121 John 2:1-2Ⓒ 1996-2024 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.