Posts Tagged ‘obedience’

This entire rescue mission of God is quite incredible when we pause to think through the what, why, how, when, where’s of the Easter Season.  I think for me, the one truth that continues to shock me and bring me to my knees and give ultimate praise to God is this truth that it was God’s intention to CRUSH the Son in order to CREATE salvation for man.

It was today, Good Friday, over 2000 years ago that Jesus made this statement in John 16:30. ” It is finished.”  What was finished?  The mission to be obedient to being crushed was finished.  The rule and reign of the evil one was finished.  The mission to redeem by the blood of the Lamb was finished.  Jesus’ purpose of being sent BY God to be crushed was finished.  He did it.  Jesus completed the task perfectly.  Jesus finished the work of redemption with sinless perfection!

Consider these verses:

Isaiah 53:10 - Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;  the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Acts 2:22-23 -  “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Luke 24:26 - Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

What have all these verses in common?  They are all showing God’ s will for Christ was that he should come to the earth ad the God-man, fully God, fully human, and suffer, be crushed, and die for the sins of the world, and be raised from death, because Jesus overcame the evil one.

Obedience for Jesus was going to mean being crushed by God.  Wow.  As you celebrate today, maybe celebrating solemnly, think of the obedience of Christ and what obedience to God would mean.  It would mean pain.  It would mean devastating pain.  It would mean being crushed.  It would mean carrying the full weight of the wrath of God in order to show the glory of God – his great love.

Dig Deeper,
Chris.

Don’t stop having confidence in God.  He is always faithful, even when we are faithless.  What’s going on right now that you feel as if you’re banging your head against a wall?  Where has life punched you in the gut?  How has faith in God or following God in faith led you to a place of questioning?  These are all amazing questions that have real effects on our lives as we follow Jesus in our families, with our jobs and money, with our futures as we radically obey him.

Consider Moses with me in Exodus 5.  He follows through in deep obedience what God’s mission is for his life.  What happens next?  Life happens just as it is supposed to happen, right?  All the dominoes line up perfectly because of his obedience, right?  Life makes sense and expectations are met, right?  Wrong.

Life gets a heck of a lot harder for him as he follows through in radical obedience to God.  His people’s lives are affected negatively because of his obedience.  Wow!  Can you imagine your family being affected negatively because of your obedience to God?  How would that make you feel?  This is Moses.  And Moses’ life got pretty murky once he followed God in obedience.

He had questions.  Lots.  Listen to Exodus 5:22-23:  “o Lord, why have you done evil to this people?  Why did you ever send me?  For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” (ESV)

Ever feel like Moses?  Is life hard for you now in your situation because of obedience to God’s call or God’s direction or God’s standards?

Don’t give up.  Moses didn’t.  God answered Moses in a very amazing way.  Read Exodus 6-7 and count how many times Moses hears from God, “I am the LORD.” God’s answer for Moses’ questions and frustration at this time was for him to believe and know that He is the LORD.  He is in control.  He is bigger than the frustration, circumstance, and hardship.  No matter the size, the LORD is Sovereign, and he has allowed it in our lives in order that we would know that He is the LORD.

• What situation in your life is there currently, that you need to know that HE is the LORD?
• How does this help you not to stop moving with God?

Dig Deeper,

PC