Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – as Perfect Passover Lamb (4/11/24)

John 19:30    When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What stood out to me this year as we studied Jesus’s death was that He chose exactly when to die when He “gave up his spirit.” He didn’t succumb to death and His life wasn’t taken from him. He died at the exact moment and time He and the Father planned. In fact, even the timing of what happened after His death continued to fulfill God’s plan.

John 19:31-37         ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵ The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The Jewish leaders were so concerned about being outwardly clean in order to celebrate the Passover. Crucified before them, though, was the only truly clean and perfect Righteous One. All their previous Passover celebrations pointed to this final Passover sacrifice.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites not to break the bones of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s bones weren’t broken.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites to spill the Passover lamb’s blood and take shelter under it (Exodus 12:6-7, & 13), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s blood was spilt so you and I could take shelter under it.

Jesus was the perfect and final Passover Lamb. Have you accepted Him as your Passover Lamb who died in your place, taking the judgment you deserve? If so, you and I have shelter under His blood for forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and His robe of righteousness!  

Details ... Hello?

“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:
the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”  Exodus 31:6-11

I was born again when I was given the humbled opportunity to write devotions over fifteen years ago.  However, God has intentionally been with me all my life.  I’m aware of this now, and while I marvel at the plans He has for my life, I love to look back to recognize the level of detail He instructed me with even when I did not even know.  One of those moments is His introducing me to a man who I realize now was my first spiritual mentor.

Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Sampson was a pastor of one of the largest churches in Detroit, and he took an interest in me because my mother had attended there shortly after I started college and a decade before I gave my life to Christ.  He had a gift of simplifying who God was, and while never a member of his church, I would often go to hear him speak.  He was indeed a scholar of God’s word, and his sermons were both meticulously delivered and never boring.  Imagine listening to someone for well over an hour as a teenager and never being bored.  The one thing that I loved about his sermons was the way he ensured a point was not missed by doing this subtle 3-5 second pause after a statement and then saying, “Hello?”  Then he would repeat it again as the congregation roared its approval confirming they did not lose sight of the details being said in the lesson.

God’s attention to detail ensures we can see His path for us.  In the journey of Moses, today’s scripture is from the middle of the 31^st chapter, which is seven chapters past my last devotion.  Why?  The entire 25^th through 30^th chapters is devoted to specific instructions on building the Ark of the Covenant between God and Israel and additional construction.  It is fascinating reading because of the depth and detail of what God wanted.  From types of offerings for the Tabernacle (Side note: my mentor’s church was Tabernacle Missionary Baptist), the materials and measurements of the Ark, the clothing to be worn by priest and its material, and even to the ingredients of the anointing oil, God made clear His intention not only for what was to happen then but also to foretell the future mentioning Joshua and his children prominently in His plans.  Needless to say, this was not haphazard production.  It was God showing His wealth of knowledge and dominion over His Kingdom and people.  The verses today are the culmination of those instructions noting He even blessed individuals with the talents to be used for His will to be done.  Details.  Tons of details.  I can appreciate that thinking how it took me a full day to build an entertainment center the first time.  I thought I knew where something fit without reading the instructions carefully only to find I needed to disassemble it because I missed a detail.  God often gives us instruction through His word, and we might have to correct ourselves because we missed a detail and God taps us on the shoulder saying, “No.  This way.”  As a person who focuses on the big picture, I’m grateful to His level of detail that keeps me focused on Him and His plans as well.

God perfects the imperfections in our lives to ensure His instructions are followed.  We are not always great in following them, but we have someone who intercedes for us in Jesus Christ to straighten things out.  When speaking of the coming of Christ, John The Baptist said:

Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  Luke 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Thus, while we may make mistakes, we trust in Christ for he is the perfecter of our faith.  Let us focus more on God, His word, and walking closer to Him in our faith.  What instruction might you be ignoring today?  Who can mentor you when God’s instruction doesn’t make sense?  My prayer is we are both sensitive and aware of God’s attention to detail in guiding us righteously.  Hello?  Amen.  😊

Thursday Devotional - Pure and Permanent Priest

We’re two months into 2020!!! How are you doing with your 2020 goals? There are a few I’ve done well and a couple I haven’t.

Jesus had a goal for His life on earth and he completed it perfectly. His goal was to provide eternal salvation to all who will receive it. He perfectly and permanently accomplished it! Because of that, the writer of Hebrews calls Jesus our pure and permanent High Priest. The Old Testament High Priests couldn’t save anyone.

Hebrews 7:23-27  ²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

As we begin the season of Lent, there are so many encouraging promises to focus on from this passage about Jesus as our pure and permanent priest.

1.   He already provided complete salvation (to those who accept it)

2.   He is the only way to God

3.   He is alive and interceding for believers daily

4.   He is and has the answer for every need

Which truth will you and I appreciate and focus on today?

Alice