“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.”
(Matt. 26:1-4 NIV)
Jesus told His disciples that in two days He would be delivered up to be crucified. After Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, preparation had begun. The religious leaders began preparing ways they would take Jesus and kill Him. To continue the preparation, a woman came into Simon the Leper’s house to anoint Jesus. She made preparation for the burial of Jesus. Soon, Judas would be counting out 30 pieces of silver as he made preparation to betray Jesus with a kiss (Matt. 26). Preparations had begun.
Before the beginning of time, God made special preparations with you and me in mind. He prepared a Lamb to be our substitute, and this Lamb would pay our sin debt in full. Before the world began, God made preparations to give you and me eternal life through His Son. God prepared the way by sending Jesus Christ, the Holy Lamb of God, who is without blemish. And by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior; we can enjoy all the benefits that God has for those who love Him.
“But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, ‘What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].'” (1 Cor. 2:9 AMP)
This was God’s plan all along! Before the foundation of the world, a Lamb was slain (Rev. 13:8), which was God’s preparation for bringing us back into a right relationship with Him! This is the Lord’s doing and it’s marvelous in our eyes (Psalm 118:23)!
As we celebrate Holy Week, remember all the wonderful things our Heavenly Father did for us to redeem us. Remember our Sweet Savior who sacrificed His life for us. Remember the gift that was given at the cross. Grace and Mercy stepped in and shouted, “NOT GUILTY!” Now, we’re forgiven. Our sins have been forgiven because of Christ!
It’s Wednesday – Hump Day! Here’s a biblical principle to get us over the hump.
Let’s do our part. If we haven’t done so already, accept what God has done through Jesus Christ. Prepare our hearts to receive the work that was done at Calvary. Accept the new life Christ gives when we surrender our lives to Him. Let’s surrender to the Savior. Surrender our brokenness. Surrender our weary souls. Surrender our heartaches. Surrender all to God and allow Jesus to heal us, mend us, and make us new.
During your Quiet Time, meditate on Isaiah 53 the Message Bible. Be encouraged to keep your thoughts on God.
REFLECTION
He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. (Isa. 53:7, MSG)
Encouraging You to Walk in Freedom! ™
Excerpt from Walking in Freedom: The Week He Changed Everything. A Seven Day Devotional Guide to Remembering Jesus’ Sacrifice for our Freedom by Rhovonda L. Brown. Copyright 2015 by Rhovonda L. Brown.
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