The New Way

 

Yes, I do. 

 

Again, I remind you that Satan is having his way with Jesus because of my sin and yours.   C.S. Lewis does a magnificent job of describing this fury against Jesus in his book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

 

Jesus died because He chose to die.   Jesus was in complete control.  He alone had the authority to lay down His life or to refuse to die.   He was not trapped like a mere human would be.  Matthew 26:53 records that in the garden, Jesus told His disciples not to resist arrest - because if He didn't want to lay down His life, He could simply call 10,000 angels and they would take care of Him.  He assured His disciples that this was His choice to be obedient to God's plan for Him.     

 

In John 10:11 and John 10:15, Jesus teaches that He is the Good Shepherd and that the Good Shepherd will WILLINGLY lay down His life for His sheep. 

 

In John 10:17-18 He tells us very pointedly that He has the authority to lay his life down or take it up.

 

But why?  Why did Jesus choose to die?

 

Jesus came to earth from Heaven for one reason; to die for our sins so that we could be set free.  

 

In Romans 6:23, we are told that the wages of sin is death.  And without the shedding of blood -- there is no forgiveness for sin (Hebrews 9:22).  We looked at this on Day 134.

 

Earlier in Leviticus 17:11 God taught His people that blood is the price for atonement (payment) of sin.    Jesus came to earth to die, so that we could be in a right relationship with God forever and forever.

 

Because of His death, millions of people have and will be made right with God.

 

That brings us back to John 3:16 NASB - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." 

 

Romans 3:23-24 tells us that it is a gift - a free gift.  We simply must accept it.

 

What does this horrible picture of Jesus' suffering at the hands of angry men say to those of us who have already invited Jesus into our core?   

 

I think if I were one of the disciples watching what was happening, I would be certain that life was "out of control".  Wouldn't you? 

 

Yet, because we know the whole story - we forget how terribly traumatic this must have seemed to the disciples at the time.    Let this passage remind you that it's easy to assume that God is not in control in our own lives today. 

 

There are traumatic and chaotic and hurtful times in our own lives, when we are certain that life is "out of control".   May I remind you that God is still on His throne, He still loves you, He's still working on your behalf to grow you and make you into the follower He desires and He has a plan to carry you through the chaos. 

 

God desires that we look upward and express our faith and confidence in Him.  It pleases Him to see our faith in the midst of the storms of life.  He doesn't allow storms to hurt us, but to strengthen us and mold us into the man or woman He desires us to be.

 

Nature gives us a good example of this.   Did you know that in the Bay Area of California, every Fall when the rains begin, trees fall all over the place.  Why?  Because when the soil gets wet, they can't stand up!  Why?  Because their roots are short?  Why?  Now, that's the real question!   In the mid-west, the same species of trees have tremendous root systems.  Why don't California trees have the same root systems?  Because we have little wind.    You, see, what causes roots to grow is pressure against the trunk – caused by wind.  As a tree is growing in the mid-west, the winds either blow it down – or it puts down deeper roots and gets stronger.  Every time the wind blows, the roots just sink down deeper and grow.   That's the picture that I want to give you of troubles in this life.     As a follower of Jesus, we need to sink our roots deep down into God so that when the storms come, we'll be sturdy and ready to trust Him more and more.   Because the storms WILL come!

 

In His service, dale

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