Today's Readings - 1 Chronicles 24-25, John 19:1–27, Psalm 74:17–23, Proverbs 15:18–19
Devotional
It is the most horrible story ever told, and also the greatest. John 19 recounts Jesus' trial before Pilate and his crucifixion. It is the historical act on which our eternal destiny depends.
It is painful to read of the brutal torture and crucifixion of Christ. Look at what human beings did to Jesus in these awful moments. First, Jesus was flogged in the horrifying Roman way. Then, to add insult to injury, the soldiers commenced ridiculing the beaten man. They put a crown of thorns on him, gave him a purple robe, slapped him and chanted "Hail, King of the Jews." The Lamb of God was giving himself for their sins and all they could do was mock. The priests and other religious leaders manipulated and schemed to get him convicted according to their laws and to bring him before Pilate. Time and again, Pilate tried to find a way to get him off the hook, but in his cowardice, he gave in to the pressure and gave the order for crucifixion.
It can be said that the day of the Cross was the low point in human history; that moment in which sinful human beings reach their moral nadir as they laid hands on the Creator himself and nailed him to a tree. It was an awful day.
But I love preaching from Revelation 4 and 5, in which Jesus is described as worthy of all worship and praise. Why? Because he was slain. It was his humility, his death, his sacrifice that was magnified in the heavenly worship. Jesus changed history the day the worst thing happened to him. He took the evilest act in history and used it to forever conquer evil, to redeem a people for himself and to secure redemption for us. We are forgiven and given eternal life in Christ.
When terrible things happen to you or in your life, or even when you fail in a monumental, shameful way, remember the power of this God. The God of the Cross is not fazed by the wickedness of the wicked. He takes it and uses it to accomplish his glorious purposes.
It is an amazing God that we serve. If he can turn the crucifixion into glory, he can take whatever struggles, trials or even tragedies that you are facing and turn them to blessing.
Father, I confess that you are an great God, one who is able to turn even the most awful things of life into your glory. I thank you for doing that in my life.
Think and Pray
Take time today to both consider the horror of the Cross and the glory it brings into our lives.
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