FEBRUARY 8 READING…Matthew 27
The 27th chapter of Matthew is all about the Savior suffering for our sin. It begins with Jesus being brought by the religious leaders to the civil authority, Pilate. They did this to get the Romans to do their dirty work. As Judas sees what his betrayal has done, he is filled with sorrow for his actions and tries to return the silver…which the religious leaders would not take back, for it was “blood money”. Their lack of logic is staggering…they were the ones who paid the “blood money”. They all did not even realize they were fulfilling prophecy concerning the amount of Christ’s betrayal, and what the money would eventually be used for. Judas commits suicide by hanging himself. Jesus is examined by the civil authority…found guilty of no crime…but was scourged anyway, in an attempt to satisfy the blood thirsty Jewish religious authority. They were not satisfied, and required Jesus’ death.
The Romans then crucified Jesus…which means they put Him to death by impaling Him on a cross. This began after having Him being beaten almost to death by a Roman cat of nine tails (whip). They tore the skin off the torso of our Savior…they mocked Him by jamming a crown of thorns on His head …they spat on Him…and struck Him upon His head. Now listen, as I write this I don’t put the blame solely on the Romans…nor do I put the blame only on the wicked Jewish religious leaders…I am to blame, it was my sin that caused Jesus to go through all this. I just want to kiss those “nail scarred’’…I want to touch His brow…I want to hug His precious body that went through so much for me. I want to tell Him that I am sorry, even though it seems like so little that I offer Him…I want to look into His eyes and tell Him I love Him so much. My friends, I will not be ashamed of my Lord…for He willingly let Himself be crucified, impaled naked before all humanity...and He willingly received the full punishment of God for my sin. Neither will I be afraid of what mankind thinks of me for my faith, or threatens to do to me…for my Jesus paid the full price for my redemption. Jesus hangs upon the cross for six hours, and He dies…the sky grows dark, for the Light of all creation has died. They take Jesus’ dead body off of the cross and put it in a borrowed tomb…it’s a good thing it was borrowed…for He would not need it very long. But, that’s for tomorrows reading.
Jesus did all this for you too. And all He asks is for you to believe in Him, and to trust Him. He paid for your sin on the cross…but that payment only becomes effective when you put your soul, by faith, in His great care. Please share your thoughts, and if you want to talk to someone about what all I have shared can mean for you in eternity, let me know.
TOMORROW'S READING…Matthew 28
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