The Sacrificial Lamb of the Lord

Today's Reading:

• Luke 22:14 -22:53

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Luke 22:14- 22:53
Today's reading starts with the last supper and ends with Jesus being arrested. The first thing that struck me today was the powerful circle that was so carefully constructed by the Lord. Jesus and the disciples were celebrating Passover for the last supper. Passover occurred during the time of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt. In the final and most terrible plague of all, the Lord ordered that all firstborn sons throughout the land be killed. The Israelites, however, were told to smear lamb's blood over their doorways to avoid that plague. The angel of death passed over every house that had been sanctified with the blood of the lamb.

Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover on the same night that Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Jesus laid the foundation for what would later be known to us as communion - a special, dedicated and holy breaking of bread and drinking of wine to be done in remembrance of the Lord. The bread was the body that was broken, and the wine was the blood that was spilled. This was all given to us so that we would have our truly deserved fates passed over, so that we could be washed in the sacrificial blood of the lamb. The parallels to Passover are awe-inspiring when you truly realize them for the first time, when you realize that events that took place thousands of years before were so beautifully woven together. God is the ultimate planner. God has a plan for each and every one of us. And nothing about that plan might ever seem to make sense when it is happening, but every step of the way has a purpose. A carefully crafted purpose.

Here's the kicker about God's plans - we have to let him use us to execute them. Later that night, after the Passover supper, before Jesus was betrayed, he was at the Mount of Olives. There he was praying fervently to the Lord. Verse 22:44 said that he was pouring sweat like great drops of blood upon the ground - that's how strongly he communing with the Lord. Jesus was praying that the cup of suffering be taken from him. Jesus knew what was in store for him. Jesus knew he was to be a human sacrifice. Jesus knew it was going to be terrible. Jesus was probably terrified. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, and any man would be terrified of an impending terrible death.

Jesus, however, did not sin. He was torn up, he was anxious, he was scared, but through it all he prayed his famous words: "Yet I want your will to be done, not mine" (22:42). Even amidst the most difficult command that God had ever given him, Jesus recognized that God had a plan, and that Jesus was an integral part of that plan. Jesus fought back every inch of his flesh and surrendered completely to God's will and God's plan. And look what they accomplished together! Salvation for billions of people! A chance to be washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. To be washed free of all our sins. To become holy in the sight of the Lord. To no longer be separated by a veil. To invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within our hearts.  All of that is the result of a God who can craft the most masterful plan. So trust in the Lord when He has a plan for you. Pray that you not give into temptation. Pray that His will be done, so that the Lord can make the most beautiful thing out of your own life.

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (The Lord's Will Be Done)

Today's Reading:

• Mark 14:22 - 52
  
• Psalm 52:1 - 9

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Mark 14:22 - 52
The Passover meal ended, and Jesus took his disciples to Gethsemane garden at the Mount of Olives.  There Jesus prayed in anguish to his father, begging him to take the cup of suffering away from him.  I read this same story in Matthew and was struck by it then.  Before then I didn't know that Jesus had prayed to avoid the terrible crucifixion.  Even though he prayed in anguish, he did pray that the Lord's will be done, not his. 

This passage reminds me that Jesus was a man.  Of course I know he was a man, but overall I was focused on the divinity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus being the son of God did not in any way diminish his suffering on that terrible day, and Jesus was anguished knowing that it was soon to pass.  In the end, Jesus valued one thing above all -- the Lord's will. 

Sometimes the Lord's plan from us is so far from what we want that it causes us great distress.  But when we follow the Lord's plan, something far greater than what we want comes out of it.  The death of Jesus, however horrible it was (and it truly saddens me just to get close to reading about it again), was the ultimate example of how the will of the Lord always works out for the better, no matter what our flesh wants.  Thank you, Jesus for following the Lord's will to the grave, bearing that terrible price, and earning salvation for each and every single one of us. 

When I read the name of the gardens, I decided to do a little research to see if the place exists today.  It does!  I love it when you can find places and things referenced in the bible in today's time.  Below is a picture of the Garden in Gethsemane:

 

Psalm 52:1 - 9
Psalm 52:1 says:

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?  Don't you realize God's justice continues forever?

I found that to be a very powerful verse -- forever.  The Lord's justice continues forever.  There is no escaping it.  So for us, for the godly, for those who honor the eternal justice of the Lord, this psalm has perfect closure (52:9):

I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.  I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

The Lord's justice carries forever.  I will praise the Lord forever, so that I can earn a place in the Kingdom of God.  God help those who warrant the Lord's justice.