DEVOTIONS
Search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now. Then search from one end of the heavens to the other and see if anything as great as this has ever happened before. Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire as you did and survived? Has any other god taken one nation for himself by rescuing it from another by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, awesome power, and terrifying acts? Yet, this is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt right before your very eyes. He showed you these things so you would realize that the Lord is God and that there is no other god beside Him. (Deuteronomy 4:32-35) What began on a Friday night at the last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples, proceeded on to the Garden of Gethsemane where he sweated great drops of agonizing blood as he cried out, “Father, not my will, but Your will be done.” From there came the arrest and the beginning of the mock trial at the house of Caiaphas. Then he was taken before Pilate, then to Herod, and back to Pilate’s house where Pilate tried to set Him free, but the people cried out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” By eight in the morning after cruel mockery and treatment by the soldiers, he was led to Calvary, carrying his cross upon his back. At nine AM, the third hour of the Jewish day, he was nailed to that tree. Jesus’ response was, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Upon crucifying him, they cast dice to see who would end up with his cloak. Those who passed by, blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “If you are the son of God, come down from that cross!” Likewise the chief priests, along with the scribes, mocked him and said, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself.” On each side of Jesus there hung two criminals, one on one side and one on the other. One of them also mocked Jesus and said, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.” Yet, the other criminal could not bring himself to mockery, instead he simply asked in contrition, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” to which Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say unto you, today you shall be with me in Paradise.” Then, looking down at the disciple he loved, and to his mother who gave him birth on earth, he said, “Woman, behold your son”, and to John he said, “Behold your mother.” By the sixth hour of the Jewish day, twelve noon our time, darkness enveloped the earth and stayed until the ninth hour, which would be three PM by our time. About that time, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?” And soon after, near two PM, He said, “I thirst.” And just a few minutes afterwards He made the statement, “It is finished.”Then about the ninth hour, three PM our time, He looked up into heaven and cried, “Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit,” and He hung His head and died, (selected scriptures).
Was it merely the Son of Joseph and Mary, who crossed the world’s horizon nearly two thousand years ago? Was it merely human blood that was spilt at Calvary’s hill for the redemption of sinners? We would be well within our mark when we say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the governments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One solitary life, the life of Jesus Christ. What thinking man can keep from exclaiming, “My Lord and My God!” (selected authors) Has anything as great as this ever happened before or since then?
