“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8
NIV ~ The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
The Passion week gives me pause to reflect on Jesus’ commitment to walk out the will and purpose of His Father. His commitment challenges mine! The book of Hebrews tell’s us that He delights to do the will of the Father, so as I read through the events of His week in Jerusalem, I just keep asking: how did you do this? How did you keep moving forward into something so horrific; spirit, soul and body?
We know that it was simply the love of God that compelled Him, that is His love for the Father and His love for us, and I want to know this kind of love. Not just ‘know’ but hold it and live from a place of intentional love which disregards my own desires, thoughts, and feelings simply for another’s well being.
The Gospels tell us when His time came, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Today is Good Friday. It is the culmination of a series of events during the week that lead to his death. At the beginning of the week, he has been met with a jubilant welcoming into the city but it just goes down hill from there (my perspective). He has set his face to God’s purpose and it is being fulfilled in every step, every action and every conversation. He meets the religious opposition, the scheme with his very own disciple to kill him. Betrayal is at work in the midst of Him pouring his heart into them, giving them a new commandment ~ Love even as I have loved you.
His disciples sleep while He prays for strength to move forward. Peter denies him. He faces false accusations, a trial, the sentence, all leading him to this crucifixion. At any given point, I wonder which circumstance would cause us to quit?
He bore our sin in His own body on the tree ,that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by His stripes you were healed. For we were as sheep going astray; but now are returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.
A just and righteous man who never sinned, becoming sin Himself, so we could have a way to the Father and enter into the same fellowship They have that is rooted and grounded in love. John 17 is the last prayer we have recorded of Jesus’ on earth ~
“I pray for them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and you in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.”
Do we want to know and live from this place of that intense and purposed love? This place where we delight to do His will because we choose love even as I am loved. We know what the answer should be, but we find reality in the every day choices we make. If (and he does) the devil motivates through fear, greed, self will, then every purpose he designs can be overcome when we love not our lives….even unto death.
I want to know and live from this kind of love.