Writing with faith, hope, and love
Express your letters to the Editor

Editors note: These are detailed devotional times I have had with the Lord that I wanted to share with the readers. Today's devotional time was taken from the archives and revised before 9:00 a.m.

Hi everyone :)

May you come to know more and more the One who became your sacrificial lamb and paid the price on the cross to set you free! May you come to love Jesus more and more! Amen!

Quiet Times (Psalm 119:129-135 & Philippians 2:8)

“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.” (Psalm 119:129-135)

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on the cross!” (Philippians 2:8)

Observations:

I learned 3 things about Jesus from this verse:

1. Jesus was found in appearance as a man!

2. Jesus humbled himself!

3. Jesus became obedient to death---even death on the cross!

Interpretations:

I asked myself why is it mentioned that Jesus was found in appearance as a man and the significance of that!

What came to my mind is that Jesus could have been found in appearance as an angel or a bright light but Jesus chose to be found in appearance as a man on earth. Jesus chose that because He was on mission 3:16 and wanted to relate to humanity to help humanity. Being like a human gave him characteristics and DNA as humans but without the sin because He was without sin.

I found the significance of that in the next thing Jesus did. Jesus humbled himself as a human being on earth!

I asked myself what does it mean to humble himself!

What came to my mind is even though He is God, He did not act with power but went into submission as a human for the sake of humanity. He stripped himself of any rights and did the unthinkable.

I asked myself why he humbled himself!

What came to my mind is to be obedient to death. For He would not have needed to be obedient to death as God in power but did the unthinkable and displayed obedience to death as a humble servant without exhibiting any rights!

I asked myself what did obedient to death mean?

The only way death could come in His life was if He gave the permission for it to come. He willingly for the sake of Mission 3:16, allowed death to take hold of Him. What came to my mind is the type of death He was obedient to.

I asked myself why this type of death be emphasized!

I found it very interesting that the word EVEN stood out to reveal the death Christ became obedient to, evidenced by ‘even death on the cross!’

It was not any kind of death but seemed to emphasize a special kind of death by revealing the cross. It is as if to point out that this type of death is so horrible, scandalous, and excruciating to accept, yet Christ was obedient to that type of death.

I asked myself why did it have to be this type of death, death is death!

If Jesus wanted to be obedient to death, it did not have to be the cross! He could have drank poison, been stoned to death, beheaded, or hung but he decided to be obedient to death on a cross! Why? Why? Why?

So I started thinking about it and reasons behind the cross. What came to my mind is that the CROSS was used for these purposes:

For the most notorious criminals.
For the most cursed death.
For the most humiliating death.
For the most painful death.

Jesus wanted to go through this kind of death for Mission 3:16.

How does Jesus fit into the category for the most notorious criminals?

Jesus took upon Himself to pay for all the crimes of mankind which when added together become notorious. Jesus made it His mission to be the sacrificial scapegoat for humanity. He did it willingly. Since all crimes added together amount to notoriousness, this is the death Jesus became obedient to for humanity. He was not silent but accepted the penalty for all our crimes. When I say crimes, I am thinking about all of sins as humanity.

How does Jesus fit into the category for the most cursed death?

It was believed that only the worst people would die on the cross and this was so. In essence, they were cursed for their crimes in life. Now, Jesus comes into the picture and takes upon Himself the worst situations mankind has committed and agrees to take the punishment of cursing because He was on Mission 3:16. When we should be cursed forever, Jesus intervenes. Jesus does not stop there but endures a humiliating death.

How does Jesus fit into the category for the most humiliating death?

When people were to die on the cross, they were stripped mostly naked and put on the cross. It was not a solitary event but people jeered and cheered a person dying in their nakedness. This alone would be so humiliating because you could not cover yourself even if you wanted to. In addition, when a person is on the cross they lose a lot of blood and go into shock. Sometimes it would be as if they were shivering so much and cannot do anything about it. Usually when persons are injured, they are given a lot of covering to keep them warm until help arrives. Not for those dying a humiliating death on the cross. Jesus does not stop there but goes through a painful death.

How does Jesus fit into the category for the most painful death and what is the significance of it?

When people were crucified, the pain was unbearable and there was no anesthetic or morphine to keep the pain from not being experienced. After being labeled notorious, cursed, and humiliated, they are now placed HANDS STRETCHED and FEET TOGETHER as NAILS are POUNDED inside the person.

Do you hear the screams and cries of pain with every hit of the HAMMER as 3 nails are pounded into the flesh of the One who did no wrong?

Other people at least committed crimes and had to face the punishment. Jesus faced it for our sake. Yes, for our sake!

Can you even imagine the pain?

An injection cannot compare anywhere close to it and yet I am afraid of needles. It is painful for me to prick my finger even when not an ounce of blood is taken.

What about the cross?

Jesus could have died other ways but for your sake, He kept the cross in mind. It is interesting that even before He went to the cross, in one of His preaching sermons, He lets the people know, “If you want to follow me, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me. Those who want to save their life will lose it but those who are willing to give it up, will save it.”

Now Jesus picks up the cross and carries it until He can carry it no more and Simon of Cyrene carries it the rest of the way to Golgotha.

What is the significance of the cross?

All the other types of death would not have fulfilled Jesus’ Mission 3:16 for humanity but the CROSS had unique reasons for fulfilling that mission. This is what came to my mind:

The blood flow because of the nails pounded in the left hand, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever committed with our left hand.
The blood flow because of the nails pounded in the right hand, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever committed with our right hand.
The blood flow because of the nails pounded into the legs, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever committed with our legs.
The blood flow because of the thorns pounded into the head, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever committed using our head.

There was so much blood that flowed when Jesus was crucified on Calvary for you and me. It is His blood that cleanses humanity of their unrighteousness as Jesus paid the ultimate price for our redemption. It was at the Cross!

When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized their nakedness and tried to hide it. They tried to hide it with fig leaves but God foreshadowed what would come one day, as God provided clothing for them after killing possibly a lamb so they could be covered. A lamb or another animal paid the price so they could be covered after their sinfulness revealed their nakedness.

On the cross, Jesus became naked when He took upon Himself our sins so we could be clothed in His righteousness. He became the sacrificial Lamb so we could be clothed in His righteousness without being naked in sin. No other death would have involved nakedness.

I believe there is a deeper reason for death on the cross than those I thought about above. When the Israelites were to escape the angel of death, they were to put blood on the door post of their door. The blood had to be from a sacrificed lamb.

It is interesting that the blood used to cover the door was placed in a horizontal and vertical way according to Scripture: “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.” (Exodus 12:7)

If you take the horizontal post (top) with blood on it and separate it from the vertical post (sides) with blood on it, and put them together, you get a bloody cross!

When the angel of death came during the night and saw blood on the top and sides of the doorpost, judgment decided to Passover that particular household where God’s people resided after they did what God told them to, for the judgment to Passover.

In the same way, Jesus died on the cross for a reason. The bloody cross is from the Lamb of God who sacrificed His life for humanity. It is undefiled blood and the purest antidote for our virus sin. When we take His cleansing blood and cover ourselves with it, we are covered by the cross. The cross covers over our entire body with the blood on it.

Now when God looks at us in His holiness, He does not see sin anymore but the blood of Christ covering over us and cleansing us of all sin. Now God’s judgment will Passover us and we can be with Him in Eternity. And so through the Cross, Jesus accomplished Mission 3:16 for humanity. It is actually John 3:16 put to a mission.

There is an awesome song and video by Carmen called Mission 3:16. Even as you think about what Jesus did for you, reflect on the song by Ray Boltz called 'The Hammer'.

I ask you now dear friends, what does the cross mean to you?

Dear friends it is the cross Jesus used to fulfill His mission for you and me. It is more than just a symbol or jewelry to wear on your neck or a pin to put on. Just studying this one verse I learned so much about the cross. Each time you come across a cross, I hope you get a flashback of the screaming pain of Christ as each nail went in to rescue you and me. May that reminder, remind you how much Jesus loves you that He endured the cross for you and me.

When we make a cross using our hands, it is not just a gesture but being reminded of the One who endured it and the One who now covers us by His blood because He loves us.

But that is only one aspect of why Jesus chose obedience to death-even death on the cross.

The other reason that came to my mind is a pathway. When we cross the road, we are actually crossing a pathway to reach our destination. Without a road or bridge or water we won’t be able to get to the other side because they all serve as a pathway.

In the same way, I see the Cross as the only pathway to reach God. When we look to the Cross of Christ, we are looking to the pathway that serves as a bridge to reach our Heavenly Father. All other means and pathways will not let us get across except the cross of Christ.

May you know how much you are loved by Jesus no matter what you have done or no matter where you have been! He loves you so much that He paid the price for you.

Now won’t you accept what He did for you and come into His presence and give your life to Him so He can cover the virus of sin with His blood cleansing us and making us clean?

He will give us a transfusion of change.

Christ Redeems Our Souls Safely! (C.R.O.S.S)

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and lived here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to live for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want to live for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please. I thank you Jesus for saving us! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Come into my heart and please make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you all the days of my life as you help me. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!

Love in Christ,
Ramesh Reddy