passion week fast day 3

Still with me?  That’s good.  I’m very glad.  I’m splitting today’s devotion up into two days because the points I need to make are rather long.

Read John Chapter 1 vs. 1-18

Go read, or you won’t get it.  Trust me.

So many times we think about Jesus being God himself, and indeed that is true.  However, that is not how we are saved.  We are saved because ‘the Word was made flesh.’ (v 14).  None of this would be possible had God not put on flesh in the form of Emmanuel.  Many see the miracles of Christ, and think wow He is God incarnate, but they forget that the humanity of Jesus meant so much more.

Jesus lived his last days as a human, no big miracles, no fuss, no muss.  BUT, and it’s a big BUT, He taught us some character traits we need as human children of God.

1. On Monday, Jesus entered the temple, and when He saw the merchants, He began shouting and knocking over tables (Matt 21:1-17).  Jesus got angry!  We know that Jesus was sinless, so that would mean that it was okay for Him to be angry.  Why?  Most people think losing your temper is sinful.  It is, but not when you are angry for God.  Jesus was angry for a righteous reason!  The people were defiling the temple of God.  That is a right and just reason to be angry.  So, Jesus shows us that anger is a God given human emotion, and it is okay to be angry for actions that are blasphemous toward God.  We need to be serious about our faith.  Tolerance is an important part of showing love, but that does not mean that we love God any less.  That means that we can stand up for what is righteous, but not cram it down others’ throats.
2. On Tuesday, Jesus teaches his disciples the importance of faith in prayer (Matt 21:18-22).  He teaches us that we must have faith when we pray for anything.  The same day He teaches with many parables, and is questioned about the greatest commandment.  His response in Matthew22:37-40 is ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’  WOW! The most important thing is love.  Sometimes this is forgotten.  Everyone is trying to do good, and keep all these laws, but NEWS FLASH, Jesus came to do away with the law.  All we have to do is love, and the rest falls into place.

So on Monday, He showed us we can be angry for God, and on Tuesday, He teaches us that love is more important than anything else.  What anamazing God we have!  Go read 1 Corinthians 13.  Yes, the whole tiny chapter.  Paul teaches about love.  This is the greatest commandment, so we should probably learn what it’s about.  We must learn love.  It needs to be so engrained in us, that it pours out onto everyone around us. That, my friends, is the key to the kingdom.  Be about God’s business, and love!  Go love on someone, and I’ll post more of Jesus’ humanity tomorrow.  I love you all.