His Sacrifice, Our Redemption

Today’s Bible Verse: [Luke 23:34 NLT] 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

After giving me the verse the next thing the Holy Spirit did was direct me to: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/luke-23-34. I have selected the text word for word because the words here are better than any that can come from me.

In the midst of the most shocking miscarriage of justice when hatred against God and His Christ reach the pinnacle of humanities evil, we have a glimpse into the Father-heart of God and the infinite passion and love of the Son with these eternal words: Father forgive them, they know not what they do.

Despised, rejected and dying on the cross, with outstretched arms of love, to redeem mankind from their sins. The first thought on the mind of our Saviour was not hatred, revenge or self-pity but eternal forgiveness. He demonstrated a depth of forgiving love that passes our understanding.

There was no resentment or anger, no bitterness, no feelings of hostility or damaged pride, but it encapsulated a depth of divine forgiveness that was able to lovingly embraced the crude Roman soldiers that greedily envied His bloodied garment and cast lots for his seamless cloak.

It included the governor and his cowardly compromise and it encompassed the false witnesses with their fabricated allegations and false testimony. It embraced the Jewish nation who screamed, His blood be on us and on our children – together with the scheming Jewish leaders and Caiaphas – the high priest who unwittingly prophesied: it is expedient for us, that one Man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. Never were words more pregnant with meaning or more powerfully poignant than this utterance from Israel’s chief Priest.

Oh yes, Christ’s heart of forgiveness not only embraced all who were present and participated in this historic miscarriage of justice, but His gracious forgiveness stretched right back to the first fallen couple, who disobeyed God by eating of the three of knowledge, and reached forward into the far-distant future – for His gracious forgiveness includes you and it includes me. His infinite forgiveness touches the lives of all who are born of woman – all who are of the seed of Adam’s fallen race.

But this was no tragic accident. This did not catch God out by surprise. Forgiveness was on the heart of the Father Who planned for the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus from before time began, before space was created – before the worlds were made. The holy Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world so that all rebellious human-kind could be offered the free gift of redemption for the forgiveness of sins, an escape from death’s cruel sting, a release from the curse of the Law and eternal salvation with life more abundant.

The love that flooded from the heart of the Father and blood that streamed from the body of the Saviour was a demonstration of divine forgiveness and love divine – so that all who believe on His name are forever forgiven – forever.

End of text from https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/luke-23-34.

It is the elect that have salvation and it is my prayer that you are among the elect and that this serves as your catalyst for awakening.

This is the gospel:

[1 Corinthians 15:1-6 NLT] 1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you--unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

[Acts 2:22-24 NLT] 22 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

[1 John 2:2 NLT] 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

This is penal substitution; that is, our sins were transferred to Jesus and His righteous transferred to us.

We all have a job.

[Matthew 28:18-20 NLT] 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

All of the disciples of Jesus are to spread His word and the gospel.

Go forth and spread this good news.

I pray that God has revealed Himself to you and that you have salvation.

Remember, God is sovereign. That means that he controls everything.

I hope this has been a blessing to you. May the rest of your day be blessed. Peace.