Exalt God

 

    Do you believe in God's Word?  Do you believe that He is talking to you personally in His message?  Or do you believe The Bible is a huge historic relic of a book that doesn't contain any power?  Do you think that those that do believe are fools, stupid, or desperate?  You never have to answer out loud because your face and actions will do the answering.

    The message is real: Jesus was born fully human and fully God.  It was proclaimed hundreds of years before He was even born.  He lived a normal human life for a season and then a miraculous life that cost Him His life.  Then He did something never done before or since: He rose Himself from the dead.  He died so that you could really live.  It wasn't a trick.  It wasn't to get attention.  It was to bridge the gap of people and God.

    Jesus knew real suffering, but He endured for the people that were rejecting, hated, and despised Him.  He did it to exalt God.  He knew how unpleasant pain was.  He felt physical and emotional pain just like the rest of us.  He hurt when other people hurt, so maybe He felt emotions and empathy deeper.  He proved that suffering led to victorious power.  It is our sin that makes us blind to the truth.

    When we go astray we need to remember the cost of our freedom.  Jesus experienced oppression and was afflicted, yet He never lashed out or was cruel.  People enjoyed His suffering and judging Him.  they felt victorious in having Him killed.  He died a criminal's worst execution, but He never had sinned.  

    Jesus allowed all of this to happen because His human life was designed for this purpose.  He did not desire it to happen that way, but He is faithful.  Jesus became our guilt offering, so that we no longer have to sacrifice animals to have blood shed for our sins.  He is the intercessor for your transgressions.  

Isaiah 53