2 Corinthians 4:1-6 New International Version
Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
In context, Paul is talking about the glories of the New Covenant of God.
Paul is rejoicing in the wonderful promises founded on the blood of Christ – the gospel which removes all who confess with their whole hearts, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ from the condemnation of the Law, for the free gift of God is eternal life to all who believe on Christ. (Romans 10:9-13)
Because of the incalculable glories of the wonderful gospel of Christ, where the life and light of salvation flows to all who believe, a determined Paul rejoices to teach the good news of God’s saving grace and to set out the truth of Scripture because he knew that it was only by God’s grace that he himself had been saved.
Because of the indelible glories contained in the gospel of Christ, Paul does not get discouraged, even when those that he is teaching choose not to listen to the message of the good news, but flatly reject the truth of God’s amazing grace.
Paul knew that there was a host of reasons that many refused to listen to the gospel of God’s grace.
He knew that although they had heard the truth, they had renounced it.
Although they had heard the gospel, they chose not to believe it.
Although they had been given an opportunity to accept it, they had chosen to reject the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.
When people hear the gospel and then willingly reject it, they unwittingly give the god of this world a strong foothold in their mind – as a result their unbelief becomes more and more firmly established in their hearts, until their minds are twisted, blinded, darkened to the glorious truth of the gospel of God’s grace.
It is not God’s will that anyone should perish, but that all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus – and yet, God still gives every single man and woman a choice to ether believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved or to reject the gospel of grace and be condemned.
Men and women who choose to steadfastly close off their minds to the gospel of God’s grace are those that are perishing.
Mark 15:24-32 New Living Translation
24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice[a] to decide who would get each piece. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 Two revolutionaries[b] were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.[c]
29 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
Jesus was ridiculed by everyone present during his Passion – the crowds cried “Crucify him!” before Pilate.
The soldiers beat and mocked him, spit in his face.
People who passed by him hanging on the cross hurled their insults at Jesus.
The religious leaders mocked him.
Even one of the criminals who were dying beside the Lord threw in his own ridicule and scorn his way.
Jesus’ own closest followers had betrayed, denied, and abandoned him.
Our Savior faced the cruelty and the humiliation of the cross alone.
Don’t we know someone who still scoffs at Jesus like this?
Have we ever been that someone who scoffs at Jesus like this?
For the most part, Jesus impaled on the cross didn’t move either the crowd or the religious people, and for the most part, Jesus suffering, dying on the cross, doesn’t move a vast number of people today.
WHY?
Maybe because we cannot comprehend the sacrifice don’t understand how real, how graphic, how horrific, and how required the cross was for our eternal life.
He did it so you and I can have the confidence that he will never abandon us – even if everyone we hold dear abandons us, those hating us hurl insults at us.
Doesn’t it seem clear that the two crosses with the two thieves represent the required choice that each of us must make? We all begin the same with Jesus.
Jesus indelibly demonstrated he would pay any price to love us and redeem us.
Jesus Christ died on the cross to allow us to live in him.
Does the cross move you toward rejection of the gospel?
Does the cross move you toward proclaiming Acts 4:8-12 of the gospel?
8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to [d] how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
The cross reveals the unconditional love of God for you like nothing else in all the universe does.
The horror and the intensity of the cross scream out to us that God loves us.
Has seeing God-in-the-Flesh on the cross, dying in our place, ever moved you?
Are we moved toward rejection or acceptance by the truth that the Lord of all Creation submit himself to the ugliness of dying on the cross out of his love?
In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Praying ….
Psalm 22
A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.
For the music director; upon [a]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my [b]help are the words of my [c]groaning.
2 My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but [d]I have no rest.
3 Yet You are holy,
You who [e]are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You rescued them.
5 To You they cried out and they fled to safety;
In You they trusted and were not [f]disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a person,
A disgrace of mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me deride me;
They [g]sneer, they shake their heads, saying,
8 “[h]Turn [i]him over to the Lord; let Him save him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from [j]birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.
11 Do not be far from me, for [k]trouble is near;
For there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within [l]me.
15 My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And my tongue clings to my jaws;
And You lay me [m]in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me;
[n]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
[o]They pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
18 They divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.
19 But You, Lord, do not be far away;
You who are my help, hurry to my assistance.
20 Save my [p]soul from the sword,
My only life from the [q]power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you [r]descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you [s]descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
25 From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The [t]afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
May your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before [u]You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the [v]prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him,
Even he who [w]cannot keep his soul alive.
30 A [x]posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 