Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 41:17-24 and Matthew 20:20-28
Matthew 20:28 “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Why did Jesus die? To save us from our sins.
Why do we need to be saved? Because God is holy and perfect and cannot abide sin; our sins separate us from God, so if we die in sin, we will be separated from Him forever.
Why can’t we save ourselves? Because we are not perfect or holy. We are human and sinful, selfish and proud, greedy and faithless, self-centered and conceited. Our sins are many and our good deeds are too few to purchase salvation.
What did Jesus mean when He said that He came to give His life as a ransom for many? Jesus was telling His followers that only He could pay the full price for our salvation. Without His perfect and supreme sacrifice, the ransom that God demanded would never be paid.
What did Jesus mean by ‘many?’ Not everyone will be saved. There will still be those who will choose to die in sin. There will still be those who choose to reject Jesus. There will still be those who will not repent of their sins, so they will never be restored to God. Jesus died for all, but not all will be saved.
How can I be saved? Completely believe in Jesus and fully accept His words. Sincerely repent of your sins and seek His forgiveness. Respect Him as Your Savior and serve Him as Your King. Then you will know the joy and experience the blessing of being eternally saved by Christ.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we come to you as sinners needing to be saved, as followers seeking forgiveness, and as servants searching for Your blessing. Forgive us of the past. Reclaim us at this present time. Restore us eternally to God. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. if you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s image is one of my Good Friday drawings from last year. It’s called “Death by Dali” and is my crayon version of Salvador Dali’s ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross.’ The original painting hangs in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery of my hometown Glasgow, Scotland. If you would like to see a larger version of my drawing, click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg
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