Lenten Devotional - Week Seven

Music and Art

Play the audio file and click on the image to enlarge it.

Let's sit in stillness and take in the words of the song while looking at Jesus on the cross and be open to where God leads us.

Scripture

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;“ by his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 2:22-24 (NIV)

Poetry

Jesus, your prayer was, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.”
A prayer born in death, writhing with injustice.
A prayer risking faith, facing the sorrow.
A prayer living in hope, seeing the future…

My prayer became, “God, forgive them, they know what they did.”
A prayer that wrestled with injustice.
A prayer that acknowledges weakness.
A prayer that found hope in God’s love.

My prayer remains, “God, forgive them; they know what they did.”
Because forgiving recreates life from death.
Because forgiving cleanses the healing wound.
Because forgiving builds the bridge to freedom.

Jared P. Pingleton (Prayers for Today, Day 227)

Devotional

By Dr. Kurt Bjorklund

The suffering of Jesus may seem to some to be arbitrary and unnecessary. God could have chosen to forgive sins without having Jesus suffer. So why the suffering?

There are two reasons explained here.

1. So that we would also suffer well seeing that Jesus has suffered (1 Peter 2:21).

The fact that Jesus suffers means that when we suffer, we can know that it isn't because God doesn't love us or care about us that we suffer. It means that not all suffering is because of what we did or didn't do to deserve it. Jesus is perfectly loved by God and was perfect and yet he suffered. Remember when you endure hardship, you are following in the steps of Jesus.

2. So that we would die to sin and be alive to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

There is something in the cross that doesn't just forgive past sins and promise future salvation but also brings about the ability to set aside sinful patterns now and be alive to the best things. Righteousness defines the way things should be.

There is an old saying that says FEAR is either "forget everything and run" or "face everything and rise." We can fear suffering, or we can choose to see it through the lens of the cross and realize that is an opportunity to rise and follow in the steps of Jesus.

Reflect

As you consider how God is moving in your heart, where do you need to move, act, rise up, and follow in the steps of Jesus?