Can Jesus help? Part 3

                                                                    1 John 4: 7-21
 
“This is love: not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”     
1 John 4: 10                           
    
     On Monday and Wednesday of this Holy week we have thought about the relevance of Jesus in our lives today and in relation to our fears. Today, on this Good Friday, I would like us to consider the relevance of His death.
 
     In my roles as a Police Officer and now a Priest I have often encountered folk in a time of crisis. Catastrophes have a habit of making us take stock of our lives, to consider their meaning and the inevitability of death; sobering! This world crisis is causing all of us to do just that from the highest levels of Government to our everyday lives; how easily does the impression of control dissipate and how quickly does the frailty of life become evident. The truth though is that we were not created for death; we were created for life…in a relationship with our creator, God Almighty. It is our rebellion against God and decision to go our own way that brought in the reality of death, “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6: 23). The renewed gift of life comes from God in and through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus paid ‘the wages’ of our sin by dying in our stead as an ‘atoning sacrifice,’ (1 John 4: 10). If we believe in Jesus we have forgiveness and life; life eternal (vs. 13-16).
 
     This truth demonstrates Jesus’ ultimate relevance and especially in the circumstances we find ourselves in today. It is true that Jesus came to die for us but it is also vitally true that He came to live for us too; defeating death and its power. Death has lost its sting and victory (1 Corinthians 15: 54- 57); instead God, in love, gives us the victory in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
 
To Ponder: How much fear does death hold in your heart; how much freedom does faith in Jesus give you? Mediate on today’s Scriptures and watch our Good Friday service online on this website today – do we or do we not have the victory in Christ?
 
Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon Him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of His patience and humility, and also be made partakers of His resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen

Praise: