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Matthew 26:17-30
Message No. 0550 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
It is hard to see good things coming out of evil. If you ask me how many times I have seen a good result from evil, in my several decades of living here on earth, the answer will be easy: zero. The reason is not far-fetched. Evil is hard to hear and, even harder, to see. To watch evil and smile in satisfaction is to let out the possibility that the blood flowing in your veins is not human. It does not matter how much you hate someone, you do not normally want to see him or her dead. There’s something on the inside of us that abhors evil and you can’t easily preach to anyone that evil brings bring good.
It is for this reason that many people had asked in the past, why the Friday on which Jesus was killed was named ‘Good Friday.’ Jesus underwent unspeakable brutality, indescribable trauma, unimaginable pain, and untold suffering, all because of you and me. He bore undeserved pain, and, for someone who left a comfortable Abode and humbled Himself to come to our level, he stomached undeserved insults. To show that this was not funny to God, look at the punishment of the guy who betrayed Jesus. In Matthew 26:24, the Bible says:
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
So, in light of all of these, how could the day of His death be remembered as good? To understand this, we need to look far beyond the evil, to the reason the evil occurred. Jesus left His Abode with a mission – to die. And, not just any type of death, but death on the cross. This type of death was reserved for serious criminals, so, ironically, the One who never committed a sin, let alone a crime, chose to die in this manner. Why is this important? It is because you and I were the real criminals – we committed crimes against God, and the judgement for such was clear: death, because the Bible says in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. We all deserved death, until Someone named Jesus decided to take our position by undergoing ruthless indignity. Without the death of Jesus, each of us would have needed to pay for our own sins by undergoing, not only the first, but the second death also.
Christ became substitute for you and me, thus handing us a lifeline. Without His death, you and I would be altogether hopeless. None of us would be able to satisfy God’s requirement for redemption. It was His death that gave us salvation and made us candidates for Heaven. The death of one Man satisfied the punishments for the sins of billions of people. This is why you and I can smile knowing that we have hope beyond the grave. This is why we can match on knowing that Someone paid for our inadequacies. This is why we can sleep easy, knowing that our Visa or Mastercard do not need to be debited to pay for our expensive waywardness, because Someone paid in advance. This is why the Friday is good!
Now, the Friday is good, but only for those who appropriate the good from the evil. The only way to benefit from the good is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, because, in Acts chapter 4 verse 12, the Bible says:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
If anyone refuses to appropriate this good, then he or she must be ready to face the music on the day of judgement. This will be a fearful day for those who reject the sacrifice that Jesus made, because, without the Passport with the ‘Saved’ stamp on it, Border Services has a lifetime of evil waiting at the Port of Arrival. One thing is sure: this won’t be funny. An individual may be senior advocate or defender or judge on this earth, but all of these are completely useless in the Court of Heaven. Wouldn’t you rather take the free Pass now? Please do not joke with this, there is nothing more serious than the reality that awaits everyone at the Judgement Throne. If you are yet to accept Christ into your life, please do so now without further delays. Jesus is waiting with open Arms, and now is the acceptable time. May God bless you as you act on this priceless decision.
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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