30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 23 44-49 THE DEATH OF JESUS 11 25Jan2022 Luke 23 44-45 The work of reconciliation
📖 Luke 23:44-49
11 – 25 Jan 2022 – The work of reconciliation - Luke 23:44-49 - THE DEATH OF JESUS - Bible reading: Matthew 9:35-38
“Thank You, Master, for the work that You did for us on the cross. It is because of your work, we are reconciled with You. We can live a victorious life, in this world, amid temptation and bring glory to Your name. We give you all the glory and praise. In Jesus' precious name, we pray, Amen.
Luke 23:44-45 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (45) Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
After the three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me”, This is the 4th word from the cross. Immediately, Jesus spoke the 5th, 6th and 7th words, one after the other.
We are now focussing on the 6th word from the cross.
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Jesus completed the work for which God had sent Him into the world.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
God, put Jesus to grief and made His soul an offering for sin. This was what Jesus had to undergo on the cross. The result was, He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. God’s work through Christ was completed.
God’s purpose was to make us righteous before Him.
Romans 3:25-36 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (26) to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus .
Any person who places his faith in Jesus, on what Jesus has done on the cross, receives Him and appropriates His work, is counted as righteous.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The benefits of the completed work of Jesus, are made available for humanity to receive, by faith. The faith which we practise is also a gift from God. The exercise is that of our will. We must choose to exercise the faith, which God gives us and receive what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We are then declared righteous.
Hebrews 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
By our own effort, it is not possible to please God, it is only possible in Christ. We can only serve Christ, when we are surrendered to a continuous relationship of faith, being totally embedded in Jesus, living out of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has become for us the Mediator, the Go-between, to experience a wonderful relationship with God. He has mediated, He has done what is necessary, He has finished his work. It is for us to now experience a relationship with God because Jesus has become the Bridge.
Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
We receive the promise of eternal inheritance through Christ by His finished work on the cross.
The message of His finished work on the cross is now entrusted to us. This is the work of reconciliation.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
All the enmity, all that was a block between man and God, that had caused man to be alienated and to be in the state of terrible evil and darkness, has been taken out of the way. This is the reconciliation that happened on at the cross for Jesus to say, ” It is finished”
It is this finished work of reconciliation, which is the good news to be shared with people around us who are in darkness, that has been assigned to us.
II Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
The Lord has demonstrated for us the ministry of reconciliation.
Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Jesus was inviting people to put their trust in Him, though His death on the cross had not yet taken place. What happened on the cross took place at a particular time in history, but the work on the cross was outside of time.
Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
The Lord is calling us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers, who have the burden and concern for people and then be involved in the work of reconciliation.
Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Thought to ponder
The fact that the labourers are few is also painful to hear.