Scripture text for Tuesday, April 6th, 2010: John 18:1-18:40
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When I was in college I set several goals that I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30. I have done fairly well on most of them, but there is one goal that I have not met . . . to get arrested. (Don’t worry, I have no current plans to get arrested)
My goal was not to get arrested by doing something wrong, but to care so deeply about a cause that I was willing to get arrested if the powers of the day opposed it. We have seen people around the world take such stands at various times throughout history.
Often our world is so opposed to the work of God that God’s greatest servants are attacked and prosecuted by that world. Jesus started it.
Jesus was in no way naïve. He knew the power of his message. Paul articulates the aroma of Christ clearly, “to the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” (2 Corinthians 2:16)
Jesus also knew that there was a day that would come when he would be betrayed by one of his own disciples, be arrested, and killed. Yet Jesus did not resist. Jesus understood his role in God’s story and though he did not welcome it, he endured it faithfully and perfectly. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11)
There are moments when God works through our joy. But there are other moments when God works through our suffering. May we be like our Lord and Savior, Jesus, desiring peace, but willing to endure pain for the sake of our Father’s immaculate will.
Glorious God. Too often we play it safe. We value our own comfort and security over Your will. Give us strength to be Your servants even when our world opposes You through us.
Devotion prepared by Dan Teefey