Jesus is Not an Afterthought

Scripture:  I Peter 1:17-21 -  And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

There are times when it seems that we can be tempted to think that when we see depicted in a movie, or read about the horrifying scenes of the crucifixion, that somehow there was a time and place that God seemed to not be in control.  He seemed to be in control of Jesus’ earthly ministry of deliverance and preaching the Kingdom of God until that historical last week, which culminated on that Friday crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of his enemies (Matthew 27:45-56; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-37).  From the perspective of His followers it seemed that  their hope and dreams of a victorious savior were gone and their remembrance of Jesus’ life ended with His famous words, “Father into Your hands I commend my spirit” and “It is finished”.  Contrary to what their tearful eyes saw, in three days they would begin to realize that the victory of the resurrection was not an empty promise of a false religious leader, but a prophetic declaration of victory from a Savior that spoke from an eternal perspective of what He knew before He came to die for the sin of the whole world (John 17:4, 5).

We celebrate today having the scriptures that teach us that the crucifixion and the resurrection were not an afterthought or an adjustment to circumstances that got out of control, but they were within the plans that God had predetermined for our salvation.  When we come to Good Friday at this knowledge that we join to our celebration that turns cold and dark facts into the testimony of God’s great love for us.  God’s plan was set in place before our time by the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and in time the Son came veiled in flesh so that He could not only totally identify with the infirmity of our humanity, without sin, but also die the death, physically and spiritually that we deserved, but could not pay ourselves.  The price of Jesus’ blood, that was paid and accepted as sufficient for our salvation is described as precious, unblemished, and spotless.  Nothing less could have been accepted to redeem us from the bondage of depravity, death and the darkness of eternal separation from God because of sin.

This great predetermined plan also gives us confidence in who we are now and what we will always mean to the God who was always committed to us before we committed our first sin against Him.   Those who were in the mind of God before the world was created and who now live with a faith relationship that was given to us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Our text for devotion says that that Christ was not only raised, but He was given glory, “so that our faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:21).  The God who is now declared as our Father and our Judge has made provision for us that will be able to save us from that judgment we could never have withstood on our own.  Let us rejoice now with same words we shall shout one day before His throne, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain…” (Revelation 5:12).

Prayer:  Our Father thank you for sharing the gift of the Son and accepting His finished work to redeem us so we can be Your eternal sons and daughters forever and forever. Amen.

(by Pastor Wayne Cockrell)