David Johnson
04-20-2003, 01:52 PM
Rejection.
We have all been rejected at one time or another.
The Lord Jesus knows how it feels to be rejected.
Just days before He was hung on the cross, as he was entering Jerusalem, a large crowd assembled to praise Him, shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They cheered, waving palm branches and spreading their coats on the ground ahead of Him.
But this wouldn’t last.
Eventually even one of His disciples, Peter, would say he never knew Him.
The scripture was fulfilled that says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
For as Jesus allowed himself to be taken into custody His followers left Him. All rejected him.
Jesus was righteous beyond measure, having never sinned. But we all have, the Bible says we have all fallen short. Sin separates us from God and we cannot fix this on our own.
There’s a song that says, “Amazing love, how can it be, that my King would die for me?” It’s true, Jesus was God on earth, and He lived among us and took our place. He paid the price to fill the void that separates us. He isn’t like an earthly king who would say, “Serve me.”
He came to say, “You can’t do this on your own, let me come to you.”
Jesus was put on trial and condemned to death, this was on our behalf. They tortured, and beat Him and then crucified Him on a cross. Crucifixion was the most humiliating and brutal way of execution of that time, used for the worst of the criminals. As Jesus hung on the cross He was insulted and made fun of.
And just before He died, he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was the point at which the sin that separates us from God was taken care of. All of it was hung on His head; He was paying the price for us! He did right then what we can’t do. He was dying for us, for our short fallings. He was experiencing the ultimate rejection that we deserve, so that we can have the gift of eternal life. Before Jesus breathed His last breath he said, “It is finished.”
It wasn’t over when He died, because three days later He rose from the dead. He conquered death and the grave for us. He appeared many times over 40 days, meeting and eating with his disciples. Then He ascended to heaven. He is the Living God, our Savior. And through Him there is forgiveness of sin and eternal life and He is the only way.
Eternal life and a relationship with the Lord is what Easter Sunday is celebrated about. The gift that He has given to us. All we have to do is ask and believe. It’s His grace and our faith that does it, not what we do, not even by how good of a person we are. These things are a result of knowing Jesus, not a requirement to know Him. And with that relationship with Him we can hear His voice and know His heart.
Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks to come in. And if we seek Him we will find Him and if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord we will be saved. I am so thankful for these promises. They are so true, believe me I know. I’ve done things I’m not proud of but they hung on that cross that day, all I’ve had to do was ask that He forgive me and He does. He doesn’t even remember them, even if I do.
This world asks for peace. And there are so many things out there that will give us a false sense of peace. Sure, they seem all right for a while but fade away. There is only one real peace, and that is the one we can have through the Lord.
Rejection-you will never be rejected by God, no matter who we are or what we’ve done.
We have all been rejected at one time or another.
The Lord Jesus knows how it feels to be rejected.
Just days before He was hung on the cross, as he was entering Jerusalem, a large crowd assembled to praise Him, shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They cheered, waving palm branches and spreading their coats on the ground ahead of Him.
But this wouldn’t last.
Eventually even one of His disciples, Peter, would say he never knew Him.
The scripture was fulfilled that says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
For as Jesus allowed himself to be taken into custody His followers left Him. All rejected him.
Jesus was righteous beyond measure, having never sinned. But we all have, the Bible says we have all fallen short. Sin separates us from God and we cannot fix this on our own.
There’s a song that says, “Amazing love, how can it be, that my King would die for me?” It’s true, Jesus was God on earth, and He lived among us and took our place. He paid the price to fill the void that separates us. He isn’t like an earthly king who would say, “Serve me.”
He came to say, “You can’t do this on your own, let me come to you.”
Jesus was put on trial and condemned to death, this was on our behalf. They tortured, and beat Him and then crucified Him on a cross. Crucifixion was the most humiliating and brutal way of execution of that time, used for the worst of the criminals. As Jesus hung on the cross He was insulted and made fun of.
And just before He died, he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was the point at which the sin that separates us from God was taken care of. All of it was hung on His head; He was paying the price for us! He did right then what we can’t do. He was dying for us, for our short fallings. He was experiencing the ultimate rejection that we deserve, so that we can have the gift of eternal life. Before Jesus breathed His last breath he said, “It is finished.”
It wasn’t over when He died, because three days later He rose from the dead. He conquered death and the grave for us. He appeared many times over 40 days, meeting and eating with his disciples. Then He ascended to heaven. He is the Living God, our Savior. And through Him there is forgiveness of sin and eternal life and He is the only way.
Eternal life and a relationship with the Lord is what Easter Sunday is celebrated about. The gift that He has given to us. All we have to do is ask and believe. It’s His grace and our faith that does it, not what we do, not even by how good of a person we are. These things are a result of knowing Jesus, not a requirement to know Him. And with that relationship with Him we can hear His voice and know His heart.
Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks to come in. And if we seek Him we will find Him and if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord we will be saved. I am so thankful for these promises. They are so true, believe me I know. I’ve done things I’m not proud of but they hung on that cross that day, all I’ve had to do was ask that He forgive me and He does. He doesn’t even remember them, even if I do.
This world asks for peace. And there are so many things out there that will give us a false sense of peace. Sure, they seem all right for a while but fade away. There is only one real peace, and that is the one we can have through the Lord.
Rejection-you will never be rejected by God, no matter who we are or what we’ve done.