He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
Matthew 28:6 NASB
🌹Rejoice and celebrate, Jesus Christ has risen and is alive!! Happy Resurrection Day!!
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Archive | April 2022
Scripture Fulfilled
How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
Matthew 26:54 NASB
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
John 19:30 NASB
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Luke 23:46 NASB
🌹God, we commemorate this day in remembrance and in the hope of resurrection.
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Freely Given
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
John 10:11, 18 NASB
Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions (= 6000 troops) of angels?
Matthew 26:53 NASB
Lord Jesus, I am astounded, bewildered, overwhelmed by your sacrifice for me. To know that at any time You could have put a halt to this senseless crime against You. But it wasn’t senseless to You. There was and still is a purpose in Your going to the cross. Jesus, burden my heart for the lost and may I follow in Your footsteps to surrender my will for the sake of the gospel – the salvation of the lost. I will take up my cross and follow You for the sake of the gospel and for Your namesake to the triumphant end. In Your glorious name I pray, amen.
🌹Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8 NASB
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
At The Foot of The Cross
So much to be learned at the foot of the cross.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24 NASB
Is Christ asking anything from us that He did not already do?
1. Deny self.
– Jesus gave up His throne for a time:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NASB
– Jesus surrendered His will.
And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Matthew 26:39 NASB
2. Take up your cross
– Jesus took the cross for you and me. Should we not take the cross for the sake of the Gospel to the world?
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 10:38 NASB
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:27 NASB
– Should we not be ready to die for the gospel just as Jesus did? Jesus is the gospel.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25 NASB
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8:34-35 NASB
3. Follow Jesus.
– Following Jesus takes sacrifice just as He sacrificed His life for us, we are to sacrifice our lives for the spread of the gospel.
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 10:37 NASB
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (by comparison of his love for Me) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:26 NASB
So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Luke 14:33 NASB
🌹Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross. The sacrificial denying of self for my sake, taking the cross to Your death, and showing me what it means to follow You.
God, I do not want to gain anything from this world and forfeit my soul. In this adulterous and sinful world I will stand for You without shame and proclaim Your word, the gospel. I want to stand unashamed when You come Lord Jesus in the glory of the Father with the holy angels. May I be faithful standing on the solid Rock to the very end. In Jesus name, amen.
(Mark 8:36-38 NASB)
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Depredation
Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.
John 19:1-3 NASB
They kept beating His head with a reed (or staff made of a reed), and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.
Mark 15:19 NASB
and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.
Matthew 27:29b-30 NASB
Prayer:
Jesus, You said, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above;”. Those who scourged, mocked and beat you could only do so with the Father’s permission. You were scourged, mocked, beaten for me. How can I thank You Jesus for taking the punishment that I deserve?
How can I thank you Father for loving me so much that You gave Your only begotten Son to die and give eternal life to not only me but to whomever believes in Him? This beautiful imperishable gift of eternal life to whoever believes.
God, You did not send Your Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. We who believe in Jesus are not judged. Those who do not believe have been judged already, because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
God walk with me in my salvation that I will be a light to those who are in darkness. Open my mouth to share what Jesus did for me and the joy of knowing I am walking free without judgement because I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus my Savior, my Lord, my God. Amen.
John 19:11 NASB/John 3:16-18 NASB
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Gethsemane
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 8:31 NASB
Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
Matthew 26:36-38 NASB
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
John 12:27 NASB
🌹Jesus. Perfect example. When troubled and deeply grieved You went to Your Father. You did not go seeking Your own way or asking to be taken out of what was coming. You went to the Father to connect, be strengthened, not forsaken. You confirmed Your calling, the purpose of Your life on earth with the Father. Before facing rejection and suffering You went to the Father. Jesus, may I be found kneeling at Your feet seeking Your strength when faced with suffering and persecution for Your name sake. Thank You for being my perfect example of what to do when facing trials, hard times, persecution, etc. In Jesus name and for Your glory. Amen.
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Silent
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
Isaiah 53:7 NASB
Don’t you find it amazing how Jesus was verbally slandered, ridiculed, beaten, harrassed and yet . . . did not open His mouth? He is God!! And He said nothing.
Equally amazing is that all four gospels mention Jesus’ quietness.
But Jesus kept silent.
Matthew 26:63 NASB
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Matthew 27:12 NASB
But He kept silent and did not answer.
Mark 14:61 NASB
But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.
Mark 15:5 NASB
And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.
Luke 23:9 NASB
and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:9 NASB
With these four eyewitnesses to the silence of Jesus, there must be a lesson here. Could it be that Jesus was content in knowing He was doing the Father’s will and that at anytime He could stop the process? Could He be showing His believers how to trust that He with the Father are in control? Could it be that Jesus was secure to trust the Father’s plan so He didn’t have anything to prove?
Jesus never tried to prove He was God. He never tried to bargain His way out of the situation. He simply trusted.
🌹God, I humbly bow before Your throne, asking that when faced with persecution, as it says in Your word, *”Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”, that I would desire to bring glory to You instead of trying to save myself. I trust You with every day of my life. Here I am, totally surrendered, simply trusting. In Jesus name, amen.
*2 Timothy 3:12 NASB
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Iniquity Encounter
All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on (encounter Him) Him.
Isaiah 53:6 NASB
The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven.
Numbers 15:28 NASB
Without a sacrifice of atonement, there is no forgiveness. Jesus was the sacrifice that made atonement for our sins. Once and for all. We have been redeemed.
When you come to the foot of the cross and encounter Him, Jesus, knowing He took your iniquity, all of it, upon Himself, that is when eternal salvation takes place. That encounter that turns us to God’s way, the surrender of our soul to follow Jesus as His disciples.
🌹Holy God. God of mercy. God of grace. I confess that I have forsaken the right way and gone astray in my heart and do not know Your ways. Do not be angry anymore, Lord. In my affliction I went astray, but now I seek to keep Your word. I pray God that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that You would keep my mind from being led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to You, the Christ. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ and for His glory, amen.
(2 Peter 2:15; Hebrews 3:10; Psalms 119:67;
2 Corinthians 11:3)
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Healed
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being (peace) fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 NASB
Jesus You Yourself bore my sins in Your body. You carried my sin up to the cross in Your body so that I might die to sin and live to righteousness, a righteousness not of my own doing, for wounds I was healed. Thank you Jesus for taking my deserved punishment and redeeming my soul, my life. As I ponder Your sacrifice for me, may I present my body a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to You my God, a soothing aroma. For Your glory and in Your name I pray. Amen
(1 Peter 2:24/Romans 12:1 NASB)
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Despised & Forsaken
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.
Luke 18:31 NASB
Isaiah, the prophet:
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah 53:3 NASB
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
John 1:10-11 NASB
2000+ years ago Jesus came as the prophets had written. He was despised. He was forsaken. His own people turned their backs on Him.
🌹Those who were His own did not receive Him. This Easter Season what will your response be to the Messiah? He came to His own – YOU. Will you receive Him?
Do you know Jesus? You can. . .
Lord Jesus I want to know You and receive You as Savior, and walk with You as Lord of my life. Forgive me for the sorrow and grief I caused by my sin that placed You on the cross. I no longer want to hide my face from You. In Jesus name and for Your glory, amen.
Continually Seeking Him,
Sharon
Continually Seeking Him 