The Journey Of Sacrifice
Friday, May 10
John 19:25-27 (NIV)
“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”
Devotion
The day had finally come where Mary the mother of Jesus, was witnessing the worst circumstance a mother can ever live, witnessing the death of her beloved son, Mary had been preparing for years knowing that the baby that she once held close to her chest as a helpless babe was now a full-grown man with a divine appointment with destiny.
Can you imagine the thoughts going through Mary’s mind seeing her loving son experiencing the excruciating and agonizing pain of torture and proximity of death.
Could Mary be recalling her divine calling to bring forth the Messiah prophesied by Angels, in Luke 1:30-33 “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Living with the heavy burden of knowing a time like this will surely come, when her miracle child would willingly give his life for the good of mankind. Seeing the sweat of blood falling at her feet, seeing the pain and fear in her son's eyes, but also seeing the determination of completing his earthly mission.
How proud and terrified was Mary knowing that her son was about to breathe his last breath of life for the fulfillment of his destiny. Suddenly her beloved son Jesus called to her and said, “woman here is your son,” and to his faithful disciple, “here is your mother.” In this scenario we do not find Mary wringing her hands, or tearing her hair, or rending her clothes, or making an outcry; but, with a wonderful composure, Mary stood by the cross, standing by her son to the very end and here is Jesus making sure that before he died his beloved mother was taken care of. Both selfless acts of obedience to the very end.
Surely, they were all strengthened by divine power to this degree of patience; and surely Mary had a fuller expectation of his resurrection than the rest had, which supported her thus far. This analogy gives us a grand lesson. We really do not know what we can bear until we are tried, or what we are willing to offer and sacrifice for the love of God and obedience to His loving word.
Jesus the Messiah was a man with a mission, Mary his beloved mother had the loving task of protecting and loving her son, until the time of the fulfillment of the prophesied death of her beloved son, both willing to obey, both willing to sacrifice for the Greater Glory.
It is safe to say that God’s grace was more than sufficient for Jesus the son of the living God to bear the ultimate sacrifice, death on the Cross of Calvary. Mary, Jesus' beloved mother, was more than willing to bear losing her son for a Godly divine purpose.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You with humble hearts, knowing that nothing we can do can compare to Your loving sacrifice. You gave Your Son Jesus, and You gave him willingly without remorse, to make sure that we received the grace of redemption which was a gift that Jesus was willing to give. May we ourselves be willing to sacrifice whatever You ask and do so willingly for Your Honor and Glory, and may our heart desires be for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we yearn for Your return dear Jesus knowing that it will be worth the wait. In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
How much are you willing to sacrifice to see the fulfillment of your life story? How much are you willing to give to partner with our loving Father to see the mission of redemption come to its completion? Pray for divine wisdom, strength and a tender heart to be a moldable servant of the Cross.
Resources:
- Jesus lived a life of purpose in every sense of the word. When you have a purpose for living, you move in alignment with God’s will. Watch this short clip, “Living With Purpose” and be encouraged.
- Join us for our Online Hang Out Night, to find out more about our Online Campus, and how you can get plugged in.