On the church calendar, today is Good Friday and our eyes turn to the Cross.  The Crucifixion is the clearest display of God’s love toward us.  God couldn’t just let hell win and claim the souls of men without offering mankind a way out … but He had to do it while still maintaining both His justice and His holiness.

God does not love us because of the blood of Christ.  He has loved us from eternity past. Rather, the blood of Christ is God’s love to us and every reason for us to love Him in return.  He sacrificed everything to save our souls and give us a home with Him in heaven.

Jesus said, “It is finished.”
With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
(John 19:30) 

It’s a new covenant in His blood. So why is the blood so rarely pictured?

Exercise:  On social media, they often blur out items of sensitive viewing, death, blood, violence, etc.  The movie “Passion of the Christ” attempted to depict, to some degree, the gruesome violence of the Crucifixion.  Ponder why you think most artistic renditions of the Crucifixion involve only a little blood when that was the imperative payment for sin.

Jesus is one day closer to His Crucifixion and takes time for an act of service and the giving of a new command to love each other as He has loved us.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

This is also what the Crucifixion means:  as God’s Image-bearers we most visibly bear the Image of God when we love and serve each other.

Exercise: Read “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) Ponder ways in which this old command is raised by Jesus to a new level.

In the Passion Week timeline, Jesus is within hours of dying on a Cross for the sins of humanity.  Why did He go through with it? 

The only answer is that there was no other way. 

.

In His humanity, Jesus prayed to His Father about whether there were other possibilities.  “Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him.” (Mark 14:35) His humanity prayed to the Father—about whom Scripture says all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)—that the Father might take the cup from Him. 

All things are possible with God, right?  It’s in Scripture, right???

Understand this profundity:  In this singular case, was there any other way? 
There was not. 

Possible in theory but not possible for God in Christ to deny Himself or turn His back on His Image.  Once Incarnated, God had no choice.  The only way was to finish the task of infinite sacrifice.

He is an infinite God and sins against Him are infinitely destructive.  His Image in us is what makes all sins ultimately against Him.  The only way to correct that would be with an unlimited, eternal and infinite sacrifice to pay for the infinite sin against an infinite being.

Exercise:  Joseph understood this. Do we? When confronted by the relentless advances of Potiphar’s wife, he finally said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)

On a surface level, the wicked thing would have been against himself and her, but it’s more than just that.  Because they both bear the Image of God, any sin against each other is actually sin against God Himself.

What about the way we speak?  James 3:9 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

In our treatment of others, let’s understand this as well. Any sin against each other is in the end, a sin against God.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

The events of “Passion Week” always strike me as amazing.  The fickleness of crowds, the political realities, the pressures of the public, the elites with their grip upon the lives of people who still hold them to be leaders, and then here’s Jesus.  Countercultural.  Resolute.  Knowing the Truth.  Marching into Jerusalem knowing the Cross is ahead of Him. 

.

How fast the events transpire! 
On Sunday, they were welcoming Him as King. 
By Friday, they want Him dead.

Yet, He presses on.  The way of true life is the way of self-sacrificing love. 

Exercise: The journey any of us will make to the way of life is through the Cross.  Jesus calls to us, Deny yourself and follow Me in God’s love. 

Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.  24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24)

Pray about what self-sacrificing love looks like in your life.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

We see it so often on placards at the end zones of football games and on street corners with urban preachers:  John 3:16.  It’s become like a slogan, almost losing its impact from such common use.

The Word of God is not a slogan and John 3:16 is not at all trite. It’s not simplistic or shallow. It’s essential.  It explains what Jesus’ Crucifixion on Good Friday means for those who believe…and importantly also for those who do not.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Exercise: Examine how the verses following John 3:16 show the two outcomes of the Great White Throne Judgment.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

The final week of our Lent Devotional Series “Seeing His Love with New Eyes” resumes tomorrow after today’s Palm Sunday Sabbath rest to meditate and worship. Today, reflect on the majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is eternally Love and He is forever King of our hearts.

Yesterday, we said that this Judgment at the Great White Throne is a tale of two books and two outcomes.  The redeemed will look upon Jesus who is seated for judgment upon mankind and they will be filled with inexpressible joy, infinite love, and gratitude for His mercy and grace at their being included in the Book of Life.

There is another outcome here though.  This is the wide road for those who don’t choose the narrow road of salvation.  The sad part is that it will have been their choice.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The devastating side of the story is that the unrepentant will want to run and hide.  Their outcome is not happy and filled with the love of Christ precisely because it’s His love they rejected over and over.  The Book of Life is there, but their names are not in it.

Jesus Christ’s infinite love, mercy, and righteousness made visible provides the deepest destruction of any self-justification they crafted for themselves.  Now they see His infinite love and they panic. They panic because they are not covered by forgiveness, mercy, and grace, but with fig leaves of their own making that they’d been told would never be enough.  Therefore, only condemnation is left.  They are left as not belonging to life, even though at any time during their lives, they could have accepted Him and been accepted by Him. 

Exercise: Ponder this reality: Love is displayed in both outcomes and both books.  God judges justly.  Ask yourself, “If unrepentant evil is not destroyed by the only One who can legitimately destroy it, is His love any good?  If He lets unmitigated, utter, and total evil get the same outcome of righteousness He had to die to give the repentant, is He still purity in Love, and is He still good?” Evil cannot exist in heaven.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Recorded in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John had a vision of the Final Judgment, what is sometimes called the Great White Throne Judgment. It can be divided by two books: The book of deeds and the Book of Life.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

It’s a tale of two outcomes, and the good news is the Book of Life records all those who have been forgiven by the blood of Christ, having asked for His forgiveness, mercy, and grace.  When the book of deeds is opened and contrasted with the Book of Life, the redeemed all have “Paid in Full” stamped over the record of their deeds by being in the Book of Life.

Because their sins were paid by Jesus, they will look upon Him who is seated on the Great White Throne of purity in Judgment (Jesus) and see infinite love and mercy and grace.  Their hearts will be filled beyond overflowing with full knowledge of what their redemption meant in infinite, eternal love.

Exercise:  Think about all the acts of your life as recorded in the book of deeds.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

It’s easy to see the Image of God that He placed in us is of tremendous worth by this undeniable fact: God sacrificed all to save it.  He did that in Jesus Christ and His shed blood.  But that wasn’t the first sacrifice, in a sense; it simply confirmed it.  The first sacrifice was God’s humility and love to instill mankind with such dignity as to place His Image upon us and within us from the moment of our creation.

God didn’t do that with any other member of the Animal Kingdom. 
Only mankind. 

But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that You are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; You crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet. (Hebrews 2:6-8)

Exercise:  Read the following Scripture and reflect on the humility of God and the sacrifice He made in making mankind in His Image.  Consider how this gives Him the right to judge us and the sacrifice He made to judge us with love and justice.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in His own image, in the Image of God He created them; male and female He created them.  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”…

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.  (Genesis 1:26-28, 31)

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

God is with us in both suffering and joy. He feels our circumstances deeply.

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’

 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’

 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.'”

Reading that passage from the perspective of Jesus, whatever we did for others, we did for Him.  Reading that passage from the perspective of the person who is hurting, we can see that Jesus feels it when we’re the ones who are hurting.  When we’re in pain, He feels it because He is Love, and we bear His Image.  He grieves with us, suffers with us, and rejoices with us when others minister to us in our pain.

Exercise:  Is there anyone in your circle of acquaintances that could use a friend right now? Looking at your life and circumstances, what types of things make it difficult in modern culture to “do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine?”  Do financial donations to organizations minister to others as a stand-in when circumstances are too remote for our personal involvement? What about danger? To what extent is the admonition to be “shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) applicable here? Helping others is not a one-size-fits-all program but we each do what we can for the sake of Christ.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2024 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
• Last year’s devotionals “Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.