The scripture for today, September 30 (9/30), is Luke 9:30f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”
Hebrews 5:7 says something very startling to most people. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.”
Jesus did not look forward to going to the cross, even though many thousands of others had died that way. Why was it different for him? Because he had to take on all our sins as though he had committed them himself ~ every lie we ever told, every gain from cheating, every insult, every slander campaign against another, every adultery, every murder ~ everything. He had to take the blame for ALL our sins! How could he bear it?
Not only that, but he had to experience both physical and spiritual death. Spiritual death means being separated from, being forsaken by God. What a terror to experience ~ even for a moment.
And so, a few weeks before his crucifixion, as he prayed on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appeared to him, and they spoke about his death. They surely gave courage to Jesus’ human side to do what had to be done to save you and me who deserve hell.
The crowning glory of this conversation with Moses and Elijah is that the Father himself ~ the Will of God ~ reassured him by announcing, “This is my son! Whom I have chosen! Listen to HIM!”
Jesus was to nail the Old Law of Moses to the cross (Colossians 2:14). He had promised people, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
On the cross, he said, “It is fulfilled.” Indeed, by the time Jesus returned to heaven, he had lived the Old Law introduced by Moses perfectly ~ something no man had ever been able to do. And by the time he returned to heaven, he had fulfilled every prophecy about his birth, life, and death, the first such full-time prophet being Elijah.
Oh, the things Jesus went through for us. We fall at his bloody, pierced feet and worship.
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SHADOW OF DEATH is biblical historical novel #7 in the THEY MET JESUS series. This book has a child’s version; the chapters on the crucifixion have been toned down, but do explain what children hear about but do not understand. In the adult version, each chapter ends with Life Application discussion questions. The adult version has Think & Do at the end of each chapter. Come along, now, and witness those days of dread, daring, and dominion. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: http://bit.ly/Death-Resurrection
Each day, Oh Lord, I am one step closer to you. One step, one hour, one heartbeat closer to my eternal home with you. Closer to the gate that swings wide for me. Closer to the golden street of purity and the crystal sea of divinity. Closer to that home you are preparing for me and to your great white throne. Closer to the Tree of Eternal Life, the River of Life. One step closer to seeing you face to face, to singing my praises to you, to worshiping at your feet. At last I will lay down the cross I have been bearing, and enter sweet rest with my Maker, my Protector, my God.