5th May 2025
Jesus wept
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
Have you ever been frustrated to the point of tears? I bet you already have a view of my week. I, like everyone else, have a breaking point. I know I am weak compared to the strength, majesty, and power of God. How is it that God holds on to us so hard, even though we must frustrate him?
We have been shown that God has emotions; maybe not like ours, but still Jesus wept over the death of a close friend and over the pain that he saw the sisters of Lazarus had at his passing (John 11:35). I am convinced that Jesus is saddened by our fallen ways that bring us so much pain and death. I am reminded of how he wept over the city of Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44. So, though God is God and all powerful, we must not think that he does not have feelings. One of the greatest feelings in my book is his unconditional love that moves him to sacrifice himself for our sake.
Though my frustration may lead me to tears and wanting to give up, Jesus took this to another level. My failures were taken on by Jesus with the result of my salvation. Jesus saw the pain and suffering we had placed on ourselves, and he did something about it, never giving up, always working with love and mercy in each of his steps. Though we were covered in sin, he forgave that sin and removed it; not just out of sight but gone forever. This process is a work of his never-ending mercy and grace. He did not just tell us to wash ourselves clean, he took on the task himself through the sacrifice and washing of his blood. Something that he was more than willing to do. It was a work of love.
As the women mentioned in Luke 7 washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair (Luke 7:36-38), so Jesus washes us clean with his blood and tears. Are you sad about the way things are going in your life, over the sin that overtakes you, about the way the world reels in its fallen ways? God is sad about it as well, and he is at work at making those changes; in the life of each one of us. We can’t change the world and the way people treat each other, but we can change our lives, with God’s help. If everyone did that, it would truly be a new world.
Prayer
Merciful God, we thank you for your eternal care for us, for laying down your life to wash us clean, for making those changes in our lives. Thank you Father, Jesus, Spirit, for loving us and being so dedicated to us. As Jesus wept over our fallen state, so may we also weep over the falleness of this world. Help us to make those changes in our lives that will draw us closer to you and be that example to the world that will draw the fallen to you as well that they too may be saved. We praise you loving God, in Jesus’s name, Amen.
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Study by: Anne Gillam About the author: |
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