2022-04-16
1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT
In a ‘sting’ operation, law enforcement agents set the criminal up in order to bring them down. That’s like what happened to Satan at the cross. For three days it seemed as though Satan had won. Then Jesus rose from the dead and turned his plans upside down: ‘He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross’ (Colossians 2:15 NLT).
The thing Satan feared most, the birth of a church with the power to change the world through the gospel, had come true. ‘The rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord’ (1 Corinthians 2:8 NLT).
Christ’s enemies even tried to stop the truth of the resurrection from getting out: ‘They decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say’ (Matthew 28:12-15 NLT).
The resurrection is the ultimate proof that Jesus is Lord, and we can be sure of our salvation when we believe in the resurrection. ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved’ (Romans 10:9-10 NCV).
Lev 26-27; Luke 23:50-56; Ps 69:7-21; Pro 10:6-7
1 Korintiërs 15:55 NLV
Wetstoepassers gebruik lokvalle om slegte ouens om die bos te lei om hulle so tot ‘n val te bring. Dis wat God aan die kruis met Satan gedoen het. Vir drie dae het dit gelyk of Satan gewen het. Toe het Jesus uit die dood uit opgestaan en sy planne omver gegooi: ‘So het Hy die hemelse en aardse magte ontwapen. Hy het hulle in die openbaar bespotlik gemaak deur aan die kruis oor hulle te triomfeer’ (Kolossense 2:15 NLV).
Die ding wat Satan die meeste gevrees het; die geboorte van ‘n kerk met die krag om die wêreld deur die evangelie te verander, het gebeur. ‘Maar die heersers van hierdie wêreld het dit nie begryp nie. As hulle dit wel begryp het, sou hulle nooit ons Here aan wie die heerlikheid behoort, gekruisig het nie’ (1 Korintiërs 2:8 NLV).
Christus se vyande het selfs probeer keer dat die waarheid oor die opstanding bekend word: ‘Hulle het vir die soldate ‘n groot som geld aangebied en vir hulle gesê: ‘Julle moet vir die mense vertel: ‘Sy dissipels het mooi in die nag gekom terwyl ons aan die slaap was, en sy liggaam gesteel’…’ Die wagte het toe die geld gevat en gedoen soos aan hulle voorgesê is…’ (Matteus 28:13-15 NLV).
Hoekom haat sommige mense vir Jesus? Omdat die opstanding die fundamentele bewys is dat Hy die Here is! Jy kan immers nie gered word as jy nie in die opstanding glo nie: ‘Want as jy met jou mond bely dat Jesus die Here is en met jou hart glo dat God Hom uit die dood opgewek het, sal jy gered word. Want as ons glo met ons hart, word ons vrygespreek en as ons met ons mond bely, word ons gered’ (Romeine 10:9-10 NLV).
Sielskos: Lev 26-27; Luk 23:50-56; Ps 69:7-21; Spr 10:6-7
1 Corinthians 15:55 NKJV
In a “sting” operation, law enforcement agents set the bad guy up in order to bring him down. That’s what God did to Satan at the cross. For three days it seemed as though Satan had won. Then Jesus rose from the dead and turned his plans upside down: “He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them at the cross” (Colossians 2:15 NLT).
The thing Satan feared most, the birth of a church with the power to change the world through the gospel, had come to pass. “The rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord” (1 Corinthians 2:8 NLT).
Christ’s enemies even tried to stop the truth of the resurrection from getting out: “They decided to give the soldiers a large bribe… ‘You must say, “Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body'”… So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say” (Matthew 28:12-15 NLT). Normally hatred for a person ends when they die.
So why then do some people hate Jesus? Because the resurrection is the ultimate proof that He is Lord! Indeed, you cannot be saved unless you believe in the resurrection: “For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10 NKJV).
Soul food: Lev 26-27; Luke 23:50-56; Ps 69:7-21; Pro 10:6-7
2022-04-15
Matthew 27:29 CEV
The hymnist Isaac Watts wrote, “See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’re such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?” Jesus wore a crown of thorns so you could wear a crown of glory. Thorns in Scripture represent sin.
In Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed, God said, “The ground will be under a curse… [… it] will produce thorns” (Genesis 3:17-18 CEV). Later He told Israel that unless they purged the land of their enemies, “they will be like… thorns in your sides” (Numbers 33:55 NCV). Solomon cautioned: “Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road” (Proverbs 22:5 NLT). And Jesus warned, “You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes” (Matthew 7:16 TLB).
A well-known author writes: “The crown of thorns Jesus wore represented all our sins. As we were caught in the brambles of envy, anger, shame, discouragement, guilt, bitterness, and unforgiveness, so Jesus, who knew no sin, became ‘an atoning sacrifice for our sins'” (1 John 4:10 NIV). Not once did Christ use His supernatural powers for personal comfort. With just a word He could have transformed the hard earth into a soft bed… hurled the spit of His accusers back into their faces… and paralyzed the hand of the soldier who braided the thorns. But He didn’t. Instead, ‘He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to Christ’s cross'” (Colossians 2:14 NLT). And He did it with you in mind. Amazing!
Soul food: Gen 22:1-18; Luke 23:26-49; Ps 22; Isa 53
Matteus 27:29 NLV
Die gesangeskrywer Isaac Watts het geskryf: ‘See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’re such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?’ Jesus het ‘n doringkroon gedra sodat jy ‘n kroon van heerlikheid kan dra. In die Skrif, verteenwoordig dorings sonde. Toe Adam en Eva ongehoorsaam was, het God gesê: ‘…Daarom vervloek Ek die grond… Dit sal vir jou dorings… oplewer…’ (Genesis 3:17-18 NLV). Later het Hy vir Israel gesê dat tensy hulle hulle vyande uitroei, sal hulle soos ‘…dorings in julle sye wees…’ (Numeri 33:55 NLV). Salomo het gewaarsku: ‘Op ‘n oneerlike mens se pad is daar dorings en lokvalle…’ (Spreuke 22:5 NLV). Jesus het ook gewaarsku: ‘Julle sal hulle aan hulle optrede uitken, net soos ‘n mens ‘n boom aan sy vrugte kan uitken. ‘n Mens pluk tog nie druiwetrosse van doringbosse af… nie’ (Matteus 7:16 NLV).
‘n Bekende outeur skryf: ‘Die doringkroon wat Jesus gedra het, verteenwoordig al ons sondes. Soos ons in die dorings van afguns, woede, skande, ontmoediging, skuld, bitterheid en onvergifnis vasgevang is, so het Jesus, wat nie sonde geken het nie, ‘n versoeningsoffer geword om ons sondes weg te neem (sien 1 Johannes 4:10). Nie een keer het Christus sy bonatuurlike magte vir persoonlike gemak gebruik nie. Met net ‘n woord kon Hy die harde aarde in ‘n sagte bed getransformeer het, die spoeg van sy aanklaers in hulle gesigte teruggegooi het en die hand van die soldaat wat die doringkroon gevleg het, verlam het. Hy het egter nie. In plaas daarvan, het Hy: ‘…die dokument met voorskrifte wat as klagstaat teen ons gedien het, uitgevee en dit van ons af weggevat deur dit aan die kruis vas te spyker’ (Kolossense 2:14 NLV).’ En Hy het dit met jou in gedagte gedoen. Ongelooflik!
Sielskos: Gen 22:1-18; Luk 23:26-49; Ps 22; Jes 53
