Acts 2:22-24(MSG) “Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him.
This passage causes a range of emotions in me. It saddens me, angers me, uplifts me and makes me hopeful.
It saddens me to read that, even though it is common knowledge that Jesus performs miracles and wonders and signs, we still nailed him to that cross. We looked him in the eyes and betrayed him anyway. “Men who took the law into their own hands”
It angers me that I am one of those who nail him to the cross. We all stand among those who have been overcome by evil and sinned against him that day. None of us is faultless in that. Every time I see “YOU” in scripture, it is a reminder of that! Peter said, “You pinned him to a cross and killed him” and “You” is us – all of us – you and I!
Yet, I am uplifted that God overcame death, Jesus is victorious over the cross that we banished him to and He lives today! What’s more – He loves us! We put him through an unspeakable, horrific death and yet He still loves us! We aren’t worthy of the grace he bestows on us and still he gives us grace freely!
It makes me hopeful that death was no match for God. Because we stand at the right hand of Jesus and God intercedes that way in our lives, too. No amount of evil can keep us down. God is too powerful for evil to handle. He has chosen to forgive us when we continue to sin against him and he will always love us and fight the battle against evil on our behalf.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace and mercy, your kindness and compassion, your understanding and love. Thank you for never giving up on me regardless of all the wrong I do. Guide me this day to do your will and show others who you are. I love you Father. Amen.
Toni