Daily Manna – January 27, 2016
Topic: From the beginning it was not so 72
Scripture: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)
Note: You wouldn’t think or imagine that the die-hard disciples of Jesus, who had been with him for more than three years through thick and thin, would ever abandon Christ during a crisis time like the tragedy of his arrest and scourging. On the night of his arrest, everyone abandoned Christ including Peter, who had sworn heaven and hell to die with Jesus if need be. He even went ahead to deny knowledge of Christ on three occasions when faced with the reality of his Master having capitulated to approaching death.
Brought before Caiaphas and the religious rulers, Christ was blindfolded, mocked, derided, repeatedly spat on and struck in the face before being delivered to Pilate. Already battered and exhausted, he had to face the gruelling interrogation and cross examination from both Pilate and Herod; scourged and derided, before being sentenced to be crucified at Golgotha.
Jesus suffered gross punishment before his crucifixion and death on the cross for the sins of lost humanity. We can only show our gratitude to him by living for him as we resonate in praise with the hymnist who sang, “Praise to the holiest in the heights, and in the depths be praise. In all His works most wonderful, most sure in all His ways.”
Food for thought: It is shocking but not strange that all the disciples, including the loud mouthed Peter, would choose to chicken out at the most critical time in Jesus’ life. The truth is that we would all have towed similar paths: Wouldn’t we?
Declaration: Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53)
© Author: Rev Fred Aboe
