Mon.’s Devo - Jesus, Our Saviour

Read: Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8 The instructions that God had given Moses on the mountain were given out and everyone that desired to give, gave. The women used their skills to make thread and weave the fabric for the curtains and the men constructed the framework for the Tabernacle. Bezelel and Oholiab led the skilled craftsmen with building the furniture and all the carved objects. Everything was made just as God had commanded Moses. It was all to be a replica of the Temple in heaven on a much smaller scale. In Matthew, Jesus was being led to Calvary carrying his cross. When it got too hard for him to carry, they grabbed a man named Simon who was from Cyrene to carry it the rest of the way. Jesus was led to Golgotha which means “place of a skull”. He was given bitter gall and vinegar to taste but he refused to drink it. They crucified him, then cast lots for his clothes. A sign was placed over his head which read, “This is Jesus the king of the Jews.” Two thieves were crucified on either side of him. He was ridiculed by those who passed by and by those who stayed to watch. At the sixth hour (noon), darkness covered the land for three hours. At the ninth hour (3 o’clock), he cried out quoting from Psalm 22. In that Psalm it describes all he was going through. Verse 16-18 describes his pierced hands and feet, and his garments that they cast lots for. Psalm 18 describes what happened during and after the three hours of darkness. It describes the earth quaking and the smoke and fire. It says that God bowed the heavens and came down in the cloak of darkness and the war that took place in the heavenlies. God won the battle and delivered his son. He rewarded him for his righteousness and enabled him to rise and fight.God made him the head of the heathen which would serve him. Jesus shouted out, “It is finished,” and released his spirit. The curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth shook, rocks split apart and tombs were opened. The bodies of many godly people in Jerusalem came back to life. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection and walked the streets of Jerusalem and appeared to many of the people. The Roman officer and his soldiers around the cross saw all of this and were terrified. They said, that truly Jesus was the Son of God. One of Jesus’ followers was a rich man named Joseph from Arimathea. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. He took it and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own tomb which had been carved out of a rock. The priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and asked him to seal it to keep the prophecies of his resurrection from happening. All of this was observed by the Mary’s of Jesus’ life. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they emptied the tomb of Joseph and took his bones to the Promised Land. This was a picture of Jesus who would empty Joseph’s tomb and go to his Promised Land. Lord, thank you that you fulfill all your promises and you are completely faithful to your Word. We can trust in everything you say. Thank you for the cross - our salvation and our hope. Thank you for the resurrection - the promise of a new life in you.