If You Are

October 5

(Luke 23:35-38 NIV) ““The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." {36} The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar {37} and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." {38} There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.””

(Matthew 4:3-7 NIV) ““The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." {4} Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" {5} Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. {6} "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" {7} Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.””

(Hebrews 12:2 NIV) “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Everyone has their own perspective. The disciples saw the cross as a defeat. The writer of Hebrews saw the cross as a gateway to eternal joy and to the very throne of God. Satan saw the cross as one last opportunity for temptation, hoping Christ would abandon His mission of mercy. The sneering, mocking people were Satan’s tools. They taunted Jesus: “Show off your power. If you are God, prove it by coming down from the cross.” Satan had used the same line at the beginning of Christ’s ministry -- “if you are”. It was the same temptation: grab earthly power, instead of seeking God’s glory. But Jesus did not waiver. An eternal God does not think in terms of “if”. The great “I Am” does not deal in possibilities. Christ did not come to batter His enemies into submission, but to die for their sins. The cross was not a mistake or a defeat -- it was Christ’s original mission. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day