Good Friday, April 15 (HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONALS: Pictures from the Battlefield)

Good Friday, April 15

Photo by Jorge Salvador on Unsplash

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" Matthew 25:31-34

In a war, the outcome is vital. Sometimes there is a negotiated peace where hostilities cease, but both parties retain sovereignty in some form. Most times there is a clear victor and one side become subservient to the other. The battle we are exploring is totally different.

God created a perfect world. Adam and Eve were deceived, and sin entered into the world. Dominion of the world, delegated to Adam and Eve, was given away to Satan by their disobedience to God. Now God must be just in how He deals with this situation. The battle is spiritual, not physical. The power of sin must be broken. So, God determines to sacrifice His own Son to meet the requirements of His own righteousness and holiness.

He broke the power of sin and death and reclaimed what was stolen. The decision we have is whether we will join with Him in His new creation and have Him restore what was lost in us or willfully reject His sovereignty. If we choose to reject Him, we join with the defeated foe, Satan, in eternal separation from God.

But let’s be clear. He is the Victor! And He will separate the sheep from the goats. Will you run to Him as Lord and enjoy His Kingdom or be placed with the goats? You have a choice. Choose wisely.

Prayer Prompts:

Lord, thank You for obtaining the victory for us through Jesus. Thank You for showing Yourself as my shepherd by __________.

Lord, I pray for __________ who is still living apart from You. Please help me to lift You up before them so they may turn to You.