“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
Ephesians 1:3-4 NKJV
Welcome to April, the month where the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus is emphasised and celebrated all over the world. If you have ever wondered what the fuss is about this season, then the devotional articles this month are for you.
To begin, let’s go back to where it all started. In Genesis, we see the story of how the earth was formed, and how mankind was created. We also see the story of Adam’s sin, and how it birthed the fall of mankind and the entrance of sin into the world. Someone might think that God was caught unawares by this turn of events, and perhaps even imagine Him running around, looking for a plan B. However, that’s not what we see in the Scripture.
In our anchor text, we are made to understand that before the world was formed, God preordained that we all would be made righteous and without blame, justified through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. What this simply means is that long before Adam sinned and caused a separation between us and God, God had already provided a means through which we could be reconciled and reunited with Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Ephesians 2:13-16, Romans 3:24-25).
All that Jesus came to do was also prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah, about 700 years before the incarnation of Jesus (Isaiah 53). Furthermore, throughout the Old Testament, we see prophecies in types and shadows of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This further proves that God’s plan for salvation through Christ was not an afterthought!
This season, we don’t only celebrate the intentionality of God in His redemption plan, but also what it all means for us. Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice to restore imperfect people unto God. It was for our sake that He endured the sufferings of the cross! (Colossians 1:19-22, Romans 5:6-8)
Being dead in our trespasses, we could do nothing to save ourselves, so Jesus took all our sin, guilt, and shame upon Himself and nailed them to Calvary. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we all have been restored and made righteous before God. We now have access to fellowship, and sin no longer stands between us and God! (Ephesians 2:14, Ephesians 2:18)
By believing in the finished works of Christ, we receive eternal life, rest, and pardon. Through His Spirit, God has made us His permanent dwelling place. This same Spirit empowers us here on earth, and is our seal of salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14)
Dear believer, this is why we celebrate! That Jesus died for you is something to shout about!
Bible Reading Plan: Numbers 32-34