Remembering God’s Passion
Week Starting Sunday, March 27, 2005
This Week’s Scripture Reading
Romans 5:10-11
6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. 10For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. 11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.
Ephesians 2:11-13
11Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders by birth. You were called “the uncircumcised ones” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from God’s people, Israel, and you did not know the promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 3:18
18Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Prayers for the Week:
Sunday |
Heavenly Father, On this Easter Day, I praise You for your great power that raised Jesus from the dead, and offers me resurrection power today and forever, in Jesus’ name. Amen |
Monday |
Heavenly Father, Easter is over, but I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may continue to live in the reconciling love and power of Jesus, today and always. Amen. |
Tuesday |
Heavenly Father, as I live this day, empower me to truly live, to use all that is within me to share Your life-giving hope to everyone around me. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Wednesday |
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Jesus! Thank You for his great salvation! Thank You for His willingness to become sin for me, that I may have life forever. In His name I pray. Amen. |
Thursday |
Heavenly Father, I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now, and glorify Yourself in my life today. Use me as an ambassador of reconciliation today and always. Amen. |
Friday |
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your written word, which confirms in my heart all that You are and have done to bring about my salvation. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Saturday |
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your goodness and love, demonstrated most clearly in Jesus. Thank You for His life, death and resurrection, which proves that He is Your Son and the Lord and Savior of all. In His most precious name. Amen. |
Background on the Text
Each of this week’s Scripture readings makes it clear that Jesus died for one purpose—to reconcile us to God! Reconciliation is bringing two people or groups of people—in this case God and humanity—back into relationship after the relationship has been broken. God established a love relationship between Himself and humanity. Through our sin, we broke the relationship and established a pattern of death and destruction that has persisted down through the ages. God’s love for us is so great, though, that He decided to reconcile with us, and ultimately that reconciliation cost Jesus His perfect, innocent life. As you read each of the Scriptures and study different aspects of the texts each day, note the common themes of God’s love, of Jesus’ sacrifice, of Jesus’ overcoming sin so that we could be reconciled to God. Note also in the final Scripture that after we are reconciled to God, He gives us the ministry of reconciliation—so that we can show others how to have their relationships restored with God as well. As always our blessings are to bless others.
Monday
Observation: What does the text say?
Tuesday
Interpretation: What do these verses mean?
Wednesday
Application: How can I respond to the text’s insights and teachings?
Thursday
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Encouraged and strengthened me by:
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Fallen short areas
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What will I do with these insights?
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Friday
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
What did God say to me this week?
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Share insights and growth points
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Changed/transformed how?
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Saturday
Reflective Thoughts