Thread by @glprater

#GeraldsDevotional
Victory in Jesus - Always Assured

It is still not too late in our lifetime to turn around from our evil ways and to recognize who the LORD is and what He has done for us. He came here to save us from ourselves as He establishes His Holy Kingdom of righteousness right here on earth just as it is in heaven.

And even though there are still today many who mock Him and all that He is doing, it doesn't really matter. You see, the LORD never loses (even when it appears that all is lost). Take comfort today.

Jesus’ Final Earthly Moments
In today’s devotional we will take a look at the

final interactions that Jesus had with people during His earthly ministry as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. When this scene took place, Jesus had spent the previous 3 years being very busy about His Father’s business, encouraging everyone with the good news of what He had come

to do for them. He had also admonished everyone of the dangers of the way that they perceived things around them and responded based on their own feelings.

In this final moment with these last interactions, we see Jesus surrounded closely by people who continue to mock and

mistreat Him. The soldiers, filled with unfounded anger and animosity, continued to insult, taunt and belittle Him. They did not understand that He was doing and enduring all of this out of love for them.

Faced with this type of emotional burden (not to mention the physical pain

at that moment), it would be very easy for any of us to become discouraged and to feel that this divine mission had all been done in vain. Even one of the men hanging on a cross beside Him (who was also in pain) looked at Him with eyes of anger and spoke mocking words.

But the Lord was not yet done with His earthly ministry. Another man who also hung with Him looked with opened eyes and saw something that the others failed to see. He saw what the Lord was doing and he understood Who it was that was there with him on that hill. In that final

moment of a broken life, this man did what he had been created to do. He surrendered and worshiped God. As a result, the Lord assured him that his pain and suffering was over (that cross no longer bound him). Today we don’t even know his name, but we know what he did and what he

did not have time to do. Most importantly, we know where he is.

Now let’s see how the bible describes that scene in Luke chapter 23:

36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him,

saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” - Luke 23:36-43
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