Embracing the Cross: Trusting God's Divine Plan

Devotional

Day 1: The Cross as Divine Necessity

The journey of Jesus to the cross was not a mere tragic event but a divine necessity, predetermined by God as the essential plan for humanity's redemption. This plan was set in motion before the foundation of the world, highlighting the profound depth of God's love and His unwavering commitment to saving humanity. The cross, therefore, is not just a symbol of suffering but a testament to the lengths God would go to redeem His creation. Understanding this divine necessity helps us to see the cross not as a defeat but as a victory, a crucial part of the divine plan that brings hope and salvation to all who believe. [43:02]

Isaiah 53:10-11 (ESV): "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities."

Reflection: How does understanding the cross as a divine necessity change your perspective on suffering and redemption in your own life?

Day 2: Trusting Beyond Immediate Pain

Processing hard truths can be challenging, especially when we are fixated on immediate pain and suffering. Just as the disciples struggled to comprehend Jesus' prediction of His suffering and resurrection, we too can miss the greater promise of hope when we focus solely on our current struggles. This teaches us to trust in God's greater plan, which often extends beyond our understanding. By shifting our focus from the immediate to the eternal, we can find peace in knowing that God's plan is always at work, even when it seems hidden from our view. [49:07]

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: What immediate pain or challenge are you facing today that you need to trust God with, believing in His greater plan?

Day 3: Aligning Expectations with God's Will

Peter's reaction to Jesus' prediction of His suffering highlights the danger of letting our expectations cloud our understanding of God's plan. In his love for Jesus, Peter could not bear the thought of His suffering, yet he failed to see the necessity of the cross for the ultimate victory of resurrection and redemption. This serves as a reminder to us that we must be careful not to impose our desires on God's will. Instead, we are called to submit to His divine purpose, trusting that His plans are higher and better than our own. [52:35]

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you struggling to align your expectations with God's will, and how can you begin to submit to His divine purpose today?

Day 4: Embracing God's Process

We often desire the promises of God without embracing His process. True spiritual maturity comes through trials, and we must resist the urge to deny difficult conversations or situations. Trusting that God's plan is at work even in unexpected moments allows us to grow and mature in our faith. Embracing God's process means acknowledging that growth often comes through trials and that beauty can emerge from ashes. By doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative work of God in our lives. [54:11]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: What trial or difficult situation are you currently facing that you need to embrace as part of God's process for your growth?

Day 5: The Heart of the Gospel

The essence of the gospel is found in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through His suffering, He brings salvation; through His death, He defeats sin; and through His resurrection, He conquers death, offering us eternal hope. This central message of the gospel is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of Jesus' sacrifice and victory. As believers, we are called to live in the light of this truth, allowing it to shape our lives and guide our actions as we share this hope with others. [01:00:55]

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV): "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."

Reflection: How can you live out the heart of the gospel in your daily life, and who can you share this message of hope with today?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound and often challenging truths of Jesus' mission, focusing on His prediction of suffering, death, and resurrection. This pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry marks a transition from teaching and healing to revealing the divine plan for redemption. Jesus' journey to the cross was not a tragic accident but a divine necessity, predetermined by God. This plan was set in motion before the foundation of the world, emphasizing the depth of God's love and the lengths He would go to redeem humanity.

We reflected on how difficult it can be to process hard truths, drawing parallels to historical events that left us in shock and disbelief. Just as the disciples struggled to comprehend Jesus' words, we too can become fixated on the immediate pain and suffering, missing the greater promise of hope and redemption. Peter's reaction to Jesus' prediction highlights a common struggle in our walk with God: the tension between our expectations and God's plans. Peter, in his love for Jesus, could not bear the thought of His suffering, yet he failed to see the necessity of the cross for the ultimate victory of resurrection and redemption.

This message challenges us to align our thoughts with God's truth, even when it involves suffering and hardship. We are reminded that God's ways are higher than ours, and His plans will always be carried out. The essence of the gospel is found in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which brings salvation and defeats sin and death. As we navigate life's challenges, we are encouraged to trust in God's plan, knowing that growth often comes through trials and that beauty can emerge from ashes.

Key Takeaways

1. Divine Necessity of the Cross: Jesus' journey to the cross was a divine necessity, not a tragic accident. It was predetermined by God as the essential plan for humanity's redemption, emphasizing the depth of God's love and commitment to saving us. [43:02]
2. Processing Hard Truths: Just as the disciples struggled to comprehend Jesus' prediction of His suffering and resurrection, we too can become fixated on immediate pain, missing the greater promise of hope. This teaches us to trust in God's greater plan beyond our understanding. [49:07]
3. Misguided Expectations: Peter's reaction to Jesus' prediction highlights the danger of letting our expectations cloud our understanding of God's plan. We must be careful not to impose our desires on God's will, but instead, submit to His divine purpose. [52:35]
4. Embracing God's Process: We often want the promises of God without embracing His process. True spiritual maturity comes through trials, and we must resist the urge to deny difficult conversations, trusting that God's plan is at work even in unexpected moments. [54:11]
5. The Heart of the Gospel: The gospel is centered on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through His suffering, He brings salvation; through His death, He defeats sin; and through His resurrection, He conquers death, offering us eternal hope. [01:00:55]
** [60:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:23] - A Generation That Seeks God
[35:18] - Gratitude and Prayer Requests
[36:17] - Processing Hard Truths
[37:28] - Historical Shocks and Disbelief
[39:40] - The Mind's Focus on Dramatic News
[40:13] - Jesus' Prediction of Suffering
[41:29] - Transition in Jesus' Ministry
[43:02] - Divine Necessity of the Cross
[44:35] - Human Perspective vs. Divine Plan
[47:08] - Resurrection: Key to Redemption
[49:07] - Fixation on Suffering
[52:35] - Misguided Expectations
[54:11] - Embracing God's Process
[60:55] - The Heart of the Gospel

Sermon Clips

"Jesus predicts his suffering and his death it says from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and be raised the third day did you notice the phrase from that time you see this marks the a transition in Jesus's Ministry up to this point Jesus has been teaching and healing revealing himself as the Messiah but now he begins to explain his mission." [00:41:29]

"Jesus is going to highlight um he's not just giving his disciples a hint he's deliberately revealing God's plan he wanted his disciples to be fully in the know to be in the know of what lay ahead and and a parallel passage in Mark 8:31 we read and he began to teach them that the New Living Translation says from then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly plainly I might add in in some um manuscripts it even adds and from then on Jesus the Messiah began to tell his disciples plainly." [00:42:35]

"Jesus' journey to the Cross wasn't a tragic accident it was a Divine necessity a Divine necessity Dr John MacArthur wrote the must of which Jesus spoke of was not of human Devotion to a great idea but a Divine imperative an absolute necessity God had no backup or alternate plan this must came thundering out of Eternity it was the essential unalterable plan of God set in motion before the foundation of the world." [00:43:02]

"From a human perspective going to Jerusalem seemed foolish and dangerous it's like in the mind of the disciples they're thinking why would you want to go there especially if you knew that there was going to be suffering that you were going to be killed why would you go to the place where you were going to die right one guy said if I knew the time and the place where I was going to die I would avoid both." [00:44:35]

"Peter had this misguided Zeal it has been said that Peter had a mouth that was shaped like a foot I mean just last week we looked at the great confession of Peter who do Man say that I the son of man am and they gave a list of what contemporary Society thought but then he said but who do you say that I am and Peter said you are the Christ the son of the Living God and now he saying no way Lord this will never happen to you." [00:52:35]

"We need to be careful about our expectation when it comes to understanding scripture and understanding the plan of God and here's the danger all of us have expectations every one of us in this Auditorium have expectations about how God's plan should unfold Isaiah 558 and9 says for my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are my ways your ways my ways says the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." [00:54:11]

"This moment highlights a common struggle in our walk with God we often want to embrace the promises of God but we reject his process his process we want to Crown without the cross the glory without the sacrifice most of us are like the person that goes to a fitness trainer and says I want to be strong but I don't want to lift weights or or we go to a college and we say I want to graduate but I don't want to have to study." [00:54:11]

"Jesus's prediction of his suffering and his death and his resurrection wasn't just a heads up for the disciples it was a declaration of the heart of the Gospel you see the gospel as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 is the death the Buri and the resurrection of Jesus Christ that is the good news that is the gospel through his suffering he would bring Salvation through his death he would defeat sin praise God he would defeat sin sin no longer has its control in us and through his resurrection he would conquer death itself." [01:00:55]

"Through his suffering he would bring Salvation through his death he would defeat sin praise God he would defeat sin sin no longer has its control in us and through his resurrection he would conquer death itself we stood at the bedside of Debbie's sister Tuesday Morning Tuesday afternoon she expired at 2:18 p.m. I played for her a song called Psalm 23 when the song finished playing surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever she breathed her last breath." [01:01:55]

"When you and I look at a marble Stone and we see a sculpture with a chisel and a hammer and we see him just beating on this marble Stone we look at that and we say wow that looks destructive it even looks looks wasteful but in the mind of the sculpture he sees what you and I cannot see he's crafting something that looks plain into something that's actually going to become glorious and that's what Jesus does in our lives." [01:02:55]

"We may not understand God's plan but God's plans will always be carried out understand that God's plans will always be carried out always Jes Jesus willingly submitted to carrying out his father's plan are we there yet are we there the saying that there's no no pain no gain is true in the light of what Jesus told his disciples in our text without Jesus facing suffering and death there'd be no Resurrection there would be no Redemption." [01:03:55]

"Hard truths are often necessary Jesus told his disciples some hard truth I'm going to suffer and I'm going to be killed listen sometimes hardship may also have a purpose beyond what you and I can see the things we go through in life secondly processing takes time just as Peter needed time to understand Jesus mission we may need some time when difficult realities come into our life that's okay we're human we're like Peter and the disciples and thirdly God's plan is greater than our understanding." [01:04:55]

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