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Word4Today Daily Bible Devotional

by Bob and Debby Gass

The transforming truth about Calvary

‘Jesus … said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.’ John 19:30 NASB20 Calvary was victorious! The cross may look like the triumph of evil over goodness, the powerful over the powerless, but only to those who don’t understand Christ’s mission. Never was courage greater or strength stronger. When He [...]

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The transforming truth about Calvary

‘Jesus … said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.’ John 19:30 NASB20

Calvary was victorious! The cross may look like the triumph of evil over goodness, the powerful over the powerless, but only to those who don’t understand Christ’s mission. Never was courage greater or strength stronger. When He cried, ‘It is finished’, He didn’t mean, ‘I’m finished, My cause is defeated.’ Far from being crushed at Calvary, Jesus triumphed in three ways:

1) He conquered His own human desire to avoid unspeakable suffering: ‘He … bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine”’ (Matthew 26:39 NLT).

2) He conquered the demonic powers of darkness. ‘In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross’ (Colossians 2:15 NLT).

3) He conquered the law’s stubborn demands against sinners. ‘For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.’ (Romans 10:4 ESV).

At Calvary, love triumphed over law, forever freeing us who could never live up to God’s law. ‘It is finished’ was the cry of a victor instead of a victim! It didn’t look that way to the crowd or to His devastated disciples. But it did three days later when the empty tomb proved Jesus had won the victory over death. It all comes down to this: ‘… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Romans 10:9 ESV).

SoulFood: Gen 22:1-18 Matt 27:32-56 Ps 22 Isa 53

word4today an adaptation of The Word For Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

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