Wednesday, April 8, 2009
John 12:27- 36
http://www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-'God, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Humankind must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Humankind?" Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.
To be able to accept what seemed an impossible situation, your own crucifixion approaching, with such clarity and grace; Jesus' faith was truly extraordinary. He could see beyond his own painful circumstance, to a purpose that was far bigger than he was; he trusted that God knew exactly what God was doing. God can use any circumstance to bring people to God's love. God transformed a form of Roman torture that ended in agony as the crucified one suffocates while hanging, into a victory for all people; even death is conquered. Defeat becomes victory.
Being children of the light is a call to see our challenges as opportunities for God to do great things through us. God can use us if we open ourselves to be bearers of light and love. If we can honestly say that we are able to give thanks in all circumstances, then we are blessed beyond measure. We are able to be a witness to the triumphant truth of God's love in our lives. When the trials come, and they surely will, we need only look to Jesus to see that even the worse outcome we can imagine only lasts awhile. God can move to transform only those who willingly will risk it all. rsy
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