#DailyDevotion The Cross Of Christ Makes Glad The Children Of Abraham
Isaiah 93The nation You didn’t make very happy You will multiply. Then they will be glad before You like those who celebrate the harvest or like those who delight in dividing the spoils. 4You will break the yoke that is a burden on them, the rod with which their backs are beaten, and the stick with which the tyrant drives them, as at the time of Midian.
Israel and Judah, one nation the LORD didn’t happy because of their rebellion against him, his rule and his way of life he had given them. Had they only delighted in the LORD and his commandments they would have been much happier. Instead, they hated the LORD and his ways. He put many to death and exile the lot of them never to be seen or heard from again with the exceptions of the Jews. The LORD promised to make multiply them. The LORD made descendents for Abraham by faith through the Gentiles. Like wild olive branches being grafted into a domestic olive tree (Rom. 9) the LORD has provided children for Abraham. Yes, through faith in Jesus the LORD has provided a heritage for Father Abraham. The Jews who believed the good news of Jesus Christ through his preaching and the teaching of his apostles rejoice before God in heaven and on earth below had been made glad and we rejoice with them when they fellow Jews in the flesh are grafted back in to Israel, to Jesus, God’s Israel. Celebrating bringing in the sheaves they have a great delight in the children the LORD has provided for Father Abraham.
Jesus of Nazareth, the LORD’s servant has broken the yoke that is a burden on them, the rod which have beaten their back and the stick of the tyrant that drives them. The Law which none of them has ever been able to keep, Jesus had kept in their place. Not only has he fulfilled all that the LORD had given them he has nailed it to the cross along with its accusations. We now live in the freedom of the Gospel and walk according to the Spirit.
The guilt, the accusations, the shame of not keeping the Law has been taken away and sent away by the blood of Jesus. Nailed to the cross, buried in the tomb, the power of sin through the Law of Moses cannot touch us, ALL OF IT. Jesus has become our sin offering. He is the Lamb of God who has made atonement for the sin of the world. That which the Law and our conscience has weighed down upon us it has been forgiven, sent away. It can no longer accuse us through faith in Jesus’ work on the cross.
The stick of that tyrant the devil has been broken. He used God’s Law against us. He tells us to obey God’s law to stir up the passions in our flesh and then he accuses us before when through the weakness of the flesh we break God’s law. Jesus victory over the devil has broken that stick. The devil, Satan, has been cast out of heaven and is not longer able to accuse us before God day and night. We now have an advocate with God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ. When we break God’s law or our conscience condemns us we only need look at the cross of Jesus and believe the Father no longer counts our trespasses against us. We need only remember the promise attached to our baptism that we are God’s children through Jesus. The voice of Jesus through his pastors who pronounce absolution in his name washes our conscience and makes them clean. The very body and blood of Jesus given us through his pastors’ hands assure us death has no hold of us.
Heavenly Father, you have sent your Son Jesus Christ to get children for Abraham by his death and resurrection. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may avail of the means of grace when our conscience, the world and the devil accuse us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.