April 24

 

 

 

Thank You Father for Your mercies and grace in the lives of Your children. Thank You for Your Word that are infallible. Blessed Redeemer, we praise, we honour You for the great and might works of healing, deliverance, supernatural provisions and divine protections in the lives of Your children. Let all glory and honour be unto You Alone Who is worthy of our praise.

You are Awesome, Mighty God. We are grateful unto You Alone, receive our thanks and praise in Jesus Name.

Beloved, hope you had an awesome time in His present yesterday? Someone is saying no, mine was early this morning. That’s good enough; timing not rigid. The interesting thing is that you are in His presence and do you know no one comes into His presences and remain the same? From the ages past, He is too good to lie. Remember, we studied about “Truth is a Person” and we concluded that Jesus is the “truth”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was numbered among sinners? Ever imagined why He will die between two thieves? Can you compare Jesus with the leaders of our time who refused to identify with the masses? Once in office; their statues change. They forget what it used to be hungry with no food at home or be sick with no money to buy drugs off the counter.

That is not the same with our Lord Jesus, He chooses to be identified with us in every areas of our lives. Isn’t that wonderful that we have an advocate Who seated at the right hand of God and pleads our cases daily before the  throne of  Almighty God (Ac 5:31; 7:55; Rom 8: 34; Heb 1: 3; 10:12; 12:3; 1Pet 3:22). Are not excited about it? Come and discover more therein:

 

“He was numbered with the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12

Why did Jesus suffer Himself to be enrolled amongst sinners? This wonderful condescension was justified by many powerful reasons. In such a character He could the better become their advocate. In some trials there is an identification of the counsellor with the client, nor can they be looked upon in the eye of the law as apart from one another.

Now, when the sinner is brought to the bar, Jesus appears there Himself. He stands to answer the accusation. He points to His side, His hands, His feet, and challenges Justice to bring anything against the sinners whom He represents; He pleads His blood, and pleads so triumphantly, being numbered with them and having a part with them, that the Judge proclaims, “Let them go their way; deliver them from going down into the pit, for He hath found a ransom.”

Our Lord Jesus was numbered with the transgressors in order that they might feel their hearts drawn towards Him. Who can be afraid of one who is written in the same list with us? Surely we may come boldly to Him, and confess our guilt. He who is numbered with us cannot condemn us. Was He not put down in the transgressor’s list that we might be written in the red roll of the saints? He was holy, and written among the holy; we were guilty, and numbered among the guilty; He transfers His name from yonder list to this black indictment, and our names are taken from the indictment and written in the roll of acceptance, for there is a complete transfer made between Jesus and His people.

All our estate of misery and sin Jesus has taken; and all that Jesus has comes to us. His righteousness, His blood, and everything that He hath He gives us as our dowry. Rejoice, believer, in your union to Him who was numbered among the transgressors; and prove that you are truly saved by being manifestly numbered with those who are new creatures in Him.

What a Royal – Exchange we have there. On Easter Monday, we told you that the death of Christ was an exchange. He took your place, which demon or principality will ever stand to accuse you? Beloved, do you really know your place in Christ Jesus? The Word of prophesy concerning this came before His birth and in order to fulfill it, He choose to be quite; He answered them not a word (Matt 26: 51-54; Jn 18: 11; 19:11).

 

“He answered him to never a word.” Matthew 27:14

He had never been slow of speech when He could bless the sons of men, but He would not say a single word for Himself. “Never man spake like this Man,” and never man was silent like Him. Was this singular silence the index of His perfect self-sacrifice? Did it show that He would not utter a word to stay the slaughter of His sacred person, which He had dedicated as an offering for us? Had He so entirely surrendered Himself that He would not interfere in His own behalf, even in the minutest degree, but be bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim?

Was this silence a type of the defenselessness of sin? Nothing can be said in palliation or excuse of human guilt; and, therefore, He who bore its whole weight stood speechless before His judge. Is not patient silence the best reply to a gainsaying world? Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence. The best apologists for Christianity in the early days were its martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing their blows.

Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a grand example of wisdom? Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it was the line of duty to afford no fuel for the flame of sin. The ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow and confute themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet, and finds silence to be its wisdom.

Evidently our Lord, by His silence, furnished a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. A long defence of Himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s prediction. “He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.”

By His quiet He conclusively proved Himself to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute Him this day. Be with us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart, let us hear the voice of Thy love.

Thank God for this self- sacrifice by our Lord Jesus. He went to the cross and He died for you. You are set free from every accusation from the pit of hell. Remember, you may look like the promises but you have the One Who is able to do it. Don’t allow Satan to talk you down or out of it. Hold on unto Jesus, He will surely fulfill all that concerns you.

Finally, it is normal to be tempted (even Christ was), but it is unscriptural to give in or be defected (2 Cor 2:14, Rev 2:7; 11; 17).

Glory be to God!

 

Remain blessed in the Lord.

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

 

legits news