Daily Devotional: Thursday, April 2, 2020
SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 53:8
And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
To be re-generated is to be born again—to be born a second time. You remember Jesus said a man has to be re-generated, to be born again, in order to see the Kingdom of God (John 3)?
If to be re-generated is to be born again, a second time. To be generated is to be born once, to be born the first time.
When you grow up, you are going to want to generate daughters and sons. You are going to want to be a Mommy or a Daddy. You are going to want to get married and have generations.
God made us this way. God put this longing in our hearts. Generating children is one of the most joyful experiences you and I will ever have.
Sadly, part of Jesus’ suffering was that He wasn’t able to marry. Jesus didn’t get married. Jesus didn’t have a wife. Jesus never had a wife present Him with a precious baby.
This was part of what Jesus gave up for us. He lived a life of sorrow so that no one has ever been able to talk about his generations, his descendants, his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Why not?
Because He was cut off out of the land of the living. A limb of a tree that is cut off withers and dies. Jesus was cut off and died. He had no natural-born descendants, and it was all because of our sin.
Jesus had a more important job given to Him by His Father. His Father sent Him to die for our sins.
But you know what? In the end, His Father did give Jesus children. We’ll talk about this when we get to verse ten. There the prophet Isaiah promises that the Messiah “will see his offspring.” Offspring are children.
QUESTIONS
- Have you seen your Mommy holding one of your Mommy and Daddy’s newborn babies?
- Did the baby make your Mommy and Daddy happy?
- Whose “generations” are you? Do you make your Bapa and Nana happy?
SONG OF THE WEEK
Ah, Holy Jesus
Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted!
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee!
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied Thee;
I crucified Thee.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered.
For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.
For me, kind Jesus, was Thine incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation:
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.
Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.
Listen to Ah, Holy Jesus on Clearnote Songbook
PRAYER NEEDS
- Wisdom for the elders who are meeting tonight
- Patience and faith as we wait upon God
- Repentance for our nation
SCRIPTURE MEMORY THIS WEEK
Isaiah 53:9-10 (KJV)
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
