Open the Bible UK Daily

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.Psalm 73:1This psalm begins with a statement of faith. It was like a creedal statement, the sort of thing you would recite every week at worship. It is rather like us confessing “Jesus is Lord” when we meet for worship. “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”Asaph was saying, “This is what I’ve always believed. This is what I built my life on. But I have to tell you, ‘As for me, my feet had almost stumbled’” (73:2).So, if Asaph were a New Testament believer, his story would have gone something like this: “Jesus is Lord! But you need to know—I almost lost it. My feet almost slipped. I nearly lost my faith. I almost gave up my ministry. I nearly lost my foothold. I was almost gone. And I want to tell you my story of how God turned me around.”Every Sunday, as Christians confess faith in Christ together, there are some folks who are right where Asaph was. You don’t find it easy to sing. You struggle to focus on the Word. You hear the faith confessed, but your mind is pounding with questions—“Yes, but… and what about…?”Your faith that was once strong now seems to hang by a slender thread. What is wonderfully real for other people seems strangely distant from you. You say to yourself, “You know, I could just walk away from all this.” If that’s where you are today, Asaph was right there too.On a scale of 1 (I have no idea what this is like) to 10 (I’m right where he was), how do you relate to Asaph’s experience?

As for me, my feet had almost stumbled.Psalm 73:2Psalm 73 is the personal testimony of a man who came through a great crisis in his life. He tells us how he nearly lost his faith, but God helped him, and he found his way through the crisis and into a stronger faith than he had before.If you look at the heading of Psalm 73, you will see that it was written by a man called Asaph. Asaph was one of the men that King David put in charge of music in the house of the Lord (1 Chr. 6:39; see also 6:31). He was in the procession when David brought the ark to Jerusalem.After that, the Bible says that David “appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief” (1 Chr. 16:4, 5).Asaph was in full-time ministry. He was a mature believer. He was a godly man, and God had put him in a position of great responsibility. But he came to a point in his life where he almost lost his faith. It is helpful to know that even mature believers sometimes experience times of great crisis when it seems as if everything is falling apart.Over the centuries, God has used this psalm to bring comfort to His people in the midst of their doubts and pain. Introducing Asaph is like introducing an old friend.Can you recall a time when you almost lost your faith? What gave you stability?

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you… I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."Ezekiel 36:26-27When you come to faith in Jesus Christ, God puts His Spirit within you. That’s His promise.The first evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life will be that you have a deep desire to please God and to serve Him by being a channel of His love into the lives of others.This will be the greatest struggle of your life, and so before you set out on this journey, you need to know if it’s possible. The Heidelberg Catechism faces this issue head-on:Q: Can those converted to God obey these commands perfectly?A: No. In this life, even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.No Christian is everything that God calls him or her to be. The finest Christian you have ever met has only a small beginning of obedience.But there is a beginning of true holiness in every believer. No Christian is completely pure, but there is the beginning of purity in every Christian. No Christian is completely content, but there is the beginning of contentment in every Christian. What we have now is a beginning of truth, of peace, of integrity, of rest, and of worship. We truly begin to live according to all, not only some of God’s commandments.Every day of your Christian life offers opportunities for the new life that God has begun in you to grow stronger. And when you stand in the presence of Jesus, what He has begun in you will be complete.Are you living in the power of a new life?Or are you simply trying hard, in your own strength, to do what God commands?

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more.Philippians 3:4You see what the apostle Paul is saying: “I saw myself as a morally upright person.” But then Paul says, “All that changed,” and he tells us what led him to a complete reevaluation of his position: “If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin” (Rom. 7:7).This religious man had concluded that he was morally upright. But now he is telling us the commandments showed him that he is a sinner. What happened? He ran into the tenth commandment! “I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Rom. 7:7).Here he was with his moral checklist: He doesn’t steal. He doesn’t kill. Then one day he comes face-to-face with the tenth commandment. That’s the language he uses: “The commandment came…” (7:9). He’s talking about personal experience. “It suddenly came to me – God is not just looking at my outward actions, He is measuring my heart.”The tenth commandment is an absolute killer for morally upright people, because once you see the meaning of it, you will conclude that you’re a long way from keeping the other nine.Many of us are just like Paul—good people, hard workers, upright, trustworthy, and generous. We have good works and good values, and we see our religion as something that we offer to God. But if this is true of you, your biggest problem may be that your moral uprightness is the very thing that keeps you from seeing your need for a Saviour.This tenth commandment is for you. You need the killer commandment to show you that morally upright people need a Saviour too.Have you come face-to-face with the tenth commandment?

"You shall not covet."Exodus 20:17Coveting happens in the secret places of your heart. It is known only to you and to God. Your neighbour would know if you stole his car, but he would never know if you coveted his car. Nobody knows the secret desires of your heart. Nobody knows your secret fantasies.The tenth commandment is the key to understanding the other nine. All the other commandments are about specific actions. Murder, adultery, stealing, and perjury are all behaviours that can be seen, but the tenth commandment deals with what happens in your heart.People have the idea that in the Old Testament God was only concerned with our actions, but that it was Jesus who put a new spin on the commandments: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mat. 5:27-28).The tenth commandment makes it clear that this was the original intent of Almighty God when He gave the commandments to Moses. The reason Jesus taught as He did is that this is precisely the teaching of the Old Testament.The tenth commandment makes it clear that God calls us to more than upright behaviour. He calls us to purity of heart. It’s not just that you should do right but that you should be right.Have you been aiming primarily at the target of right behaviour, or at right behaviour and purity of heart?

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.Ephesians 4:29The essence of lying is saying what will achieve the desired result, irrespective of whether it is the truth.Gossip: This involves passing on news about another person that may or may not be true. Someone has likened gossip to ripping open a feather pillow on a windy day. The feathers fly in the wind, and once they’re out, there is no way you can ever gather them back in.Flattery: This is saying to someone’s face what you would never say behind their back. You want them to like you, so you tell them how wonderful they are, even though it bears little relation to reality.Exaggeration: You want to impress, and so you overstate what you said or did, taking credit that belongs to someone else. Or, you’re looking for sympathy, so you overstate the wrong that was done to you, because you want the other person to feel sorry for you. Lying is saying whatever will achieve the desired result, irrespective of whether it is the truth.Instead of using harmful words, God calls us to use our words in love to build others up.Which of these forms of unwholesome talk are you most prone to? Number them from 1 (most prone) to 3 (least prone).

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."Exodus 20:16It’s good to remember that each of the Ten Commandments reflects the character of God. The Bible tells us that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and that He always keeps His promises.When we come into a relationship with God, He calls us to reflect His character in the way that we live our lives, and that means we seek to be characterised by truth in everything that we say and do.Now, strictly speaking, the ninth commandment addresses the issue of perjury, which is standing up in court and making accusations that you know are not true: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”And this is precisely what happened when Jesus was arrested and brought to trial. False witnesses said many things against Him. They wanted to have Him crucified, and they were prepared to say whatever was necessary to achieve that desired result.Now, you may be thinking, “I have never committed perjury in court,” but remember, each of these commandments addresses not just one sin, but a whole category of sins. We’ve used the picture of each of these commands being like a railroad track with many stations down the line.The ninth commandment is about the issue of lying. Perjury in a court of law is down at the end of the track. You likely have never made a stop at that station, but everyone has been somewhere along the line.What are some of the stops you’ve made along the line of lying?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."John 10:10Satan is the great taker of what does not belong to him. He is always trying to get as much as possible, while giving as little as possible. He pays terrible wages—“the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). If you do his work, you will be terribly disappointed when you get your paycheck.But Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Satan is the great taker of what does not belong to him, but Jesus Christ is the great giver of what He already owns. Jesus did not grasp what belonged to Him, but He took the form of a servant and He poured out His life for us (Phil. 2:6-7).The gospel is more than good advice; it is good news. It is not a set of instructions on how to change; it is a new life, a new heart, the Spirit of Jesus living in you to make you different. Through the gospel, Christ changes takers into givers.Pour your life out for Him and you will have no regrets. And when you receive your reward in heaven, you will not be disappointed. You will not look around heaven and say, “Was it really worth it?” You will stand before Him in awe and wonder why you found it all so difficult. Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame (Psa. 25:3).What is one thing that makes it tempting for you to work for Satan instead of Christ?

"You shall not steal."Exodus 20:15There’s a story about a thief who was serving time in prison. Stealing had become his lifestyle, and eventually the long arm of the law caught up with him. But while he was in prison, he heard the good news of Jesus Christ and was wonderfully converted.When the day came for his release, he knew he was in for a difficult time. Most of his friends were criminals, and it wouldn’t be easy to break old patterns. So on the first Sunday of his new freedom, he slipped into a church building and sat in the back.Up front he saw the words of the Ten Commandments inscribed on two plaques, and his eyes were drawn to these words: “You shall not steal.” That’s the last thing that I need, he thought to himself. I know my weakness. I know my failure, and I know the battle I’m going to have.But as he kept looking at the plaque, the words seemed to take on a new meaning. He had always read these words in the tone of a command: “You shall not steal!” But now it seemed God was speaking these words to him as a promise: “You shall not steal.”He was a new person in Christ, and God was promising that the Holy Spirit would make it possible for him to overcome the habit of stealing: “You shall not steal, and the reason is that I’ve put my Spirit in you, and I’ll move you to follow my decrees and to keep my laws” (see Ezek. 36:27). The Christian life is a struggle, but the Holy Spirit is with you for the climb.What tone do you hear in God’s commands?Why do you think that is?

"You shall not steal."Exodus 20:15Here is a definition of stealing that will get you thinking about the struggle of the eighth commandment: Stealing is trying to get as much as possible, while giving as little as possible.Remember, each of these commands speak not to one sin, but to a whole category of sins. We know this from Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. We also see this in the Old Testament, where the rest of the law is an exposition of the Ten Commandments, showing how they apply to particular situations.It’s helpful to think of each command as being like a train track, with many stations down the line. If you were to go to the station at the end of the line, you would see what the thief does, for example, when he breaks into a home. He is attempting to take everything and contribute nothing.You may never have gone to this particular station at the end of the line, but all of us have travelled somewhere along the track. It may be that you’ve stopped at the station of taking advantage of other people, or the station of using others, or the station of being a taker without becoming a giver.If stealing is about trying to get as much as possible while giving as little as possible, then there is a lot of stealing that goes on in marriages, families, churches, and communities. Every attempt to have much and give little is addressed by the eighth commandment.This definition also shows two root problems behind all forms of stealing: (1) greed—the desire to get as much as possible, and (2) laziness—the desire to contribute as little as possible.What do you find most surprising/helpful about this definition of stealing?

Put to death… what is earthly in you.Colossians 3:5When it comes to your battle with temptation, God does not say, “Pray about it.” He says, “Act against it.”The problem with praying about a temptation is that you end up focusing more attention on it, and that can have the effect of making the problem worse. Temptation is not an issue to passively turn over to God; it’s an issue to actively fight.This is always the language of Scripture when it comes to our struggle with temptation. Paul says to the church in Rome, “Put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13). And in his letter to Titus, Paul says, “The grace of God… train[s] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” (Titus 2:11-12).If you have the opportunity to enjoy a meal outside during the summer, it’s a real treat, unless some wasps get a whiff of your food and start flying around. What do you do when a wasp keeps bothering you? You swat it!That’s exactly the language of the New Testament: “Put to death the deeds of the body.” You find a thought buzzing in your mind about that person in the office, or the internet site that was advertised on your computer. What are you to do? Treat that thought exactly like the wasp: “Put to death the deeds of the body.”The most important thing to know is that you have the power to do this, so don’t listen to the enemy when he tells you that you can’t!Is there a temptation you’ve been passively praying about, as though God were going to take care of it. If so, you need to start taking action?

“How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”Genesis 39:9The place to start in dealing with temptation is by recognising sin for what it is. The best example of this in the Bible is Joseph when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife.Here was this young guy in a foreign country and a powerful woman was trying to entice him. Instead of giving in, he called the temptation great wickedness, and he saw the wound that it would bring to the heart of God.If you’re going to overcome the power of temptation, the first step is to see the connection between your sin and the cross of Jesus. You’ve been redeemed (from sin) by the blood of Jesus. How then can you do this to Him? That was Joseph’s secret. He made it a spiritual issue. It was not just something between him and Potiphar’s wife. It was a sin against God.The great British preacher Jonathan Edwards used to talk about “the expulsive power of a new affection.” This phrase is helpful. A new love can be stronger than an old habit, and if you are going to overcome the power of temptation you need to cultivate your love for Christ. Once you begin to see what your sin did to Him, you’ll think differently about it. That’s why Paul says, “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). That’s where change begins.As long as you’re still saying, “It’s no big deal!” you will never change. But once you come to the place of saying, “This matters to God and so it matters to me,” victory is within sight!Is there a sin in your life that you need to name?

"You shall not commit adultery."Exodus 20:14Jesus described the times in which He lived as an “adulterous generation” (Mat. 12:39). That means it was a generation in which many people had become confused in their attitudes and disordered in their behaviours when it came to the whole matter of sex.There is no doubt that we too live in an adulterous generation. Over 14 million internet users in the United Kingdom reported accessing pornographic content online in May 2023. We live in a setting where it is extremely difficult to be pure in mind, heart, and deeds.We’ve been talking about the ten greatest struggles of our lives using the analogy of struggling to climb a rock face. When you are climbing on the rock and you feel you’re going to fall, you don’t need someone shouting at you. What you need is someone who can show you where to put your feet so that you can keep moving upward.What we need, more than anything else when we are struggling, is a word of encouragement, and for someone to show us a doorway to hope.On a scale of 1 (no hope) to 10 (very hopeful), how would you describe your own struggle for purity? Have you experienced someone shouting at you along the way?

“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court.”Matthew 5:25Jesus makes this application from the sixth commandment: Settle your disputes as quickly as you can. If there’s a way to settle with integrity, pursue it. Paul says the same thing:“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18).Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is able to bring peace into the deepest wounds of your life. In different ways we have all broken this commandment. We need mercy and forgiveness, and God offers that to us in Jesus Christ.The whole Bible story is pointing forward to a day when the line of conflict will be replaced by the path of peace. Under the reign of Christ, you will be at peace with yourself. You will experience community with God’s people. Nation will speak to nation. The implements of war will become obsolete, and nations will no longer study war.Then, in a new heaven and earth, the whole creation will be released from its groaning under the curse. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. The line of conflict will be gone, as God makes everything new.Can you imagine what it will be like when this command becomes a reality? Who do you need to take the initiative with to make peace today?

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."Matthew 5:21-22The scope of this commandment goes far beyond acts of murder. Jesus made this clear when He said that the sixth commandment searches out the thoughts, attitudes, and intentions of the heart.Think about a train moving down a track. Murder is the name of the station at the far end of the track on the line of conflict. Most of us will never go anywhere near that station, but all of us have travelled somewhere along the line.The commandments are like warning signs along the road, telling us what to avoid. But they are also like directional signs, showing us where to turn and what to pursue. The sixth command points us, firstly, to embrace life. Your life is a precious gift from God and keeping the sixth commandment means embracing the life that God gives you to the full.Ask God to give you a vision of what your life can be. Seize every opportunity to develop yourself. Look for ways in which you can be a good steward of all the gifts that God has given to you. And look for ways in which you can bring God’s blessing into the lives of others.There is no greater way to embrace life than to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, who said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus is the Life-giver. He gave His life so that you may have life.How could you push further into keeping this command today?

"You shall not murder."Exodus 20:13Here are four examples of taking the life of another person that are clearly forbidden in the sixth commandment.Murder—Taking the life of your neighbour. One day you may come to the unimaginable conclusion that murder is not beyond you. An injury can be so great, and the desire for revenge so strong, that you feel you have the right to exercise justice and take another life. But God says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:19).Abortion—Taking the life of an unborn neighbour. God has an active relationship with the developing life of an unborn child in the womb. In the Psalms, David says, “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret… Your eyes saw my unformed substance” (139:15-16). An unborn child is not a potential life; it is a life with all kinds of potential.Euthanasia—Taking the life of an elderly neighbour. There is a huge difference between sustaining a life that has been taken by God and taking a life that is being sustained by God. Discerning that line can be horribly difficult. But knowing that there is a line is crucially important. We are not to sustain a life God has taken, nor take a life God is sustaining. You are in no position to say that a life God gives is not worth living.Suicide—Taking your own life. You may feel very low today. The thought of taking your own life has crossed your mind. But this life is not yours to take. It is the gift of God and He has given it to you as a steward. You are a trustee, not an owner. You may feel that even those who love you would be better off without you. It’s not true. God has given you life. God wants you here.Which of these is hardest for you to accept? Why?

"You shall not murder."Exodus 20:13The Ten Commandments show us what it means to live a life of love. The first four lay out what it means to love God, and the last six spell out what it means to love your neighbour.Here are six sacred areas of life marked with special value by God: (1) Family (honour your father and your mother); (2) Life (you shall not murder); (3) Marriage (you shall not commit adultery); (4) Property (you shall not steal); (5) Truth (you shall not bear false witness); and (6) Heart (you shall not covet). This is what love looks like. This is what it means to love your neighbour as yourself.The reason for the command “You shall not murder” is that human life is uniquely created in the image of God. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). Every human life has unique dignity and value.Think of an image or a photograph of a loved one. If someone analysed your photo scientifically, they could tell you it has no inherent value. It’s only a wooden frame, filled with particles of pigment, in assorted colours, varying in density.If the picture of your loved one got lost and 100 years later it was found, the person who found it might dust off the cobwebs and say, “I wonder who she was?” and then throw it into the waste bin. But you could never throw away this picture, because it bears the image of someone you love.The reason that human life is so valuable is that it bears the image of God. If you love God, you will value His image. Taking a human life involves tearing the image of God.What does it mean to you to know that every human life bears the image of God?

He does not deal with us according to our sins.Psalm 103:10Some parents are not worthy of honour. Think of Saul and the mood swings, fits of rage, and irrational behaviour. Saul even threw a javelin at his son, Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:33). What kind of father throws a spear at his son?You may wonder if God knows about the pain of your experience. God knows. The Bible recognises the pain of bad parenting, and God never asks you to pretend that a bad parent is good, or that a neglectful parent is honourable.How should you respond if you are still under their authority? Ask God to give you compassion for them. Ask God to give them what they lack. That’s the Spirit of Jesus. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. He has compassion, and compassion keeps the door to repentance open.Healing begins when you look away from the failings of others and up into the face of God. If you’ve suffered because of authority abused, you may fear that this is what God is like. But God hears the cries of His people and comes down to deliver them. Look into the face of Jesus.The final authority in the universe belongs to the One who knows how to use it. That’s good news. He is altogether wise. He is completely self-sufficient. And His very nature is love. You can rejoice because the Lord is King!Do you need to look away from the failings of others to find healing in the face of God today?

“Honor your father and your mother.”Exodus 20:12The word honour literally means “give weight to.” The commandment is telling us: “Give weight to your father and your mother.”When your father or mother says something, don’t take it lightly. Give weight to their words, to their advice. Don’t brush it off. Take it seriously. Give weight to what they say, to what they think, and to what they desire. What this looks like will change as you grow up.For children, honouring your father and mother means doing what they say: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Eph. 6:1). Jesus Himself is our example. The Bible tells us that as a child He was obedient to His parents (Luke 2:51).If you are a child, do what your mum and dad tell you. Try your best to do it cheerfully. Watch out for ways that you can show your mum and dad that you love them. Tell them that you love them. Then, as you get older, honour your father and mother. Give weight to their words.As an adult you are no longer obligated to obey your parents, but God still calls you to honour them. Your mum and dad aren’t always right, but they know you, and they’ve seen more of life than you have. In the big decisions, listen to what they have to say. Think deeply about it. Don’t say, “That’s just Mum and Dad’s opinion.” Say, “This is the opinion of my mother and father.”When parents reach old age, we honour them by caring for them, by giving weight to their needs. It is easy to become so busy with other things that we neglect our parents. Visiting them and talking to them are important parts of honouring them. The apostle Paul says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8).How are you doing at honouring your father and mother?

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”Exodus 20:12Your parents are the first authority figures God put in your life, and your first experience of authority tends to shape your reaction to other authority figures. If you’ve seen authority used well, you will tend to respect it, otherwise you will tend to be suspicious of it. You will want to resist authority and establish your independence from it.The reason family life is so important to the good of a nation is that respect for authority is learned in the home. If it breaks down there, it will be a growing strain on the fabric of national life. The command says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land.” A culture cannot thrive when respect for authority breaks down.Our experiences of family life can vary greatly. Perhaps you enjoyed the blessing of being raised in a stable and loving home, or perhaps the opposite is true. Maybe you are already squirming inside, because the whole subject of your mum or dad is so painful that even the mention of it has your defenses up.You may be afraid that the Word of God is going to wound you today. Why do you think that? Because your parents hurt you, and they were the first authority figures in your life. You assume God is like them and He’s going to do the same. The God of the Bible is good, and He wants to do you good. Don’t let the warped authority of your parents blind you to God’s loving authority.What was your first experience of authority like?

“Come to me… and I will give you rest.”Matthew 11:28Once you see everything that God has called you to do in the Ten Commandments, you may say, “But I haven’t finished!”We struggle to embrace God unconditionally. We struggle to worship God as He is. We have not honoured Him in all things. We have not finished the work of keeping God’s commands, and the longer we live the more obvious it becomes that we’ll never finish this work. So how are we going to enter God’s rest? That’s the great question.When Jesus says, “Come to me… and I will give you rest” (11:28), He takes us to the heart of the gospel. Our work is never finished, but His work is complete! When Jesus died on the cross, He took on Himself all our unfinished business. He bore in His body all of our falling short of the law of God. Then He cried out in a loud voice: “It is finished!” (Mat. 27:50; John 19:30).Jesus says, “You have not finished what God has called you to do, but I have. I can give you a rest that you can never achieve by your own works. I will give you rest for your soul.” Christians worship on the first day of the week to remind us that we begin our work from a position of enjoying peace with God through the finished work of Christ.As you go into another week, God has work for you to do, but you don’t do that work to earn salvation. You don’t do it to work your way into heaven. You do it as an offering of love and gratitude to the Lord who has already completed the work.Are you resting in the finished work of Christ?

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”Exodus 20:8The fourth commandment is one of life’s greatest struggles and one of the most frequently misunderstood commands. Some Christians imagine they’re honouring God by making Sunday the dullest day of the week, a day marked by long lists of things you cannot do.Some of us need to begin by clearing away the blockages that might hinder us from hearing the Word of God today. Some of us come from a legalistic background, where the day of rest was a day of misery.Maybe when you look at the Ten Commandments, you see a list of forbidding rules that load you down with guilt and kill your fun. What kind of a God would do that? Not the God of the Bible. This is one of the fundamental convictions of the Christian faith.If we really believe that God is good, then we have to start from the conviction that these commands frame the good life that He wants us to enjoy.Here are some convictions that will help you come to the fourth commandment in the right way: God is speaking to one of the greatest struggles of our lives. What He says is good, and it is for our good. Following what He says will lead us into blessing. These three convictions will help you begin to see the Sabbath as a day of delight rather than a day to endure.How strong are your convictions (on a scale from 1 to 10), that God’s commands are good, for your good, and following them will lead you to blessing?

“Continually all the day my name is despised.”Isaiah 52:5Isaiah the prophet was given an insight into the heart of God when he heard God’s anguished cry over the abuse of His name.That’s the tragedy of our world. But God has an answer: “Therefore my people shall know my name” (52:6). Those who know and love the Lord are the guardians of His reputation on earth.Honouring the Lord’s name is our highest calling. Christ will be honoured when the world sees a community of people who show awe and reverence for Him. That means growing in humility. We cannot draw attention to the greatness of God and to our own gifts or achievements at the same time.Our calling is not to pretend that we have all the answers to life’s mysteries. We don’t. The secret things belong to the Lord; only the revealed things belong to us (Deut. 29:29). So, let’s not discredit the gospel by claiming more than God has promised or by declaring less than He has revealed.Our calling is to share what God has given us in Christ and to invite people to the Scriptures, where they can consider the claims and the evidence of Jesus.In this world, where God’s name is blasphemed every day, God is gathering communities of believers who love and worship the name of Jesus. As you grasp His love for you more deeply, you will grow in your love for Him. That will shape the way that you speak about Him, and people will begin to see that He is so much more than a name to you.Can you think of a time when you heard a Christian speak about Jesus in a special way that intrigued or surprised you?

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."Exodus 20:7The first thing that typically comes to mind when we hear the third commandment is the issue of swearing. The way you use a person’s name says a great deal about what you think of them. And if you look up the name Jesus in your Concise Oxford English Dictionary, there are two definitions. Notice the order:Jesus: (vulg.) excl. expr. surprise, impatience, etc. [name of founder of Christian religion d. c. A.D. 30]The dictionary tells us that the name Jesus is a vulgarity. It is an exclamation expressing surprise, impatience, etc. That, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is its most common use. But the name Jesus can also be used to refer to the founder of Christianity.It shouldn’t surprise us that those who don’t know the Lord commonly use the name of God or Jesus as an expletive. But the same pattern of speech is too often found among believers.If you happen to be in school or at work, listen to how the name of God is used by your friends or coworkers this week. It will astonish you. Don’t copy that habit. It comes naturally for people who don’t know God. But not for you.Reflect on how you are using God’s name. Have you spoken about Jesus in ways that dishonoured Him? How about in ways that honoured Him?

He is the image of the invisible God.Colossians 1:15The reason God places such importance on not making idols is that He is jealous to guard against all images of Himself. Why? Because He wants nothing and no one to detract from the one true image of God by which He has made Himself known—Jesus Christ.The New Testament says (about God) that Jesus is “the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). That is why Jesus could make this stunning statement: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).The reason idols are so offensive to God is that the one and only invisible and incomparable God has taken on human flesh and entered into the world. God has made Himself known in the person of Jesus Christ.That’s why you won’t find your way to God through an idol or through endless spiritual experiences. These are a labyrinth through which you will find no exit. But you can come to God through Jesus Christ. This one true, living, eternal God reaches out to you in Jesus Christ. And if you will embrace Him in Christ, He will embrace you. This is where eternal life begins.Have you tried to find your way to God through some idol or through some spiritual experiences (other than through Jesus Christ)? What happened?

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image."Exodus 20:4God is invisible, so it is instinctive for us to want some kind of image to remind us of Him or to point us to Him. This commandment is telling us that we are not to make any images to represent God.The problem with our images of God is that they are all less than He is. Many people find icons, beads, or pictures of Jesus helpful. But this commandment reminds us of the danger. An image or an icon may reflect part of the truth about Him, but it always obscures as much as it reveals.For example, Michelangelo’s famous painting “The Creation of Adam” in the Sistine Chapel, features the finger of God reaching out to touch Adam. It communicates God’s power, but it completely obscures His love. Nobody who looks at that picture could ever conclude that this is the God of infinite patience and compassion.Pictures of Jesus in children’s books tend to have the same problem. They often leave us with the impression of someone who is weak and anemic. A crucifix with an image of Jesus on the cross reminds us that Jesus died for us, but it obscures the truth that He is no longer on the cross, that He has triumphed over death, and that He is seated at the right hand of the Father in glory.Art and sculpture can be used to capture the beauty and wonder of created things, but they cannot capture the glory of the Creator.Have you ever experienced using an image or an icon in worship? What truth about God did it reflect? What about God was obscured by using it?

“Follow me.”Matthew 4:19Our challenge is to embrace God unconditionally. The first commandment leaves no room for “ifs,” “buts,” or “whens,” because as soon as you say “if,” “but,” or “when,” you have put something else in the place of God and thereby broken the first commandment.If you say “yes” to God but then add “if you give me my health” or “if you bless my family” or “if you solve this problem,” then you are putting your health, your family, or your problem in the place of God.The first commandment is our greatest struggle because we always want to set conditions. We want to use God instead of letting Him be God. But as soon as you try to use God, you have taken Him off the throne of your life and put whatever use you have for Him there instead.When Jesus said, “Follow me,” His disciples did not know where He would lead them, and you cannot know that either. Making Jesus the Lord of your life could get you into some tough situations.The nine commandments that follow describe the life God is calling you to lead. Every one of them will be a struggle. But God is calling you to take a step of commitment based on trust, because you know that He is God and that He is good.Are you ready to embrace the Lord as your God unconditionally?

"You shall have no other gods before me."Exodus 20:3The first commandment calls you to a life-long response of gratitude and loving loyalty to the God who loved you and gave Himself for you.Positively, this means cultivating affection for Him, remembering Him, appreciating Him, honouring Him, choosing Him, loving Him, and fearing Him. It means trusting Him, hoping in Him, and delighting in Him. It means calling upon Him and giving thanks to Him.Loyalty to God means giving Him more weight in your life and in your decisions than to any other. If you face a decision where every inclination of your heart says “no,” and yet to honour God you would have to say “yes,” then you would say “yes.” Why? Because God carries more weight than every inclination of your heart.The starting point, negatively, is to identify all sins that break the first commandment by displacing God, and then to turn from them. He is displaced by pride and infatuation. He is displaced when we allow others to bind our conscience, or when we consult the devil, mediums, or fortune tellers. Superstition, impatience with God, and complaining about God’s providence are all attempts to displace Him. So are all forms of unbelief, distrust, and despair.The first commandment looks easy from a distance, but once you get up close, you will see how difficult it is. You may well find yourself saying to God, “I can’t even keep the first commandment. I am surrounded by other powers that control my life. I need help!”That’s a great way to come to Jesus. Following the first commandment is a lifelong struggle, but with the help and presence of Jesus you can begin to pursue it.What are some ways in which this command is a struggle for you?

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.Exodus 20:2The Ten Commandments begin with the appeal of a gracious God who is committed to the good of His people, not an appeal on the basis of raw power.God could have said, “I am your Creator. I own the cosmos.” That’s true. He could have said, “I have more power than a million nuclear bombs, so you better knuckle down and worship me.” That’s true too. But that’s not what He said.He said, “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Life in Egypt was absolutely miserable—poverty, abuse, and oppression. The Israelites were powerless, and their plight was hidden. They were trapped with no way out. There was no political process for change, no education that could qualify them for better things.But then God stepped in and brought these desperate people out of Egypt. He rescued them and now He introduces Himself to them: “I am Yahweh. I am the one who brought you out of Egypt. I sent the plagues on your oppressors. I parted the Red Sea. I destroyed the armies of your enemies. When you cried out, nobody else was listening. But I was. Nobody else took notice of you, but I came down to help you. Nobody else saw a future for you, but I did.”God has no obligations. He doesn’t have to do anything He doesn’t want to do. What pleased Him was to come down and set these hopeless people free. “Now,” He said, “I am your God. You belong to me. You are mine.” You will never be ready to embrace God fully until you are convinced that He is good.How do you hear God’s appeal?

The young man said to him [Jesus], “All these I have kept.”Matthew 19:20Take a moment to consider where you stand in relation to the Ten Commandments. Here are three possibilities:Some of us think we’ve climbed the wall. A man was talking with Jesus about the Ten Commandments, and he said, “I’ve kept them all!” He hadn’t murdered anyone, told any whopping lies, or raided a bank. He was a good citizen who flossed his teeth and paid his taxes, but he misunderstood the commands. They aren’t limited to actions, and if you’ve never struggled to keep them, it’s probably time to get started.Some of us are stretched out on the wall. Maybe God’s called you to work in a hostile environment and the pressures are enormous. You’re exhausted from the struggle. The fact that you’re struggling means you are on the wall. The Heidelberg Catechism asks about the Ten Commandments:Q: Can those converted to God obey them perfectly?A: No. In this life, even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless… they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.Christians make a beginning of integrity, a beginning of worship, and a beginning of contentment, but it is a true beginning, and one day it will be complete.Some of us have fallen off the wall. There was a time when you were walking with Christ, but you lost your footing. Maybe it was a workaholic lifestyle, an unresolved conflict, or a secret deception. Thank God for His mercy. If it was not for God’s mercy, you would be lost forever. But mercy’s rope held you. You are not where you used to be, but there is hope for you. Get back on the wall and start climbing.Where do you stand?

The law was our guardian until Christ came.Galatians 3:24The law is like a tutor, a coach, or a mentor. The law, properly understood, will walk you to Jesus Christ. It’s just like a good mentor who shows you where you need to go and then is willing to walk with you so that you get there.This is precisely what the law, applied by the Spirit, will do in the life of a person. The law will show you where you need to go (the kind of life that God calls you to live), and then it will walk you to Christ.If you start trying to live out the Ten Commandments, it won’t be long before you’re saying, “I desperately need some help.” If you start examining yourself and looking at yourself honestly in the light of these commandments, it won’t be long before you come to the conclusion that you’re a long way from the life that God has called you to lead.And this isn’t true only for newer believers. Even if you’ve been a Christian for 10, 20, or 50 years, the commandments will still keep doing this for you. The longer you walk with Christ, the more you will come to see your own sinfulness, and the more eagerly you will cling to Christ. Discovering the commandments will increase your appreciation of Jesus.When was the last time you experienced the commandments mentoring you like this in your own life? What happened?

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.Hebrews 12:4Let’s review the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20 and name our greatest struggles.10. Your struggle with contentment: You shall not covet (20:17). Something within us wants more.9. Your struggle with truth: You shall not bear false witness (20:16). Sometimes it isn’t easy to handle the truth.8. Your struggle for integrity: You shall not steal (20:15). What can you be trusted with?7. Your struggle with purity: You shall not commit adultery (20:14). Does anyone find this one easy? Purity is a struggle.6. Your struggle for peace: You shall not murder (20:13). How do you bring peace in a world filled with trouble?5. Your struggle with authority: Honour your father and your mother (20:12). Who hasn’t struggled with some authority figure?4. Your struggle with time: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (20:8). It’s a struggle to master time and establish order.3. Your struggle with religion: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain (20:7). The world is full of people claiming God’s name for their own cause.2. Your struggle to worship: You shall not make for yourself a carved image (20:4). Our impulse is to bring God down to our level.1. Your struggle with God: You shall have no other gods before me (20:3). It isn’t easy to let God be God.Rate your experience with each of the commands from 1 (no struggle) to 10 (great struggle)

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved.Psalm 121:2-3Life is a struggle. It is also an adventure. Like climbing a rock face, it is a dangerous business. But it is magnificently worth it. There will be moments of triumph as you conquer some dangerous part of the climb. But there’s always another challenge ahead.The entire Christian life is spent on the rock face, and one day you’ll stand at the summit, but not until you’re with Jesus.Some of us have been Christians for years. We’ve made some progress, but we’re still climbing. The most dangerous place for any climber is when you think it’s getting easier. It’s possible to climb the most difficult face and then get careless and slip.If you’re a new Christian, you might think that someone you look up to (a Christian for many years) bounces out of bed every morning and spends hours in prayer, knows exactly what to do in every situation, and never struggles with unworthy thoughts. In short, he or she has it a lot easier than you! But actually, the struggle of the Christian life never gets any easier.The Christian life is a struggle from the moment of your new birth to the moment of your entrance into the presence of Jesus. If you are a climber, it helps to have experience. But experience never takes the struggle out of the climb.As we look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) together, we’re going to see that these are the ten greatest struggles of our lives. This shouldn’t be surprising. Nobody knows you better than God does. He made you and He knows everything about you, including your struggles.Did you know that God is aware of your greatest struggles?

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”Luke 23:46The whole life of Jesus had been in the hands of His Father, and now at His death, Jesus committed His spirit into the Father’s hands.Here’s what happens at death to a believer—your spirit goes into the immediate presence of God: To be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Whatever happens to your body, your spirit is safe in the Father’s hands.Your body may be ravaged with cancer. Your body may be horribly injured in an accident or even lost at sea. Whatever happens to your body, your spirit will be safe in the hands of God.In the Father’s hands is a marvellous place to be! Jesus had been in the hands of sinners (Mat. 26:45), but at His death He placed His spirit in the Father’s hands. The Father’s hands are eternally secure. No one can snatch you out of the Father’s hands (John 10:28).There is a story about a man whose wife died from a sudden illness. His life was devastated, and he was really struggling when someone said to him, “You can’t tell her what you want to say, but she’s in the Father’s hands. You can ask the Father to tell her for you.” In life, in death, and for all eternity, there is no better place to be than in the Father’s hands.Do you believe there’s no better place to be after you die than in the Father’s hands? How about while you are here on earth?

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.Luke 23:44-46Do you see the significance of these words? The hell was over. The price was paid. The infinite agonies endured by the Son of God had passed, and the light of the Father’s love now shone on Him again.Did you notice how Jesus died? If you have ever been with a family member when he or she died, you know that nobody dies with a loud voice. If you’ve got a loud voice, it’s because you still have more time. Nobody speaks in a loud voice at the moment of death, but Jesus did, and the reason for this is that He wasn’t overwhelmed by death. He didn’t run out of strength. Death didn’t overcome Him.Here is Jesus’ own explanation: “No one takes it [my life] from me... I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). Christ’s life was not taken by death; it was given. He gave Himself in death: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).Jesus entered death, not with a whisper of defeat, but with a shout of triumph—“It is finished!” The apostle Mark comments, “When the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39). Do you see the glory of Jesus’ death? No one ever died like that.What does it mean to you to know that Jesus triumphed over death?

It is finished.John 19:30When Jesus said these words, He was surrounded by darkness and on the edge of death. As He hung there in the darkness, it hardly looked like Satan’s power had been broken, or hell’s gates had been splintered, or death’s sting had been drawn out.One month after Jesus died, the world didn’t look very different either. The same could be said after a year, a century… a millennium. Does the world really look any different than it did the day Jesus said these words?When Jesus said, “It is finished,” it was a cry of faith, a cry anticipating all that would come from His completed suffering, perfect life, atoning death, and decisive victory.Many people have heard Jesus’ words “It is finished,” but the question remains: Do you believe that Jesus finished all that God the Father sent Him here to do? It was not obvious then, and it is not obvious now, except to the one who has faith in Jesus.The Bible makes it plain how you can live by faith: “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him” (Heb. 2:8). That’s what the Bible says, but what do we see? We see wars, and we see cancer, but we do not see everything subject to Jesus.What is Jesus doing? Making the world a better place? Putting an end to human suffering? Ridding the world of evil? No. He is bringing many sons and daughters to glory, and He is able to do this for you.Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in the middle of life’s difficulties. Believe today that “it is finished,” and as you believe, what He accomplished at the cross will become yours.What do you see Jesus doing?

“It is finished.”John 19:30Jesus finished. You haven’t. But with Him you will. What does this mean? When you are united to Jesus by faith—the Bible often refers to this as being “in Christ”—all that He accomplished on the cross becomes yours. Here are four things that are yours when you are in Christ:Jesus completed His work of atonement, so you are forgiven, accepted, and loved.If you are in Christ, you don’t have to do anything else to be loved and accepted. All that you need is in Him: “There is… now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).Jesus completed the full course of His obedience, so His righteousness is yours.If your hope depended on something you had to do, in addition to what Christ has already done, it could never stand. But when your hope of heaven rests on His work, it’s secure: “[God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).Jesus completed His decisive victory over Satan, so the devil is a defeated foe.Maybe you see Satan working, over generations, in your family. You wonder if some kind of curse hangs over you. But, on the authority of the Bible, no curse can stand against you, if you’re in Christ. How could it? Paul says your enemy is a defeated foe: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).Jesus completed the long night of His suffering, so your suffering will lead to glory.Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. No suffering lasts forever. Look at the new creation—no more sin, no more pain or tears, no more death. “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28). Come to Christ and rest in all that He’s done for you!All these are important, but which one is most encouraging to you today?

“It is finished.”John 19:30There was only one person who could ever truly say, “It is finished.” None of us will be able to say that when we die, because none of us have been able to say it while we live.None of us will be able to say to God “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4). It’s impossible. None of us have been able to say this about a single day of our lives. None of us completes the work.As a Christian, you have begun the work of all the commandments, but you have not finished the work of any! You cannot identify a single day of your life where you would be able to say, “I lived that day to perfection.”Every Sunday that we gather in church, we are in the same position of saying, “We have done the things we ought not to have done, and we have not done the things we ought to have done.” That will never change this side of heaven. You may grow in your Christian life, but you will never move beyond being a believing sinner.Sinners on earth can never say, “It is finished,” and sinners in hell will never be able to say “It is finished” either. That’s the awfulness of it. Christ finished... you haven’t. But don’t miss this... with Him you will.React to the statement: “Christ finished... you haven’t... but with Him you will.”

“It is finished.”John 19:30What did Jesus come into the world to do? He came to seek and save the lost. He came to give His life as a ransom for many, and on the cross He said, “It is finished.”What is finished? Jesus finished bearing the guilt of our sins. He finished enduring the punishment of our hell. The divine wrath was finished being poured out on Him. The justice of God was satisfied. The perfect sacrifice was offered. Complete atonement was made. Hell was vanquished. The condemnation was removed. So the Redeemer can finally say, “It is finished.”If you visit the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois, USA, you can walk through the “Rotunda of Witnesses,” where beautiful artwork forms the background to some marvellous statements about Jesus Christ. One amazing statement is from eighteenth century pastor and theologian, Jonathan Edwards (from sermon No. 2344, “Christ’s Dying Word for His Church”):Though millions of sacrifices had been offered; yet nothing was done to purchase redemption before Christ’s incarnation...so nothing was done after his resurrection, to purchase redemption for men. Nor will there be anything more done to all eternity.The long night of His suffering is over. The full course of His obedience is complete. The decisive battle with His enemy is over. The perfect sacrifice has been offered. It is finished!Can you think of anything that could be added (or that you could add) to Jesus’ work of redemption?

“It is finished.”John 19:30Humanity’s conflict with the devil goes back to the beginning. Satan tempted the man and the woman and led them into the sin that forfeited paradise. They got the knowledge of evil and came under the power of the evil one. That’s been our story ever since.But God promised a Redeemer. He said to Satan, “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). What a picture—the Redeemer stomping on the head of the snake. The snake bites His foot with deadly poison, and in the same act, the head of the snake is bruised.This happened at the cross: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2:15). At the cross, Satan was like a gambler who knew he was losing and now was forced to put everything on the table. And Jesus swept the table.When Jesus died, He went beyond the reach of Satan. Satan could no longer tempt Him, afflict Him, or cause Him to suffer. The decisive battle with the enemy had been won.“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). The Son of God became a man, fulfilled the law of God, then laid down His life as a sacrifice for us. He is able to save sinners, and Satan can do nothing to stop Him. It is finished.Can you put it in your own words what it means that Jesus triumphed over Satan at the cross?

“It is finished.”John 19:30Why did Jesus come into the world? One important reason the Son of God became a man was to live the life you and I would have to live in order to enter heaven.Jesus lived the perfect life. There was no sin in Him, and the night before He died He was able to say to the Father,“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (17:4). None of us can say these words to God. We’ve never been able to say them, even on the best day of our lives. No one else has ever or will ever be able to say these words to God.Examine the life of the Saviour. Read through the Gospels carefully, and you will find that every account of His life—every recorded word and every action—was finished, complete, perfect. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Mat. 5:17). And that is exactly what He did.Every commandment of God was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout His life, Jesus loved God the Father with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength, and He loved His neighbour as Himself. Jesus is the only person who has ever done this.This perfect life was now done. He was about to lay it down. The full course of His obedience was complete, and so He said, “It is finished.”What does Jesus’ full/completed obedience mean to you?

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.John 19:30What was finished? One thing that was finished was the long night of Jesus’ suffering. Jesus knows about suffering from the inside. He has been to the edge of endurance.Jesus knows about excruciating suffering more than anyone else has ever known it. But He is not suffering now. He is not on the cross now. He is done with that. It is finished.Jesus is no longer in the grave either. He died and He was buried. But death could not keep a hold on Him. The Bible records for us that He was raised from the dead on the third day (John 20). That means Jesus is alive!Well, then, you may be wondering, what is He doing now? The Bible tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34).These truths are important, because a suffering world needs a saviour who knows suffering from the inside. But a saviour who is overwhelmed by suffering, or a saviour who remains in suffering, is of no use to us.We need a saviour who has triumphed over suffering, and that is what we have in Jesus. He was plunged into indescribable suffering, but He was not overcome by it. He came through it, and He triumphed in it. That’s your Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.What do you think it means for you, that Jesus triumphed over His suffering and death?

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”John 19:28We could list passage after passage from the Old Testament that was fulfilled by Jesus’ words here, but let’s focus on just two of them:First, Psalm 22 is an amazing prophecy depicting the cross in extraordinary detail. It was written a thousand years before the time of Christ, in a culture where crucifixion was unknown:“All who see me mock me… they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him’” (22:7-8).“They have pierced my hands and feet” (22:16).“They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (22:18).Second, Psalm 69 also gives us some very specific details about the cross:“I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God” (69:3).“They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (69:21).Notice, when Jesus said the words, “I thirst,” He was consciously fulfilling the Scriptures: “They put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth” (John 19:29).Jesus thirsted in order to fulfill the Scriptures. That means He is able to deliver what the Scriptures promise: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14). And “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37).Jesus Christ invites you to drink living water, because He is the living water. You can come to Him today and find real refreshment for your soul.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.John 19:28-30The same Jesus who once called out to a crowd, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (7:37), also cried out from the cross, “I thirst.” This is the only time that Jesus refers to His own physical suffering on the cross. Jesus thirsted because of His suffering, so that means He is able to help those who suffer.We all suffer in various ways; but at some point in your life, you will suffer in a way that pushes you to the outer edge of your endurance. Christ has been there. So don’t talk about God as if He was removed from suffering. The suffering of our Lord pushed Him right to the edge.No religion has anything to say to this world unless it can address the problem of suffering. Where, in all the religions of the world, do you find a god who suffers? The only One who has seen suffering from the inside is Jesus Christ.Where can you go when you reach the outer edge of your suffering? To the Saviour who has wounds in His hands and feet. When your suffering seems unbearable, draw near to the Saviour who said, “I thirst.”He suffered, and that is why He is able to help those who suffer. There is no one else like Him in all of human history, and you can come to Him.Who or what do you turn to in your suffering? What would keep you from turning to Jesus?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16Think about it: the Father’s love was beyond Jesus’ reach. He was shut out from the Father’s love, and yet He said, “My God, my God…”This is of huge importance for our faith. God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). That is His promise. But there will be dark times in your life when you simply cannot feel the love of God. When these times come, you need to know that Jesus has been there.C. H. Spurgeon said: “I would like to put this personally to any tried child of God. Are you going to let go of your God because you have lost his smile? Then I ask you: did you base your faith upon his smile? If you did, you mistook the true ground of faith. The ground of a believer’s confidence is not God’s smile, but God’s promise.”You have a Saviour who you can come to in the darkest moments of your life, when you feel that God is nowhere near you, because He Himself has been there. “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses…” (Heb. 4:15). Your Saviour has a tenderness toward you that no one else in the world could ever have for you.Are you in a dark place now? If you cannot feel the love or the presence of God, will you turn to your Saviour today, who has great compassion for you?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16What did it mean for the Father to give up His dearly loved Son to a cross? What did it mean for the Holy Son of God to give Himself up to become our sin-bearer and be shut out from the love of the Father?Christians sometimes say something like this: “I know Jesus died for my sins, but I don’t feel that God loves me.” If that’s you, consider what God has done for you. Before He created the universe, God the Father had you in mind and planned for you in love. Before you were even born, God the Son took your flesh and lived a perfect life for you.Jesus went to the cross for you, and your sins were laid on Him as He entered into your hell. He was shut out from the Father’s love for you, and in the darkness He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was there on the cross for you… and you’re not sure if he really loves you?It is possible for you to see His love and learn to enjoy it. You ask, “How can I enjoy this?” Jesus is not on the cross now. He is risen and exalted to the right hand of the Father. His suffering is over. His triumph is complete.God’s righteous judgment for sin fell on Jesus—He absorbed it, drained it, exhausted it, and came through it. Here’s where you rejoice! Christ wasn’t overcome by hell. He triumphed over it, and He did this for you.How does knowing these things make you feel about God’s love for you?

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”Matthew 27:45-46The clearest revelation of hell is at the cross. Hell has six dimensions and Christ experienced all of them on the cross…1. Jesus was in conscious suffering. Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28), and Jesus entered into all of its pain—scourging, nailing, mocking—on the cross.2. Jesus was in blackest darkness. “From the sixth hour [noon] there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour [3:00 p.m.]” (Mat. 27:45). The sudden darkness tells us that Jesus was entering into the heart of His atoning work as our sin-bearer, drinking the cup of God’s wrath.3. Jesus was surrounded by demonic powers. “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2:15). Demonic powers were present at the cross, adding their venom to the human hatred poured out on Christ.4. Jesus was bearing sin. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.” To be our sin-bearer, Christ received in Himself the hell that our sins deserve.5. Jesus was under judgment. Jesus endured hell, because hell is the punishment for sin. God’s wrath was poured out on Him; He became the propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25).6. Jesus was separated from the knowledge of God’s love. The love that the Son had enjoyed with His Father for all eternity was now beyond His reach. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 says, “those who do not obey the gospel… will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”Hell is as real as the cross. Jesus entered all of hell’s dimensions on the cross, and He endured them so that you would never know what hell is like.Take in the wonder of what Jesus did on the cross!

...but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.John 19:25-27As Mary stood at the foot of the cross her heart must have been crying out, “My son, my son, my son…” And Jesus was saying, “You must no longer think of me as your son.”When Jesus said, “Woman, behold, your son,” He was saying, “From now on, John is to take that place in your life—regard him as your son.” Well then, how is she to regard Jesus? He is her Saviour and her Lord.When the angel told Mary about the son she would bear, she said, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:47). She had always looked to God as her Saviour, but how would He save her?Jesus went to the cross and laid down the life that He had drawn from Mary. His body was broken, His blood poured out. Mary’s son died, and in His death, He became her Saviour.Mary lost the love of a son who was taken from her in death; she gained the love of a Saviour whose death could never be taken away. She lost the joys of a son who had brought her happiness on earth; she gained the joys of a Saviour at whose right hand in heaven are pleasures for evermore. Mary gave Him life in the flesh for a time; He gave her life in the Spirit for ever.At the cross, Mary lost an irreplaceable son, and she gained an incomparable Saviour. Her gain was far greater than her loss.How would you describe the love of Jesus in these words of His from the cross?

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed.Luke 23:44-45This wasn’t an eclipse. An eclipse doesn’t last three hours. God turned off the light. The sudden darkness tells us something entirely new was happening.The darkness reminds us that the events that took place in these hours are beyond our understanding. But there are some things that we know, because God has told us…Christ bore our sins on the cross.He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6).Christ bore the punishment for our sins.Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace (Isa. 53:5). He [Christ] is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2).Christ was completely alone in His suffering.“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mat. 27:46). How could the Father plunge the Son, whom He loved, into these torments?There is a story about a young boy who regularly had to endure a very painful procedure. The boy’s father had to hold him down while the doctors performed the procedure. It was so difficult that when the boy screamed the father had to turn his face away.Perhaps that’s what it was like for God the Father as His Son went to the cross. While the Son He loved endured the cross, the Father momentarily turned His face away, and they did this for you.Can you worship as you think about the love of the Father and the Son for you that was displayed at the cross?

“Today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:43The thief on the cross went from being an unbeliever, to being a believer, to being in heaven in a single day. Jesus could do this for every Christian if He wanted to. Imagine what that would be like: Every conversion on a Sunday morning would lead to a funeral on Monday!Why doesn’t Jesus do that? Four out of five Christians will say, “He’s leaving us here to get us better prepared for heaven.” No. You are as ready for heaven on the day you commit to Christ as you will ever be. You get to heaven on the basis of your justification, not your sanctification.So why does He leave us here? There can only be one answer: He has work for us to do. Do you see that the only reason you are not in heaven, if you are a Christian believer, is that He has work for you to do?To those who die, Jesus says, “You will be with me.” To those who live, Jesus says, “I will be with you. I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” Do you see the love of Christ there?Have you made it your priority to carry out the work God has for you to do?