The following blog was one I wrote for the Red Letter Blog from Cornerstone Fellowship. Currently Pastor Steve Madsen is teaching through a series called "The Red Letter Edition", so far it has been amazing teaching. I encourage you to check it out online at www.cornerstoneweb.org, you can also find study aids and daily devotionals to supplement Sundays' message. I will be writing for the Red Letter Blog from time to time.
Luv Ya,
Babbles
'Into the River'
'Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.'
-Matthew 3:13
As Jesus went down into the filthy waters of the Jordan River, I am reminded of the tree that Moses dipped into the bitter waters at Marah*, to turn it into something that was sweet and drinkable for the children of Israel. As the tree miraculously absorbed the bitterness of the water, Jesus would also absorb the bitterness and penalty of our sin and take it upon himself by his death on a Tree.
The act of Jesus taking the bitterness and the penalty of our sin is something that he alone can do. If we do not accept this gift, we will labor and strive in vain to accomplish what we cannot. We cannot save ourselves; we cannot make holy that which is unholy.
Christ is the only path to holiness. Through Adam, we received the heredity of sin which leads to death, but through Jesus, we can receive the gift of life. We trade our lives for his and Jesus becomes our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21.)
Christ not only deals with sin once and for all at the cross, but he also sweetens the bitterness of life, and absorbs the sting of our sin. He has stepped into the river with sinners like us so that he could lead us out and into the the abundant life that God intended for us (John 10:10.)
How about you?
Are there parts of this week that have been lived out of human effort, instead of Christ's work?
Is there bitterness that needs to be brought to the Cross?
