The Lord Jesus knows what it’s like to live in this world, to be hungry and cold, to lack what you think you might need, to face an uncertain future, to have relationships fail and people abandon you, to be beaten and tortured. In fact, He also experienced something believers will never experience: He was abandoned by God as He hung on that cross (Matthew 27:46) to pay the penalty for our sins. (God will never abandon us.)
There’s no denying that this life is difficult. We can try with all our might but then life comes crashing in, ruins our best laid plans, heaps pain upon pain, and we find that we are again struggling simply to survive. When hard times and disasters occur, many lay the blame on God. And yet, we are told clearly in scripture that God isn’t the author of the awful:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).
God cannot do evil because God cannot be evil. And He proved that in the way that He provided us salvation.
The Lord Jesus could have paid the price of our sin in a multitude of ways. He could have simply appeared on the earth in human form, been crucified, and gone Home. Done in 24 hours. But He didn’t do that. Instead He came to earth as an embryo, implanted into the body of a teen mother, struggling for nine months developing in the flesh, birthed, lived, and then died so that He could fully experience and empathize with the human condition. He even experienced temptation and struggle against the powers of evil . . . and overcame.
We can enter the throne room of the most High God, not because we are worthy to enter, but because the Lord Jesus Himself understands our plight and has provided access that we might receive mercy (forgiveness for our sinfulness) and find grace (God’s provision and power) to help us in our time of need (which is all the time). We have access to the resources of the universe including comfort, hope, and the power of the Holy Spirit for each and every situation in our lives.
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Why? Because the Lord Jesus is our High Priest who empathizes with us at every turn and in every way and who has provided access to God’s throne of grace. We can enter with confidence and we do so through prayer. Let’s learn how to pray continually that we might receive mercy and find grace.
© 2017 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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