Last Sunday
There is a chapter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that etched itself in my memory from childhood. It is the scene where Aslan voluntarily gives himself over to a horde of grotesque, vile creatures as a substitute for Edmund. The injustice, horror, and the ultimate beauty of this scene is haunting to me, even today. Similarly, Jesus’ arrest in John 18:1-12 is a scene charged with emotions. Jesus, truly human and truly God, voluntarily gave himself up to arrest, to be dealt with like a criminal. Jesus would become the substitute and wrath-taker for a world condemned in sin. Jesus willingly took our place in judgement and condemnation. He was led away by soldiers to death, so that we could be led into the presence of the Father. This scene in John 18 is an emotional roller coaster. As we continue through this new series in John, let’s not forget that Jesus, the God-man, voluntarily gave himself for us as our substitute, wrath-taker. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Praise God!
God Loves You!
He does! But God’s love can be hard to understand in a world broken by sin. Invite a friend and join fellow church members at this two-day conference. We will hear from some of the top teachers alive today about the doctrine of God’s love. April 27-28 at Trinity Bible Church. Register here and use the code TGCAZ15 for an unbeatable price of $15/tickets. See you there!
Your brother in Christ,
Andy
