DATE POSTED: Monday, April 29, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Luke 23:44-46

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: …By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As I meditated on this Scripture today, I envisioned what Hollywood movie producers must see before they could really build a movie set. Now, I realize that in no way did God build a movie scene for our entertainment through the amazing stories in His Word, especially considering that this story involved the crucifixion of His precious Son. But if by any chance you ever doubted the multitasking possibility of God, or His magnificent plan for man’s salvation, then it might behoove you to spend a little time reading this 23rd chapter of Luke. Think about it, God’s precious Son, Jesus, had gone through terrible abuse by men who had falsely accused Him. They insisted on crucifixion for an innocent man, whom their leaders could find no fault in, versus the death of a criminal imprisoned for murder. I’m sure that God was probably agonizing as He saw Jesus hanging on that cross, even if He was witnessing to the criminals who hung next to Him, and to the very crowd who were jeering at Him. God knew that the time was near for Jesus’ final breath, so He caused something to occur in alignment with something that was prophesied years before in Amos 8:9 – “In that day,” says the Sovereign LORD, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day. This was nothing like we recently witnessed with the eclipse, and most of you will remember the attention that received. Total darkness fell upon the earth, in the middle of the day, for three hours. One commentator said that ‘It wasn’t possible for the Son of God to be rejected and killed without it causing an ominous reaction from his creation.’ (Tony Evans Bible Commentary). I like that idea, but we must not lose sight that all this was coordinated and commanded by God Almighty – the only one with ultimate power over His creation. But wait, this also was in alignment with prophesies from long ago – for although in Exodus 26:33 we are given the reason for the curtain in the temple – to separate the people from the direct holiness of God, yet we know that God sent His Son so that all might be saved who call on Him as Lord and Savior of their life. With the death of Jesus on the cross, the need for the curtain became obsolete. Mankind could approach the Savior of the World one on one! So friends, I hope that you will see and understand the single most important purpose of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For it is only through believing and accepting the resurrected Lord as Savior of our life, that we become eligible for the holiness of heaven and our meeting with the triune God that lives there, for He will welcome us home where He abides, when life here on earth is finished. With all the prejudice of today’s world, it may be difficult to understand that Jesus did this for us all – all who call on Him as Lord and Savior to rule and reign in our lives until God calls us home! I can hardly wait dear friends, and I pray that each of you will make that call to accept the love and leadership of Jesus as your Lord and Savior also!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Jesus for willingly accepting the challenge presented to You by the Father, for it opened the door for us to seek forgiveness of our sin – the main obstacle that will keep us out of heaven. It seems like, as time goes on, modern churches seem to search for and enact what appears to be easier and more acceptable ways for the current generation to be excused from their blatant sin. But Lord, I believe that You are still God and will still refuse to allow sin to enter Your holy place. Sin is still disobedience to the laws and statutes outlined in Your Word. That doesn’t change to fit the many changes that the evil one brings into our world. There is still just one way for mankind to bridge that gap between earth and heaven. You shed Your blood, Lord Jesus, so that those who seek your forgiveness and accept You as Lord and Savior of their lives, will be washed by that shed blood and, through that cleansing, be accepted into heaven. Please continue to work in the hearts of those who have not sought forgiveness of sin. May all those who read this devotional today be found pure and clean before our holy God, so that we may rejoice together at Your feet for all eternity. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!