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[expand title=”Devotion Text”]John 19:25-27
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother . . . When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”
It was a long way from Nazareth to that Bethlehem stable, especially for a woman in the last days of her pregnancy. No doubt she had to withstand the rough terrain on the seventy-mile trip. When they arrived, every room was occupied. They could secure only a cave where animals were kept. It was not the best place to birth a child, but by that point, Mary could not be picky. It was warm and dry. There in the cave, the baby was born. What emotions did she feel that night? Surely there were tears of joy and a deep sense of amazement. She was a virgin holding her baby! She felt the little heart beating against her chest and a mysterious wonder beating in her heart.
It was a long way from that Bethlehem stable to the cross. Most mothers could not bear watching a son be crucified, but Mary could not leave. She longed to hold Him. She longed to wipe His bloodied face. She longed to comfort her son, but He was beyond her reach. She cried tears of agony. Her son was on a cross. She watched His chest expand as He labored to breathe. She felt a crushing pain in her heart. Finally, mercifully, the end came.
It was a long way from heaven to the cross. But there hung God in the flesh. Beaten. Spit upon. Mocked. Flogged. Stripped. Crucified. A “kingly crown” of thorns mockingly thrust onto His head. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to that awful death in order to pay sin’s penalty. But death could not keep Him there. The resurrected Lord brings His cross-work to meet you wherever you are. Rich…and empty. Poor…and needy. Successful…and searching. Fallen…and struggling to get up. Jesus meets you where you are and carries you all the way to eternity.
If you have not trusted in the completed work of Jesus, please pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I cannot imagine the pain of the cross. But I know You died there for me. I am sorry for my sins. Thank You for paying the penalty for them. I seek Your forgiveness. I want to stand clean before You. I trust in You as the risen Savior. Thank You for accepting me as Your child. In Your name I pray. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, please let us know. Email us at prayer@ronmoore.org.
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