CHRIST CAME FOR ALL Намуна

We recently hosted my 10 and 12-year-old niece and nephew, and one thing we did each morning was read a short devotional from Pastor Rick’s storybook Bible called “God’s Big Plans for Me.” 

In the season we find ourselves in as a society there is a lot of talk about the current pandemic we are facing and the challenges, fears, and concerns that come along with it. Because of that, I wanted the breakfast table to be a place of peace — no talk about COVID-19. We had the best conversations, including talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

I often take my core beliefs for granted or don’t really have the opportunity to break them down into bite-sized, understandable pieces. So explaining these things to someone who’s younger and coming into their own understanding of faith was a great faith-stretching exercise for me. As we talked about the events near the end of Jesus’ life, I began to remember just how grand, how miraculous, and how powerful these core beliefs that we hold as a Christian people are. What a treasure we hold as believers of Jesus! We know the one who is who He says He is and has the power to do what He says He will do — including conquering death itself! 

The most beautiful thing about all of this is that He didn’t stop there. He didn’t just do it for the disciples and the people who were alive in that day. Jesus came to earth, died, and resurrected for every single person on the planet, from generation to generation. He had eternity on His heart — all of mankind from beginning to end. When Jesus promised His disciples He would take on death itself and be beaten for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, He was promising us that He would do this for our freedom and the freedom for everyone who would believe in Him — regardless of age, economic status, or family of origin. 

To the young, to the old 

Christ, You came for all

To the rich, to the poor 

Christ, You came for all

To the ends of the earth

for the whole world 

Christ, You came for all

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus, that You are the way, the truth, the life, in whom I can put my whole trust. Thank you for keeping your promises and for dying and resurrecting for me. I believe You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe you came to Earth, put on flesh, and became familiar with my weakness — beaten and bruised for my transgressions and iniquities, crucified and resurrected, and living today! Will you show me how to share this treasure and truth that I hold in my heart to the people you’ve put in my world, including my family and the young people in my life whose faith is being formed? I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.