Daily Scripture - Apr 11

Scriptures:
“Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit."(Luke 23:46)

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23)


Psalm 31:1-8

Message:
As we stand at the foot of the cross and hear this final saying, we realize this is not any ordinary death. Jesus had earlier told us that he would not die at the hands of men but by his own obedient volition (John 10:17-18). For Jesus, death is no out-of-control enemy. No matter how bleak the moment, he knows his Father is present with Him and there to accept, protect, and will soon resurrect Him and so into God’s loving hands our Lord Christ entrusts His spirit. Jesus both trusts His redemption and glorification into the Father’s everlasting arms as well as knowing that the Father accepts and approves of Jesus’ whole earthly life.

These words have been called Jesus’ entrance-greeting to Heaven. Jesus, who had been with the Father in glory from eternity past, is going to step back into his full glory (John 17:5) in honor, power, and authority at the Father’s right hand. This amazing turning point in the earthly life of Christ and the pinnacle of all human history was actually visible: the sky turned an ominous black in the middle of the day and the heavy, thick temple curtain was torn in two (the new reality in the heavens and on earth that the sacrificial system of the temple was at a close). A new era had begun.

It is here through Jesus’ cross-work that we are both drawn to Christ and redeemed before our Father. At this moment our Lord Jesus is restored to His full glory and we are given the chance to enter into that glory, into the very presence of God. As the temple curtain that had separated mankind from the holy of holies is removed, so too is the separation between our lives and God’s presence through Jesus Christ’s final sacrifice and imparted righteousness. We have the confidence to enter the holy presence of God by the blood of Jesus.

Meditation:
Paul said in II Timothy 1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day." Meditate on the absolute security you have in Christ’s salvation and imparted righteousness. Think too on the fact that you can now confidently enter into the holiest of holies, standing before the Lord with no condemnation -- all because of the new and living way Christ has opened up (Hebrews 10:19-23)! This news is not too good to be true but the wondrous gospel that now you have no obstacle stopping you from coming to the Father. Nothing can tear you away from God’s love, nothing can forfeit Christ’s redemption, and nothing can ever steal away the Spirit’s presence in your life. If this is true, think about the spectacular security, intimacy, and fellowship with God that is yours today and for eternity.

What we can do:
Jesus here quotes from Psalm 31, when David in distress expressed full confidence in the Lord’s deliverance. Today pray Jesus’ words as the truth of your salvation and ask the Lord to ground your trust in His deliverance from any overwhelming distress you’re suffering in your career, marriage, family, friendships, finances, and relationship with God.

Ask the Spirit to examine your heart today--is your trust primarily and exclusively in God? Psalm 31 contrasts entrusting our lives to God with trusting in idols. Spend 3-5 minutes before God, asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you are putting your security in things other than Christ. If yes, then humbly ask the Holy Spirit to turn your heart to trust fully in Christ.


Draw near to God knowing Jesus’ blood has paid it all. No guilt or shame should keep you from the sweet fellowship of the Father as most assuredly Jesus cleansed you from sin in His death on the cross. Is anything disturbing your faith, any sin hindering you from drawing near to God, or any evil troubling your conscience today? Christ is faithful to forgive you today, washing you clean, so that you might draw near to God with a pure heart.

Song: Take Me In (To the Holy of Holies)


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經文：
“父啊，我將我的靈交在你手裡”（路 23:46）

“我父愛我，因我將命捨去，好再取回來。 沒有人奪我的命去，是我自己捨的。我有權柄捨了，也有權柄取回來，這是我從我父所受的命令。”（約10:17-18)
19 弟兄們，我們既因耶穌的血得以坦然進入至聖所， 20 是藉著祂給我們開了一條又新又活的路，從幔子經過，這幔子就是祂的身體； 21 又有一位大祭司治理 神的家，22 並我們心中天良的虧欠已經灑去，身體用清水洗淨了，就當存著誠心和充足的信心來到 神面前。 23 也要堅守我們所承認的指望，不致搖動，因為那應許我們的是信實的。(來10：19-23)

詩篇：31:1-8

信息分享：
當我們在十架前靜默思想耶穌這最後一句話時，會發現祂的死非同尋常。耶穌之前告訴我們說，沒有人能奪去祂的命，除非是祂自己因著順服願意捨命(約10:17-18)。對耶穌而言，死亡並非祂對仇敵無能為力。不管當時環境看似多麼得令人絕望，祂都清楚地知道天父與祂同在，要接受祂，保守祂，並且很快就會叫祂從死裡復活，祂因此將靈魂交付在天父慈愛的手中。耶穌相信自己的救贖和頌讚都在天父永恆的懷抱中，而且祂也知道天父接納並讚許祂整個在世界上的生命。

這句話被認為是耶穌在進入天堂之際的開場白。從亙古就與父神同享榮耀的耶穌，終於要重新回到祂完全的榮耀中，滿有尊貴、能力、和權柄，並且坐在天父的右邊 (約17:5)。耶穌在世間生命的拐點，全人類歷史的偉大巔峰，是真實可見的：午正時日頭變黑，遍地黑暗，殿裡那厚重的幔子從當中裂為兩半。對猶太人而言，這預兆著一個全新屬靈時代的開始，也意味著在殿中獻祭時代的終結。一個新的時代來臨了。

因著耶穌在十架上的工作，我們被祂吸引和救贖，得以來到父 神面前。耶穌現在在祂完全的榮耀中與 父神合一，如今我們也可以進入這榮耀，享受 神的同在。隨著殿內幔子的裂開，人與至聖所之間不再有阻隔。藉著耶穌完美的贖罪祭，我們與 神同在的阻隔被永遠除去了，因為耶穌自己成了我們的公義。我們得以坦然無懼地進入 神榮耀的同在皆因主耶穌的寶血。

默思：
保羅在提摩太後書1章12節說：“因為知道我所信的是誰，也深信祂能保全我所交付祂的，直到那日”。思想你在基督裡對救贖絕對的把握，與加在你身上的義。同時，思想這個事實：如今你可以坦然無懼地進入至聖所，並且毫無指摘地站在 神的面前，皆因耶穌基督開了一條又新又活的路 （來 10：19-23）。沒有任何東西可以讓你與 神的愛隔絕，或讓你喪失基督的救贖，也沒有任何東西可以奪取你生活中聖靈的同在。如果這一切都是真的，請思想一下這麼偉大的保障、與 神的親密和友誼今天都屬於你，而且也將永遠屬於你。

我們能做什麼：
耶穌在這裡引用了詩篇31篇中，大衛在極大的痛苦裡對 神拯救充滿信心的宣告。今天，以耶穌的話為救恩的保障，向 神禱告，並求祂將你的信心建立在祂的拯救之上，使你無論經歷何等的難處(工作，婚姻，家庭，友情，財務，與神的關係)，都可以憑信心把自己放在 神的手中，經歷祂的拯救。


求聖靈來鑒察你的心，看你是否單單相信祂。詩篇31章中對比了我們將自己交託給 神和交託給偶像的不同。花三到五分鐘，在 神面前求聖靈光照，看看我是否將自己的心、希望、安全感放在基督以外的事情上？若有，懇求聖靈幫助我們轉向主。


就近 神並明白耶穌的寶血已付清了一切。沒有罪疚感或羞恥感能隔絕你和 神之間的親密友誼。最確實的是因著祂在十字架上受死，耶穌已經潔淨了你的罪。今天，還有什麼事來攪擾你的信心嗎？還有什麼罪攔阻你使你不能親近 神嗎？或者還有什麼罪惡使你的良心虧欠嗎？信實的耶穌今天要原諒你，要洗淨你的罪，使你可以以一顆清潔的心來就近 神。

詩歌： H136 耶穌基督親愛救主, Take Me In (To the Holy of Holies)