The Set Up: In his writing on emotional intelligence, author Daniel Goleman talks about the gap between what we expect and what we experience. As we navigate life, there are going to be many times that our expectations (what we hope for) and our experiences (what actually happens) are miles apart. Here’s what I know about me, and maybe about you too. When I don’t meet other people’s expectations, I tend to find an excuse or justification. But when other people don’t meet my expectations, I tend to question their character or their competence. I give myself a break while giving another person blame. It’s in my nature, but I am working on it. We can tend to take that same attitude when it comes to our need for a savior and what Christ has done for us.
The brilliant Bible scholar Mark Allen Powell did a study on who we identify ourselves as when we read Scripture. He found that pastors, teachers, and long-term Christians almost always identified as Jesus when reading the Bible. His conclusion? The more familiar we are with God’s word, the more we begin to think we are God.
While becoming like God is the goal, thinking we are Him is a trap from the enemy that disassociates us from our sinful nature and God’s amazing grace. As we dive into Friday, from midnight to crucifixion eve, don’t let the trap of relating to our merciful, gracious, self-sacrificing, life-giving Savior distract us from who we are in the story.
If we re-read Friday’s events in our rightful place, we see ourselves as betraying, overzealous, inattentive, vengeful, dishonest, arrogant, abusive, misleading, comfort-seeking, relationship denying, people-pleasing, lying, deflecting, murderous, easily swayed, sinful people. Starting to see why it’s easier to read as if we’re God?
Despite all of this, Jesus was willing to go to the cross and die for us, even while we were all the terrible adjectives above. Talk about amazing grace! When we’re in our rightful place, and Jesus is in His, we read Scripture with a clear revelation of God’s indescribable grace, and our desperate need for Him. It is in this space that we become more like Him without confusing who we are.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
Biblical Passage to Read: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Reflection Questions:
• Some people tend to blame themselves and give others grace, while some tend to give themselves grace and blame others. Which are you more likely to do?
• What does it mean to you that Jesus died on the cross for YOUR sins? How do you think you should respond to that?
• What is the aspect of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, punishment, and death do you think was the hardest? Why do you think that?
Prayer Focus: Jesus, the Scriptures tell us that God demonstrated his love for me in this way: while I was a sinner (an enemy of God) you gave your life for me. Thank you for the cross and for the gift of grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. Amen.