With smiles on their faces and exuberant expectation, the crowds waved the palm branches shouting, “Hosanna” which literally means, “Save Please!” (Matt 21) and then, just a while later, that same crowd would scream, “Crucify Him!”
And we question, how could they so quickly change?
How could they question the famous one, the Miracle Maker, who had walked on water, healed the sick, and raised the dead?
Yet, have we not questioned as well?
We look at The Cross – and reason, “It doesn’t make sense. “
It’s an absurd trade really.
Life for Death.
Jesus’ death so I can live.
Surely, there must be more required?
Who would make such a deal? Certainly, not a King who had everything and needed nothing.
Would He come for the world?
Would He come for ME?
Would He come in this way? …not as a Conquering King, but as a suffering servant?
The thought of such a simple solution: a magnificent exchange-the blood of the perfect One, the Son of the Living God, Jesus’ blood for all of my deep, dark, even secret, ugly sins (past, present and future) seems, well, illogical and unfair. … Not enough.
Shouldn’t there be more required?
Can it possibly be THAT free?
We may not say it aloud, but many of us have reasoned in our minds and deep down hang on to the belief that we have to keep trying harder, striving to reach a finish line we have already been carried across.
So many of us—both those standing outside and those sitting on the church pews all our lives—have heard the simplicity of the gospel and figuratively, and sometimes literally, walked away deciding there must be more required.
We reason, “Jesus’ blood PLUS my good works, my controlled moral behavior,
my ‘try harder’… that then, could equal forgiveness.”
Yet, is this belief not the most selfish and conceited affront to the love offered by our Savior?
Aren’t we putting ourselves on a pedestal higher than the Savior and selfishly saying by our focus on our behavior, “We deserve it and we can earn it…what Jesus did isn’t really enough”?
Others of us walk away in defeat after blowing it time and time again—too ashamed to look once again at the Savior after failing again to that addiction, that struggle, that thing we just can’t seem to overcome.
Yet, there is only one way to come to the Cross and receive it in truth.
We have to come to the Cross helpless.
Helpless.
Helpless, at the end of ourselves and our good works, knowing our sin and our failures, thoroughly convinced we have nothing to offer.
NOTHING….nothing to equal His amazing, free gift.
It is both deeply humbling and incredibly freeing to admit Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves, what we cannot find for ourselves, what we cannot earn for ourselves.
Jesus has paid for our sins once and for ALL.
It is finished means: it really is finished.
FINISHED.
In HIM.
Not in us.
Never in us.
This changes everything.
Oh friend, can you fathom this illogical, wonderful truth? Can you believe it and receive it?
Once we come to the end of ourselves and helplessly run to His arms shouting, “I can’t do it. I can’t earn it. I need You Jesus”…. we find soul rest, no longer working, no longer trying harder for our salvation.
We find we can’t help but to really LOVE Him, to really celebrate Him, and we want to shout to all who will listen, “The Cross is grace more amazing than we can ever fathom! Jesus really did pay it ALL! All to Him I really do owe.”
And it is in this incredible, unfathomable, life-giving truth that we can truly celebrate the Savior as we soon turn our eyes, this fast approaching Christmas, to His coming to earth as a baby.
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Rom 8:32
Oh, Hosanna!
Save Please!
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ps. I covet your prayers as I prepare to speak this Friday and Saturday. May my lips tell of His goodness.
Kim Jaggers Ministry 
Thank you for today’s devotional. I seem to struggle with the “is that all there is?” question more as I grow older. I have believed since a child & never questioned my salvation but now it is like Satan has put it in my mind to keep it constantly there even though I have prayed for God to make me confident of my decision as a 9 year old. I am one that wants a piece of paper similar to a “ticket to heaven” that verifies my “guarantee” of going & arriving when my time comes. When I do sense a confidence after re-examining my saving experience & feel God is telling me that I should no longer dwell on it that HE has paid my “fare”, if you will, it still comes back to put that little small doubt in my mind. I ask that you remember me & maybe others that have similar struggles of doubt often asking, “Is this the devil trying to rob me of the pleasure of my salvation or is it God telling me that perhaps I never was saved which I find hard to believe yet want to be so sure.” I appreciate being able to write this out & your prayers that I can find “joy” in assuredness of my salvation.
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May God give you peace in this. I’d encourage you to talk with a pastor. It might help you to have this conversation aloud. The enemy certainly wants to rob you of the joy of the surrender of your life to the Lordship of Jesus. I’ll pray right now for you to remember and walk in the miracle of your salvation. May the Word bring you peace as you seek the Lord daily through it. Thank you for sharing this with me.
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Thank you Kim….I so appreciate your prayer. I have thought of talking with our pastor but feel such an embarrassment over this that I kept thinking God would somehow step in and make this clear to me once and for all. But when that tad of confidence comes, I continue to question instead of adhering to the confidence. Thank you again for your response & suggestion.
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Let me assure you that what you are feeling is VERY common. In fact, I think the Lord will use this in your life to help you help others. I think talking to a pastor will help you bring these doubts to light, address them and bring great peace in this for you. I’ll keep praying
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Thank you!! 🙏❤️
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