Jesus is worthy! The Father glorified His name above all others, Worthy is the Lamb! This morning may we pause and remember Jesus.
Jesus, our Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us, in our place, because of what we did. He atoned for our sins, making us right before the Lord by His blood.
The use of the word atonement fell out of favor among Believers, but this week, I’m going to meditate on the deep truths hidden in this beautiful word.
In a culture that is striving to be enough, I’m thankful to surrender to my Good Shepherd. In His compassion, He didn’t ask me to be enough for anything or any one. With His death on the cross, He declared to me that His atonement is enough. He made me at one with Himself and the Father.
Do you see it? Atone… at one… The suffix “ment” means concrete result, object, or agent of a (specified) action. The concrete result of Jesus’ at one ment is unity. He brought me into unity with the Father as Christ is unified with Him.
The fullness of this word gives the truth that we have sin to atone for, and God sent His Son to atone for our sins. Jesus gives us atonement, at oneness with the Father. Forgiveness, peace, unity, all of this propelling us forward in love for God and one another, so that the world will know.
Lately, every Bible study, worship song, and discussion runs to the Gospel. I am not enough. I am a flawed, frail, fragile, and fickle soul, who needs a Savior. In the arms of Christ, I find that I am deeply loved, valued, and desired. (Jesus picked me!) And as these truths break my heart of stone, I begin to see every soul I meet the same as me, deeply in need. Jesus wants them too.
Jesus picks them, they, that sort, those over there,
and He’s picked me to tell them about the atonement He offers.
May the Lord ready our feet with Gospel because Jesus is worthy. He loves every down and out, needy, awkward person that is flawed, frail, fragile, and fickle.
God Highly Exalted Him from Philippians 2:1-11
If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
If there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion
Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the
same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind,
let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the
interests of others.
Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus-
Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality
with God a thing to be grasped;
But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being
made in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the
name which is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that at the every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To God be the glory great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord!— To God be the Glory (hymn)
Flourishing Faith 