Disciplines From the Cross: A Holy Week DevotionalSample

Purpose

Today we are going to focus on John 19:30, where Jesus said, "It is finished." In Greek, it’s "tetelestai"—paid in full. Jesus was clear from the beginning. He knew his mission: to give his life as a ransom. He says, "I have come that they might have life. I have come to do the Father's will," and so on. Like a flint, Christ set his eyes on the cross, and he made it to the end of his mission. He finished it. He went all the way. He paid every last sin off. He didn't waver. He didn't wince. He didn't pull back. He didn't say, "That's enough; I can’t take any more." He paid every last sin off to the point where there's not a sin left that needs to be paid. He appeased the anger of God. He went all the way, and he finished it, having incurred the complete wrath of God for all humanity, for all sin, for all time. He declared that the payment was done in full, never to be punished again because God doesn't punish the same sin twice. Christ's purpose was to die for us. Our purpose must be to live for Him. So what we can aim for is to finish, to finish well and obediently, like Christ did.

My brothers and sisters, my friends, running the race, running well, finishing well—they all involve knowing the end goal. It requires crystal-clear clarity of purpose. That's what living for Christ means: seeking, knowing, and reviewing the purposes of God daily. Lord, what is your purpose for my day? Lord, what is the purpose for this relationship? Lord, what is the purpose of my life? Lord, this month, what do you want me to work on? What is your purpose for this situation? What is the purpose for being broke? What is the purpose for having much? Lord, what are you taking me through?

And why do you have to remind yourself of this constantly? If you're going to finish well like Jesus, you need to ensure that your day’s agenda aligns with the purpose God has for your life. If it's not the purpose of your day, it isn't the purpose of your life. You can't say this is the purpose of my life, and your day does not align with it. So, let's make it a habit to review God's purpose every day and align our day and set daily priorities. It is finished. I have done what God wanted me to do. I have done what God purposed for my life to do. We could do a whole lot of other things, and you can Instagram all your accomplishments, but if you haven't done what God called you to do, you have not run the race; you have not finished the race set before you. Jesus’ job, his goal, his purpose was to pay off our sin, and he paid off every last debt. His job was to die for us. If our job is to live for him, then we must seek Him to find what purpose he wants us to live for, so that we can run that race that He has set before us.

Does your agenda for the day align with the agenda for your life? And does that align with the purposes of God?

Prayer

Our Father, I pray that you will give us the clarity of purpose in our life. Help us seek you and find out what it is you have in store for us. Give us the courage it takes to live our lives for you and the purpose that was set before us. Help us to be able to be obedient even to the toughest of tasks, like Jesus did. In Christ's name, I pray, Amen.