Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” They went, found things as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
Luke 22:11-13 (WEB)
Seed Basket’s devotion for today is going to hopefully help you get a new perspective of God’s plan concerning Calvary. The Upper Room is a great place to begin our study.
Do you see what Jesus was doing in the key verse above?
To begin with, He was obediently implementing the eternal plan of His Father, God.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
John 4:34
Unfortunately, many professing Christians believe that we were the sole reason for the crucifixion.
We were the soul reason for the cross. But Jesus’ choice to obey His Father was top priority.
Do you believe that? How do you know? Are your beliefs about God simply words you’ve heard your pastor teach from scripture?
Read God’s Word for yourself so you don’t have to simply rely on other fallible human beings.
We are going to come back to this thought further in the devotion today.
For now, let’s look at how Jesus’ journey to Calvary took Him to the Upper Room.
The upper room was part of God’s plan from the beginning.
“Jesus…obedient to the point of death on the cross.”
Jesus may have obtained access to the upper room through a miracle, or the owner may have already become His follower.
Regardless of why this room was chosen, Jesus’ involvement with the homeowner makes perfect sense.
Jesus obediently left Heaven to engage with people — to save lost sinners. He included people in His ministry.
We don’t know the homeowner or anything about that person, but God knows, and that is all that matters.
God planned each and every step that Jesus took. Jesus chose to obey.
That brings us back to our initial thought: the primary reason why Jesus was even on the journey to Calvary.
I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge.
and my judgment is righteous,
because I don’t seek my own will,
but the will of my Father who sent me.
John 5:30 (WEB)
Sometimes it is very hard for us to grasp the relationship between God and His Son. This is an equal relationship. This is a relationship of perfect oneness.
The only time they were apart was when the Father poured His holy wrath and punishment for our sin onto His dear Son.
John 5:30 above, shows Jesus’ life on earth was still in complete harmony with the Father.
Yet, Jesus was fully God and fully man, condemned to wear my sin and yours.
How could this be?
Why would Jesus die for me?
“For God so loved…”
And Jesus endured Calvary, not because He wanted to.
Jesus could not ever want that.
He could never want to be made sinful. After all, sin was against God. Sin is hateful and the antithesis of God’s righteousness and love.
We just can’t know the agony of the sacrifice. It wasn’t just mistreatment and abuse. It wasn’t simply cold, gripping fear of pain and death.
It was stepping in to take upon His holy Self the putrid nature of our hearts. He became sin for you and me. But He could never want to endure our filth poured out upon Him and the rejection of His Father.
Do you see how Christs’ obedience, even in the small matter of obtaining the upper room, was important to the Savior?
Obedience to God in everything, first.
Now do you see the order of Christs’ sacrifice?
Sacrifice to honor, obey and love God.
Then-
Sacrifice to love and save mankind.
Jesus loved you and me so much that He wanted us to know the perfection of God’s love.
In His High Priestly prayer, Jesus clearly conveys His desire to honor God, and His desire to keep you and me in perfect oneness with Himself and Abba.
I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.
Now, Father, glorify me with your own self
with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.
I made known to them your name and will make it known;
that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17:4, 5 & 26
Do you love Jesus? Then serve Him. Share what you know with people in your world.
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 