Today's Verse: Acts 2:23

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Your Support Matters!

Your donations are vital to help us keep the light shining.

 Donate Now
"[Jesus] was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."
— Acts 2:23
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When we think of the Cross, we must never associate the words "tragic accident" with it. In this message at the first Pentecost following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, Peter insisted that two separate streams of power converged at the Cross.
  1. Evil had its way and brought the Son of God to the Cross through the work of evil men.
  2. God purposed and planned the evil intentions behind Jesus' crucifixion would become his way of redeeming, cleansing, and saving us.
The Cross was no accident. What the forces hell had intended as our ultimate defeat, God used to bring us redemption and triumph. The best and worst of all things collided. Of course, the Cross wasn't the final answer in this battle; the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus were. We are the victorious recipients of this grace, paid at such an agonizing cost and administered cruelly by our greatest adversary. Yet God purposed the cross to secure our salvation through Jesus' triumph over the grave.

My Prayer...

Holy God, thank you for having a plan for us, to forgive our sins and secure our future with you. Thank you for paying the price for that plan to work. Thank you for triumphing over hell's wickedness and the work of evil people. We love you for all you are and all you have done for us in Jesus, the cross, and the empty tomb. We pray in our Savior's mighty name. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, February 23, 2012

What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Unforgivable' (Mk. 3:28-30)
"[Jesus said,] "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is...."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Mark 10:21
"You have not the making of your own cross, although unbelief is a master carpenter at cross-making; neither are you permitted to choose your own..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Proverbs 24:14
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Danger! Danger!' (2 Co. 11:3-4)
"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For...."

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 2:23 — "[Jesus] was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

More Today's Verse