Today's Verse: Acts 2:23

Friday, February 23, 2024

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 Friday, February 23, 2024

A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
"Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, but God never will."
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
"O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help."
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
"While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees...."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have...."

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.