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A Broken Heart
Andrea Lende • July 3, 2020
John 19:33-34
A Broken Heart
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/A-Broken-Heart-eg996f
Daily Word:
John 19:33-34
“But when they came to Jesus and they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.”
“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came (flowed) out.”
The crucifixion of three men occurred on the day before the Sabbath.
It usually takes more than a day for someone die by crucifixion.
The Jewish people asked Pilate if the legs could be broken so that the men would die on that day and not linger into the Sabbath day.
The two men alongside Jesus were still alive and their legs were broken by the guards.
However, God was merciful with His Son, Jesus.
Jesus had already died by the time the soldiers came to break His legs.
One of them pierced His side, and blood and water came spilling out.
I have heard some pastors say that this occurrence was evidence of a broken heart.
I believe this to be true whether in somewhat of a parable form or in reality.
Jesus sweat drops of blood before He was taken to the cross.
He was feeling the all the burdens of sin in the world in that moment.
The burdens that He would blot out every sin – past, current, and future – by His sacrificial act on the cross.
I believe His heart did break on the cross.
It broke for each and every one of us.
It broke because He loves us so much.
His love for us goes far beyond what we can understand here in this earthly state.
His love led Him to cross.
I ask God to show me more of His love.
I desire to know more fully and experience more deeply the love of Christ.
As we seek, we find.
Today I choose to seek more, learn more, and experience more fully the love of our dear Savior.
May you find the love of Christ to be so powerful as to carry you through this life with resurrection power and strength.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for loving Your people so much that You gave it all to save every one of us. Thank You for Your painful and selfless sacrifice. Thank You for the purest and brightest love that You have for me. Thank You for living inside of me on this earth and for the promise of Your love for all eternity. How I long to be in Your presence in heaven. How I long to feel the warmth of Your love. May You permeate my soul today, Lord, so that I can have a glimpse of Your perfect love here on earth. May I sit in Your presence and drink of the well that never runs dry. Thank You for allowing me to come and be with You for a few precious moments today. Thank You, Lord, for all You do to bring me close to You. Keep me in Your care, Lord. Help me bless someone this day as You bless me. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I come to you, My child, and bring healing to your body and spirit.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.