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Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Gamble
There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be
killed. Jesus and the two criminals were led to a place
called "The Skull." There the soldiers nailed Jesus to his
cross. They also nailed the criminals to their crosses. They
put one criminal beside Jesus on the right, and they put the
other criminal beside Jesus on the left. Jesus said, "Father,
forgive these people {that are killing me}. They don't know
what they are doing." The soldiers gambled with dice to
decide who would get Jesus' clothes.
-- Luke 23:32-34 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The obvious gamble in this story occurs with the soldiers trying to win
a game of chance and get the clothes of the crucified Jesus. In another
sense, however, three other implicit "gambles" take place in this
passage. First, the "gamble" made by the crowd, epitomized by
crucifying Jesus between two criminals -- that Jesus is not the Son of
God, but a criminal worthy of crucifixion. Second, the "gamble" of
Jesus, epitomized by Jesus' words of forgiveness toward those who hate
him and kill him -- that his sacrificial and forgiving death would
somehow touch our hearts and win us to himself. Third, what we do with
this story is our "gamble." Do we believe that Jesus is God's Son, our
Savior, God's Messiah, and our Lord? If we do, then we will base the
rest of our life on this conviction. But having heard this story,
having been brought to the Cross of Jesus, we are forced to make a
choice; we are forced to "gamble" our life on either following Jesus or
rejecting him. There is no middle ground.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, I believe that your love and grace have been powerfully
demonstrated by Jesus' death on the Cross. I gladly entrust my life to
this love and grace, believing that Jesus is your Son, the Messiah of
Israel's hopes, my Savior, and the Lord of all. I do not consider the
investment of my life in this story to be a gamble, but the basis of my
confident hope for a bright future with you. In Jesus' name I offer my
thanks and praise for this indescribable gift. Amen.
>> NEW: Phil's What Jesus Did devotional is now
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>> The WJD! web page has related scriptures and the
>> full text of today's key passage. Read it at:
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/1220-wjd.html
>> For further study of today's passage, use our
>> online Bible study site: SearchGodsWord.org!
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Luke+23:32-34&sr=1&t=erv
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