24 Jul W3 | A Passion for Christ

Posted at 02:50h in September, Topics 2024 by

REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES

Luke 22:42-44 | “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (NIV)

John 10:28-29 | I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (NIV)

 

OBJECTIVE

To understand the right response to Christ’s suffering and how that passionate faith leads us to bear the gift of eternal life.

CONTENT

THE PASSION FOR CHRIST

  • Although the word “passion” is usually associated with a sense of strong emotion, it has its roots from the Latin word pati, which means “to suffer” or “to endure.” Jesus’ crucifixion originates from His intense, perfect love towards us all (John 3:16). He initiates the gesture (1 John 4:19) by carrying our souls through in the flesh, even beyond humanity’s soul-enslaving fear of death (Heb 2:15).
  • God isn’t merely interested in us--He came down on purpose, rather than out of passionate feelings for us. When He rose from the grave, He paved the way for us to face daily deaths (1 Cor 15:31). This means we sweat out the same drops of blood in Gethsemane as we boast in our sufferings (Luk 22:44, Rom 5:3). In addition, the Spirit was sent to help us arm ourselves with the same passion to see the will of God come through in our lives (1 Peter 4:1-2).
  • As Christ’s followers, we should no longer react to pain and suffering with “fits of passion”. Rather, we should be finding ourselves healed and continually sanctified in the Spirit by His crucified wounds (Isa 53:5).

OVERCOMING DEATH: FRUITFUL FEATS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN

  • Following Christ means we have to go through suffering (1 Pet 4:1-2). As long as we’re living on earth, we’re constantly afflicted by the evil desires of the flesh, which goes in total opposite of the will of the Holy Spirit. Yet, lavished by His gift of interminable grace through faith, we are made capable of bearing the hope of eternal life for ourselves and for the people around us. Instead of running the rat race of escaping death in this earthly fashion, we can “die” daily in His love and emerge out of it like the good fruit that He has called us to be.
  • The grand gesture on the cross shows how passionate Jesus is about us--how He yearns for us eternally in spite of the great ordeal He has to go through to atone for our sins. Thus, He gave up his momentary will to escape the Father’s will (Luk 22:42), knowing the greater good will never perish as He endured the shedding of His blood down to the very last drop.
  • Yet, He is risen. Death is merely an antecedence to His resurrection. It is through His marked passion that we gain eternal redemption--that if we only put our trust in Him and persevere through the earthly trials, we become capable of demonstrating the same sacrificial love towards others. The question is, are we willing to suffer similar heights in response to Christ’s triumphant passion?

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • How has your “passion” differed when you first encounter God and now that you’ve followed Him for some time?
  • How has God helped you endure through your afflictions in the past? Have you discovered God’s purpose behind that particular situation?

REFERENCES