Daily Devotional
"This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.""
Matthew 8:17
In Capernaum, he carried illnesses. In Jerusalem he carried what lies underneath every illness and every grief: our sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree… By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; see Matthew 20:28). Then he said, “It is finished,” and on Sunday morning the King who served us all the way to death rose from the grave.
So what sort of man is this? He is the King who is willing. He is the King who sets the table and invites the guests. And he is the King who never stops serving us. For everyone who belongs to Christ, this is the good news: you are not serving a tired king. You were seen before you asked, raised when you were dead, and set on your feet to serve him with strength he supplies. Verse 15 is the whole Christian life in one sentence. He comes in, he takes us by the hand, he raises us up, and we spend the rest of our days serving the King who never stops serving us.
Today's Challenge
Looking back over this week, which picture of Jesus has met you most deeply: the one who sees, the one who raises, the one who never runs dry, or the one who bore your sin? What is one concrete way you will rise and serve him next week, out of his strength rather than your own?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the King who never stops serving. You served on the longest day in Capernaum, and you served all the way to the cross for me. Thank you that you bore not only my griefs but my sin, and that by your wounds I am healed. Raise me up again, fill my cup, and send me out to serve you gladly in my home, my church, and this city. In Jesus' name, Amen.
