April 2 | Matthew 27:40

“and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and in three days rebuild it, save Your self – if you are God’s Son, come down from the Cross.”” (Matthew 27:40)

Did you ever so thoroughly misunderstand something that you weren’t even close to how it worked or what it did? We have all been there. It’s amazing to me that Jesus’s enemies, the Jewish religious leaders, so misunderstand what it meant to be the Son of God and the Messiah.

These leaders know the Old Testament better than anyone. Perhaps they made the Messiah what they wanted, a conquering king who got rid of the Romans. Sometimes we do this, use a verse or passage to say what we want it to say rather than what it really says. They wanted the Messiah to fit their situation, to be the conquering king who would get rid of the Romans.

Jesus is a conquering king. But He is a different conqueror. Jesus did not come to save the Jews from the Roman Empire. He came to inaugurate God’s Kingdom and save us from sin. I argue that was a harder task than getting rid of the Romans. But the religious leaders couldn’t see it.

Other times, we don’t realize who Jesus is and what He wants to do in you? The religious leaders thought Jesus as the Son of God had the power to take Himself off the Cross. But He went on the Cross to save you, not Himself. His power does what we don’t see, more powerful than we can imagine.

Action Step: Think of what the Son of God is doing for you. What have you misunderstood about who Jesus is and what He aims to do for you?

Lord Jesus, thank you for what You are doing for me. I often misunderstand Your power and Your sovereignty in my life. Help me to stop demanding You do what I want you to do and start seeing Your power at work in me for Your purposes and plan.