Daily Dose of Hope
September 24, 2025
Scripture – Luke 23
Prayer: Lord Jesus, We come before you this morning, thanking you for a new day. Lord, you are good and we rejoice in your holy and powerful name. As we begin our day, Lord, help us focus on you. Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on your Word and what you want us to learn today. We get so distracted and self-consumed. Forgive us for that, Lord. In these next few moments of silence, help us have laser focus on your voice... In Your Powerful Name, Amen.
Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we are deep diving into Luke 23.
Today, we start with Jesus before Pilate and Herod. Both Roman men believe that Jesus is innocent. Pilate actually tries to get the people to release Jesus, but the crowd is stirred up. They want blood. Jesus' innocence is not the point to them. They are looking for a way to get rid of this trouble-maker. And these men are not willing to stand up for what's right.
There was a man named Simon from Cyrene who was passing by and they forced him to carry the cross. Cyrene was on the tip of Africa so this man was far from home! And here he was, just going about his business, and he is enlisted, or more like seized, to carry the cross of the Savior of the world. I'm guessing that Jesus' physical body was incredibly weak and bloody by this point. And Simon walked by him, carrying the cross that would serve to execute Jesus but also save all humanity from their sin. We don't know what happened to Simon after the crucifixion. He isn't mentioned again in Scripture. But my guess is that his life was never the same again. An encounter with Jesus is always life-changing.
The text in which Jesus dies on the cross is called the Good Friday scripture. It may seem odd that we would call the day that Jesus was crucified and died "good." Apparently, the term came into common use in the 1200s because for us, it was a truly good day, as Jesus became the final sacrifice for all sin for all people for all time. As the full expression of God's love for us, Jesus voluntarily gave his life so that we could be reconciled to holy God. It is very much good.
There is a lot to be said about the crucifixion but I wanted to highlight something in particular. Right before Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle. This is the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holiest of Holies) where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God remained. When the curtain tore, it was a sign that the New Covenant was instituted. Because of Jesus' sacrifice (the final sacrifice for sin), those who believe in him can now go directly to the throne of God's grace. When holy God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but the blood of Christ. Thus, there are no more barriers that can separate us from God.
I'd like to close today with a prayer that is an adaptation of Hebrews 10:19-25:
Thank you, Lord, that we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Lord, help us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Vicki
