Lenten Lesson April 3

Today's Scriptures: Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38

The life and mission of Jesus were not some last minute idea on God's part. Right from the beginning, after the sin of Adam and Eve, God promised to overcome the forces of evil (Genesis 3:15). Then God called Abraham to father a people who would be ready to accept the divine gift of salvation. God freed them from their exile in Egypt and sent prophets to keep them aware of His divine plans for them. Everything that happened to them was somehow connected with the ultimate Servant, the One who was to come, the prophet like Moses. Even their rejection of the Servant when He came couldn't frustrate God's plans. Out of the Servant's suffering and death God brought about salvation for the whole world.

Our life is not some sort of chance happening either. God has plans for each of us and has had them since long before we were born. These plans may include suffering and uncertainty, but they are still God's plans. Like Jesus, each of us has a role to play and a cross to carry, but each of us is called to ultimate success. The Servant of the songs of Isaiah is Jesus but, because we are in Jesus, the Songs are also about us!