Out of the Heavens: May 5th devotional

Out of the Heavens

John 6:38-40

May 5th Devotional

      The space race of the 1950s was dominated by the Soviets. In 1957 the Soviet government launched the satellite Sputnik into space and in 1961 the Soviets successfully launched Yuri Gagarin into space, making him the first person in space. The Americans quickly found themselves woefully behind the Soviets and felt pressed to respond. The Americans created a team of Astronauts called the Mercury Seven. These seven men were dedicated to going to places where man had not gone before. Two men stood out, John Glenn and Alan Shepard. Shepard performed excellently after over 120 simulated flights and was chosen to lead Project Mercury to go into space. Sadly though the flight endured 5 cancellations and postponements. If the cancellations did not happen Shepard would have been the first man in space. On this day of May 5th, 1961 Shepard sat in his Freedom Seven space capsule. This space capsule was only about twelve feet tall and about six feet wide. This tiny capsule sat atop the Redstone rocket for the countdown. The rocket came to life and shot through the sky. His top altitude was 115 miles above the earth. He didn't manage to get into orbit and his flight was only for fifteen minutes (Gagarin's was over 108 minutes) but it was a success and the first American entered the heavens.

      An earthman entering the heavens was historic, but even more historic was when someone came from heaven to earth. Jesus spoke these iconic words in John 6:38-40 "38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus said that He came down from heaven. Jesus tells us that His existence did not begin in Bethlehem nor was His birth His start. Jesus makes it clear that He came from heaven. That means before His incarnation Jesus Christ dwelt in perfect union with His Father in heaven. But He left heaven, why? He left heaven because it was the will of God that Jesus came to earth, wear flesh, live among us, and lay down His life as a sacrifice for us (you). The magnitude of His love is seen in His departure from the perfections of heaven to come into a sin-cursed world. He suffered, agonized, and died for you and me. A man going into the heavens is amazing, but Jesus leaving the heavens to come to Earth changes everything