On Holy Ground © 1999 by Charles Stanley APRIL 7 Eternal Changes SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 KEY VERSE: John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Each of us must come to a point where we respond to the cross of Christ. There is no escaping it. Those who followed Jesus were faced with this fact, as were those who refrained from acknowledging His public ministry. Nicodemus approached Jesus under the cover of darkness. At that time, the focus of Nicodemus’s heart was not on eternal but on temporal issues. However, by the time of Christ’s death, all of that had changed dramatically. Joseph of Arimathea, along with Nicodemus, requested permission to bury the body of Christ. Once Pilate placed his seal on the document granting their request, their lives were changed forever. Hurrying to the site of the Crucifixion, they fought frantic, fearful thoughts, but their minds were made up. Jesus would have a proper burial, and they didn’t care who among their peers found out that they were responsible for this last act of devotion. Joseph donated his own tomb. Nicodemus gave all the spices he had gathered in preparation for his own death and burial. Nicodemus had never publicly acknowledged Jesus; neither had Joseph (John 19:38). But with each handful of myrrh and aloe packed around the Lord’s body, the commitment of their hearts was made sure. The wonder of the Cross is not in death but in the eternal changes it brings. Master, thank You for the eternal change that has occurred in me. My sins are forgiven, my destiny assured, my life changed forever.