Friday Thought -- August 19, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ‘If you are the Christ,’ they said, ‘tell us.’ Jesus answered, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’ They all asked, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ He replied, ‘You are right in saying I am.’ Then they said, ‘Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.’” (Luke 22:66-71)

What is the objective and authoritative standard by which the identity of the Messiah should be judged?

If you answered – God’s revelation in the Old Testament, then you are right. If you gave any other answer, then you are wrong. God’s Word is the objective and authoritative standard that should have helped the people who heard Jesus then and should help us today to determine if He is the Messiah.

In this passage, Jesus is on trial before the chief priests and teachers of the law. These men made up the Sanhedrin, the leading council among the Jews. They should have been the most spiritual among all the people of Israel. They should have known God’s Word better than anyone else. They should have more quickly turned to the Word than anyone else.

Yet – where is the probing of the scriptures to find its answers? Where is the question put to Jesus to ask Him to prove from God’s Word that He is the Messiah? You won’t find those things because they aren’t there. There was no turning to God’s Word among the men of the council. They relied instead on their own opinions and what they thought the Messiah would be like – and they missed the true Messiah by doing so.

Do you have questions about Jesus? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about theology? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about life? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about eternity? Turn to God’s Word.

There is an objective and authoritative standard for all of those questions and many more. That standard isn’t our own opinion. It’s not wrapped up in what we think is right or what ought to be right. The standard is the revealed Word of God – the Bible.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- August 18, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don't know him,’ he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ ‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’ Peter replied, ‘Man, I don't know what you're talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:54-62)

What in the world was Peter thinking when he denied Jesus three times? He could not have been doing what he was doing with a hardened heart toward Jesus. He was in the courtyard because he loved Jesus and wanted to be near Him in case there was some way to help or at least so he would see firsthand what happened to Jesus. And when Jesus looked straight at Peter, it was a reminder that Jesus had predicted these denials – that means Peter had forgotten what Jesus had predicted until that moment. No, Peter was intentionally and with a hardened heart abandoning Jesus.

I think Peter had good – although flawed – motivations in his denials. I think he believed that if he acknowledged he was a follower of Jesus they would either arrest him or throw him out of the courtyard of the high priest. He probably feared only the latter – because if they had wanted to arrest him they had already had that chance in Gethsemane. Peter wanted to stay right where he was, right close to the trials and did what he had to do in order to remain there.

I don’t see Peter’s denials much different from Judas’ betrayal. I think Judas had good – although flawed – motivation, too. I think Judas was trying to force Jesus to declare Himself King and take control. And Peter was trying to do something good, too – stay close to Jesus during His trial. Both chose ungodly means in their attempt to accomplish what they thought were godly aims.

Have you ever been guilty of the same – using ungodly means in an attempt to accomplish a godly aim? That’s never a right choice or a good choice. Peter’s denials broke Jesus’ heart and so did Judas’s betrayal. When we choose ungodly means to attempt to accomplish godly aims, we break God’s heart, too.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- August 17, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’ When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with our swords?’ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched the man's ear and healed him.” (Luke 22:47-51)

Would it have been wrong for Jesus and His followers to exercise self-defense and draw weapons against those who came to arrest Him?

Most of us would say that would be acceptable behavior. Self-defense is a legitimate defense for violence. But Jesus would have none of that. There would no self-defense offered by Jesus and none allowed by those who followed Him. That’s not to say that Jesus would be upset if you provided self-defense for yourself or your family if you were attacked. It just means that Jesus offered no self-defense for Himself.

Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested and the remainder of the story will show that He allowed Himself to be tried, beaten, mocked, and executed. In fact, He did more than just allow Himself to go through all that – He volunteered. In the eternal plan of God to save the world, Jesus was a volunteer.

The compassion of Jesus shows through even in this dark hour of His life. When one of His followers struck a servant who came along with the arrest party, Jesus healed the wound. It wasn’t the servant’s fault – he went only where told to go and did only what he was told to do. And Jesus showed compassion on him.

Jesus showed compassion on His betrayer, Judas, too. He didn’t allow Judas to approach Him without confrontation. It was Jesus’ last attempt to point out what Judas was doing. A last attempt to dissuade Judas from the course he had chosen. That’s compassion, too.

In one of the darkest hours of His life, Jesus didn’t strike back in self-defense. Instead, He chose compassion even toward those who came to arrest Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- August 16, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:39-44)

This isn’t the first time that Jesus taught His disciples about prayer. There are parables about prayer. Jesus showed them the model prayer as a part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus prayed Hi long high priestly prayer in John 17. We can look at the prayer to multiply the food for the 5,000 and the prayer to raise Lazarus from the dead and dozens of other prayers.

Jesus believed in prayer. Jesus practiced prayer for Himself and for others. Jesus taught about prayer. Prayer was obviously important to Him.

Consider these lessons about prayer from this text:

·         Prayer can be a protection for us from temptation. Our strength will never be enough to protect us from the power of the temptations that Satan puts into our paths. We need God’s help to overcome.

·         Even Jesus demonstrated respect and submission when He prayed. When He was ready to address the Father in the Garden, Jesus knelt. There was nothing casual about the way Jesus prayed. He didn’t take His relationship with the Father for granted or treat it lightly.

·         Jesus honestly told the Father what He wanted. He didn’t hold back His request. He wasn’t concerned that the Father wouldn’t understand or would think less of Him because of what He asked. He wanted out of the way of the cross and He asked honestly for it.

·         Jesus wanted the will of the Father more than He wanted His own way. Though He asked honestly for a way out of the cross, He submitted to His Father’s will above all. If the cross was what the Father wanted, Jesus was willing.

·         Prayer brought Jesus help. The Father didn’t bend His will to what Jesus wanted, but He did send angels to strengthen and help Jesus.

Lord, teach us to pray like Jesus prayed.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- August 15, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34)

Jesus possessed supernatural knowledge. In the early days of Him ministry, Nathaniel was brought to Him and Jesus knew what Nathaniel had been doing before he came to Jesus. At a time and place where Jesus was not present He still saw what was happening. On more than one occasion Jesus saw into the hearts and minds of those around Him and knew what they were thinking and what they were planning to do. And here, He could tell Peter about Peter’s future. Miraculous, supernatural knowledge that was evidence of the divine nature of Jesus.

But that’s not the most impressive feature of the Scripture above. The most impressive feature is evidence of God’s heart and God’s mercy. I love the phrase that Jesus spoke to Peter, “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus was predicting Peter’s denial. Peter would turn his back on Jesus at the most critical and difficult time of Jesus’ life – during His trials and condemnation. How that had to hurt Jesus and disappoint Jesus. Peter’s sin cut into Jesus’ heart.

But God didn’t reject Peter when he denied Jesus. God wooed Peter back. God did that through telling Peter what was going to happen before it did; through a look that Jesus gave to Peter after he spoke the last denial, and through the intentional restoration that would come from Jesus when He met Peter on the shore of Galilee after His resurrection. God wanted Peter back. Not even his denial kept God from loving Peter and from a willingness to forgive Peter of all his sin.

And God did more than just forgive Peter and accept him back. In an astounding act of grace and mercy, God invited Peter to use even his failure to help others.

And God responds the same to you and me. He always invites back, even after our most grievous sin. He loves us and wants us back. He doesn’t forgive us; He uses even our failures to accomplish good things in our lives and in the lives of others.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- August 12, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

"Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.  But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.  For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one who is at the table?  But I am among you as one who serves.'" (Luke 22:25-27)

What does leadership look like?

The world has some ideas about leadership.  To the world, a leader is one who can tell others what to do and they do it.  The leader is the one who gets the biggest office, the best parking spot, and the most perks.  The leader is the one who sits at the head of the table and determines what the agenda for the meeting is going to be.  The leader is the one who makes the decisions and sets the direction for the group.  The leader is the one that others look up to and defer to.  The leader is the one at the top of the organizational chart.

But God has different ideas of what leadership looks like.  You can see His ideas by looking at the ministry of Jesus.  There is no doubt that Jesus is a leader, the greatest leader that has ever lived.  But His leadership was not characterized by decision-making and by telling others what to do.  His leadership was marked by service.  He served others and because of that they loved Him and followed Him.

And Jesus calls His followers to that kind of leadership, too.  Not the kind of leadership the world teaches of big offices and firm orders, but the kind of leadership that looks for needs among people and steps up to meet those needs.  The kind of leadership that serves those around them.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- August 11, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.” (Luke 22:1-6)

I am appalled at the depth of human sin and blindness.

The chief priests and teachers of the law were the premiere leaders of the people of Israel. They were the spiritual leaders. They should have been the most spiritually sensitive men in the world. Yet, they either realized that Jesus was the Messiah and intentionally rejected Him because He would interfere with their lives of power and privilege or they were blind to the reality of who Jesus was. Either way, it is appalling to think that they would not just reject Jesus but intentionally seek to get rid of Him.

Judas was one of the twelve closest followers of Jesus. He had lived with Jesus for years. He heard Jesus teach. He watched Jesus work miracle after miracle. He knew who Jesus was; there could be no denying that. Yet Judas betrayed Jesus for money.

Was Judas that greedy that the little money he received was worth betraying the One he knew to be the Messiah? Or perhaps he didn’t trust Jesus and thought he needed to help Jesus show Himself as King – surely if Jesus was arrested and threatened He would reveal His power and take His rightful place as king. Or where there other reasons for Judas’ betrayal? Whatever the reasons they were about Judas’ sin or his blindness. That’s appalling from someone so close to Jesus.

Yet, I look around me and see the depth of human sin and blindness in people today. I can even look into the church and see men and women making decisions that are clearly wrong and sinful. Is it intentional sin or blindness? I am appalled.

And I wonder what sin God sees in my life and what blindness. I desperately need His patience and His grace.

His, by Grace,

Steve