Monday Thought -- June 11, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.  They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.  When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.  ‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’  ‘What is that to us?’ they replied.  ‘That’s your responsibility.’  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.  Then he went away and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:1-5)

As soon as Jesus was condemned to death, Judas realized what a horrible wrong he had committed, an innocent man was going to die.  There is something bold and brave and positive about what Judas did then, he went to the leaders of the Jews, returned the coins, and confessed his wrong.  Perhaps he was hoping they would realize they had been wrong to condemn Jesus.  But the leaders weren’t interested in what was right or wrong, only in taking care of their problem, in getting rid of Jesus.

Failing to set right what he had done wrong, Judas gave up.  He gave up trying to help Jesus.  He gave up on life.  What he had done was too horrible to even go on living!

But it wasn’t!  No sin is too great to exceed God’s capacity to forgive.  Judas turned to the leaders of the Jews, but they couldn’t help Judas’s problem.  Judas wouldn’t turn to the One who could help.  If he had, he would have found forgiveness and compassion, not condemnation.

God would have forgiven Judas.  No matter what our sin, God will forgive us, too.  Don’t despair and run from the only One who can really help.  Don’t run from Him, run to Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- June 8, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him.  ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee,’ she said.  But he denied it before them all.  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said.  Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.’  He denied it again, with an oath:  ‘I don’t know the man!’  After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.’  Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’  Immediately a rooster crowed.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken:  ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’  And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:69-75)

Peter was a brave man.  He had already proven that in the garden when he drew his sword and struck one of those who had come to arrest Jesus.  He was willing to fight and die to protect Jesus.  He proved it again just by following Jesus to the house of the high priest and entering the courtyard to be near Jesus and to see if there was some way he could help.

Why was Peter there?  Was he there just to see what would happen to Jesus?  Was he there in case there was an opportunity to free Jesus by force?  I don’t know what motivated Peter to follow Jesus, but I do know that he was brave enough to be there, when most of the other apostles were not.

So why did he deny Jesus?  His courage failed him when he was actually confronted. Or perhaps he was trying to hide his identity in order to be able to stay near Jesus in case he could be of some help.

Whatever the reasoning behind the denials, they were wrong and as soon as the rooster’s reminder of Jesus’ words came, Peter knew he had done wrong.  It’s never right to deny Jesus.  Peter was wrong, even if he was trying to do something right.  God won’t have us accomplish something right by doing something wrong!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- June 7, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.  ...  The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God:  Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’  ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.  ‘But I say to all of you:  In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy!  Why do we need any more witnesses?  Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?’  ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.” (Matthew 26:59, 62-66)

The answer Jesus gave to the high priest is the declaration that separates.

The leaders of the Jews heard that statement, convicted Jesus of blasphemy and put Him to death.  They could not accept the truth of what He said, they were not willing to even consider it.  He did not look like or act like the Messiah they were looking for and they were unwilling to consider that they might be wrong.

For us, however, the same statement inspires faith, confidence and hope.  What Jesus did -- His miracles, His death, His resurrection.  What Jesus taught -- His authority and obviously God-inspired teaching.  How Jesus lived -- His sinlessness and compassion.  All of these things combine to say that what He said to the high priest is not blasphemy, but TRUTH.  He declared it clearly and openly and some accepted what He said and responded in faith and others rejected what He said and responded in horror.

Jesus -- who He was and what He did is a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

It is amazing that people can look at Jesus and come away with such opposite answers about Him.  He is the dividing point of history, the separation point between men.  Stand firmly on His side!!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- June 6, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’  At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?  Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’  Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:51-56)

You don’t have to defend God.  I don’t mean that we shouldn’t be willing to stand up for Him.  I mean that He doesn’t need us to defend Him.  God can take care of Himself.  It actually seems kind of strange to me that the apostles who saw Jesus heal the sick, walk on water, raise the dead, and feed the thousands, thought He needed their sword to take care of Himself.  Oh well, I’m not always rational in a crisis either!

Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested.  He allowed Himself to be tried.  He allowed Himself to be killed.  Jesus said, “No one takes it (life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” (John 10:18)

No one took His life from Him.  Jesus willingly and intentionally gave it up.  And He did it for you and me!  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- June 5, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.  With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.  Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them:  ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.  Jesus replied, ‘Friend, do what you came for.’  Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.” (Matthew 26:47-50)

Jesus was betrayed by a friend.  Judas had lived with Jesus for three years.  He had heard Jesus teach.  He had seen Jesus work miracles.  He had looked into Jesus’ heart.  He’d felt the pain of Jesus when people turned away from Him.  He’d shared the joy of Jesus when people responded to Him.  How could he now betray Him?

Things weren’t going the way Judas had hoped they would.  They were not going the way he had planned for.  Was he in it all along because he thought he had hitched his wagon to a star?  Was he following Jesus only for what he thought he could get out of it on earth?  That’s certainly possible.  Most Jews did think the Messiah would put Rome in its place and return Israel to prominence.  Judas may have followed Jesus all along because he wanted to be somebody in the new kingdom.

Some think that the betrayal was Judas’ misguided attempt to force the hand of Jesus.  When the opposition came after Jesus, some think that Judas expected Jesus to exercise His power and take the throne that Judas thought He had planned to take all along.

Or perhaps his heart had changed along the way.  Seeing Jesus rejected by the crowds.  Watching the leaders of Israel and their opposition to Jesus.  Perhaps these things were too much for Judas.  Or was it the offer of money?  Was the 30 pieces of silver just too much of a temptation?

Whichever scenario is correct -- whatever was going through Judas’ mind -- the betrayal must have hurt Jesus deeply.  Of course, He knew Judas would betray Him, you can see that at the Last Supper.  But that probably didn’t minimize the hurt.  He was betrayed by a friend!

He endured that for you!!!  It was just the beginning of the deep agony He would go through on your behalf -- and mine.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- June 4, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.’  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.’  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.  ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter.  ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’”  (Matthew 26:36-41)

There are things we can learn from the prayer life of Jesus:

Jesus honestly expressed to the Father what He was feeling.  He was sorrowful and troubled and told that to the Father.  Jesus’ prayer life teaches us that there is no need to hold back so as not to shock or offend the Father.  God already knows what we are feeling, to be honest about it with Him is a positive thing.

Jesus asked the Father for what He desired.  He asked that the cup, the agony of the cross that lay ahead, be taken away.  This, too, is a matter of honesty.  Jesus knew what He was asking for was not possible, if He was going to accomplish what both He and the Father wanted, yet He honestly expressed His desire to the Father.  He teaches us to be honest with the Father about our desires -- even if we know they are wrong desires we should own those desires before God and allow Him to do His work on them.

Jesus was willing to accept whatever the Father wanted.  Jesus’ own desires did not take precedence, the Father’s did.  “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  This is the bottom-line in prayer and in discipleship.  To ultimately and sincerely want what God wants, not what is best for us.

And one more lesson from what Jesus told the disciples when He found them sleeping -- that prayer plays a role in our being able to stand up to temptation.

Jesus’ whole life was lived as an example for us to imitate.  Look closely at His prayer life.  Examine it and imitate it!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- June 1, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.  When the disciples saw this, they were indignant.  ‘Why this waste?’ they asked.  ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’  Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.  When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’” (Matthew 26:6-13)

The woman in this story is Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus (see John 12:3).  What she did for Jesus was extravagant.  The perfume could have been sold for a year’s wages (John 12:5).  Now that’s expensive perfume!  Like the disciples, I, too would struggle with the waste of pouring out perfume that expensive all at once.  Actually, I would struggle to ever buy such perfume for any reason, as I think most of us would.

But I wonder, do I ever do anything extravagant for Jesus?  Do I ever do anything to express my love for Him that costs so much it seems unreasonable.  Maybe it costs me so much money -- maybe so much effort --maybe so much time -- or so much of anything.  If I never do anything that shows extravagance in the way I express my love for Jesus, is it because I really don’t think He is worth it?  Or am I just cheap?

Mary did something extravagant for Jesus and it touched His heart deeply.  He told His disciples that what she did would be preached all over the world.  And it has been!  It was included in Mathew’s Gospel and John’s too.  Jesus was touched by her extravagance.

I just wonder why I hold back!  How about you?

His, by Grace,

Steve