April 23, 2020
Poor Peter, all his failures are there for us to see in great detail. How would you like that to be written about you? How would you like for your history to be written for everyone to see for all eternity in the Word of God? Peter didn’t have much choice. When you become one of the first 12 Disciples of Christ, the good, the bad and the ugly will be known by everyone.
April 18, 2020
It has always interested me that Jesus walked the earth for 40 days after His resurrection. After He hung on the cross, after He had lain cold and dead in the tomb, He walked around the area of Jerusalem and was seen by hundreds of people. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:3-5)
April 11, 2020
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He was talking about having finished what God the Father had sent Him to do on the Cross, that is to Redeem us from our sin. The work of being the Sacrificial Lamb was finished. However, there was so much more to do before He returns as the King of kings and Lord of lords. On that first Easter morning Jesus’ friends were anxious about getting to the tomb and preparing His body properly for burial. They had no way of knowing the surprise that awaited them.
April 4, 2020
Crucifixion was a barbaric form of capital punishment that began in Persia. The Persians believed the earth was sacred, so death could not be allowed to come in contact with, and contaminate the earth. Therefore, criminals were fastened to horizontal beams of wood by iron spikes and suspended above the earth to die from exposure, exhaustion and suffocation. Death was painfully slow and publicly humiliating.
April 3, 2020
In Mark, four words describe it all, “And they crucified Him.” Wow, you just can’t believe how much is contained in those four words, “and they crucified Him.” I could not touch on the depth of that if I had all day, but we will begin to try. Let’s begin with Luke 23:34. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
March 28, 2020
John 19:16 says: “Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” (NIV) That’s a very simple sentence isn’t it? Ten Words. But it holds so much information the world needs. It reminded me of a verse in the Old Testament. Genesis 1:16 says: “He also made the stars.” (NIV) How many stars are there? And they get only five words in the creation story.
March 22, 2020
Now that the three Jewish “trials” are finished, the Roman soldiers, who still have Jesus in custody, lead Him to the first of three Roman “trials.” Jesus is delivered to Pontius Pilate, the current Roman Governor of Israel.
March 10, 2020
Last week we saw that Jesus was arrested in the typical Roman fashion. Rome is going to be used by God in the end story of Jesus’ life in a significant way. The Roman and Jewish “puppets” fulfill prophecy to perfection; as only God could plan it. Jesus will be railroaded through six trials – of sorts. All of them will be fallacious farces (though farce may be the wrong word since there is no humor involved) that will only work to fulfill the desires of the Jewish leaders.
March 8, 2020
4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 “I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
March 1, 2020
As they reached the Garden, Jesus entered to pray, taking Peter, James and John deeper into the Garden with Him. Jesus prayed often. To some that may seem odd; God praying? Jesus talked often to His Father, and especially on this night, above all others, He prayed what we would see as the most earnest prayer of His life. How much do you pray? Jesus prayed on many different occasions: Giving thanks before feeding the 5000; raising Lazarus from death; giving thanks at the Lord’s Supper. Now Jesus prays in the few hours left before his Crucifixion.