Month: November 2023

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Tomb Visitors

John 20 As Mary went to the disciples with the message that Christ had risen, only two left the “safety” of the upper room to see if what she said could be true. What motivated them to go? The two that ran were Peter and John, and as it would be, Peter again shows us his character of wanting to be first and wanting answers to his questions. How about you or I? Do we step ahead of others to find the answers?

Today, as I was reading the news, another article came up about the injured soccer player. She is a devout atheist and again railed at God. How tragic and how unlike our disciples. She refuses the gift of salvation, but Peter and John seek answers. Truly, 2 Cor 4:4 is very true: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.”

Peter and John found part of their answer but left before Jesus could reveal Himself. However, Mary stood by and found it in the risen Christ. Don’t you wonder if the disciples had waited there instead of returning to the upper room, they too might have encountered the “gardener,” the True Gardener, Jesus risen from the dead?

If only that soccer player would wait to see and hear the Gardener’s voice, she too could say as John: I believed. How about you?

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The Price He Paid

John 19 John turns our attention to the small band of persistent faithful followers as they and he became witnesses. It was this tenacity, this indefatigable belief in Jesus as THE CHRIST that carried them to this point in time. John 19:25 “Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene…and the disciple whom he loved standing there,” This scene would be forever etched in John’s memory as the turning point of his faith, the turning point of seeing God’s plan fulfilled…but as of yet he did not understand the full scope.

And then John turns our attention to the two secret disciples who stepped out of the darkness into the light. They had not been strong enough to stand in life but Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus became the ministering servants to the body of our Lord in his death. What they paid in the earthly price for their stand against the Sanhedrin is not known but it was a small price for what they gained in eternal rewards. “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.” [Matt 10:33]

Where were you when you realized the price paid for your sin?

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Thou Shalt Not Kill

Mark 15, Matt 27 It seems that the religious leaders conveniently forgot this commandment God gave through Moses. They were, as Mark noted, envious of Jesus. They tried in vain to remove Him from leading the people. Interestingly, earlier, the people had tried to make Jesus a king, but He removed himself so that could not happen. Now, the religious leaders sought to use that as their reasoning for his crucifixion, but Pilate did not buy it. Pilate is not as innocent as it would seem on the surface. God providentially placed him before the Truth, but Pilate ignored his heart and yielded to the crowd.

God is long-suffering and not willing any to perish, [2 Peter 3:9] but each is responsible for their decision regarding truth and life. Like the Jewish religious leaders, the LIGHT stood before him, and he rejected Him. They mocked him, forgetting this principle: “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.” [Gal 6:7] What we sow, we shall also reap. Pilate and the religious leaders sowed to the flesh, and they reaped corruption to their flesh.

When you stand before Christ, what say you regarding who He is and why He came? Is He your KING?

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“Serving Until the Very End”

John 13 Jesus knew his departure from this world was imminent. Yet note what John recalled: Jesus knew that he was leaving this world BUT he was returning to His Father. When we face that unwelcome companion that will enter our sphere do we have that same confidence? Are we sure that after our last breath we will be in the presence of the Father? We can trust that will happen because Jesus said this is my promise to you: eternal life. [1Jn 2]

Yet before Jesus would leave he had one last teaching to give to his disciples which was how to serve and keep on serving until the very end, and so he stood, took a towel and girded himself. He then began to wash their feet one by one-even to the one who would betray him. Jesus then said: I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you for the slave is not greater than his master nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Today we share in Holy Communion and give thanks to the Messenger who came that we might have life. He came to his own but they did not accept him as the Light of the World. What say you, have you received Him?

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Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

Matt 24 and 25 This is an old saying that says we can economize in small matters but miss the opportunity to save or gain in large matters. So what does that saying have to do with these two chapters? Jesus is telling the disciples to be wise one must be discerning where they spend their time, talents as well as their money. It is all about whether one has been stingy in their faith or extravagant.

Jesus teaches on the faithful and wise slaves and the wise and foolish virgins so that we may be prepared for His return. Both parables teach that when Jesus returns for His own, He will evaluate how the slaves and the virgins have used the time and talents they were given. The master is Jesus and He will be pleased with those who are working faithfully but displeased with those who not prepared. He will see that there are both slaves and and  virgins who were wise and He will also see those who were foolish. 

The master is looking how we use what He has given to us. Are we stingy or are we generous? Are we waiting to use what He has given us in the now or are we waiting for tomorrow?

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Hospitality

Matt 25 Jesus has been preparing his disciples to take over the “job” of ministry when the time comes for Him to return home to heaven. Matthew, as a Jew, records the words of Jesus about whom they are to reach. He tells them a story that should challenge all of us just as the story of the Good Samaritan should.

Verses 31 to 40 tell us the things God will show us in eternity about how we shared out of our abundance to the least of those. His illustration reveals that the King will begin the separation of those who were faithful and those who had the means but were not. He reveals that when we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty and cover the needy with places of rest and clothing, we are doing what He would have done while He was here.

Jesus goes on to explain that even though we have not recognized ourselves as having done these things, God has seen our heart and our motives. He ends this parable by saying: “I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.” [Matt 25:40]

As we live and move in our world God brings the needy to our door but what we will do with those may be in need. God in heaven as the mighty righteous king has seen and recorded each step.

Last Sunday our pastor challenged us to step out of our comfort zone and be hospitable. Am I doing this just as Jesus shared?  

Photo Credit: Vineyard Church https://vcc.church/media/9tbwwdy/being-hospitable

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Woes!

Luke 20-21, Matt 23 As Jesus was getting closer to His time of departure, Matthew records several woes to the experts in the law. A Woe is a statement of not just grief but of bitter grief. The heart of Jesus is broken for these whom God had placed in a position of religious leadership were blind guides. They added to God’s simple commandments and added hundreds of rules that they expected the people to obey but they themselves did not.

Over and over Matthew records this: Woe to you blind guides, hypocrites. Matthew then lists these that Jesus pronounced and we should take time to listen and then evaluate our own rules. For example: do I dress modestly or showy? Do I greet those I know but ignore those I have not met yet? Do I parade my credentials or remain humble before others? Do I give generously or meagerly?

Jesus pointed these out that we might evaluate ourselves in light of God’s Word. How say I today to these and even more that Jesus revealed?

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The Widow’s Offering

Luke 21 God has his eye on his children and his eye is on the wee sparrow. In fact God knows about each sparrow who falls to the ground and he knows each hair on our heads because we are of more value than many sparrows. [Matt 10:31]. So it is no wonder that in Luke 21 we see that Jesus’ eye is on the precious widow and her trek to the offering box. He knew her poverty but out of her poverty she became rich in the sight of God. Notice what Jesus reveals to us about this precious widow.

Some principles we can glean from just these four verses are that when we love much we are willing to sacrifice much and secondly our giving reveals our true heart. Remember God does not need our money but it is our privilege to give to his work. God loves the cheerful giver and this dear widow’s heart must have been overflowing with the joy as she gave to the Lord’s work. And this verse’s principle extends to the reason why found in [Psa 68:5] He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows.

[Luk 6:38] “Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

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Wavering or Steadfast?

Mark 11, John 12 Jesus has walked, taught, and healed for over three years. He now enters Jerusalem on a donkey, and the crowds cry out, “Hosanna; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Yet in three short days, they will change their tune from Hosanna to Crucify Him. What causes the change? What causes us to change our words of praise to silence or, as these, put Him away from us? Let His blood be on us and on our children. [Mt 27:25]

The fickleness of men is mind-boggling. What causes the change? What caused the religious leaders to seek to kill him? The scriptures say that they were fearful that should this escalate and more follow Jesus, Rome would come and take away their position.

What causes you or me to deny Christ? Prov 29:25: the fear of man is a snare. Our enemy, Satan’s tool, is fear and not just fear but the fear of man, fear of losing our livelihood, fear of reprisal, and on and on and on. What makes you fearful? Jesus reminded his followers: Luke 12:9: But the one who denies me before men will be denied before God’s angels.

Stay true to Jesus today and every day.

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Can you prove it?

John 11/Mark 11 Hypocrisy or Truth

John accurately wrote: If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves. That was the condition of the religious leaders. They had seen the miracle of the blind man made whole and heard his testimony, yet threw him out of the synagogue. Later Jesus found the formerly blind man and seeing he now worshiped. How about us? In John 5 we meet a disabled man at the pool. Jesus “resurrected” him and he could now walk. He obediently picked up his mat and walked but unlike the blind man of John 9, yet he never honored or praised God for his healing.

The religious leaders found Jesus and sought to trap him by asking him to prove his authority to heal. From John 5 we see that Jesus gave them four witnesses to prove his identity: John the Baptist who said; Behold the Lamb of God. Secondly, the works which Jesus did proved that He had the authority to heal and teach. Thirdly, His Father was working and He was working. Lastly, the scriptures themselves proved his authenticity. Jesus reminded them that they studied the scriptures seeking eternal life but He was standing there before them and they rejected the evidence.

Jesus asked the lame man at the pool: do you want to become well? He never answered Jesus affirmatively or negatively. When the religious leaders found him, they did not rejoice but castigated him for breaking a Sabbath rule they had in their books.

When we read stories like this how do we respond? Are we comfortable in our sin or do we honor He who healed us of our sin?

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