I was there . . .

READ Matthew 25–28

Jesus is betrayed and crucified. He rose from the dead, yet the animosity toward Him still exists and I feel great sorrow as I read these chapters.

The parable about foolish virgins speaks of those who think they can be united with Him without being ready. The parable of the talents describes any who think He is “a hard man” who can produce profit without the obedience of His servants. Both stories describe similar attitudes today.

The separation of sheep from goats tells of those who ignore how genuine faith produces changed lives; people who love and care for others. The supreme example was the actions of the religious leaders who “plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” — even though they told others to obey God’s laws, they were more concerned about their popularity than this One who did not sin.

When expensive ointment was poured on Him, His disciples thought it was wasted; it should be given to the poor. How many people today put ‘social concerns’ at the top of their priority list, even over the importance of glorifying God?

Judas betrayed Him, sold him for thirty pieces of silver. His greed prioritized money over doing what was right. Jesus knew betrayal would happen and told the disciples, but their concern seemed more about who was going to do it than how wrong it was. They were also told that they would “fall away” rather than stick with Him, but they denied it, especially Peter who claimed he would die with Him rather than deny Him. But when the time came, even though he stayed near, Peter eventually denied knowing Jesus for fear he would be crucified with Him. Most people today resist “whatever Jesus wants” especially if it means dying for Him.

In the garden, Jesus wanted His followers to pray with Him, but they fell asleep. I doubt there is any Christian that cannot relate to this. Our enemy does his worst to keep us from praying, especially praying with Jesus in crisis situations that seem contrary to the will of God. We don’t get it — how He can use “all things for our good” including trials to build our character? We pray to be comfortable rather than pray to be more like Him.

Jesus was betrayed with a kiss, threatened with physical harm, mocked by many, laughed at, lied about, treated like a criminal. He did not fight back. Today, He is betrayed by hypocrisy and false teachers, lied about, mocked and cursed, even treated as if He did not exist. Some say He was gay, or married a prostitute, or a deluded lunatic. Those who know Him know otherwise, yet today many religious leaders still deny Him, saying He was a mere idea, or an angel, or a special person, anything but God in human flesh.

When Jesus was arrested, bound and delivered to be crucified, His betrayer realized his sin and tried to reverse what he had done, but instead of “seeing to it” himself in repentance and seeking forgiveness, Judas took his own life. Suicide is rampant these days . . . anything to avoid facing the only One who by grace can give even the worst of reasons new life and a fresh start.

Pilate was amazed that Jesus did not fight back. He seemed to know that crucifying Jesus was the wrong choice, but he gave in to peer pressure. His wife warned him and yet he was afraid of a riot and losing his place of authority. How many people reject Jesus because of “what will people think” instead of doing what they know they ought to do?

The soldiers and the crowds mocked Him. If He was the Son of God, why didn’t He come off the cross and save Himself? That was their value system talking. Don’t suffer, save yourself. Make fun of those who give their lives to help or save others. They wanted Him to demonstrate trust in a God who miraculously saves and protects Him, just like today’s crowds who want God to fix everything and make everyone healthy and wealthy, a mockery of the very reason He came.

When Jesus died, they mocked Him yet when many who were dead came from their tombs, they could see He was what He claimed to be, the Son of God. Even as He lay in His tomb, they feared . . . “The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” And today, some still think Jesus is a fraud.

Lord, I read this with sorrow. Determined rejection of You still happens. Some have no idea who You are and what You have done, and many who claim faith in You still do not obey Your command to “Go therefore and make disciples . . . .”

Oh Lord Jesus, how merciful You are to grant forgiveness and new life to sinners such as I.

 

 

Why did He die?

In a book called “Crucify Him: A Lawyer looks at the Trial of Jesus” the author begins with a statement of facts. His research showed that:

Jesus of Nazareth was the son of a carpenter named Joseph. After preaching throughout the hills of Galilee for several years and gaining many followers, he headed toward Jerusalem for the high holy days. His teachings and miracles confounded the religious authorities. The leaders of the Jews, deciding that Jesus was a threat, plotted his death.

After presenting those facts, he offered this summation:

If I were presenting this brief in a court of law, I would tell the jury that the evidence will show that the above facts are believable, based upon accepted ancient writings, archaeological evidence, and common sense. Furthermore, as we learn more about the evidence and the criminal law of the day, we will prove that the so–called Jewish trial was illegal according to the court’s own procedures and that Jesus of Nazareth was not guilty of any crime against the Roman Empire.

He also writes of inconsistencies in the gospel narratives and points out that to Jewish writers, “truth was a matter of meaning and spirit as well as narrative representation. Though the Gospels are accurate and reliable, the writers may emphasize different elements because their primary goal was to convey the meanings behind the events.”

The issue is that Jesus was CRUCIFIED, not for His own crimes but for the sin of the world, the crimes against God. To natural thinking, this makes no sense, which the NT acknowledges:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:22–25)

However, to the Jews it was a different matter. After His resurrection, Jesus explained to two of them:

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself . . . . Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:25–27; 45–47)

The Jews expected liberation from their oppressors, not liberation from sin. To them, the claims of Jesus were an affront; they were the people of God so why should they need that kind of Savior? But they did. But we all do — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how good we are, we miss the mark and the consequence of missing the mark is separation from God for eternity. Jesus was crucified to take that penalty on Himself that we might repent (turn from sin), be forgiven, and enter a personal relationship with our Creator that had been ruined by our “I’ll do it myself” sinful attitude.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God’s Word says I have “been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live” and my life now is to be like His, not that old self. I have been “set free from the law of sin and death” yet at the same time, I’m also to “put to death what is earthly” in myself — saying no to sinful desires, words and deeds. This is done by being filled with the Spirit and living in His power and grace. The Bible calls it, “working out my own salvation with fear and trembling” because “it is God who works in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure.” In other words, the old me has been put to death — so keep my eyes on Christ and His death — the crucifixion that made it possible for me to die to sin and live for Him.