King of the Jews

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” 

(John 18:33-34)

In an effort to remove Jesus from the raucous of the rabble so that he could ply Him with his own queries, Pilate summons Jesus inside his palace. Holiness has been summoned into defilement. Is that not a perfect description of what Jesus does every time He is asked to enter a heart at the point of salvation? Pure, holy, blameless, and set apart from sinners He enters into a heart filled with sin and depravity–saving, cleansing, and empowering that heart to be like Him.

The writer of Hebrews gives us the following description of our great High Priest and Savior, Jesus:
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. (Hebrews 7:23-26)

C.S. Lewis paints a vivid description of what he found when he examined his own heart, which is not too dissimilar to any one of us: “A zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears and a harem of fondled hatreds.”

He also wrote: “Man is now a horror to God and to himself and a creature ill-adapted to the universe not because God made him so but because he has made himself so by the abuse of his free will.”

I find it interesting that all four gospels record Pilate asking the same question: “Are you the king of the Jews?” He obviously had a desire to know if Jesus professed to be the king of this ancient people over whom he and his soldiers now ruled. Considering our Lord’s humble appearance, Pilate possibly assumed that Jesus was merely a mock Messiah–simply setting Himself up over the throngs of people who adored Him. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus replying to Pilate with the same words: “Yes, it is as you say”.

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. (Matthew 27:11)

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
(Mark 15:2)

So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. (Luke 23:3)

A few verses later in John 18 we find similar words from Jesus, yet with a stipulation for those willing to hear Him–we must be on the side of truth:
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

 

Take It to Heart

The Roman historian Suetonius has noted that a rumor was prevalent throughout the East at this time in history that a king was about to arise among the Jews who would obtain dominion over the world. This rumor no doubt originated from Jewish prophesies.

I cannot help but be reminded of the Magi’s statement as they sought to visit Jesus at His birth:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Jesus’ entire life was lived within the framework of his role as the King of the Jews. It is precisely because of it that He saves us!

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Fear

Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
 

“You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter.
 

He replied, “I am not.”
 

It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.  As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?”

 

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
 

One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. 

(John 18:15-18, 25-27)
 

Here we have an account of Peter’s denial of Jesus. This particular part of the story is actually recorded in all four gospels.

The other gospel accounts are as follows:

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. (Matthew 26:57-58)
 

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.(Mark 14:53-54)

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.
(Luke 22:54-55)

Peter was anxious to see what would happen to his Master, yet not brave or bold enough to stay by His side. What mixed feelings must have been going on within him! Loving the Lord Jesus, afraid to show his true loyalty, ashamed of his disloyalty. And so he finds himself choosing the very unprofitable middle ground between what he knows to be the right thing to do and what fear and cowardice prevent him from doing.

When we find ourselves doing a dance between two choices–seeking to stay the middle course for fear of others or for fear of our own skin–we are poised to fall. After being so self-confident that he would never deny the Lord, Peter does exactly that. Isn’t that the way it goes? We place ourselves in positions we should never be in, and fear, self-confidence, pride, or whatever blows in on us and we come spiraling down, doing things we never thought possible.
 

In lieu of being self-confident, Peter ought to have been humble; instead of sleeping, he should have been praying; instead of flitting around the fire with the enemy, he should have placed himself out of temptation’s reach.
 

Paul tells us we are to flee temptation and pursue righteousness. In order to do that we need to know ourselves! We need to identify what temptations are most alluring to us and will cause us to fall. We must know where we are most tempted and seek to avoid placing ourselves where we are likely to tumble down. No one is above falling.
 

Certainly, the sound of the early morning rooster crowing was a harsh and bitter sound to Peter’s ears. A jolt of painful lightening must have pierced his heart. He had done something he had vehemently proclaimed he would never do. He had turned his back on his Lord.

Earlier in John we find Peter basking in strong confidence:

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

(John 13:37)
 

He genuinely misgauged his own resolve. Unfortunately this is a misstep we all seem to wrestle with! We can all see ourselves in Peter.

 

Take It to Heart

I am reminded of the words in Hebrews telling us to keep our focus fixed on the Master:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

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By His Wounds We Are Healed

Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. 

(John 18:12-14)
 

“They bound Him.” Seriously? How do you bind the One who spoke creation into being? How do you bind the great “I AM”? How do you bind the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form? How do you bind Omnipotence in the flesh?

“They bound Him” simply because Jesus allowed them to bind Him. He allowed Himself to be a passive sufferer and He allowed His enemies to work their will. He allowed Himself to the object of spite and hatred. He suffered while He served. To free mankind from bondage, He became bound and we owe our liberty to His bondage.

The prophet Isaiah tells us:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.(Isaiah 53:3-5)
 

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. (Isaiah 53:7-8)
 

Take It to Heart

“We see the Son of God taken prisoner and led away bound like a malefactor, arraigned before wicked and unjust judges, insulted and treated with contempt. And yet this unresisting prisoner had only to will His deliverance, and He would at once have been free. He had only to command the confusion of His enemies, and they would at once have been confounded. Above all He was One who knew full well that Annas and Caiaphas, and all their companions, would one day stand before His judgment seat and receive an eternal sentence. He knew all these things, and yet condescended to be treated as a malefactor without resisting.”
(John Charles Ryle)
 

Jesus is our great deliverer!

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Betrayed

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)
 

In these verses we see the angry crowd led by one of Jesus’ own disciples – Judas. Judas, one of Jesus’ closest friends, betrays Him with a kiss. How ironic! To us, a kiss is generally a sweet sign of love, and in Bible times it was an act of friendship. Yet Judas desecrates and abuses it. Hmmm … I wonder how often we desecrate and abuse what is sweet and good?
 

“Man sees your actions, but God, your motives.”
(Thomas a Kempis)
 

“Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.”

(Charles Spurgeon)
 

God is looking for obedient behavior from His children stemming from proper motives! I am reminded of David’s words to his son Solomon regarding the building of the temple:

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. (1 Chronicles 28:9-10)
 

Have you ever noticed that there are simply no secrets hidden from Jesus? Knowing full well who was to betray Him, Jesus was aware of Judas’ “secret” sign which would show the crowd accompanying him exactly who they were looking for to arrest.

I am reminded of God’s words in Jeremiah:

Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)
 

Nothing is outside the realm of God’s omniscience–nothing!
 

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. (Isaiah 45:5-7)
 

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46:10)

 

Take It to Heart

“Jesus is the One who shows us the paradoxical route to meaning in a chaotic and hostile world. It’s the paradox of the gospel: Strength is found in weakness. Control is found in dependency. Power is found in surrender … God uses the frustrations of this life and the hurt of relationships to compel us to look beyond what we can control to the God who controls all things in order to woo us to himself. As we move from control to surrender, we move from chasing the wind under the sun to embracing God above it.”

(Dan Allender, Breaking the Idols of You)

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Don't Fall Asleep!

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.”

 

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
 

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
 

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

(Matthew 26:40-45)
 

Ever been depressed over circumstances differing greatly from what was hoped or perhaps even prayed for? If so, you are in good company. These disciples, exhausted from sorrow, were experiencing such despair. Much more than just mere followers of Jesus, these guys were Jesus' most trusted friends. But they were tired!
 

Oftentimes, we too are so discouraged over a situation that we choose to retreat in sleep, under the comfort of the comforter, when in reality our comfort must come from the Comforter!

Jesus cries out to us: “Why are you sleeping?”
 

“He speaks as one amazed to see them so stupid. How small a thing it was that he expected from them–only to keep watch with him. If he had bid them do some great thing, or die with him, they thought they could have done it; and yet they could not do it, when he desired them to keep watch with him … Yet, He considered their frame, and did not chide them, for he remembered that they were but flesh.” (Matthew Henry)
 

Friend, this is our hour! Jesus admonishes us to watch and pray, emphasizing the weakness of the flesh even though our spirits are so well-intentioned!
 

Paul warns:

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)
 

He adds in the book of Ephesians:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18)
 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to always be praying and alert, not only when the enemy attacks, but on all occasions.
 

“Labor to get a deep sense of the majesty of God, and of his mercy, upon thy mind, that thy prayers may be fervent and earnest; and God will bless thee.” (C.H. Bogatzky)

 

Take It to Heart

Let all of our trials lead us to earnest prayer. May we pray from the heart! As we call upon the Lord, He will hear us and He will help us.
 

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

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God's Strength

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 22:43-44)
 

Here we see a ministering angel sent to strengthen our Lord as He prays in anguish.

The word translated “anguish” is from the Greek word agonia meaning: “A contest, conflict; stress, agony intense inner tension. It has in mind the intense anxiety, dread, or tension one experiences in anticipation of a conflict, as a soldier before a battle or an athlete before a match. It denotes Jesus’ anguished state of mind in Gethsemane prior to the crucifixion. He is filled with dreaded anticipation, not fright or panic, as He faces the epic battle on which man’s salvation rests. In the ultimate conflict of the ages, Jesus will emerge as the Victor” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids).
 

I love the fact that God sent an angel to strengthen our Lord!

I am reminded of Psalm 91:

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

 

I also love the example Jesus models for us to follow when our own time of anguish arrives–He earnestly sought His Father in prayer. God was His refuge–as He is ours. While Christ was not delivered from His sufferings, He was strengthened and supported under them. We are always given the grace sufficient to meet every difficulty God allowed us to face.

Oftentimes during trials and calamities it is difficult to remember the promises of God. I have found Psalm 91 to be a very helpful passage of scripture to turn to. Indeed, I have found it to be so profitable in my life I have committed it to memory. I call it the “I will” Psalm of God. In the sixteen verses of this psalm we find the word “will” used over 20 times! It points to God as being our faithful refuge, fortress, and protector as we rest in His shadow–even through our anguishing trials.

This wonderful psalm ends with these encouraging words:

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)
 

God rescues, protects, and answers. He is with us in trouble. He delivers and honors and satisfies. Who could ask for greater promises than these?
 

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

 

Take It to Heart

“Somehow in the wonder-working providence of God, our worst problems become our best pulpits. God turns our tragedies into testimonies and our emergencies into evangelism. Our testimonies are forged and crafted in the trials of life, our pain has an evangelistic purpose, our problems become His pulpits, and the things that happen to us turn out for the furtherance of the gospel.”
(Robert J. Morgan)
 

“God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.” (Hudson Taylor)

 

“How it pays to take one step at a time with God!”
(Isobel Kuhn)
 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

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Embracing God's Will

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.” (Luke 22:41-42)

 

In our verses for today we see Jesus fleshing out what He taught His disciples on prayer:

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
 

I am reminded of Paul’s words to us in Romans regarding God’s will for our lives:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
 

God’s will for our lives is always good and pleasing and perfect–whether we are able to ascertain that through our emotions and feelings or any other of our senses. God has prepared profitable, useful and beneficial things for each one of us and it is His desire for us to walk in them:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.(Ephesians 2:10)
 

When we do not submit to God’s will for our lives, we do ourselves much disservice. Our prayers should echo that of King David:

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalms 143:10)
 

Like Jesus, David’s prayers were solidly based on his trust in God. David not only wanted to be shown God’s will for his life but also to be taught how to stand firm in it–knowing with certainty God’s way was for his ultimate good and for the good of others. In our frailty, being both lame and blind (not to mention dull), we would often choose wrong paths simply because of ease and comfort not to mention fleshly desires and lust.
 

“Enable me to do what is pleasing to you; give me that grace that is necessary to the right knowledge of your will, and an acceptable obedience to it, that we may neither displease God in anything we do nor be displeased at anything God does.” (Matthew Henry)
 

I am presently reading a wonderful book entitled 50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe. In discussing the life of the famous hymn writer Fanny Crosby–blinded at the age of six weeks old by a doctor’s careless treatment–we are able to see her wonderful perspective on God’s will for her life: “‘It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life,’ she wrote in her delightful autobiography Fanny Crosby’s Life Story, ‘and I thank Him for the dispensation.’

The doctor who destroyed her sight never forgave himself and moved from the area, but Fanny Crosby held no ill will toward him. ‘If I could meet him now,’ she wrote, ‘I would say ‘Thank you, thank you’–over and over again–for making me blind.’ In fact, she claimed that if she could have her sight restored, she would not attempt it. She felt that her blindness was God’s gift to her so that she could write songs for his glory. ‘I could not have written thousands of hymns,’ she said, ‘if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.’”
 

What an amazing testimony! How often I flee from the difficult–seeking relief–desiring ease–rather than embracing what is allowed in order for God to make me into the image of His Son. Filled and empowered by His Spirit, how much better to prefer our lives to be beautiful songs played for His glory than to delve into the pleasures of this world for such a short time. It would do us well to remember this when we are tempted to kick against His way.

 

Take It to Heart

“Somehow in the wonder-working providence of God, our worst problems become our best pulpits. God turns our tragedies into testimonies and our emergencies into evangelism. Our testimonies are forged and crafted in the trials of life, our pain has an evangelistic purpose, our problems become His pulpits, and the things that happen to us turn out for the furtherance of the gospel.”
(Robert J. Morgan)
 

“God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.”

(Hudson Taylor)
 

“How it pays to take one step at a time with God!” (Isobel Kuhn)
 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

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Search Me, O God!

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 22:33-34)

 

We must be on guard against the presumption of our actions lest, like Peter, we fail. Peter, as confident as he was in his own heart, was not, ready to go to prison and death with Jesus. Our hearts are untrustworthy. Let’s give Peter credit; this occurred prior to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit’s power.

The flesh is flawed at best, nevertheless we are to be on guard against the deceitfulness of our own hearts:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
(Jeremiah 17:9-10)
 

The Lord is the only true discerner of man’s heart, of each person’s innermost thoughts and motives. This is particularly important for us to acknowledge in the spiritual realm.
 

“Private loop-holes, sinful lusts, can hide themselves at times so well as to seem quite dead; but if we grow careless, they spring up again on a favourable occasion, and sometimes appear in a spiritual shape, and take a fine spiritual name.

Thus, though the flesh exceedingly likes sensual indulgences, yet to flatter its lust of pride, and the vanity of being thought a perfect man, it will sometimes endure great mortification. Therefore we ought always to be jealous of ourselves, and guard as much against self-righteousness as licentiousness; for the flesh is never more fleshly and dangerous than when it has the most spiritual appearance, and covers its lusts with the holiness and spirituality of angels.” (K. H. Von Bogatzky)

 

Take It to Heart

How do we go about searching and guarding our hearts so as to equip ourselves for the high calling of discipleship? Like King David we must ask God to continually search our hearts and point out to us what needs to go and what needs to be fanned into flames.

We must seek His ways fully through the diligent study and application of His Word, through prayer, through praise and thanksgiving, and through hiding His Word in our hearts.
 

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

 

“The wiser we are in our own conceits, the more negligent are we in prayer, the more destitute of true wisdom and faith; for the Lord gives sight only to the blind, and to the babes, who pray for it. Therefore the deepest humblings go before the greatest blessings. O my blessed Saviour! Since I am always blind and ignorant of myself, if I am not guided by thine eyes, I desire always to look up to thee, and do everything under thy direction.” (K. H. Von Bogatzky)
 

“Assist and teach me how to pray; incline my nature to obey; what thou abhorrest let me flee; and only love what pleases thee.” (K. H. Von Bogatzky)
 

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

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Helped By the Holy Spirit

“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.” 

(Luke 22:31-32)
 

This verse wonderfully demonstrates the sovereignty of God by clearly presenting His omnipotence and omniscience. As believers, we are kept by the power of God! Once again we see God’s boundaries on Satan. Remember Job?
 

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?”

Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
(Job 1:6-12)
 

Later, God said:

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? (Job 38:8-11)
 

Remember the disciple’s words spoken of Jesus?
 

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
(Matthew 8:27)
 

Jesus is our faithful intercessor who sits at the right hand of God and lives to intercede for us.

The writer of Hebrews says:

But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:24-25)
 

“May the Lord make us watchful against our own spirit, and against the evil one, especially when he is transformed into an angel of light, that it may not be in his power to sift us so as to gain an advantage over us, by our listening to his inward suggestions, or yielding to his subtle temptations.” (K. H. Von Bogatzky)

 

Take It to Heart

As believers we are not left to our own resources in our sufferings but are helped by the precious Holy Spirit. Our state is one of weakness yet Christ is our strength and He will cause us to stand. After the suffering, we are able to brightly manifest the very presence of Jesus to a hurting world. When the dross has been skimmed off after the heat, bright gold shines forth. After our trials we are better equipped to encourage and strengthen your brothers and sisters.
 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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JesusOnline Ministries

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The New Covenant

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 

(Luke 22:17-20)
 

The Master’s table is our individual and corporate privilege! When we come to it we obtain a fresh and renewed awareness of the precious benefits of our Savior’s sacrifice. It is to be our constant reminder of the person and work of Jesus. His body broken, His blood poured out, the elements constantly pointing to the blessed truth that Christ Jesus died for sinners, our foundation for encouragement, hope, and joy. The blood of animals, while commanded through the law, was not sufficient. The constant sacrificing for sins was proof enough of that.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)

 

Jeremiah prophesied regarding God’s future establishment of a new covenant which would be based on the full and eternal atonement secured by the death of Christ Jesus.

This is the new covenant of which Jesus refers to in our verses for today:

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, “declares the LORD.  “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.(Jeremiah 31:31-33)

This new covenant is based on an individual, personal knowledge of God and is characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is an eternal covenant of peace which Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ushers in.

Paul tells us in Colossians:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)
 

“The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.”

(Oswald Chambers)

 

Take It to Heart

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
(John 3:16-17)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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JesusOnline Ministries

P. O. Box 6017

Great Falls, MT 59405

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

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Resting in Jesus

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.

(John 13:25-28)
 

Reclining upon the Lord Jesus, resting between His shoulders, the beloved disciple is perfectly positioned to ask of the Master who will be the one to betray Him. Those who rest upon the Lord are privy to some of the deepest secrets of His heart. All are invited to rest.

His call found in Matthew is not an exclusive one:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
 

One of my favorite Old Testament verses regarding resting depicts a loved and protected child. It is penned by Moses, who Scripture tells us God spoke to as a friend:

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” (Deuteronomy 33:12)
 

I can just imagine John’s head resting between Jesus’ shoulders. Rest is very important to God and it is a subject which permeates much of Scripture. God Himself rested on the seventh day making it holy. He commanded man to rest, animals to rest and even the land to rest.

We who live in such a frenzied hectic world should take heed of this. We put more and more on our plates filling our hours with work and more work yet getting less and less accomplished. Our dependence lies in our own weak abilities. We seem to be continually striving to drink from the empty cups of our own power ever stuffing our emotions, acceptance, money, positions, etc. into bags with gaping soul holes–always coming up unsatisfied.
 

It is God’s desire for us to be abiding, not striving or struggling. We are always to be looking to Jesus and His power for He is our very present Savior. He is our achieving power for service as well as our source of abundant unchanging joy.
 

Jesus clearly teaches that our strength will be found in abiding in Him! This sure truth remains–anything of eternal value is accomplished only through our abiding in Jesus:

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:4-5)
 

What does remaining or resting look like in a life? How is this intimate relationship with Jesus achieved? Certainly, it must begin with our salvation in Christ, accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but it was never meant to cease at that point. Our growth–our sanctification–is to continue throughout our lives. Abiding consists of being in fellowship with God through His Word, through prayer, and through loving obedience to Him. It is God’s desire for believers to be conformed to the image of His Son. That is the path of peace which passes understanding.
 

Take It to Heart

Never having given Christ lordship of his heart, Judas remained open to the advances of the adversary.
 

“Let us watch jealously over our hearts, and beware of giving way in the beginnings of sin. Happy is he who feareth always, and walks humbly with his God. The strongest Christian is the one who feels his weakness most, and cries most frequently, ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.’” (John Ryle)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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JesusOnline Ministries

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

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A Servant of All

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

(John 13:3-9)

Well aware of His own sovereign authority, origin, and coming destiny, Jesus fleshes out for His disciples (and for all of us as well) a wonderful example of servant leadership in action. He had been from eternity with God and He was going back to God, knowing all the dignity and majesty of His office. And yet, He condescends to perform the most menial task.

Believers comfortable in their own skin–knowing who they belong to, knowing their lives are filled with purpose and power and hope, knowing they are fully loved and accepted, have no trouble grasping this great truth of Scripture: Whoever desires to be great must be a servant. Those most highly esteemed in God’s kingdom are those who serve, those who willingly humble themselves.

Our Master has shown us true servanthood and has paved the way for our obedience. He is our great teacher of lowliness of heart, stripping off one glorious robe of honor after another until we find Him naked on a cross pouring out His lifeblood for each one of us. How then do we dare have the audacity to be proud?

Paul tells us in Philippians:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

We care so much about what man thinks. This thought has permeated our churches and our ministries as well as our lives. We oftentimes rate our success or failure on the approval and accolades of man. I doubt seriously if Mother Teresa began her ministry caring for the poorest of poor on this earth in Calcutta with the Nobel Peace Prize in mind. She was simply humbly serving her Master by stopping to love and care for those who could not help themselves–and it was the Lord who exalted her in the eyes of man.

Our confidence lies in the fact that Christ is genuinely concerned about our welfare. He is acutely aware of all we are going through and has promised the grace sufficient to meet each need. He loves us and desires for us to fulfill His purposes!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.(Ephesians 2:10)

To Peter’s credit, his opposition was motivated by humility. What he couldn’t accept was the reversal of the roles the Lord appeared to be initiating. Peter was the servant and Jesus was his Master. He had been privy to see His Master’s hands heal the leper and restore sight to the blind. He had seen Jesus raise the dead and believed Him to be the Son of God … and now He stoops to wash the feet of His disciples? Peter should be the one washing the Lord’s feet! It was a paradox beyond his comprehension. Yet Jesus’ purpose in this act of service was to teach a great spiritual lesson to His disciples and to all of us as well. We are all in need of continual cleansing and renewal to remain in fellowship with God. We sin, we fall, we break fellowship, we humbly repent, and we are then restored. This is not regarding our salvation, rather our abiding fellowship with Him.

Take It to Heart

Nothing eternal is ever accomplished in the flesh. When our fellowship is broken through sin, we unfortunately begin to operate in ways that seem right in our own eyes. Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Jesus silences Peter’s objections by stating his lack of understanding. His vision was now veiled, yet later he would comprehend. How often that happens to us as well. Our vision is blurred by our circumstances and we raise objections regarding God’s best for our lives. Often, like Peter, we oppose what we do not understand. It is only through our willing obedience that our eyes will be open to more of His ways. Never forget, Christ’s way is supremely the best way.

Beth Yoe Devotionals

Copyright © 2014

JesusOnline Ministries

P. O. Box 6017

Great Falls, MT 59405

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

Links2Prosperity Enterprises 

Web Marketing : Web Content : Web Design

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