Only Jesus

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

(John 20:10-14)

In these verses we see Mary’s deep love for Jesus. The going away of Peter and John commends Mary’s staying. She was the first to the grave, then she goes to tell the disciples, she returns to the grave with them, and at the grave she remains without them–an unwavering love which, as we will discover, was richly rewarded by the Lord.

As we in faith draw closer to Jesus, He will draw closer than anyone we have ever known. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Mary knew this.

“All believers have not the same degree of faith, or hope, or knowledge, or courage, or wisdom; and it is vain to expect it. But it is a certain fact that those who love Christ most fervently, and cleave to Him most closely, will always enjoy most communion with Him, and feel most of the witness of the Spirit in their hearts.

It is precisely those who wait on the Lord, in the temper of Mary Magdalene, to whom the Lord will reveal Himself most fully, and make them know and feel more than others.” (John Charles Ryle)

Jesus was the object of Mary’s affections. Her strong love for Him kept her at the tomb–while others left–with a flicker of hope that something or someone might turn up to explain where her Master’s body had gone. She could not tear herself away from the last place His body had been seen.

Take It to Heart

While Jesus’ identity may have at first been veiled from Mary’s desperate eyes, there was certainly no missing the sound of him speaking her name. One single word–one very personal word–was enough to deliver her from her present blindness. Jesus sees Mary’s genuine, persevering love for Him. He is the solitary aim of her soul and He rewards her consuming love. He always does.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love … he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust

…But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. (Psalm 103:8-14; 17-18)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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Hope in Times of Despair

But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (Luke 23:49)

Those who knew and loved Jesus stood at a distance trying to assimilate what they were seeing. However, what appears to be the worst they could have imagined, is in actuality the very best that can possibly be! Is not this life for many of us?

We stand in a bereaved silence, stunned, staring at a particular circumstance that has crossed the path of our lives and quite literally taken our breath away. How can something so devastating turn out to be good? Though we know God has good plans, the “why’s?” of life often echo loudly in our minds, drowning out any thoughts of a higher purpose for good, oftentimes leaving us bereft of hope.

Paul’s words shout out to us:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

“Now” we suffer from incomplete knowledge. It will only be when “now” becomes “then” that we shall understand fully and have all of our questions completely answered. The “in part” that we can comprehend and hold on to is His faithfulness to us, love for us, and intentions toward us. God always has our best interest at heart!

The message of the Old Testament reminds us:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.(Deuteronomy 7:9)

Throughout our seeming devastation, God is in the business of making beauty from our ashes. Indeed, Jesus’ “job description” covers that very issue. We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion–to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Jesus Himself reads these very words from a scroll handed to Him in the synagogue, proclaiming to His hearers that this words have been fulfilled in their hearing:

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus came to bring good news, bind up the brokenhearted, free the captive, proclaim God’s favor, comfort the mourning, bring beauty out of ashes, and restore gladness.–all of this coming our way by way of the cross.

What appeared as devastation to the onlookers mentioned in today’s verses all actuality become life to the full.

Take It to Heart

Sometimes it is hard for us to understand the God’s higher purposes for good when calamities occur. We must hold on to the promise of God’s Word that He will use these things for our good and for His glory. God has a plan and it is for always for our good!

“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts … It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still–to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.” (C.H. Mackintosh)

“To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident. He travels an appointed way … Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way; but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God’s hidden providence.” (A.W. Tozer)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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God's Plan Unfolding

It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
(John 19:14-16)

All Jewish feasts have their preparation days in order for people to be ready mentally, spiritually, and physically. On these days, no regular work is done in order to focus totally on preparation. Jesus’ death occurred prior to the special Sabbath known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The children of Israel were to abstain from all leavened bread for seven days. To prevent any accidental consumption, they were to empty their homes of any leaven or leaven products.

Scripture includes strict instructions:
“‘These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”
(Leviticus 23:4-7)

“For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.” (Exodus 12:19-20)

Yeast in the Bible is symbolic of sin. The absence of yeast represents the picture that those who are under the safety of the shed blood of the Passover lamb are free from the corruption of sin before a holy God.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
(1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

It is important to note that Jesus died on the day the Israelites were to rid their lives of leaven (sin). This was the day they were to leave their wanderings behind them. The great God in Heaven allowed the perfect Lamb of God to take upon Him all the sin of the world so that those who would believe on Him would be safe under His shed blood:
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)

Sadly, many of the Jews did not want Jesus to be their King. In our verses for today we find them raising their fierce, relentless, obstinate cry in a demand for death of Jesus. They shout to Pilate: “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” They want no part of Him. Only His blood will satisfy them and only His blood will fully satisfy God’s righteous requirement for the payment of their sin.

Had not our Lord been thus rejected, we would have been forever rejected by God. As Christ was made sin for us and crucified, in like manner we are to crucify the sin in our lives. Christ was put to death for our offences–the Righteous One for the unrighteous. He is our substitution. Our punishment was laid upon Him and by His wounds we are healed.

He has set us free! Paul tells us:
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:25)

This was a part of God’s plan! Isaiah clearly foretold of God’s amazing plan to redeem us to Himself:
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

 

 

Take It to Heart

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)
 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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JesusOnline Ministries

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

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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!

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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What Is In Your Heart?

So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
 

“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
 

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
 

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

(John 18:29-32)
 

There was certainly no love lost between Pilate and these hypocritically pious Jews. Pilate was not the least bit duped by their false pretense–he saw right through their charade. Matthew’s gospel tells us Pilate was aware of the motives behind these Jewish leaders’ actions:

For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. (Matthew 27:18)
 

Pilate was well aware of these leaders envy and fear over Jesus’ growing popularity and following. He had witnessed the love, acclaim, and wild enthusiasm the Jewish nation had for their King. Certainly he had heard about–if not been privy to see–the great throngs assembled together shouting “Hosanna”, and waving palm branches (symbols of victory) at Jesus’ triumphal entry, and ascribing Messianic titles to Him.

John tells us earlier in his gospel:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)
 

But it was the Jewish leaders in our verses for today causing this annoying raucous for Pilate, not the masses. These leaders wanted Jesus dead and if possible, they wanted the deed done by the hands of the Romans. They wanted to keep everything legal in the eyes of man, always desirous of justifying their external behavior. Never mind that their hearts were hardened and dead.
 

Yet the Jewish leader’s flawed actions were merely the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophetic words–another confirmation that our Lord was exactly who He said He was!
 

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:17-19)
 

Take It to Heart

What the Jewish leaders failed to realize is that God values what is in the heart over the pretense of righteous actions. He always judges on the basis of why we do what we do.

All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
(Proverbs 16:2)

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
(2 Chronicles 16:9)

“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 17:10)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

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JesusOnline Ministries

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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)

Beth Yoe Devotionals

Copyright © 2014

JesusOnline Ministries

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Great Falls, MT 59405

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

Links2Prosperity Enterprises 

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