Usually we think of Saturday as being a quiet day during the Passion Week...a day where nothing happened, but if you study the scriptures carefully, you will find something that many miss...
READ MATTHEW 27:62-66
It was the next day, the day after the preparations, that the religious leaders went to Pilate and asked him to please set a guard before the tomb of the "King of Israel" so that no one might come and steal the body from the tomb, and declare that this "Messiah" had arose from the dead as he had foretold.
Everyone knew that people couldn't raise from the dead whether he was a "Wondermaker" or not, nobody had ever risen from the dead (save Lazarus and a couple of others but mind you in the minds of the world those were just mistakes).
But just to make sure that Jesus stayed inside the tomb and that everyone else stayed out, Pilate allowed them to block the entrance of the tomb and seal it so that nobody except Pilate could break the seal.
How many guards were at the tomb? This is a difficult question to answer. Most pictures we see show only two soldiers, but the Bible tells us that 'some' of the soldiers went to tell the religious leaders that the body was gone. 'Some' indicate two or more, so certainly they would not leave the tomb unguarded! Others argue there were four which makes this argument a little bit better...but even in the book of Acts Peter is followed by four 'troops' of four men each so he is guarded by 16 soldiers! If one man needed to be guarded by 16 soldiers how many would be needed to guard the body of Jesus from 11 men?!?
Not to mention the fact that one of those men was flailing a sword just a few nights before like a madman! Or also the fact that all of Jerusalem just a week before had been praising this man who had ridden into Jerusalem on the back of a colt, what could happen if they were excited and stirred again?
According to a 1st century historian Flavius Josephus Pilate placed 30 roman guards at the gate, but do you suppose that the Jewish leaders were happy with only 30? No they were not, so in addition to the 30 roman guards, the religious leaders also placed there 1,000 Jewish guards! So all together there were 1,030 men guarding the tomb of a dead man! And as we will see tomorrow, not even THEY could keep Him in the tomb! PRAISE THE LORD!
But what about us? This blog this past week has been an attempt to be both interesting, but also applicable.
We praise the Lord that Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary and paid the punishment for our sins...but the world went to so much trouble to keep him in that tomb!
Why is it that often times in our lives, even though we have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and we look to Him for our Salvation and forgiveness of sins, as well as our daily provision and abundant blessings...why can we say sometimes that we are guilt of trying to keep God in our lives locked up in a box?
Have you ever noticed that? Many people today seem to keep God in a box and only allow Him into their lives at certain times. Times of discouragement, times of despair, times of "Church Worship"...have you ever noticed this? So often we don't allow God to interact with us all day long, but only when we seemingly want Him to.
Much like a genie in a bottle, we only allow him to come out when we want him to come out, otherwise we keep him locked up in the bottle.
The guards were trying to keep Jesus in the tomb and not let him out...are we guilty of not allowing Jesus to come out into our entire lives?
Back when I was in college, I was required to read a little booklet called, "My Heart Christ's Home" by Robert Boyd Munger. In the little short read, it portrayed the idea of what a visit from Christ might be like, should Christ one day ring the bell of your home and ask to be invited in. What might He find there? Books you were ashamed of owning, television shows you shouldn't be watching? Objects in your home that shouldn't be there, internet sites that should not have been visited? Friends that you don't want to introduce to Christ... You see too often we are guilty of only allowing God to be apart of our lives when we want Him to.
When we need Him to heal us, when we need Him to intercede for a loved one, when we need Him to give us direction and guidance, or often most when we go to church. It is during those times that we let Him out of the box.
From this day forward may we resolve to allow Christ every area of our lives, not just when its "convenient for us".
30 Romans and 1,000 Jews
The Friday of "Holy Week"
READ MARK 15
There is much that happens today... three different trials, crowds crying "Crucify Him", mocking, beatings, crosses, forgiveness, the giving of Jesus' mother to John, and ultimately Jesus' death.
But rather than try to pull everything apart, and retell this famous story, let's focux on something else real quick today.
READ MARK 14:50
Who is this speaking of? The disciples...
Upon the arresting of Jesus, the disciples run, scattering for their lives. Peter does follow from a distance, but we know that he rejects Christ, saying, "I don't know him".
With the realization of what Christ has done for us upon the cross of Calvary, and that the sacrifice that was given, and the blood that was paid was on our behalf, I wonder...do we still 2,000 years later still abandon Christ?
Think about it for a moment, and then answer honestly. Not "Do we 'Forget' about Christ" and what he does in our lives on a daily basis, but more about do we 'Reject' Christ on a daily basis?
Let me try to explain. Often times in our lives we forget that Christ is active in our lives giving us life, breath, blessings, and so much more that we don't deserve, but even more so, when we find ourselves in certain situations, often times we find ourselves "rejecting Christ" by trying to solve our own problems and situations.
So often Christ is plan B...or honestly Plan C or Plan D when Plan A has failed us because we have tried to use our own knowledge and understanding to solve our problems.
We look at the disciples and grimace sarcastically thinking about how "Unfaithful" the disciples were, but what about us? We call our Savior, 'Lord' and yet we fail to turn to Him. We fail to turn to Him in our times of need. Just when we might say that Christ 'Needed' His disciples they abandoned Him. Its so wonderful to know though that Christ will never ever abandon us! Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Christ said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Praise the Lord that although we might abandon Him, He will NEVER leave us!
What do we need to do to prepare ourselves never to abandon Christ again?
There is much that happens today... three different trials, crowds crying "Crucify Him", mocking, beatings, crosses, forgiveness, the giving of Jesus' mother to John, and ultimately Jesus' death.
But rather than try to pull everything apart, and retell this famous story, let's focux on something else real quick today.
READ MARK 14:50
Who is this speaking of? The disciples...
Upon the arresting of Jesus, the disciples run, scattering for their lives. Peter does follow from a distance, but we know that he rejects Christ, saying, "I don't know him".
With the realization of what Christ has done for us upon the cross of Calvary, and that the sacrifice that was given, and the blood that was paid was on our behalf, I wonder...do we still 2,000 years later still abandon Christ?
Think about it for a moment, and then answer honestly. Not "Do we 'Forget' about Christ" and what he does in our lives on a daily basis, but more about do we 'Reject' Christ on a daily basis?
Let me try to explain. Often times in our lives we forget that Christ is active in our lives giving us life, breath, blessings, and so much more that we don't deserve, but even more so, when we find ourselves in certain situations, often times we find ourselves "rejecting Christ" by trying to solve our own problems and situations.
So often Christ is plan B...or honestly Plan C or Plan D when Plan A has failed us because we have tried to use our own knowledge and understanding to solve our problems.
We look at the disciples and grimace sarcastically thinking about how "Unfaithful" the disciples were, but what about us? We call our Savior, 'Lord' and yet we fail to turn to Him. We fail to turn to Him in our times of need. Just when we might say that Christ 'Needed' His disciples they abandoned Him. Its so wonderful to know though that Christ will never ever abandon us! Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Christ said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Praise the Lord that although we might abandon Him, He will NEVER leave us!
What do we need to do to prepare ourselves never to abandon Christ again?
The Thursday of "Holy Week"
Imagine if you will that this is your last day to live….
What would you be doing?
Are you spending time with your spouse and children?
Maybe you’re out with friends? Maybe you are meeting with a lawyer to set up
your will and get your estate in order. Maybe you’re out skydiving or cliff
jumping…whatever you are doing, most likely you are not washing the feet of
your friends, or crying in a garden somewhere.
But those two events along with others make up the
very crucial moments of the last 24 hours of Christ’s life.
READ MARK 14:17-31
Here Jesus is participating in the Passover meal with
his Disciples. The Passover meal was a special commemorative meal celebrating
and remembering God’s deliverance of the nation of Israel from the Egyptians
and the angel of death in the 10th plague.
Reclining at the table, Jesus takes the elements of
the Passover meal and institutes what we call today the “Lord’s Supper’, “Communion”,
or to some what is called the “Eucharist”.
This meal went from being a remembrance of what God
did for the Hebrew children, into what God was going to do with His Son upon
the cross of Calvary.
Taking the unleavened bread he declared that it would
be a reminder to those that took part of His body that was broken for us.
Taking the juice he declared that it would be a
reminder to those that took part of the blood that was to be shed on our
behalf.
It was there in that upper room that he instituted
this meal.
READ JOHN 13:1-20
It was at the end of this same meal, that Jesus took
up the basin of water and washed the feet of each of His disciples teaching
them, that if they truly want to be followers of Jesus Christ they must also
become servants of Jesus Christ.
READ MARK 14:32-44
And then came the end of the day, that fateful moment
while praying in the garden of Gethsemane, that Judas appeared with his cohorts
to arrest Jesus.
A busy day for the Savior, but a day well spent.
If it was your last day, what might you do? How would
you spend it?
PSALM 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we
may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
The Wednesday of "Holy Week"
READ MARK 13
Tuesday evening ends with what is called the "Olivet Discourse" which is a message that Jesus delivers to Peter, James and John about the history of both Israel and the world. A warning comes that the days are short, and there is a time that God will bring an end to this world. Warning about the abominations of desolations, and wars and rumors of war, and so forth, much of what Daniel prophesied in the book of Daniel.
But night comes on at the end of the day, and a new begins on Wednesday.
The historical account of Christ on Wednesday is silent along with that of the disciples, except for one.
It is today Wednesday, 2,000 years ago that a particular man named Judas Iscariot plans to betray his "portrayed leader".
READ MARK 14:10-11
READ MATTHEW 26:14-16
For a simple 30 pieces of silver or approx. $190, Judas had made the decision to sell out Christ. Ironic as it may seem though, we know that tomorrow night, Jesus will allow himself to be arrested, because we read of numerous other times that he simply disappeared, "Because it was not yet His time."
The scarey question I ask today is this... "How much would it take for you to sell out Jesus?" No, I'm not asking how much would you want to lead the guards to Jesus to have him arrested, I'm asking today in 2013 this day March 27th, what will it take for you to "give him up"? To tired for devotions so you "sell out" to sleep? To grumpy to praise God so you "sell out" to your emotions rather than praise Him? Have to many other things to do rather than attend church so you "sell out" to housework, car maintenance, relaxation, sports, television, internet, work, etc...?"
You see, sadly I think we actually sell out our Savior every day to worthless meanial things. We might scoff at the fact that Judas sold Jesus for $190...at least I did. But when we realize that we too sell out Jesus or pass up on him everyday for stupid worthless things, we realize that we too are guilt of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Tuesday evening ends with what is called the "Olivet Discourse" which is a message that Jesus delivers to Peter, James and John about the history of both Israel and the world. A warning comes that the days are short, and there is a time that God will bring an end to this world. Warning about the abominations of desolations, and wars and rumors of war, and so forth, much of what Daniel prophesied in the book of Daniel.
But night comes on at the end of the day, and a new begins on Wednesday.
The historical account of Christ on Wednesday is silent along with that of the disciples, except for one.
It is today Wednesday, 2,000 years ago that a particular man named Judas Iscariot plans to betray his "portrayed leader".
READ MARK 14:10-11
READ MATTHEW 26:14-16
For a simple 30 pieces of silver or approx. $190, Judas had made the decision to sell out Christ. Ironic as it may seem though, we know that tomorrow night, Jesus will allow himself to be arrested, because we read of numerous other times that he simply disappeared, "Because it was not yet His time."
The scarey question I ask today is this... "How much would it take for you to sell out Jesus?" No, I'm not asking how much would you want to lead the guards to Jesus to have him arrested, I'm asking today in 2013 this day March 27th, what will it take for you to "give him up"? To tired for devotions so you "sell out" to sleep? To grumpy to praise God so you "sell out" to your emotions rather than praise Him? Have to many other things to do rather than attend church so you "sell out" to housework, car maintenance, relaxation, sports, television, internet, work, etc...?"
You see, sadly I think we actually sell out our Savior every day to worthless meanial things. We might scoff at the fact that Judas sold Jesus for $190...at least I did. But when we realize that we too sell out Jesus or pass up on him everyday for stupid worthless things, we realize that we too are guilt of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
The Tuesday of "Holy Week"
READ MARK
11:20-25
On Tuesday
morning as the disciples and Jesus are once again on their way to the temple
for the second day in a row, they pass by the fig tree that Jesus had stopped
at the day before to find a bit of fruit to satisfy his hunger and found none.
Upon finding no fruit, Jesus cursed the tree saying, that it would “Never bear
fruit”.
As they walk
past the fig tree, they see that the tree is actually shriveled and dead, thus
the disciples realized that Jesus still had power of creation, but also showed
how significant the symbolic prophecy that Jesus had given about the tree played
a part in the future of Israel.
The prophesy or
curse we might say, was representative of Israel in that Israel was not bearing
fruit for the glory of God, and because of that, they never would! The “plant”/”nation”
would shrivel up and die because of its decision to reject God, and we know
that in 70 A.D. the nation of Israel and city of Jerusalem were literally
struck to the ground…and it has only been in the last century that Israel has
been raised from the rubble in the form of a new nation, and yet still has
chosen to reject its Messiah who came for them.
During the
afternoon of this particular day Tuesday, Jesus and the disciples are in the
temple being “Quizzed” one might say.
READ MARK
11:27-12:44
It is here in
this temple that the Pharisees and Herodians try to trip Jesus us in his words
to be able to call him a blasphemer, and the questions of, “Should we pay
Caesar tribute?” who’s wife would she be if she was married to seven brothers
in the afterlife?” , and then came the
greatest question of all.
“What is the
greatest commandment?” Expecting an answer from the ‘Top Ten’ as some call them
or the Ten Commandments, they plan to trip Jesus in his words, because all ten
are highly regarded, but instead, Jesus says, “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God
is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the
first commandment.”
The greatest
part of this conversation comes right on the heels of his response, because
before anyone else can say anything Jesus continues by saying, “And the second
is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none
other commandment greater than these.”
Do we love the
Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength?
I’m so very
grateful that Christ did, because had Christ not loved the Lord God with all of
his being, then most likely he never would have been obedient to the Father, and
endured the cross and shame.
READ
PHILIPPIANS 2
What about us?
Would we be willing to die for the Master?
The Monday of "Holy Week"
MARK 11:12-14
It’s Monday morning, and
Jesus and the disciples are on their way to the Temple to worship, and along
the way they pass a fig tree. Jesus, being hungry wants to find out if there is
any fruit upon the tree to eat satisfy his hunger. Yet, getting to the tree he
doesn’t find any fruit upon it, and with that he curses the tree, saying that
the tree will never bear fruit.
This picture is symbolic
of the picture of Israel having rejected their God, and not bearing fruit of
their own for the glory of God. We will see what happens to this tree tomorrow,
but until then we will leave the tree along the side of the road, and travel on
to the temple, where Jesus finds, not what he expected, but in fact a market
place that has moved within the courts of the temple.
READ MARK 11:14-16
It was there in the
temple that Jesus finds the temple to have been turned into a marketplace of
money changers, and sellers of animals for sacrifices. Having a special
agreement with the priests of the temple who were getting a portion of the
profits the merchants were selling their “wares” in the temple, which was not
where God had intended them to sell their merchandise. The temple was a place
of sanctity, prayer and worship, not a place of money making. In righteous anger,
Jesus overturns the tables of the merchants and chases the money changers out
of the temple proclaiming that God had intended for the temple to be a place of
worship and prayer, not a den of thieves.
What about our lives? The
Bible tells us that our bodies/lives are the temple of the Holy Spirit…do we
need a radical change in our lives to repurpose ourselves back to true worship
and prayer? Are we guilty of having filled our lives with meaningless things
that exist without purpose, or are we still dedicated like the temple had been
originally dedicated to the worship of the one true God?
I challenge you this week
to turn back to true worship if this is a need of change in your life.
Remember…Sunday is
coming!
The Sunday of "Holy Week"
READ MARK 11:1-10
Yesterday was the triumphant entrance of Jesus into the glorious city of Jerusalem...the city of God. Finally the King of kings has entered the gates of the city, and surely now is the time for Him to set up His earthly kingdom! Or so thought His disciples.
For years the prophecy had been given in Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey."
For years the children of Israel had watched and waited for this sign, and yesterday, the first day of the week of Passover enters a man, a man that they know has the ability to work wonders and miracles, arrives at the city gates and enters upon the back of a unridden colt! Entering the city gates, people immediately recognize the symbol and remember the prophesy and begin to shout at the top of their lungs, "HOSANNA! HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" You see the people were under the hand of the ruling Roman Empire. And FINALLY they believed their "King" was coming to set up his kingdom to rid them of the Romans and give them their freedom.
They begin to break palm branches off the trees, and lay their outer garments upon the street creating almost a royal "red" carpet for the new "King". The word "HOSANNA!" is very important here as it means "Save Now!" So they were actually shouting "SAVE NOW! SAVE US! OUR DELIVERER HAS COME!"
Its amazing how quickly though in just a matter of a short period of time how the people go from shouting "SAVE NOW" to in fact, "CRUFICY HIM!"
This week join us each day via email or via the blog to find out something new about that day during the "Holy Week". Coming shortly will be Monday's post...after this great day of rejoicing and festivities, what did the next morning bring? Check back and little later to find out more!
Yesterday was the triumphant entrance of Jesus into the glorious city of Jerusalem...the city of God. Finally the King of kings has entered the gates of the city, and surely now is the time for Him to set up His earthly kingdom! Or so thought His disciples.
For years the prophecy had been given in Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey."
For years the children of Israel had watched and waited for this sign, and yesterday, the first day of the week of Passover enters a man, a man that they know has the ability to work wonders and miracles, arrives at the city gates and enters upon the back of a unridden colt! Entering the city gates, people immediately recognize the symbol and remember the prophesy and begin to shout at the top of their lungs, "HOSANNA! HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" You see the people were under the hand of the ruling Roman Empire. And FINALLY they believed their "King" was coming to set up his kingdom to rid them of the Romans and give them their freedom.
They begin to break palm branches off the trees, and lay their outer garments upon the street creating almost a royal "red" carpet for the new "King". The word "HOSANNA!" is very important here as it means "Save Now!" So they were actually shouting "SAVE NOW! SAVE US! OUR DELIVERER HAS COME!"
Its amazing how quickly though in just a matter of a short period of time how the people go from shouting "SAVE NOW" to in fact, "CRUFICY HIM!"
This week join us each day via email or via the blog to find out something new about that day during the "Holy Week". Coming shortly will be Monday's post...after this great day of rejoicing and festivities, what did the next morning bring? Check back and little later to find out more!