Why This Waste? November 5, 2009
Posted by elisabethmontague in 6 Meditation: Why This Waste?.add a comment
Have you ever been in a season where it feels like everything feels like it is going wrong, but in reality, everything is going right? When your world is crashing down on you and your whole body is crushed by the impact? When God feels so near, yet so far away? When it seems that every emotion in the history of the world is mixed in a blender and then poured out on your shoulders? When your heart feels like it just cracked in two and it will never be woven back together again? And it hurts so bad that your whole body feels like mush? That is how I feel right now.
You may be wondering, “What does this have to do with the alabaster jar?” Well, I will get to that in a few paragraphs.
We all know that God will never give us more than what He knows that we can handle, right? But what about all the times He purposely breaks our hearts? Maybe this does not occur very often, which I cannot say that it has occurred very often (if at all) in my own life. God is so faithful and merciful that He breaks us in the most loving ways. He breaks us when we need to be broken. He breaks us when He wants to do something new and exciting in our lives. He breaks us so that He can mend us, which does not make much sense to me. But I do not like to question why God does what He does. But why does God do what He does? 1. Because He can, because He is God. 2. To catch our eye and to fascinate us. God loves to show off. He loves to show us His power.
God is doing a lot in my life right now. In the past, I never knew what He was doing until after He was done doing it. And sometimes, it took a long time for me to understand what He was orchestrating. It is rare -in my life- when God will let me know what He is doing when He is doing it. It is a blessing when He does let me in on the secrets, which is a rare occurrence. It is the mystery of God. But on rare occasions, the mystery is not so mysterious.
This past week has been really hard (to put it lightly). You know all the questions in my first paragraph? Yeah, that has been my week as of yet. This week has been the hardest week of my life. But God knows what He is doing and – better yet – I know what God is doing. Now, some of the things that He is doing right now are rather personal that I do not feel like I can share at this time. But one thing that He is doing is breaking my heart. In a good way.
I have a lot of pain in my heart from things that has happened in my past and I know that God has been in the process of healing those hurts for many years. But He is bringing it all up to the surface now and He is doing some deep cleaning in the deepest parts of my heart. I have been in so much pain this past week that I have often felt like I cannot go on. But, like we all know, God never gives us more than what we can handle.
God told me that He is breaking me down so that He can build me up. And it is a hard and painful process, but I know that in order for me to grow anymore and come into the things of God on a new level, I must be broken first. It is not fun, but I have excitement and joy (sometimes) when I think about how much God is going to be able to do in me and through me when this process is over.
What I am going through right now makes me think about the woman with the alabaster jar. She goes to Jesus and breaks it over Him. When I read this, I think about the Father and the Son. The woman being God and Jesus being the Son. Just imagine it this way; God goes to Jesus just before He is to be crucified and suffer the most gruesome death and He breaks a jar of perfume (or blessings) over His head. When Jesus is crucified, He feels broken and defeated. But here comes the Father, and through His Son’s death, He saves His people from eternal damnation. Through His death came life. Through my pain and brokenness will come strength and wholeness. Through my “death” will come “life”.
Jesus, The Judge November 5, 2009
Posted by elisabethmontague in 5 Meditation: Jesus the Judge, Uncategorized.add a comment
(v.2-4) in these verses, Jesus is talking to the crowd and to His disciples. He is telling them that they must listen and obey everything that is taught to them by the teachers of the law and of the Pharisees, and they must obey them and do everything that they tell them. But they should only do what they say and not what they do because they do not practice what they preach. All they want is the authority and the title that has been given to them.
You see this often even in this day and age. All people want is to be well known. They want the attention. They want the fame. They want the publicity. They want to know the feeling of acceptance, so they will stoop down low and become hypocrites in order to get what they want.
This is not the way to preach the Gospel. When you have a ministry, you need to have your heart in the right place in order for it to be effective and fruitful. When God is calling you into a ministry, it can be very beneficial to everyone involved. But if your heart is not in the place it once was or if you have become dry, your ministry can have the opposite effect and it can become more harmful than anything else.
Before I came to FMA, I was one of the main leaders and was the worship leader at my youth group. I was leading worship every Wednesday, one to two times a month on Sunday morning services, and I was a part of the worship team once a month. On top of that, I had my life outside of church and leadership. I was working and I had my friends and family that took up a lot of my time. While I was packing my schedule so full of multiple things, I was forgetting to schedule time for God. I was pouring out, but I was not being poured into. I got to a place where I was so dry and my ministry was not going anywhere.
God has really showed me that I absolutely need to specifically set aside time for Him. A time of isolation from the world around me. A Father daughter hang out. A date with my Lover. Right now, I am sitting in my room with just a little bit of light shining, ear plugs in my head, my phone turned off, my Bible open, and my heart open. This is a time that I have specifically set aside for God. This is my Tuesday night date with my beautiful Bridegroom. It is in these times of quiet, isolation that God can really touch our hearts and our lives. And after these intimate times, we are left feeling refreshed and feeling like we can take on another day.
(v. 15) this is harsh! Jesus is going over the “seven woes”. And in this chapter, He is saying that those who go overseas “soul searching” will find people to convert and those converts will become corrupt just like the one doing the converting. This is another good example of how not having your heart in the right place can really effect the ministry you are a part of. When you are a missionary on the mission field, it is important to have your heart in the right place. If your heart is not in this ministry, it can be very harmful.
When you are ministering the Gospel to the lost, especially to people who have never heard about Jesus, and your heart is not right with God, it will give the person you are ministering to the wrong idea of who God is and what He is all about. It will make the person you are ministering to the idea that all Christians are hypocrites. This will leave the person with a bad taste in their mouth about what true Christianity is all about. Christians already have a bad reputation to a lot of people groups. Let’s not make it any worse.
When we are ministering the Gospel, we need to show the love of Christ. We need to walk like Jesus walked on the earth. Speak like Jesus spoke. Love like Jesus loves. Showing people the love of God can be the most powerful encounter in a person’s life and it can be life changing. God is love and He wants His people to know His love. When our hearts are not beating in love, then what kind of image are we setting before people?
(v.37-39) these verses are also very harsh, but in the most living way. Jesus is telling the people that they must set their hearts straight or they shall not see the Lord again. In other words, they are screwed.
Not having our hearts knit together with God’s heart will not only put a damper on the effectiveness of our ministry, but it will also have a negative effect on our relationship with God. And we do not want that and neither does God. He loves us even when our hearts are dark and cloudy and He desires us. Time to clear the fog and turn on the Light in our hearts. For He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
The Road to the Cross… October 30, 2009
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Gethsemane(Mark 14:32-42)
My heart breaks within me as I think upon what took place in the Garden. We see a paradox of the creator of the universe at his weakest point, yet this is where he finds his greatest strength. Jesus knew that his strength and zeal could not get him through what was about to take place in the coming hours. To say that Jesus was this disturbed by dying a martyrs death is absurd. The reason people mock this moment of our savior’s distress and troubled heart is because they do not fully understand what would happen in the coming hours on that cross on golgotha hill. It says he went and prayed the same prayer three times. He asked the Father, “Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” This cup that he was about to partake of was by no means a cup of pleasure, blessing, or honor. It was the cup of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He himself was tread in that winepress of the wrath of God. He himself became a curse with this cup. He will one day have his vengeance on sin when he himself treads the winepress of the wrath and fierceness of Almighty God. He will make his majestic stand for truth, humility, and righteousness. In that day all high things will be brought low including the mountains and hills. Jesus knew that his strength during this time would come from the Father. He himself knew his flesh was weak, but his spirit was willing. In his weakness, his strength was made perfect.
Arrest(John 18:1-11)
Jesus came out of the place of prayer full of the spirit. He left edified and strengthened. I wonder what words the Father spoke to him? How did the Father encounter him to give him enough strength? Did he send ministering angels to strengthen him? Did he have an open vision of him standing once again at the right hand of the Father? They came to arrest Jesus thinking he would be off guard and in a place of weakness. Jesus showed them that even in his weakness, he is all powerful! His voice still has that same power that in had in the beginning at Genesis 1! The guards came forward and Jesus asked,”Whom are you seeking?” They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The Jesus replied simply, “I am He.” It says that then they drew back and fell to the ground. Jesus spoke three words and they were thrown backwards. Can you imagine what was going through the heads off the guards? They were probably thinking we are suppose to arrest him? They said he was weak and just a man. I think it was his mercy of revealing himself to these guards. Jesus is saying, “Yes, you must arrest me. First, I will show you who I am so when I submit to you, you know I still am God.” The guards must have been dumbfounded. I then picture after this happening Jesus stretching out his hands to be bound and arrested. He knew what had to be done. His hour had come.
Trial(John 18:12-14 & 19-24)
They then led Jesus to Annas who was the father-in-law of Caiphas, the high priest that year. They attempted to try Jesus behind close doors. They were trying to give him a trial without justice. What they were doing was very unjust. The one thing that caught my eye about this was the fact of how Annas foreshadowed Jesus dying for the sake of the whole nation. This one man’s sacrifice would not only be for the nation, but for all of humanity who would accept him as God and Saviour.
Before Pilate(John 18:28-40)
Jesus is done wrong in almost every way he can be through the trial. He doesn’t even have a trial. It was a judicial murder. They bring Jesus up to Pilate and say put him to death. When Pilate asks why, they say because we cannot. It was pure demonic rage lashing out against Jesus. Pilate then takes Jesus in and questions him. Jesus reveals that he is indeed a king, but his kingdom is not of this world. Pilate said that he found no fault in him, They had no just accusation against Jesus. The judge of the universe was dealt with unjustly. One day The Judge will bring justice to the earth once and for all.
Sentencing(John 19:1-16
To think upon the suffering our saviour went through is heart breaking. To think that God took on flesh in his mercy and came to dwell with men. To think that he had this planned out the whole time. He was truly undeserving of all the punishment he recieved. There were guilty murders who did not recieve as much punishment. A normal man would have died after the scourging. They mocked the king of the earth as if he were not a king. Jesus submitted to the mocking and scourging all for the sake of our souls. The hope that we might have eternal life. He took the crown of thorns knowing a greater crown awaited. He wore the robe with honor so that I could one day have a dazzling white and spotless robe. Oh, the love my saviour has for every soul. He would that none would perish, but that we all could have everlasting life. No matter the cost.
Meditation #7 The Road to the Cross October 30, 2009
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It’s the beginning of spring and probably a bit chilly out in the garden. It’s dark but there’s a full moon so you can still see without a torch. Jesus leads the eleven along the pathway under the trees. Judas has left, presumably to give an offering for the poor. Then Jesus stops and tells eight of the young men with Him to sit and wait for Him. He leads Peter, James and John a little further along the path and tells them how He is really stressed out and asks them to pray. He then moves off by Himself to pray alone.
Jesus fell to the ground praying fervently to God that He won’t have to live through the next several hours. He knows what’s coming and He knows that there will be unbearable physical pain. He cries out, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me…” Meanwhile Peter, James and John have fallen asleep.
In a traditional Jewish wedding, it was the parent’s responsibility to choose a spouse for their son or daughter. God chose Jesus’ bride. To pledge agreement to a betrothal, the fathers and the bridegroom would sit down together and share a cup of wine. If the son decided that he did not agree to his father’s choice, he would push the cup away; if he agreed he would take the cup and drink. When Jesus prayed, ‘remove this cup from Me’ I don’t think He was saying that He didn’t want the bride His Father had chosen. I think He was just saying ‘This is going to be really painful, Father, are You sure there isn’t another way to accomplish this?’
You’ve just eaten a rather large meal and had a few glasses of wine. You’ve spent a few hours singing and dancing with close friends and now you’re rather tired. You’ve gotten comfortable under a tree and it’s peacefully quiet. Who wouldn’t fall asleep? Then you suddenly get shaken awake. “Are you sleeping?” a voice asks. It is the voice of Jesus, “Keep watching and praying” He says.
Peter had recently insisted that he would do anything for Jesus, even die for Him. I’m sure he made a concerted effort to stay awake and pray, but he didn’t realize the urgency of that night. Closing your eyes in quiet prayer is often conducive to sleep anyway, but when you’re stuffed with food and wine it’s almost impossible. Maybe someone should have informed him on the benefits of pacing! Peter dozed off again.
Three times Jesus prays to God for strength and endurance. He may have even prayed for His disciples during this time, knowing that they were going to go through a lot of doubt and confusion in the next three days. Each time He prayed He came back to find Peter, James and John asleep. I’m sure they tried to deny it. “No, no I’m awake now Lord.” But the last time Jesus tells them to just forget it. Time’s up, break’s over, it’s now time to leave.
John 18:1-11
While Jesus and His disciples have gone to Gethsemane to pray, Judas has made his way straight to the Pharisees. Jesus apparently hung out at the Garden of Gethsemane a lot because Judas knew right where to go. Once the officers of the Chief Priests and the Roman guard were all ready Judas led them to Jesus. Lanterns, torches, swords, shields and spears; these guys came prepared for any event.
I’m sure a whole contingent of Roman soldiers with torches and weapons woke up Peter, James and John real quick. The Bible doesn’t really say what happened to the other eight disciples, but I think they probably didn’t stick around to see who those soldiers were looking for.
As a Roman soldier, you’re strong, tough, and very well trained. The other men in your regiment aren’t just friends, they’re brothers that you’ve fought side-by-side with. Anyone not of you is against you. These guys probably resented the greedy little Jew who was guiding them through the trees of Gethsemane. But if this late night intrigue meant another prisoner for them to have a little fun pushing around, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.
Jesus knew they were there to arrest Him, yet He still asked them whom they were looking for. When they replied that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth, His answer blew them away. Literally! All those tough Roman soldiers backed up and fell to the ground. I think maybe He put a little fear into their hearts. They’d think twice about forcibly arresting someone who could knock them down with nothing more than words.
Jesus asked them a second time, “Whom do you seek?” They got up, dusted themselves off, probably wondered how they ended up on the ground in the first place and answered, “Jesus of Nazareth”. Here’s where Jesus’ little show of power came in handy, the soldiers didn’t question Jesus command to let the disciples alone. Even after Peter pulled out a sword and tried to defend Jesus, they soldiers apparently made no move to arrest him.
The last verse in this passage speaks of Jesus’ resolution and obedience to the Father. It also speaks of His love for His disciples, the church, and His Bride. He has accepted the cup which the Father has given Him.
The Road to the Cross October 30, 2009
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As I read these accounts of Jesus on His way to the cross, I was struck by the truth that this is God incarnate submitting to every insult and every blow. They had no idea what they were doing… They were striking God, mocking God, condemning God. This is unfathomable. I can only imagine how all the heavenly host must have watched in shock and horror, if angels can feel horror. The indignation! That the God man would allow these tiny weak human beings, the ones He formed with His own hands and breathed the very breath of life into, are beating and mocking the very One who humbled Himself to come and redeem them. Don’t they know their rebellion has condemned them to hell?! This is the crowning sin to top them all. Why is He allowing this? What could compel Him to submit to such cruel torture?
And yet He chose to go. This is the hour He was born for. How tragic that the religious rulers, the keepers of the law and the prophets whose job it is watch for the messiah, cannot see Him standing right in front of them.
Jesus is riveting as I follow Him through the story. The air in the Praetorium must have been electric. Here two men stand face to face, one man, beaten and bloody stands before the other, who is pretending to be in control. Pilate’s fear and cowardice radiate off him in frantic waves as he tries to figure out what to do with Jesus, so that he can appease the Jews and stay out of trouble with Rome. The only skin he’s concerned about is his own. He wants to let Jesus go, he knows He’s innocent and that the chief priests are jealous, but because he’s afraid of the consequences of a riot in Jerusalem at the Passover, he caves in to pressure. He knowingly allows an innocent man to be handed over for crucifixion. Who ever saw such a contrast between two rulers…
What must Pilate have thought of Jesus? Here is a man about to be crucified, an excruciating death, and He utters not one word in self-defense; He barely speaks at all. Not once does He plead for His life to be spared. Frankly, it must have freaked Pilate out. What frightened Pilate so much when the chief priests told him Jesus had made Himself out be the Son of God? Did Pilate suspect it was true? Did he put the pieces together? Jesus, who acknowledged being a king, but whose kingdom was from another world, and that He had servants who would fight for Him at just one word? So Pilate runs back in to Jesus; “Where are you from?! Tell me!” No answer. Pilate is frantic. “Why don’t you answer? Don’t you know I have the power to crucify you?” Jesus’ answer is stunning. “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.” Wow. The tension and power that flickers from that dialogue trumps any movie I’ve ever seen.
At first glance, Jesus seems to be the obvious victim in the story, as if this is all happening to Him, but He displays no signs of victimhood. But look closer. Watch Him. He’s completely in control of Himself; this is a willing victim. This is all part of the Plan. He is single minded; a man on a mission. When I think about the fact that He did this to win a bride; that Jesus is the kind of king and bridegroom who lays down His life for His people, so they can live and His bride so He can save her, it takes my breath away. It makes me love Him even more.
Then I think about the disciples and I realize as I read the story, I have the benefit of knowing the end of the story. I know Sunday is coming. I understand the theology. But the disciples didn’t, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have, either, if I had been there. They were certain the inauguration of Jesus’ Messianic kingdom was just around the corner, and they were preparing their acceptance speeches. But what actually unfolded was a nightmare they couldn’t wake up from. From the moment Judas showed up in Gethsemane with the soldiers, everything unraveled and one by one, every hope and dream they had allowed themselves to believe over the past three years was dashed to pieces. Considering what they experienced that night and the next day leads me to think about what it means to enter into the fellowship of Jesus’ suffering, and that the way of the cross is exaltation coming through humiliation. Meditating on that truth and this passage has begun to undo me. It makes me feel lots of different emotions… I feel awe at the brilliance of the cross. No man would have dreamed to accomplish redemption like that, and it’s so beautiful. It’s so upside down. But it’s terrible and terrifying, too. The way of the cross strikes at the heart of every way that is common to my natural self. I want to be like Jesus and to follow Him, but I’m afraid of suffering. I like comfort and being recognized and appreciated. I hate to be misunderstood and I’m afraid of pain, loss, rejection and everything that Jesus embraced at the cross. He embraced everything that I strive so hard to avoid, and yet He is the most happy, glad man ever, and I struggle to find real peace and joy, always wondering what other people think of me, whether they like me or think I’m cool. My jaw hangs open as I consider that Jesus EMBRACED pain, suffering, rejection and humiliation. He endured it willingly, even gladly as the price of His bride. Is that really what I’m worth? Is that what my family is worth? Is that what every human being I’ve ever met and made my judgment in my heart about, whether favorable or unfavorable, is worth to Jesus? It makes me want to spend more time with Him, to know Him more and be closer to His heart, if that’s what He’s like.
And then I think about the people’s response to Jesus as He is presented to them. ‘Behold the man!’ It was so tragic, sad and foolish when the people rejected Jesus and claimed they had no king but Caesar, giving their allegiance to him, since not so many years later, it would be the ruler of Rome who would come and destroy Jerusalem and massacre the Jewish people. They truly didn’t know what would make for their peace, and they rejected the One who came to save them, who they had been waiting thousands of years for, with eager anticipation. They wanted the Messiah to come! But Jesus didn’t fit their description of what Messiah should do or look like. Nor could they recognize what their true enemy looked like. They thought their friend was their enemy and their enemy was their friend.
Jesus – The Road to the Cross Meditation #7 by Glenda Nagunst October 30, 2009
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Mark 14:32-42 - John 18:1-11, 12-14, 19-24, 28-40 - John 19: 1-16 - John 19: 1-16
Imagine the worst night of your life, what would you do? Imagine that you knew that something horrible was going to happen to you whether it was a car accident, being murdered or something horrible that would end your life. Imagine more so that you knew that on November 1st you were going to be arrested. What would be on your mind? What would you do? In our human state I can imagine that we would do everything we could to avoid being arrested. We’d pay the unpaid parking tickets; we would run or hide from the authority to avoid being caught. What if you knew that you were going to be arrested for the crimes of someone else?
What if the charges against you were the mass murders of countless humans, rape of 7 others in the highest degree, murder of innocent blood, for the theft of every major bank and jewelry store? What if you knew that tomorrow your reputation as a pastor, a teacher, a doctor, stay at home mom was blasted all over the news as one of the worst murderers, rapist, thief, pedophile of our time? And what if it you were being charged for things you had never done and even you could prove you never did? We all know that in our heart we would run from it, cry out to God to be our advocate and if we could we would change it.
In our human effort we would strive to change it. If it was our wife, our spouse, our child, our parent, we may be swayed to take part of the consequences of their actions. But what if we paid restitution for the family in our history we never even knew, or even all the friends of the family. I can imagine the burning in our souls the longing of our heart for justice. Could love even in its entirety motivate our heart to take on the charges against others even if it meant the worst imaginable death and torture? In human history there has been such men and woman to suffer horrible death out of love for their children or family, and in the greatest love for Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus see and feel that would make Him so Jealous that He would take on every sin of ever murderer, rapist, thief, pedophile, liar, adulterer, and the list goes on and on. The last night of His life before His arrest He went to a garden and met his father there. Like a child He wept before His father crying out that if there was another way could it be used to remove the hindering sin of man? In the darkest night He would ever face of torment in the human soul He would pray and watch still contending in willingness that He wouldn’t have to bare the wrath of God for every sin and evil intention. He wasn’t just willing to take every sin of His family, or friends but of every soul from past to the future since the first separation of men from God in the garden. He asked his disciples to sit with Him and watch with unveiled eyes yet even in their weakness they failed to stay away. I wonder what he meant by the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. He told them watch with me so that you do not fall into temptation. His heart for them to watch; was it for him or for them? He knew they would fall asleep. He knew everything that was going to happen. Was it their physical eyes He was worried about or more so their spiritual eyes?
I couldn’t help but notice that when Jesus came back to talk to Peter He didn’t call him by the name He once gave him but He called him by the name Simon. Was this because He recognized that Peter was still very weak and would revert back to His sinful ways that night by denying Him. After the 3rd time of praying for God to remove this sentence off of him if at all possible He went back to them the third time and said that’s enough! The hour has come, Look (Behold with your very own eyes, see all has come to pass) the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners! (Mark 14:41) How did Jesus feel knowing everything that would play out? That Judas would come and kiss Him and betray Him.
How would we react when the time came to be arrested and we were betrayed by our father, our brother, or even our spouse, or child? As the soldiers and the officials of the chief priest came Jesus asked them “Who are you looking for?” He knew who they came for but for the sake of us He asked them twice. The power that took place when He said “I am He” never crossed my mind before but look with me in John 18:5 it says they drew back (NIV) and fell to the ground, even Judas (ESV) Why did it they draw back and fall to the ground. I believe that it was because He showed us that with 1 breathe and word He was who He said He was.
All He had to do was speak and He would destroy everything. His power and authority made men fall, and leads us to the understanding He had the full dominion to stop what was taking place. Yet directly following He spoke not a word during His trial. He was the SILENT Lamb let to the slaughter as the only human being that could withstand the wrath of God because He was the Son of God and yet the Son of Man struggling in His emotions. He was fully God which meant that He was perfect and without spot or wrinkle. He was fully Man which meant He had temptation, a weak frame; He felt the burden of man and felt and dealt with ever emotion of the human frame. What kind of love would resist the spoken word and with hold the power of His tongue. When He was before the High Priest He only answered back in question. He didn’t speak directly to them proclaiming who He was and what He spoke. Why did He remain silent?
It was in testimony of His love that He stood silent and let the accusations of man come. Maybe it was because if He spoke He would have been released. We know that even when He was before Pilot all He did was stand quietly, and when He did chose to speak it send fear and truth into the heart of Pilot. Jesus could only speak truth, and He was truth. If He would have spoken He would have spoken and softened and convicted the heart of every man. He would have stayed silent so that He would be convicted, so that He would take the cup from His father and endure the wrath of God. Because He didn’t speak He chose yet again to let His authority be trampled on.
He was the Son of God and rightly had the place to say no. And yet imagine the father sitting quietly saying “Son I am so proud, I want to fix things but like you I am jealous with a fire that cannot be quenched I said I would come in wrath and they cannot bare my wrath, I love you so much for doing this because I love them.” Because He sat quietly He was mocked, torn, beat spat on, and yet He continued to let the hatred of men toward Him grow. He faced His accusers with not one ill or misdirected thought. I can hear the words in His heart saying “If only you knew how much I love you, woe to you for your hands will be stained with my blood. I have given you chance after chance to love me and love God yet you hate Him so I will suffer this wrath for you. You have no idea! I knew how bad this was and I still came, I existed before all creation and I will exist long after, I suffered and came because I removed all hindrances of love”
The Road to the Cross October 29, 2009
Posted by allysonlucero in Uncategorized.add a comment
I will start out with just kind of going through in my own words with this meditation how I feel about each step of the story. I have been dwelling on each one throughout the week and they have all inspired me greatly.
It begins in the garden of Gethsemane which happens to be my favorite part of the story of the cross. Jesus end up just taking Peter, James, and John with Him. Now I know He loved all His disciples, but from what I can gather these three were the closest to Him personally. He takes these three disciples with Him to this very personal place of prayer communing with the Father. You have to know that something was going on in these guys heart that would cause them to fall asleep. When I think about being able to go somewhere and pray alongside Jesus personally with the Father I feel like I would be attentive no matter what the situation. I guess I would have probably in my human weakness have done the same or something similar to what they did. It just makes me sad in my heart that sometimes we can’t even stay up with Jesus when all He asks is for us to give up a short time and pray with Him.
I love the prayer that He prayer here. Mark doesn’t go into too much depth in His prayer, but John does. I love that Jesus just completely gives up His own desires and submits to the will of the Father. He is selfless in His love for His Father and His love for us. He even says, “Father, I desire.” He says it in regards to us. He desires that we would be with Him and His Father where they are. This prayer that He prays to His Father God ends up being the most important prayer ever prayed in the Bible. It is all for us and for the life that we are going to have in God and in Jesus. It is in a way the ultimate prayer showing Jesus’ intercession for believers. This prayer holds a very high calling in it for us and for our lives in Jesus. It calls is to be one with God and Jesus as they are one in each other. It also says that the glory (movements of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders) which was given to Jesus from God will be given to us. It also says that God has loved us in the exact same way that He loves Jesus. It calls us to the position of beholding the glory of Jesus and the Father in Him. This whole prayer bridges the way in which we have access to the Father and His glory and the experience of His love for us.
When this prayer is over He sees and in some form or another rebukes the disciples that they cannot even stay away with Him for a short time.
They then go into the garden where they are overtaken by the officers seeking to arrest Him. The only reason that they found Him was because of the betrayal of Judas. I wonder how Judas felt the moment that Jesus’ eyes fixed on him. I wonder if a huge shame flooded him when he had to go forward and kiss him on the cheek as a sign to the troops. It had to have dawned on him in that second exactly the magnitude of the crime that he had committed. It must have done something to him because we went away and took his own life after that very moment. Even though what happened was awful, it was all in the perfect will of God. Jesus had to die because without that blood atoning for our sins then we ourselves would be obligated to pay in blood.
The trial that He goes through is almost like a game. The men that have him on trial know that they aren’t going to let Him go. They are out for His blood and they wont be satisfied with anything else. Later when He goes before Pilate, they even have a choice between Jesus, a pure lamb and a murderer. They of course against all logic choose the murderer to go free in Jesus’ place. It had to have happened because that is just one more example of how He took our place just like He took the murderers place to go to the cross. Pilate almost lets Him go and recognizes that Jesus is innocent, but He is too afraid of what the people will think and do so He sentences Jesus.
The last of the story is of Jesus going to the cross. This is my least favorite part of the entire story, but at the same time it is a beautiful illustration of love that has never been matched in history. He was beaten and bruised and scarred for us. It is no small thing that he gave everything up for us. We are just so flippant about what He did. I just don’t think that we (even I) will be able to understand the magnitude of His sacrifice. I love when He exclaimed on the cross the phrase, “I thirst.” I’ve just really been dwelling on the fact that He didn’t mean physical thirst. He meant that He desired us. He thirsts for our love. I just wish that I could react to Him in the same way back.
I guess that this is what this story causes us to do. It causes us to think on Him and in turn it causes us to learn these different aspects of His personality. We begin to study Him and understand His love and then in turn because He loved us we are able to love Him back. Sometimes I feel like if I think on the cross too hard that I will begin crying and not be able to stop. Something about it breaks my heart in such a way that I cant explain. At the same time this story refreshes my spirit and while I become sad it lifts up my head again. I am able to have full access to Jesus and the Father. I am able to love Him. I am able to be with Jesus where He is. I am given everlasting life forever and ever. I am given the divine privilege of being in His glory the rest of my days. I am given all of this because of what He has done.
On His Way to the Cross… October 29, 2009
Posted by leahjohnson in 7 Meditation: The Road to the Cross.add a comment
I can’t imagine the love and intimacy that Jesus had between Peter, James, and John. For Jesus to take them with Him to the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew the hour that was at hand and He chose these three guys to come with him. John the beloved laid on Jesus’ chest during the last supper. He was also the youngest. He left everything behind to follow Jesus, but why was John singled out by Jesus? Did not the rest of the disciples have a relationship with Him? There was a connection between Jesus and John that was deeper than the rest. Jesus chose Peter even though He knew that he would deny him three times. He knew that all of his disciples would forsake him and hide in fear when the time would come for him to be taken away, but he still wanted these men to accompany him to the garden.
Jesus is a God of relationship and love. Even in His deepest, darkest moment in life, he wanted his friends near him. He asked them to tarry with him that night. Jesus didn’t want to be alone in the last hour. He showed His misery and became “greatly distressed.” I translate this as he was freaking out and breaking down in the garden praying that His father would have mercy and “that this hour would pass from him.” Even in His distress, Jesus said not my will, but your will be done Father. The love for His father was so strong that He was willing to go through the most excruciating death possible in order for us to be with Him forever. Then He came and found the three closest to His heart sleeping. He addresses Peter and says, “Simon are you sleeping? Could you not watch with me one hour?” Jesus must have been hurt by this action. Then He warns Peter saying, “Watch lest you fall into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Why did Jesus say this? There could be two meanings of this statement. The first being that He was trying to tell them that even though their flesh is weak the spirit is strong and willing to overcome. And the other that the spirit is willing, but the flesh hinders the spirit by being weak. So many people interpret this the second way, but what if that is not what Jesus was saying at all. What if he wanted them to ask for help and allow the spirit to guide them and keep them awake while Jesus was mourning? I don’t think this statement was a rebuke. I think it was an exhortation to come up higher, but the disciples fell asleep anyway.
I wonder what it would be like for Judas to kiss the man he was betraying as a sign that he was the messiah. The betrayal kiss. This is what so many people call this action between them. What was Judas feeling? How could he be so deceived. He betrayed the man man that he spent every day. Jesus spent time with him. Jesus taught him just like all the other disciples, but what was in his heart that he could betray the very man that loved him enough to die for him? Judas walked with Jesus. He performed the same miracles, ate the same food, and slept in the same places with Jesus. He threw all of that away, and for what? Money?
In the garden, Peter struck one of the solders and cut off his ear. Peter was ready to fight for Jesus. He would have helped Jesus escape, Jesus told him to put his sword away because this was what His father had for Him. This is so bold of Jesus. He obeyed His father and went with the officers. He didn’t fight back. He was a silent lamb lead to the slaughter. Some translations say that Jesus healed the officer’s ear that was cut off. This is an extreme act of love. Jesus healing the man that is taking him away to crucify him is extraordinary. Jesus showed compassion when there was no compassion or mercy shown upon Him. This is an ultimate act of agape love for a stranger. Jesus did not know the man, but He loved him with agape love. The love for someone with having no expectation of being loved in return.
I can’t imagine being in Pilates position. He spoke directly with Jesus, the God of the Universe, but did not recognize Him. He took him outside to the Jews and the Jews said that he must crucify him because it is in the law that he must die because he made himself the Son of God. This grieved Pilate and he was afraid of the Jews, for they were massive in numbers greater than his own and they were violently demanding Jesus’ death by crucification. He tried to save Jesus by releasing him back to the Jews instead of Barabbas, but they cried out that the wanted Barabbas and not Jesus. So Pilate thought that if he scourged him, it would be enough for the Jews to see this punishment as fierce and not kill him. Jesus was beat and whipped 40 times. This is the largest number of lashing in all of history before someone dies. I can’t believe that Jesus endured this kind of pain for me.
They mocked Him and put a purple robe on Him, along with a crown of thorns. Jesus was unrecognizable when the lashings were over. Pilate brought him out, thinking that this punishment would be enough for the Jews. He said, “Behold the Man.” This is significant because Jesus was the son of God, but He shed blood like a man. He was a human. This scourging proved that He bleeds like every other human being on this earth. He is a man! He goes back into the Praetorium and has the most important conversation with Him there. Pilate asks Jesus where He is from. Jesus does not answer. Pilate says, “ Why are you not answering me? Do you not know that I have power to kill you or set you free?” And Jesus replies with, “You have no power over me except what has been given to you from my Father above. So the man that delivered me to you has the greater sin.” The last part of this statement is crucial. Jesus is saying that Pilate will be condemned if he kills Jesus, but Pilate does not believe that Jesus is the son of God. The Jews delivered Jesus to Pilate; therefore, they will have a greater judgment upon them because they believe that Jesus is the son of God, yet they are still crucifying Him. At that very moment something happened between Pilate and Jesus. Pilates eyes were opened and he believed Jesus! His heart was changed and he sought to save Jesus from that moment on. He came out with Jesus and said, “Behold your KING!” Before Pilate said, “Behold the MAN!” Something changed in Pilate by calling Jesus the man and then changing it to the king. He knew the truth; however, the Jews yelled out, “crucify him!” Pilate could not save Jesus. He released Jesus to the Jews and let them crucify Him. Pilate did not want Jesus’ blood on his hands because he found no fault in Jesus. He saw the power in Jesus’ eyes and words. He knew that Jesus was speaking the truth. He said, “Do you want me to crucify your King?” He said this because of the comment Jesus made inside. Pilate knew that the Jews would receive a greater punishment because they believe He is the son of God and, yet they are still condemning Him to death. The Jews deny that they have any other King, but Caesar. So Pilate released Jesus to the jews to crucify their King. This must have been a very difficult decision for Pilate to make.
The Road To The Cross October 29, 2009
Posted by denisewilkie in 7 Meditation: The Road to the Cross, Uncategorized.add a comment
The disciples and Jesus are enjoying a peaceful evening after eating together. They are a band of brothers strolling along. Intermittent outbursts of laughter can be heard. Suddenly the mood has changed. Jesus stops walking and asks the disciples to stay where they are, near the entrance of the garden of Gethsemane. Well only some of the disciples have to stay behind. Peter, James and John follow Jesus.
As the four of them continue in the garden Jesus becomes greatly troubled. Without question Jesus never did anything unless God told Him first. So perhaps as they walked Jesus was receiving a download of His next hours from the Holy Spirit. Jesus can’t take the sorrow and decides He must leave the three disciples behind and continue walking alone. He tells them to stay behind, but to keep watch. “Watch what?” “What for Jesus’ betrayer He spoke of?” “Watch for the other disciples?” “Watch for soldiers?” “Watch Jesus pray?” Maybe Jesus wanted them to watch all of these things. Whatever the reason was the disciples were told to watch, but they failed miserably. Jesus left them and as He walked further He fell to the ground as He was overcome with great grief. Jesus begins pleading with and begging God to take the need for Him to die a sinners death away from Him. “God, isn’t there any other way?” “God, can you please come up with a less painful plan to save those we made in our image?” But Jesus’ battle with His Father was futile and He submitted to His Father’s will.
Sometimes I wrestle with whether I should be pleading with God about situations. I can see here though that Jesus cried out to God asking for a different outcome and God isn’t angry, but He is delighted in His Son. Delighted that His Son would even come to Him with His concerns. Just one glimpse of our hearts and God is ravished by us. Jesus ultimately gives up His will for the will of the Father. As long as I too submit to God’s authority, He really doesn’t mind that I come before Him asking questions and pleading for different outcomes.
It would seem that Jesus is done pleading with God because He rises and goes to the three disciples He left back a bit. As He approaches He can see that they are slumped over sleeping! The disciples may have thought from prior experiences of Jesus going off to pray that they had many hours and so what would the harm be in taking a nap. They were mistaken. Jesus startles them out of their slumber when He speaks and asks them again to watch and pray. Jesus tells them that they must watch and pray because if they aren’t doing those things they will be tempted and fall away. Jesus knew that their desire was to watch and pray because He knew the Spirit within them, but He also knew the weaknesses of the flesh. Therefore Jesus warned them to be aware of the flesh rising up higher than the Spirit.
It had seemed that Jesus was done praying, but He went back alone not just one more time, but twice, perhaps He had to try just a few more times to change the plan of His Father. The third time Jesus returns to the three disciples He had quite enough of their lack of focus. Jesus was human and so not only was He frustrated with His disciples weakness, but He had just received knowledge that His time had come and that His betrayer was soon approaching.
The soldiers showed up with torches to light their path and weapons in case their was any trouble. When they approached the disciples, they told them they were seeking Jesus. Jesus answered immediately, “I am He.” Sounds like a simple statement, right? But oh the power in that simple declaration! So much power that the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground! The very power of His declaration of who He was manifested right after one of Jesus’ weakest moments. We can never under estimate the power of Jesus’ name. We truly have all authority in His name.
It seems when the soldiers fell to the ground they forgot that Jesus already told them that He was the one they were looking for because they asked Him again. Perhaps they were a bit rattled by the power behind Jesus’ words. This time when Jesus answers He tells them to let the disciples go. I’ve always thought Peter was protecting Jesus (and it’s possible He really was), but when Peter grabbed His sword and cut the ear of the high priests servant off, I wonder if it was out of fear that he too would be arrested. Either way, Jesus tells Peter that it is alright and that Jesus is ready to do what He was brought to the earth to do.
The soldiers took Jesus into custody bringing Him to Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law. The disciples were left standing there in the garden not sure what to do. They knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong, but were they sure? Jesus went willingly. Was there something they didn’t know about? How could that be though? The disciples were with Jesus all the time. All they knew for sure was that their leader was gone. Their walk back to town was much different than the one going to the garden. No laughter in the air, just silence.
When Annas asked Jesus a question He responded with a question. Jesus’ “ministry style” was often in this way. Even in my life, Jesus always seem to make me think about the question I am asking by answering with a question that will make us think and come to the conclusion He was hoping for. I know that I am seldom appreciative of the question response and I just like the officer tend to slap Jesus in the face with accusations that He doesn’t care about the details of my life, when in essence He is drawing me to a conclusion I can trust because I had something to do with it.
Jesus still has said nothing wrong and so He was sent off to Caiaphas and then on to Pilate. Pilate was unhappy with Jesus’ answers and so he asked Him plainly, “What have you done?” Jesus’ answer comes in peace, gentleness and humility. He tells them that He has done nothing wrong as His kingdom that He rules over is not of this world. He isn’t trying to take their earthly kingdom from them. Pilate didn’t understand, but he knew that Jesus had not done anything wrong.
Pilate not sure what to do with the indignant people outside knew he had to please them somehow even though he had no desire to convict this Man. They Jesus beat him and twisted sharp long thorns together and set it on Jesus’ head. As they pushed it down upon His head, the thorns pierced His skin, His skull. Blood gushing from His head as Jesus screams out in unimaginable pain. Then in a mocking manner they put a purple robe of royalty on Him and mockingly shouted to Him, “Hail, the King of the Jews!” One after the other passed by slapping the face of the very one who’s face they will one day behold as King, bowing down and worship before Him. They brought Jesus out to the crowds and all of their hate and anger towards this one person because they felt threatened by Him rose within them and they screamed, “Crucify Him!”
Jesus didn’t fight because He knew this must be done that people from every nation, tongue and tribe may be saved from eternal damnation. Jesus could have easily called multitudes of angels to kill the people, soldiers and save Himself at any moment. But Jesus willfully stood before the people, innocent and yet condemned. In reading these passages I realize all of the opportunities Jesus had to state His case and that makes it even more amazing to me that Jesus stood His ground selflessly for humanities sake. Each time Jesus was asked a question Satan must have been waiting with great anticipation for Him to mess up just once and destroy the chance for humanity to be freed from the grip of death. Jesus never wavered resulting in His saints having everlasting life reigning and ruling with Him.
Jesus withstood beatings, scourging, nails in His hands and feet, cattails striping His back and more. He did that all for me. He endured that so I can come into the fullness of who God originally created me to be. Now I live glory to glory as I come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
‘The Fragrance of Love’ October 28, 2009
Posted by ezrabawithang in 6 Meditation: Why This Waste?.add a comment
Simon the leper was a friend of Jesus. He lived in the village of Bethany. He was no longer a leper though, for Jesus had made him well of that disease. And once more he could live in his own home with his family, in Bethany. No wonder Simon was a friend of Jesus!
When ‘Simon the leper’ heard Jesus was coming to Bethany where he lived, he decided to welcome Jesus at his home, and arrange a supper for Him and His disciples. Oh what a glad news it was to the friends of Jesus in Bethany to know that the One they love so dearly is coming to their little village.
At last the guests arrived, and were invited to eat at the house of Simon the leper. While they were at the house of Simon the leper, and as they sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she went directly to where Jesus was sitting, broke the flask and poured it‘s contents upon Jesus‘ head and feet. Now this flask had contained some very rare perfume, which has cost much money, and the woman had poured it all upon the body of Jesus to show her love for Him.
Just as soon as the flask was broken the room was filled with the odor of the sweet perfume. And everyone present knew this perfume had cost much money, for it was of the very best kind. At once the people that were there began to whisper among themselves about what the woman had done.
There were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
Jesus knew the thoughts and whisperings of all of them. He saw them question the woman about her deed, and speak unkindly to her. So He spoke to them all and said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She had done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Perhaps the woman understood what any of them were unable to believe–that Jesus soon must die–for she had sat at His feet and listened to His words while He visited in her home. She had heard Him tell about many things, and she had believed them. And now she had poured out the costliest gift her money could buy, to anoint Jesus before He should have lie cold in death. She had done all she could to show how great her love was.
It was not because of the fragrant oil that made Jesus talked about the woman the way that He did, “Assuredly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as memorial to her.” Jesus did not say anything like this about anyone in the gospel but only to this woman, why? He saw her heart, He saw the love that she had towards Him and His heart was moved by that. She gave Him the most precious thing that she had, for she knew He was so much more precious than anything that she had. “She had done what she could.” Jesus could careless about the fragrant oil, His compassionate heart was so moved by the lovesickness that this woman had towards Him. It was all about love. The sweet-smelling of the perfume that filled the room was more than just a fragrance of oil, it was the fragrance of love.
Oh what I would do to have the love that can move the heart of my Savior…
Judas Iscariot was even more displeased when he heard Jesus’ words. He was no longer a true disciple, for he had allowed Satan to plant wrong desires in his heart. He loves riches and he had hoped someday to be a rich ruler in the kingdom he expected Jesus to set up.
Now a wicked thought crept into his heart, and he planned to go as soon as possible to the enemies of Jesus in Jerusalem and promise them to give Jesus into their power if they would give him money for his work. So after the supper was ended he left Bethany and went to see the chief priests and scribes who lived in Jerusalem.
For many days the enemies of Jesus had been talking together about how they might capture Jesus. The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” They were stirred more than ever, because many people had begun to believe in Jesus, too.
When Judas Iscariot came to them they were glad, and they promised to give him money if he would bring them to Jesus when the multitude of believing friends were not near. So from then on he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. How sad!, and oh… what a shame?
i ♥ u Jesus
&
i need U in my life
Please come….and dwell in my heart
…FOREVER☺
- EzZy
