The phrase "Good Friday" has always bothered me a little bit. It wasn't a good day for those disciples watching their leader die. It wasn't a good day for the hopeful people watching their hope die. It wasn't a good day for a beaten, bloodied Jesus. And it wasn't a good day for God who turn the other way.
This was anything BUT a "Good" Friday. Let's feel that today. Like a gut punch that has taken your breath away... Jesus is dead. Death has won. The story is over. “Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe. ) These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the one they pierced.”” John 19:17-37
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If you never read the end of Jesus' life before, you've just heard about it, I must tell you it's about to get bad. Gruesome actually.
Despite that, there are some key things coming out of the reading today. Let's do a 3 point thing today (spice it up a little).... 1) Jesus is silent. He doesn't talk, but ONCE, and it needs to be paid attention to. Jesus basically says that nothing or no one has power over him, except if God has granted it AND he saying Pilate is more innocent then most people in this scenario. Which brings us to point number 2... 2)Pilate, a Roman leader, who was under Caesar, who treated people unfairly, is less sinful in this situation than the Jewish leaders and people shouting at him about Jesus. Jesus even says this! You can also see the way Pilate really struggles with killing this man called Jesus and that is beyond odd for a Roman leader. Did Pilate see more of who Jesus was then the Jewish leaders? 3) "This is it. There's no turning back now." Probably what Jesus, Pilate and the Jewish leaders were thinking all at the same time...but in different ways. Read this story slowly, carefully today. Feel the agony of Jesus, the confusion of Pilate and the hatred of the Jewish leaders. Tomorrow...tomorrow will be far worse. Jesus was ready to die. For them. For you. “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face. Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.” The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha ). It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!” “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.” John 19:1-7, 9-16 NLT Have you ever been slapped in the face? Like an actual slap? It hurts! But have you ever been slapped in the face with someone's words? Yeah, often that hurts much worse. Jesus is about to experience both.
Not only will someone physically slap Jesus, Peter, one of Jesus' beloved disciples is about to deny he ever knew Jesus. Three times. Jesus' response inside with the High Priest is perfect not only for those who are watching Jesus inside, but also for what Peter is doing outside. "... if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” Do we do this to Jesus? Do we smack Jesus with how we live our lives sometimes? Is denying that we ever knew Christ really that bad? Is living like Christ hasn't changed us at all really that bad? Is it all really a slap to the face? Yes. Yesterday, we read Jesus was ready to die, but now it's a little different... Jesus was ready to die for those who deny or refuse to see who he is, despite seeing them for who they really are. Jesus was ready to die. For them. For you. ***Note: Blue represents what Peter is going through. Green is what Jesus is going through. Both things are happening simultaneously.*** "Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself. Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded. Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed." (John 18:15-27 NLT) Happy Monday! Remember yesterday when I said that this week was going to feel a whole lot different? That's because this week's devotionals are only going to cover about 48 hours worth of real time events. Today we read immediately what happens after Jesus is the garden of Gethsemane. Judas Iscariot has officially betrayed Jesus, and, Jesus is ready for it,
Jesus was ready? Yeah, Jesus was ready to die. Can we grasp that? I mean, really. Jesus just sweat blood over this, actual blood, but he's ready. He doesn't run, confuse the soldiers, or argue with them. In fact, he encourages them to take him. Why would Jesus do that? I ask all these questions because I feel that sometimes living in a world 2000 years removed from the actual Easter day, we forget how the disciples must have felt. Can you imagine? "Why is he letting them just take him?" "He said he was going to bring the kingdom here...isn't now a good time to fight back?" "Why isn't Jesus calling out Judas?" "How could Judas do this to Jesus?! To us?!" "Why isn't Jesus doing anything?" Frustration, anger, and fear all probably filled the disciples in some way. In reaction, we see Peter cut the ear off of the High Priest's slave. Jesus responds by telling Peter to put away the sword, and that this pain, this suffering, was meant for him. He's ready. Jesus is ready to die. For them. For you. "After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they said. “I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.” Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Greek that year. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.” (John 18:1-14 NLT) As you read the story today, I want you to keep in mind, that not only is Jesus the Savior people were looking for he was innocent.
"Like yeah, we know this already, Jesus was perfect!" Right, but can we even grasp that fully? Can we grasp that a completely innocent man died for a sinful world? A sinful you? A sinful me? The people in this part of the story are exchanging the power, but uncomfortable hope they see in Jesus, for the normal, comfortable sin-filled life they see in Barabas. Have you ever done that before? Exchanged truth for a lie? Jesus was ready to die. Jesus knew exactly who he was dying for. Jesus knew he was innocent, but took it anyway. Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.) Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him. Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.) (John 18: 28-40) Cornerstone family,
I have been praying for you as we have gone through this lent season together. I have been praying that through your fasting that God has spoken to you and through you. I have been praying for you. Pastor Densel, Pastor Sharon and Pastor Sheralyn have done such a fantastic job preaching and writing these devotionals during this season. I hope you have enjoyed and learned from them as much as I have. This week, Holy Week, is going to look and feel a little differently. Holy Week has been something very special to me since I rededicated myself to Christ in 2010. My goal for this week is not only to learn who Jesus is, but on Easter morning, for you to answer who Jesus is for you. "What do you mean who Jesus is for me? I already know that." Great! Lets recap today... Palm Sunday... Hundreds of people cheered Jesus on as he rode in on a donkey (including us). And yet, Jesus is taken back by this. Why? Because even though they were cheering, they didn't know who Jesus really was. This is why Holy Week is important. Easter is so much more than we think sometimes. But it's a journey; to get there, we have to go through a terrible loss and darkness. Join me. Let's walk Holy Week together... Love to you all, Pastor Tamiko Let's take a quick walk down memory lane and the 2015 World Series. Fantastic! If you are a Royals fan, that is. Many were amazed that they were able to pull it off. How did the Royals win? One reason is because they worked together as a team. They were unified with one goal in mind. Ever watch a team that doesn't work well together? Any sport really: football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc. If a team isn't working together for a common goal, they will not win, or they won't win well.
Almost anyone who has ever played a sport or belonged to a team of some kind had probably heard the phrase. “There is no ‘I’ in TEAM.” The same goes for belonging to the body of Christ. There is no ‘I’. It isn't about us. Never has been. Never will be. When we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and receive his grace and forgiveness we are no longer alone. We are part of the body of Christ working towards a common goal; loving God as we love others. Jesus, after praying for his disciples, prays specifically for us; those who will hear and believe the message of the gospel delivered by the disciples. That's us. And what does Jesus pray? He prays we will be one body, that we will be unified just as Jesus and the Father are unified working for one purpose. And not only that we work together as one body but that we remain in the love of God so His love may flow through us. What differences might you need to set aside in order to be one in the body, unified with your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world? John 17:10-26 Jesus Prays for All Believers 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Sent from my iPhone To belong. Isn’t this what most everyone wants in life; to belong to some group, a family, a network of friends? This desire runs deep through our very being. We were created for community, for the need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. God created us to belong, to long to be His, for we are His creation.
Jesus, as he prays for his disciples, addresses this need for belonging. Throughout his prayer, there is a theme of unity and togetherness. “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” God the Father and God the Son together. Jesus as he prays to his Father in the presence of his disciples reminds them that they belong to God because they have fellowship with their Savior. He asks his father to protect his friends, those he loves for the world will be against them. He prays that they may “have the full measure of my joy within them.” Oh to see the love Jesus had for his disciples and knowing what they would go through, doesn’t pray that they won’t go through it, but that they will be protected and have joy during the trials they will face. Jesus loves you. We will go through trials, we will struggle. When we take a stand for the truth we believe in which God has given us, the world will hate us. But know that you are protected in God’s love and that you can have joy. You belong to God and he loves you. He is with you. Do not be afraid to go where God sends you. And as you go, know that when we love as He loved, we are one in spirit and truth. John 17:1- Jesus Prays to Be Glorified After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Jesus Prays for His Disciples 6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. Growing up, my mother had these beautiful rose bushes growing alongside the house. She also had tulips and irises on the other side. I loved watching them grow. Everyday I would check the roses to see how they were doing. I didn’t want to miss the day they bloomed. Even as an adult, I find joy in watching spring come to life all around me.
Quite often, my siblings and I would cut some of those roses to present to our mother as a gift. She would say thank you and place them in water, the best she could. You see, as children, we would cut them too close to the bloom, leaving no stem. As we got older, she would explain to us that when we cut the flowers, they would die faster than leaving them on the vine. She told us it was better if we came and grabbed her hand to show her which flower we wanted to give her. We then left it there so it would continue to flourish. It took us a while to learn this lesson. A flower can’t live without its life source. We also, can’t truly live without our life source. In the passage below, Jesus is explaining to the disciples the importance of remaining in Him, to be constantly connected to their Savior. If the disciples were going to carry on the work of Jesus, they needed to rest in his love, to cling to his promises and his teachings, to live and love as he demonstrated each and every day. We, as Christ’s disciples today, will not flourish apart from Christ. We cannot love as he has called us to love, if we do not remain and abide in his love. I encourage you today, to rest in the Father’s arms and allow yourselves to be loved. And being filled with the love of the Father, love one another. The Vine and the Branches John 15:1-17 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. Have you ever seen a life insurance commercial? It's often times followed up with the saying "Provide your family with some peace of mind..." This idea of safety and peace of mind is something tightly woven into our American culture. We want to be safe. We want our families to be safe. We want our legacies to be safe. Because safety equals peace of mind, right?
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America state that 18% of the population struggle with some sort anxiety or depression, but that that percentage is only the number of people who report having issues. For a country that focuses on peace of mind, this is astounding. There seems to be no peace of mind in stuff... ***Before I continue, if you struggle with anxiety or depression, here is a number you can call to get help: (212) 673-3000 (The Samaritans Hotline).*** In the reading today, Jesus talks about leaving and going to the Father/God. If I were a disciple hearing this for the first time, I'd be a little freaked out! Like what?! You can't go! I love the translation the NLT has for this... "[Jesus speaking] But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:26-27 Here Jesus is promising that when he leaves, he's not leaving them behind nor will he be gone for an eternity. Jesus is also saying he will be sending us the Holy Spirit that will proivde us with peace of mind AND heart. This is not something we can attain for ourself, or something that society can grant us. Not even the American dream can do this. Only the Holy Spirit. While we long for the arrival of Jesus, we have someone still working with us and for us. Do not underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. Be blessed today. John 14:15-31 NLT (Red lettering means Jesus is speaking) “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going. |
AuthorThe Pastors of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Archives
July 2017
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