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NOVEMBER 8, 2024 SO YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE? #100 BEING A DISCIPLE MAY LAND YOU IN COURT

November 8, 2024

Matthew 26:57-68 Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

“And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

“Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’”

Jesus has been hauled off for a mock trial before the religious authorities. It’s obvious from the beginning that Jesus is innocent; however, these men feel their positions are threatened and they are fighting for their existence. Under such circumstances, these men violate the very Mosaic Law they have sworn to uphold. When the high priest puts Jesus under oath, Jesus states that he is the Christ and that the high priest will see him at the right hand of God. Jesus is speaking the truth, but even the high priest twists his statements. Finally, two false witnesses claim Jesus has said he can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days; meanwhile, they have twisted a statement Jesus has made regarding his death and resurrection. If you check the original statement, Jesus was not referring to the temple of God.

While we might think that Jesus’ sufferings only began during the beatings and crucifixion, being misunderstood and lied about are actually the beginnings of his sufferings. What a temptation that must have been when one of the crowds challenged Jesus to prophesy as to which men were striking him! Jesus could have given them names and lineages going all the way back to Adam, but he didn’t. Here Jesus is setting an example for his disciples, for there will always be times when we might be insulted or lied about.

Matthew 26:69-75 Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly

“Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man! “Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”

Oh Peter! So sure of yourself earlier and now you are doing the very thing you have sworn you would never do! We need to learn from Peter as well, for any one of us might make the same mistakes as Peter at any time. Oswald Chambers makes the point that we don’t generally fail at our weak spots, but at our strong ones. When we know we have weaknesses, we are far less likely to trust ourselves in those areas; however, we are more than willing to barge ahead without consulting God in areas where we feel self-assured. Those are the very places where failure is most likely. The predictable happens; Peter denies Jesus three times just as Jesus has said, and then weeps bitterly over his failures.

What can we learn from Jesus and Peter? Jesus sets the example for times when we are under interrogation or even torture. Later, Peter himself describes Jesus’ behavior. (1 Peter 2:21-25) “For to this you have been called, for Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps. “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return, when He suffered He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Sheperd and Overseer of your souls.”

Peter suffered for his self-assurance, but he also learned from that suffering. Forever after that night, Peter would never again trust himself as completely as he had before denying Jesus. And it’s likely that as Peter was uttering that final denial, Jesus looked at him with eyes of love with a look that pierced Peter’s very soul.

May we learn from both Jesus and Peter so that we will follow hard after Jesus as true disciples!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You and not ourselves. Help us to remain humble, realizing that our strong points can become our points of greatest failure. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2024 SO YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE? #97 CELEBRATION IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION

November 5, 2024

Matthew 26:17-30 Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

“Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”

He said to him, “You have said it.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

While the disciples are in total denial, Jesus is fully aware that his time on earth is drawing to a close. This one night is the last night Jesus will spend with his closest friends before he dies. Wanting every thing to be in order, Jesus has already prayed and God the Father has directed him to those who can help host the Passover meal, allowing the disciples to arrange things in a room two flights of stairs above the street.

At the supper, Jesus clearly announces that one of the disciples will betray him, and affirms to Judas that Jesus knows Judas is the traitor. The 13th Chapter of John tells us that when none of the disciples is willing to serve the others by washing their stinky dirty feet, Jesus will take on that task. Jesus even washes the feet of the man who is about to betray him, giving Judas yet another chance to repent. If Judas repents, Jesus will still be crucified; however, Judas will have saved himself. But Judas carries out his plans.

Jesus uses the occasion of the traditional Passover meal to teach his disciples a different meaning for the bread and the wine, likening them to his body and blood. What must the disciples be thinking at this point? Surely, the disciples realize that destruction is looming for Jesus and that their lives also might hang in the balance. Yet, Jesus calmly celebrates, instituting the Sacrament of Communion as he does so. Why? Jesus wants his followers to remember every single moment of this night so that they will never forget his last teachings and will follow them faithfully.

It’s likely that Jesus already anticipates what the disciples will do when his captors come to seize him. That desertion will also form part of the suffering Jesus has yet to endure. But Jesus continues to teach and celebrate anyway. You see, for Jesus, there is a time for everything, and now is the time to celebrate one of the holiest of festivals with his friends, a festival that prophesies of his sacrificial death for the sins of mankind as he sheds his blood. But is Jesus frowning and moping because of his impending fate? No! Jesus is laughing and joking and singing and hugging and being everything to these men he can possibly be for the few short hours that remain to him.

In 1963 Sydney Carter wrote the hymn Lord of the Dance. This hymn captures the brave and thrilling spirit of Jesus as few other hymns have done. Here are the words.”

“I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth:
At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with me and the dance went on:

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame:
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a cross to die:

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance, and I still go on:

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me:
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”

There are many times in life when we must face grim realities. But we always have the opportunity to celebrate if we will only allow God to give us His joy and peace. Remember the last verse of that hymn: “They cut me down and I leapt up high; I am the life that’ll never, never die. I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me: I am the Lord of the dance, said he.” Let the Lord of the dance give you His Holy Spirit so that you can rejoice even in suffering.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please give us Your unshakeable joy and gladness, so that no matter what happens, we can continue to praise and worship You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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OCTOBER 21, 2024 SO YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE? #82 SOMETIMES YOU MUST CONFRONT LIES LOVINGLY

October 21, 2024

Matthew 21:28-32 The Parable of the Two Sons

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”

If the Scribes and Pharisees are already angry at Jesus, this story will simply make them even angrier. Obviously, the second son who promises but then reneges on his promise represents the religious authorities while the first son who eventually obeys represents those “sinners” whom the religious authorities have despised for all these years. To make matters even worse, Jesus is telling this story before a crowd of those same sinners, who are obviously chortling over the discomfort of these religious stuffed shirts. And to add insult to injury, Jesus proceeds to tell yet another story at the expense of his accusers.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Matthew 21:33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.”

In one well-told story, Jesus has turned the religious pride of centuries on its head! When the Jews wound up captives in Babylon, they could at least pride themselves on the fact that THEY were God’s chosen people. Of course, there was the tiny fact that the Jews had been captured and Jerusalem destroyed because of their disobedience, perversion, and idolatry. While God had chosen Israel, Israel had abandoned God. But once the Jews returned to Israel, they immediately began despising the mongrel people whose ancestors had been imported by the Babylonians so that the land would not lie fallow. Religious leaders whose ancestors had committed apostasy by allowing evil practices and idols in God’s temple were now snubbing those whom they called sinners. Now Jesus is reproaching these men for their self-righteousness and spiritual blindness.

Purporting to be on the lookout for the reincarnation of Elijah who proceeds the advent of the Messiah, the religious authorities have refused to comprehend the divine nature of John the Baptist’s ministry. Malachi 4:5-6 tells us, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Jesus tells his followers that John has fulfilled this prophecy. Matthew 11:13-15 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Entire books have been written discussing these two stories. For us as disciples, the important point is the fashion in which Jesus confronts the lies held by the religious leaders. These men are absolutely certain that if God sends a prophet, they will recognize that prophet, and yet, John has come and they have refused to acknowledge the validity of his ministry. In addition, these same men who claim to have been longing for the Messiah are anything but pleased when the Messiah appears in a form they don’t expect.

Jesus does not come out and call these men liars or fools for believing their own prejudices. Instead, Jesus employs stories to make his points while thoroughly refuting the lies on the basis of Scripture. What Jesus does not do is to ignore the lies in hopes that they will go away. Jesus is fully aware that the religious leaders will take umbrage at the stories; in fact, that is exactly the point. You see, Jesus has not just come to save those who are obviously sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes, but Jesus has also come to save these men who are sneering at him. Only direct confrontation may get these men’s attention. Jesus is also employing the time-honored technique of telling stories to make a point, something these religious teachers do daily. Jesus loves these men who are trying to give him a hard time, loves them so much that he is telling stories with barbs in them, hoping that even after he has been crucified and has risen from the dead, these men will abandon their prejudices and come to true faith in God.

If we fail to understand the love of Jesus for these religious leaders, then we are missing a very important point. Jesus is not viewing these confrontations in an “Us versus them” fashion, even though the disciples probably are. Jesus wants these men to enter freely into the Kingdom of God, rather than hovering just outside the door, discouraging others from entering.

As disciples, we must know how to confront lies and therefore what Scripture teaches. We must learn enough about the beliefs of those promoting lies to understand why they believe such things. But we also must never lose sight of the love Jesus has for those who are attacking us, for Jesus has died for those people just as he has died for us. May God guide us as we confront lies lovingly and encourage those assailing us to find true faith in Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to be able to defend Your Word in a loving fashion, realizing that arguments without love may alienate those who need You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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JUNE 21, 2024 JESUS IS TELLING STORIES-COME LISTEN! #7 HOW RIGHTEOUS DO YOU NEED TO GET INTO HEAVEN?

June 21, 2024

Well, Jesus’ audience is now scratching their heads! After several pungent illustrations drawn from daily village life, suddenly Jesus starts talking about the Law. Why is Jesus making these statements? It’s easy for us to forget that Jesus is actually an obedient and observant Jew, wearing a simple tunic with fringes on the hem, perhaps tying small scrolls on his arms as he prays, attending synagogue regularly and discussing the Law with the teachers. Jesus observes the Jewish feasts and Jewish dietary laws. Jesus wants his audience to realize that he is not bringing in a subversive teaching that will undermine the Law but he is teaching how the Kingdom of God should operate and that when the Kingdom of God fully arrives, the Law will be fulfilled completely.

But what does Jesus mean when he says, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Is Jesus demanding that his audience struggle to observe all the minutiae that have become part of the Law during the centuries since Moses? No. In the Law of Moses, God repeatedly expresses His concern for widows, orphans, and aged parents; however, the Pharisees have perfected a whole system of observing small edicts while neglecting the fundamental spirit of the Law. Later Jesus will criticize the Pharisees for tithing spices such as dill and mint and cumin while refusing to care for their parents because they have dedicated the resources that would sustain them to the temple.

One of the keys to Jesus’ life is his continued and persistent obedience to his Heavenly Father. When Jesus speaks of the Law, he is describing the will of his Heavenly Father, not just some words on a scroll. Jesus has such love and respect for that will that he reminds his listeners that even the smallest pen strokes, the jot and the tittle, must commend respect until the Kingdom of God arrives in its completeness.

What are we missing? No matter how carefully Matthew and Luke have recorded Jesus’ teachings, what we are missing is the presence of Jesus himself. We can only imagine Jesus’ smiles, his quick wit, and the love pouring forth from his eyes as he teaches. For that experience, we must ask Jesus to reveal himself to us as we study his words.

There are some people who are so loving and good that they literally radiate God’s presence. To be in the presence of one of these people is to feel completely safe. When I was a child, I knew three exemplary men who taught Sunday School to wiggly kids and teens. Each of these men genuinely loved children and deeply loved Jesus. Each of these men faithfully taught for years, encouraging their charges to trust God and to love His Word. Proverbs 10:7 says “The memory of the righteous is blessed.”

By ourselves, there is no way that we can earn our way into heaven. But praise God, Jesus has done what we cannot do. Jesus has given himself as the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins. If we will confess our sins and believe in Jesus, we can rest assured that our sin debt has been paid.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we do is good enough to earn our way into heaven. Thank You for sending Jesus to pay our sin debt for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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APRIL 4, 2024 PEACE-WE ALL NEED IT BUT HOW DO WE GET IT?#2 CREATION-CAN GOD CREATE PEACEFULLY EVEN WITH A BIG BANG AND METEOR STRIKES?

April 4, 2024

Genesis 1:1-8 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And seeing that the light was good, God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

“And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.”

Definitions of peace: “Freedom from disturbance, tranquility, calm, calmness, restfulness, peace and quiet, peacefulness, quiet, quietness, quietude, silence, soundlessness, hush, noiselessness, stillness, still, privacy, privateness, seclusion, solitude, isolation, retirement, freedom from interference, a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended. law and order, lawfulness, order, peacefulness, peaceableness, harmony, harmoniousness, accord, concord, amity, amicableness, goodwill, friendship, cordiality, non-aggression, non-violence, ceasefire, respite, lull.”

Most of us have heard of the “big bang theory,” the concept that explains the creation of the universe as resulting from a single cataclysmic explosion. But what if there wasn’t a huge explosion? What if the Almighty God simply spoke a single word, “Be!” What if creation took place peacefully and in a planned order? Nothing demands that there should have been an enormous amount of noise. You don’t have to believe that the earth was completely created in six days to realize that God is a God of order and peace and not a God of confusion. The hallmark of the Holy Spirit is peace; if that is the case and if the Spirit of God hovered over the water, why shouldn’t creation have proceeded peacefully?

But what about the possibility that the dinosaurs were all wiped out by a giant meteor strike? What’s so peaceful about such an event? What about glaciers? What about floods? Perhaps our problem is that we have a very limited concept of peace. While we think peace means quietness and order, our idea of order might be much different from that of the Ruler of the Universe. What if God planned that meteor strike? What if God planned many of the events we consider catastrophic? What if God’s purposes are far bigger than anything we might imagine?

Isaiah 55:8 tells us, “For my thoughts are  not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” says the Lord.”  There is an old hymn written by Arthur Campbell Ainger in 1894 that expresses the point I am trying to make.

1 God is working this purpose out, as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out, and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

2 From utmost east to utmost west, where human feet have trod,
by the mouth of many messengers goes forth the voice of God:
“Give ear to me, ye continents, ye isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.”

3 Let us go forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world.
Let us all fight with sorrow and sin to set the captives free,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

4 All we can do is nothing worth unless God blesses the deed.
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed.
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to learn that Your ways and thoughts are us, “For higher than ours. Please teach us about Your peace and help us to have Your peace in our hearts and lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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