I would never do THAT!
This week’s devotion is based on Cross Examined Week 5 – “Why Kill Him?” (CLICK HERE TO WATCH)
Would you?
If you were in the Sanhedrin’s shoes, would you?
If you were in the crowd’s shoes, would you?
If you were in Pilate’s shoes, would you?
The quick response is, “Of course I wouldn’t. Jesus didn’t deserve to die.”
Looking back on the trial of Jesus, it might be easy to think we would have stood loud and proud as a defender of Jesus. We would like to think that peer pressure would not have gotten the better of us. We would have certainty that life with Jesus around is better than life with him dead.
Or would we?
When I reflect on the charges that came against Jesus, do they in some way still resonate with me? Perhaps I would stop with the extreme of permanently eliminating Jesus from my life, but I might use a similar excuse or charge to push Jesus aside for a moment or a season.
For example the charge of the Sanhedrin was blasphemy.
Luke 22:67 “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer.
To acknowledge the truth about Jesus and his fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies would mean that the religious leaders would have to let go of their wrong beliefs about a political resurgence of Israel. It would mean they would have to reconsider their paradigms around control by using the law. They would have to change their beliefs.
That is hard. Acknowledging Jesus is the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old Testament has ramifications for us. We have to let go of personal beliefs that contradict with the person and work of Jesus. It would mean acknowledging that Jesus is the only way to heaven and other beliefs head to hell. Maybe we like some things about Jesus, but other things we would rather dismiss…and so we might choose to push Jesus and the truth of who he is aside to keep our personal beliefs in tact.
The crowd charged him with stirring up people with his teaching.
Luke 23:5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
The crowd wanted him dismissed because they didn’t want to acknowledge and follow his teaching. Influenced by their religious leaders, the crowd was more comfortable in the rabbi’s teaching than the One who taught with authority. There are teachings in the Bible that we would rather set aside and not have to follow. We want to ignore things that are called out as sin, or dismiss them as culturally irrelevant. We like the idea of picking the teachings we like, such as, “Love one another” but content to ignore Jesus’ teaching to “love our enemies.” Again we may not call for Jesus to be put on the cross, but like the crowd, we can find reasons to dismiss Jesus and not have to deal with his teachings.
Pilate finally gave in because he was afraid of a riot.
John 19:12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
Standing with Jesus often means going against the crowd and taking the consequence. Perhaps this happens to us all to easily and all too often. When feeling pressured by our peers to put aside some aspect of our Christian faith, we can cave and push Jesus aside thinking to ourselves, “it’s just for a short time.”
How easy it is to have our own reasons to “kill him.” Standing with Jesus is hard. Standing with Jesus takes courage. Standing with Jesus takes humility.
By his grace he was willing to go to the cross for us, for our sins of acting in a way that wants Jesus dead. He died for you and me, even the times we wished he was dead.
Apply: What situations in your life lead you to ignore or push Jesus aside? Take time to repent and ask God’s Spirit to reorient your heart with a resolve to always follow and stand with Jesus.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times we not only think about but act on our desire to “kill you,” to push you aside and ignore your person, your teaching, or your presence. Restore us by your grace to follow you with strength, courage, and resolve. AMEN.
You have to be kidding, right?
This week’s devotion is based on Cross Examined Week 5 – “Why Kill Him?” (CLICK HERE TO WATCH)
Beware!
Today is April Fool’s Day.
Perhaps you have been plotting for weeks of the pranks that you will be pulling on people. Perhaps you hate today because you seem to fall for every April Fool joke there is.
You can search to find the origin of April Fool’s Day and it seems about as clear as the day itself…not sure what to believe.
So we have a tradition in our country of unknown origin that allows people to play practical jokes on unsuspecting people.
I wonder if Pontius Pilate were living today and presiding over the trial of Jesus he would have thought, “This has to be an April Fool’s joke, right?
The religious leaders of the Jews wanted him to condemn Jesus to death for blasphemy…not really a Roman law that would deserve the death penalty.
Some said he was a king that opposed Caesar, but the fact that he had no army and his kingdom was not of this world left that charge void.
His wife had a dream about this man and said, “Have nothing to do with him.” More than likely this had never occurred in another trial he presided over.
He thought the way to release Jesus was to pit him against a known criminal and threat to society. Nope. The crowd wanted Barabbas.
Jesus?
Crucify him! Crucify him!
You have to be kidding right?
Luke 23:22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
The evidence was obvious. Jesus was not guilty of death. But the crowd said otherwise.
Pilate would have loved to hear, “April Fools! Just kidding, let him go.”
But he didn’t.
It was no joke.
And good thing for you and me.
What didn’t make sense to Pilate and many others in the moment is that God was working his eternal plan to put his innocent Son to death in place of each of us guilty sinners. What didn’t make sense to Pilate, made absolute sense to the holy God needing a substitute for unholy people. What seemed like a personal vendetta from the Jewish leaders was a personal plan for your salvation and mine.
Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
You might say, “You have to be kidding me!”
But Jesus just says, “I love you. It’s true.”
So no foolin’.
Jesus died for you because he loves you.
Apply: What aspect of grace seems too good to be true?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and grace that seems too good to be true, but simply reflects the great love you have for me. AMEN.
You wouldn’t believe me if I told you!
This week’s devotion is based on Cross Examined Week 5 – “Why Kill Him?” (CLICK HERE TO WATCH)
It’s hard to be objective when we desire a certain outcome.
If you want a certain car, even though the financial numbers don’t make it affordable to you, you press forward anyway.
We may have our mind fixed on being a star basketball player, but our height, weight, quickness and skill tell a very different story.
We may want to attend a certain college, but our grades, test scores and financial ability all point away from this reality.
Our emotions can skew reality and blind us to the truth.
The religious leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus dead.
After the raising of Lazarus, this was their mindset:
John 11:47-53 “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
There was only one outcome that the Jewish leaders wanted: Jesus dead.
So when they put Jesus on trial, they weren’t interested in the truth…just a reason to kill him.
Luke 22:66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You are right in saying I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
They weren’t interested in pursuing the objective truth that Jesus was actually the Son of God. They were convinced he wasn’t. Nothing was going to change their mind. Blasphemy was a legitimate death sentence. That’s all the reason they needed.
We can be just as arrogant at times and have a preconceived idea of what we “want” Jesus to be or what we “want” Jesus to say.
We want Jesus to be the healer of every problems and so when we have challenges, we can’t take an objective look at what God might be doing, but rather Jesus is to blame.
We think Jesus might owe us favors if we do things that “honor” him. When we don’t get what we think we deserve or want, we question whether Jesus is really who he says he is.
Forgive us Lord of being only interested in our truth and not THE truth. Forgive us for creating our version of Jesus and expecting him to fulfill it. Spirit of God open our hearts to always be ready to learn and believe more and more of who Jesus is and the significance of what he had done for us.
Apply: What part of your faith might you have a preconceived idea of your expectations? What happens when God doesn’t fulfill those expectations?
Prayer: Lord, keep my heart humble and always open to receiving your truth even when it conflicts with what I feel it should be. AMEN.
I’ll be there.
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Cross Examined: Were you with him? (LISTEN HERE)
Jesus didn’t forget about Peter.
Peter denied Jesus three times. His soul was crushed as Jesus looked at him. He went outside that courtyard and wept bitterly.
If you had done this to your best friend, the thought might go through your mind, “They will never want to see me again.”
Jesus certainly had every reason to deny Peter any further access to him.
But he didn’t.
The angels of Easter morning convey a message, an invitation to the disciples, but they wanted especially Peter to know.
Mark 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Angels speak messages from the Lord. Jesus had told them to tell the women this. “Tell the women I want to be with them in Galilee…AND make sure Peter knows too.”
Remember, Satan wanted to “sift” Peter with temptation. Jesus was praying for him. He didn’t want to lose him. Satan would continue to work on Peter to overwhelm him with guilt about the denial. He would try to make him think that he wasn’t worthy to be a follower of Jesus. He would work to get him to believe the lie that Jesus didn’t want to be with him.
But Jesus overcame these lies with a heartfelt invitation.
“Peter, I want to see you in Galilee.”
Jesus had a very important conversation to have with Peter specifically. After meeting the disciples for breakfast, John records what happened next:
John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Peter realized what Jesus was doing. He gave Peter’s heart to reverse the denial and affirm his love for Jesus. The interaction affirmed the denial was a moment of spiritual weakness driven by fear. The interaction confirmed Jesus’ heart of love filled Peter’s heart as well.
“Feed my sheep.”
Peter wasn’t perfect, but he was loved. Peter wasn’t perfect but he was forgiven. He was there with Jesus and experienced first hand his love and grace.
And Jesus wanted him to give it to others.
The same is true for us. Temptation sometimes wins the day. Guilt can consume us. But Jesus wants to be with us to have an important conversation. “Do you love me?” “Jesus, you know that I love you.”
“Feed my sheep.”
With the same love and grace we have experienced, Jesus calls us, even though we sin, to be part of his saving work.
He wants us with him…along with many others.
And so we follow him…proud to always BE WITH him!
Apply: What sins of your past do you need to be reminded that Jesus has covered them with his blood? What affirmation does it give that Jesus wants you to follow him and feed his sheep?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for reaffirming your love for me, even when my sinful weakness gets the better of me like it did for Peter. Thank you for your love and trust to call me, use me to feed your sheep. May I do it well, proudly connected to and confessing you! AMEN.
I’m glad I was there.
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Cross Examined: Were you with him? (LISTEN HERE)
Have you ever appreciated being somewhere, even though at first you regretted having to?
Maybe it was a party at first you didn’t want to go to, but in the end you met a connection for a new job.
Maybe it was the scene of an awful accident or tragedy, but in the end you made a life long friend that became a mutual support in life.
Maybe it was in the doctors office receiving news of a challenging diagnosis, but later you realized the blessing that came from modifying your life choices to be more healthy and active.
In the moment, you didn’t want to be there.
Later, you were glad you were.
Did Peter regret being in the courtyard of the high priest and falling to the temptation to deny Jesus three times? Absolutely. When he realized what he had done, he went outside and wept bitterly. If he could have those moments back. If he could have deleted the words he said and offered words of confident connection to Jesus, I bet he would.
But even though he couldn’t change what happened, he was blessed to experience those moments with Jesus.
He was with Jesus. He watched Jesus. He understood the sacrifice he made.
He probably didn’t realize it in the moment, but later he understood the impact of what he witnessed.
I’m sure he was glad he was there.
Here’s what he wrote in his first letter:
1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
He heard the insults. Jesus did not retaliate.
He saw Jesus suffer. Jesus did not threaten.
He saw the injustice. Jesus did not try to change it.
But what Peter realized in these moments he witnessed is that Jesus was doing all of this for him. He was carrying Peter’s sins of denial and every one of his sins to the cross. He was carrying the sins of the world to the cross.
Why?
To forgive us.
To heal us.
To empower us to die to sin and live for righteousness.
To be our Shepherd.
Peter went out and wept bitterly, but he did not stray away, but returned to the only One who would shepherd his soul through the sin of denial to the salvation of heaven.
I can’t think of a time of sin that I wish I could go back and repeat. I wish I wasn’t there for each one of them. But, like Peter, the grace of God led me to stop straying and return to my Good Shepherd, the one who loves me, forgives me, and heals me.
And that’s a wonderful place to be.
Apply: What situation in life did you wish you were not there, but later realized that God worked a great blessing to you or others because you were there?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and grace that calls us back from sin to the safety, love and grace of your tender Shepherding. AMEN.