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Devotions this week will touch on an event which took place on this day of Holy Week. (Reprinted from Holy Week 2021)

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Imagine if you came home from a vacation and found a number of people you didn’t know had moved in and were selling drugs out of your home.  You’d be furious. Perhaps today you would call the police, but no one would blame you for being angry and upset and forcibly making the squatters leave.  Your house was not a drug house.  Period.

Monday of Holy Week, we find Jesus returning to the temple area where he had briefly looked around after his triumphal entry the day before.  What he saw in the temple disturbed him greatly.  Crooks had moved into his house.

Mark 11:15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Selling and buying doves or other animals for sacrifice wasn’t necessarily the issue.  This practice of greeting temple visitors with an opportunity to exchange their money into the local currency or to purchase what they needed for the temple sacrifice was not abnormal.  The issue was it was being done IN the temple and a symptom of the reality people had lost perspective on the purpose of the temple.

For those Jesus directly addressed they had turned the temple into a business not a place of prayer.  For those that were coming the money changers and sellers of sacrificial animals made it easy for individuals to “check the box” of their temple obligation.

The temple wasn’t established simply to go through the motions of ritual, it was a place where God desired to connect with his people.  The purpose of the rituals of the temple were to develop a relationship with the Lord.  The Lord didn’t want the motions, he wanted the heart.

Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

The fact that the temple area had been turned simply into a place of commerce indicated that people’s heart connection with the Lord had been replaced by either empty ritual or greedy gain.

Jesus clearing of the temple is a strong reminder of how much Jesus is and always has been interested in a relationship with people not just ritual from people.  He desires the places where we come to worship to be about worship of the Lord, not serving of self.

Jesus came to Jerusalem to carry out his work to win the hearts of the people and fill them with faith, hope and forgiveness.  The overturning of the money changers tables got the attention of the people so he might capture the hearts of people.

Apply: What “tables” does Jesus need to turn over in our heart that are creating a barrier to our relationship with the Lord?  What rituals are getting in the way of your relationship with the Lord that if changed or removed would free up your heart to connect with the Lord?

Prayer: Lord, always remind us that our heart matters more than our ritual.  Let all our rituals of worship be tools to connect our hearts with you.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of Cross Examined: Don’t you fear God? (LISTEN HERE)

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I didn’t realize in writing yesterday’s devotion that one of our own Crosspoint family would receive Jesus’ promise, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  Kerran Williams received her crown of glory, the same blessing the thief on the cross received.

Why?

Because like the thief she feared God.

What does that mean?

When we fear God, we revere his person.  We understand that God is triune, the Father who is the creator of all things, the Son who is the Savior of all people and the Spirit who brings us to and keeps us in faith.  We have confidence that he is not one among many gods, but he is the ONLY true God.  He is the one who receives the full dedication of our hearts and lives:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 13-17 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 

When we fear God, we recognize his perfection.

God is holy and we are not.  Enough said.

Leviticus 19:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

When we fear God, we respect his power.

God controls all creation.  He has the power to divide the seas, calm the storm, heal the sick and make the lame walk…and this just scratches the surface.  In the recognition of his power, we must realize our weakness.

Joshua 4:23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

We may think that all of this leads to being afraid of God.  Not so.  Fear of God is a healthy respect and reverence for his person, perfection and power.  It is a gift of his Spirit that leads us to this understanding.  When we have that proper fear of God, here are the blessings.

When we fear God, we get to enjoy his presence.  Jesus promised the thief, Kerran and all of us that forgiveness is ours and as a result we can stand in his presence, not flee from it.

Psalm 140:13 Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.

When we fear God, we get to enjoy his perfection.  What we could never accomplish on our own, Jesus accomplished for us and gifted to us.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter   Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

And best of all, when we fear God we get to enjoy his promises.  All that he promises is ours as a gift of grace…including the gift of heaven.  The thief didn’t earn or deserve it.  Kerran didn’t either.  We didn’t either.  It is simply the gift from Jesus who gives us this truth:

Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

Apply: We never know when our “today” will be.  Pray for proper fear, love and trust in God to be your powerful, perfect Savior.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for who you are and all you have done for the thief, Kerran and all of us.  May our hearts always love you with all our being.  May your promise of heaven be real to us every day.  Make and keep us ready for our “today” whenever you determine that is.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of Cross Examined: Don’t you fear God? (LISTEN HERE)

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Luke 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Amidst the gasping for breath and the pain of nails in one’s hands and feet, one criminal found enough energy to rebuke the other and then turn to Jesus with a simple request, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

There have been many individuals who have died for crimes they have committed.  Some have notorious rap sheets, many are buried and forgotten.

This one might have been too.

But Jesus never forgets a heart of faith.

The temporal fate of these criminals was set.  Their lives would end on a Roman cross.

For one, what was next would make the cross feel like a resort, for the other, the cross would simply be the transition to the glories of heaven.

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Did the second criminal understand what this meant?

We don’t know, but from what we know, these words were the end to the conversation and comfort to the criminal on the cross.

Hours would follow of labored breathing, excruciating pain, and the wincing of bones breaking.  But the pain of the cross would be followed by the joys of paradise.

Jesus changed everything.

With his simple promise, the eternal fate of the second criminal was changed.  His earthly consequence would not be forgiven, but his eternity was secured because he placed his trust in Jesus, the one who forgave him.

I wonder what went through the mind of the second thief.

Did the pain hurt less?  Did his tension lower?  Did his heartbeat lessen?

Perhaps.  We don’t know.

But here’s what we do know.  When our biggest problem in life, our sin, is solved, and our eternity is secured, it gives peace, promise and perspective to anything we are going through in life.

The event may not go away.  Earthly consequences may still exist.  But there is nothing sweeter than for Jesus to say, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

What would the criminal say when he saw Jesus again, not on the cross but with a crown of glory?  What would the criminal say when his pain was gone and joy overwhelmed him?

What would you say?  What would you do?

Our entry to heaven may not be today, but Jesus promise is real for us every day…including today.

What he did on the cross secured the promise he gave to Nicodemus and the world:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Let that sink in today. 

 

Apply: What challenge are you facing today?  Listen to Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross.  How does it give perspective and peace amidst the challenge?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for taking care of my biggest problem by paying for my sin through your death on the cross.  Give my heart peace, no matter what my circumstances, to know that heaven is mine because of your sacrifice.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of Cross Examined: Don’t you fear God? (LISTEN HERE)

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1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

No better example of this truth than the two criminals on the cross.

Jesus was right between them.

One hurled insults at the “fool” on the center cross.

He had Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” …

One turned in hope and trust to the King on the center cross.

Luke 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

How could the same person hanging on the center cross illicit such different responses?

One heart had been blinded by the “wisdom of the world” that was prevailing on that Friday.  The religious leaders, ones you think you could trust, were calling him a fake, guilty of blasphemy and worthy of death.  The soldiers were not intimidated at all by the criminal allowed to be executed by Pilate and enjoyed the fun of mockery amidst the gruesomeness of their task.

When the opinion of the world influences a heart, it views the person and work of Jesus as foolishness.

So the first criminal felt at liberty to join in the same mockery and insults.

But the second criminal saw something differently.

How did he not get caught up in the prevailing spirit of the day?

Read Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians through the lens of that second criminal:

1 COrinthian 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

How did the second criminal hear about Jesus?  We don’t know, but the message of Jesus came through to him unaffected by the hatred and ignorance of the prevailing wisdom of society.  He saw the foolishness of an innocent man hanging on the cross.

He saw the power of God at work in one who COULD have saved himself, yet chose to stay on the cross.

He understood the “charge” against Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” was not a manifestation of a rebellion against Rome, but rather a kingdom that was not of this world.

However this criminal connected to Christ and his teaching, the Holy Spirit was at work in his heart to push the rejection urged by his sinful nature to overcome it with the saving truth and profound wonder of an innocent man dying next to him to be the Messiah, the promised one of Israel.

And so his heart turned in what must have seen like foolishness to so many around the cross, but was an exhibition of true wisdom and trust:

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

This criminal saw no hope in the religious leaders or the political establishment.  He knew his memory would be forgotten by those around him. He knew his only hope was in the “fool” on the center cross.

So is ours.

 

Apply: What messaging from the world around do you have to buffer to keep the message of Jesus growing stronger in your heart?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being willing to be a “fool” and stay on the cross for us. AMEN.

 

This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of Cross Examined: Don’t you fear God? (LISTEN HERE)

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Perfection vs. Imperfection

Various shows today highlight a competition where perfection in a certain area is desired and celebrated.  My daughter used to love to watch “Cupcake Wars.”  Presented with a challenge and theme, contestants were then under the clock to bake the perfect cupcake.  It was often times brutal when the judges would critique the dryness of the cake or the lack of creamy texture of the frosting.

The winner had the perfect cupcake…texture, taste, and presentation.

If I were to try to compete with this with my 2 eggs and a box of Duncan Hines cake mix, I don’t think I would measure up in any way.  My feeble attempt at cupcake perfection would fall way short of what the show was looking for.

Perhaps a silly example, but in various areas of life we can readily see “perfection” or a very high quality of good or service.  We know when something is made well and something else breaks right away.  We know when something tastes delicious and when something tastes 10 days old.

Why is it so hard to acknowledge this in our spiritual life?

Why do we like to dismiss our imperfection and readily point out others imperfection?

Why do we find it easy to lower God’s standard of perfection to meet our feeble attempt at perfection?

The second criminal on the cross recognized a large disparity between himself and the Man on the center cross.  The first seemed to forget he was under a sentence of death for deeds he HAD committed.  He seemed perfectly comfortable dismissing his sin to hurl insults at Jesus.  He had no problem ignoring the reality that he was a sinner hanging next to an innocent man.

The second criminal didn’t.
Luke 23:40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

The second criminal recognized the perfection of Jesus.  Somehow from what he heard from his jail cell and experienced on the journey to Golgotha or some other time in his life, he heard something about Jesus.  Being a hardened criminal guilty of death was not what he experienced.  Jesus was being crucified as a guilty sinner, but yet he was the perfect Son of God.

He had done nothing wrong.

Can we recognize this too?  

Maybe it is easy for us in our minds to acknowledge that Jesus is perfect.  What is harder is to acknowledge that we are NOT perfect.  We naturally push against charges of being sinful by excusing or justifying what we did or comparing ourselves to others or just making up a belief that God won’t punish sin.

That’s not the case.

Romans 3:22-23 There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,…

The second criminal sets a great example for us.

Acknowledge our sin.  Understand the consequences of it.

But then turn in faith to the one who “has done nothing wrong.”

Because what was happening on the middle cross was not only for the second criminal, but for you and for me.  The one who had done nothing wrong was going to die for all of us who have done lots of things wrong.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

Apply: What makes it hard for you to acknowledge your sin and the consequences they deserve?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for taking my place as a sinner on the cross even though you were perfect, having done nothing wrong.  AMEN.