Tag: cross

No Shame

Hebrews 12:2

Why do we suffer? Well, there are a few ways to respond to that question. Typically, many suffer from shameful decisions they made in their past. Others suffer indirectly from the choices made by someone else. We live in a fallen world, and a great number of us suffer simply for doing the right thing.

The Bible reads in 2 Timothy 3:12, the godly shall suffer persecution, so it’s inevitable that those who walk after righteousness will undoubtedly endure seasons of hardships in the earth.

While our suffering, at times, seem to drain us of all our energy and motivation, consider the suffering Jesus endured, on our behalf. When we go through hard times, we tend to duck and cover, while trying to avoid people, and keep them out of our business, but Jesus endured horrendous suffering without shame. While we cry and moan over late bills or not having enough money to buy gas, Jesus was beaten, bruised, battered, spit on, abused, tortured, and made a public spectacle. Yet, He took it without shame. Jesus endured the brutality of wicked men, so that you and I could have the penalty of our sins forever forgiven, and be reunited with the Father, as He originally intended. So, the next time you consider complaining, think on the night, when Jesus carried His cross, and took all that pain and suffering for you.

“God Is With You”

Zechariah 8:18-23

One of the biggest concerns facing believers today is, knowing how to draw others to God. While living a life of righteousness is a daily process, influencing others to walk after the righteousness of God, is a duty all Saints have been commanded to fulfill as well. Jesus said, in the book of John, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Some scholars relate this saying to Jesus being lifted up, and hung on a cross, while others mention that it references His ascension into heaven, but either way, when Jesus is the center of attention, His life and sacrifice will be more than enough to draw all men unto Himself.

Many go through life, using methods outside of Scripture, in hopes of reaching lost souls, but all it takes is the message of the Gospel, coupled with a consistent holy lifestyle, to inspire and influence others to consider God’s way. Professional fishermen know, the right bait is necessary for catching certain fish, and without the bait, there’s nothing to attract the fish to his hook. The Word of God is enough on its own, to compel men to come to Jesus, but we must first grasp an understanding of it for ourselves, or we’ll be like an inexperienced fisherman, casting with the wrong bait, or no bait at all.

God is with those who trust Him, and are committed to His will, and when believers realize that all they need is God to make a difference, they’ll be fascinated at what He can do through their very own lives. When God is with you, reaching out to others becomes more of a desire, rather than a simple obligation, because God is love, and that love is potent when used according to His Word.

Bread Of Life

Luke 24:13-16, 22-35

After walking with the two disciples for a while, and expounding unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning Himself, the mystery stranger decided it was time for him to go further and continue his journey. But, the men held him back, and asked that he stay with them, because it was already late in the day. So, the mystery stranger accepted, and the men went into the nearby village to sit and eat. While gathered together for supper, the mystery stranger took bread, blessed it, brake it, then gave to the men with him. Immediately, the eyes of the men were opened, and they recognized it was Jesus who was with them the entire time! Then, Jesus vanished out of their sight! He literally disappeared from before the disciples. Wow! To add to their already heightened levels of excitement, the men said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” All their doubts, worries, and feelings of sadness instantly vanished also, after witnessing the risen Savior for themselves.

In the same way Jesus presented the bread to the men who sat with Him, His own body was presented in a like manner to the world. God took His Son, blessed Him, allowed Him to be scourged and persecuted, then presented Him to the world with the opportunity to receive new life and spiritual restoration through His redemptive blood. Jesus is the bread of life, and only through Him, can our souls be saved. Like the two men in our text, we too should get excited from the Word of God, and allow it to motivate us to share with others, the truth and saving power it holds. Let the resurrection story of Jesus Christ restore the joy of God’s salvation back into your heart, and move you to grow in godliness daily.

Perplexed And Wondering

Luke 24:1-12

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and other women witnessed Jesus breathe His last breaths from the blood-stained cross. It’s rather unfortunate how Jesus’ disciples hid away from fear of the Jews, while a handful of loyal women stood by the side of the suffering Savior, until the end of His assignment. These same women also followed closely, as Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus carried the lifeless body of Jesus to a tomb, where they assumed His body would remain forever.

On multiple occasions, Jesus told those who followed Him the details of His Father’s plan, but for some reason, they could not grasp the simplicity of His words. Jesus’ message to His followers literally went in one ear, and out the other, in the same way many today disbelieve He’ll return a second time to gather the Saints. A few days after the two men placed the body of Jesus in a tomb, the same women who witnessed His death and burial, returned, bringing spices prepared for His body. Bringing spices to a tomb could be compared to bringing flowers to a grave in our day, as a sign of love and respect for the deceased. To their surprise, the women arrived at the tomb to see the stone that sealed the entrance rolled away. First of all, they should have been home with their family and friends during this time, waiting and anticipating the risen Savior’s arrival, but they believed He was still laying lifeless in the tomb.

After witnessing an empty tomb and wearing a perplexed look on their faces, the women were greeted by two angels, who reminded them of Jesus’ words. Then, they remembered, and their faith was restored. The women hurriedly sought out the disciples, to tell them the great news. Unfortunately, when they arrived and told the men what they experienced, the disciples didn’t believe their words, just as the women disbelieved before being reminded by the angels. How could the men who were closest to Jesus, not believe what He had told them plainly, and on multiple occasions?

Can you relate to the women and disciples in our lesson, who heard the Word, but failed to believe it? Are there moments in your life, when your feelings supercede the infallible and unadulterated Word of God, that speaks truth alone? How often do you take Scripture for what is says, without doubting; believing that what’s written, will come to pass? God’s Word is truth, and those who live by it will avoid harboring worry and doubt, concerning the things He promised. Build your faith and confidence in God, and stand firm knowing that His Word shall not return unto Him void, but it shall accomplish that which He please, and it shall prosper in the thing where He sends it.

Just For Me

Isaiah 53:3-11

Because Jesus loves me, He endured a moment of humiliation, such as none have ever experienced in the history of mankind. As I study the text of this lesson, I feel that trying to reiterate the message in my own words will do a disservice to what Jesus dealt with, during His final moments on the earth.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him…”

God was pleased to see Jesus suffer horribly?! When I see men suffer, it cuts deep to my heart, so how could the Father be pleased to see His only begotten Son endure unfathomable shame and pain? When God looked at Jesus, He saw you and I. God knew, there was nothing we could do to erase our sin debt and its inevitable consequences, so He initiated the plan He had prepared before man was placed in time, so that redemption could become available to all who would accept it.

Jesus endured persecution, because of you. He experienced pain like nothing anyone has ever felt, because of you. The Son laid down His life, and died because of you. Oftentimes we allow ourselves to submit to our feelings of sadness and depression, but God looks on us and sees a soul, striving to endure as Jesus did, in a world full of heartache, pain, and suffering. We are all special to God, and He was pleased to see His Son suffer, because He knew it would redeem us back unto Himself. He did it all, just for you.

Rolling Stone

Matthew 28:1-10

The stone that secured the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid, was not rolled away by the disciples, whom the chief priests and Pharisees assumed would steal the body away, but by an unexpected visitor from Heaven. The angel of the Lord removed the stone, so that others could see that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, as He boldly prophesied. History records that stones made to secure tombs were an average of a few tons, and while it was task rolling it into place to cover the opening, it was even more difficult to remove it. Fortunately, God sent an angelic being with powers beyond normal men, who entered earth’s atmosphere, causing a great earthquake, then easily rolled the stone away and sat on top of it, until the women who followed Jesus arrived. God knew the disciples and women who followed Jesus still didn’t believe, nor understand the words He spoke concerning His resurrection, so He had a plan to make certain all their doubts would be removed.

At The Cross

John 19:25-30

Even while bearing the weight of all the sins of men, a brutal scourging, and hanging from a cross, Jesus was still concerned about his family. Enduring pain and struggles are difficult by default, but God offers strength that can help a person maintain focus on those things we tend to shun away when we suffer, but are of vital importance.

In our text, Jesus was at the tail end of His time in the earth, and wanted to make sure His mom was taken care of. From the cross, Jesus looked upon His mother with eyes of eternity, and made certain she would be cared for, despite all that was taking place. The disciple whom Jesus loved (John), was also near the cross, and took on the responsibility of housing Mary. It’s good to know that at least one of the disciples stayed near Jesus, when all the others were away in hiding. Jesus also had brothers,  so some may wonder why He didn’t leave his mother with them. Well, John stayed with Jesus all the way to the cross, and this was enough for Jesus to know that he was the perfect person to entrust with His mom.

The moment you need people most, is when they scurry away into hiding, but those who are bold enough to stand with you, even if it causes them to suffer, will not hesitate to be strength to you, until the end.

Don’t Forget

Luke 24:5-10

“The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22). “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44). “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33).

On multiple occasions, Jesus warned His followers of the horrible things that were destined to happen to Him. He made mention that He would be rejected by those who were supposed to support Him, beaten, mocked, bruised, scourged, and even put to death. But, He never left out the most fascinating of all prophecy; He would rise again, after death!

Our text references the tail end of Jesus’ brief, yet impactful ministry, and also rings some very alarming bells. Following His death, Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in Joseph’s unused tomb. Days following the Savior’s death, the women who had followed Jesus and witnessed His burial, had prepared spices and ointments to use on the body of their loving teacher, while the disciples were keeping themselves out of sight. Ding! Ding! Ding! Helloooooo! Did these folk forget what Jesus had told them, time and time again? Apparently so. But, how could they be in the very presence of Jesus, witness miracles done by His hand, yet forget the most important message He ever told them; “and the third day, He shall rise again.” What purpose was there to prepare spices and ointments, if the Son of man would rise from the tomb? Why hide yourselves from those who were responsible for the death of Jesus, if you knew He would be dead only three days? The disciples and those who followed after Jesus weren’t distracted by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or any other media source, but were fully focused on the prophetic events that took place during their time. I can understand if they were with Jesus during the 21st century, when men are so easily beguiled, but there was hardly anything happening to take their focus off Jesus’ words (that’s just my opinion).

How could they so easily forget that Jesus would rise again? Maybe they thought it was a fairytale, or that Jesus meant something else, or they possibly just didn’t believe. For this reason, God already had a someone in place to remind the people, His Son was indeed raised from the dead. Do you believe what the Bible teaches, or do take in some parts, and disbelieve others? All verses of Scripture are interconnected, and the root of every text is Jesus. The Words of God were written for our instruction, whether we think they are fairytale or not, but despite what we believe, all Scripture will soon be fulfilled.