The Devotional - 19

The Devotional

Comment:

Did you ever have a question that no one seemed to give an adequate answer too? Most likely your answer to this question is YES! Now there can be several reasons for questions with no answers so let me be blunt, I am not talking about the reasons, but I am talking about the question with no answer. THE QUESTION: Why does religion call this “day” in history – “Good Friday”? The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Week of Passion (suffering) and Good Friday are significant for God and man. From Matthew 21:1 through Matthew 27:66 the span of time is One Week. From a human view of this week I do not see anything leading up to the last Friday of the Life of Christ as good even though there are moments of pleasantness recorded.

Challenge:

I do wish to have the opportunity to study this “week” in more detail, maybe if the LORD tarries His soon return, I will have the opportunity. But let’s take a brief tour of a few of the events that led up to the crucifixion of the Son of God on a hill called Golgotha (Matt 27:33) around the end of March or beginning of April, AD 33. 

Matthew 21:1-11 – Before entering Jerusalem Jesus fulfills a prophesy made by Zechariah nearly 500 years before this date just outside the village of Bethphage, this word itself meaning “mud or mire”.

Matthew 21:12-17 – Jesus cleanses the Temple of merchant activity, in this He returns the temple to a house of prayer, heaven may have rejoiced but this event certainly added to the anger building up over this young man who seemed to the religious leaders as nothing more than an insurgent.

Matthew 21:18-22 – Now I believe it is important to note that the Hebrew equivalent of Bethphage is the word “Pag” and the meaning is and unripe fig, a fitting place for Jesus to curse the fig tree.

From this moment the religious crowd begin to boldly question the authority of Jesus. His answers to these men are in parable form. Parables are truth that connect the Kingdom of God to the kingdom of man, parables are designed to help man understand. Note Matthew 21:43. Matthew 22; Jesus begins with another parable, the wedding feast which angered the Pharisees even more.

Now their plan changes and turns to test Jesus regarding the Law and Taxation, His answer in found in Matthew 22:15-22. Again Jesus is questioned by the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead. These men used the teaching of Moses regarding marriage, the reply of Jesus is much lighter with the Sadducees than with the Pharisees, Jesus simply says to these men, “you are mistaken, not knowing the scriptures or the Power of God, Matthew 22:23-33.

Concluding this morning we will look at the rest of chapter 22 and save the rest for another day. Jesus was tested during His final week of life by the religious and legal leaders of that time. Note the comments of the Scribes (lawyers); “Which is the first and greatest Commandment in the law?”

His answer the scribes is Truth, even more Truth than they intended to hear, then He asks them a question, one they refused to answer. Luke records this message at the end of Matthew 22 in verse 46. “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore”.

Now I see nothing “good” about Friday, which may have been a Thursday! I see nothing “good” about the whole week, but I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews which reads like this; “looking to Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God”, Hebrews 12:2.

The Devotional - 18

The Devotional

Comment:

I did watch the sun rise this morning, both the rising and setting of the sun are beautiful. Over 192 million miles away and not only do we see the beauty of the sun, we also feel the effects. Such power is overwhelming to think about. Most of us take life rather selfishly and believe it is all about us, when in truth it is all about the wonder of God and His great Gift to you and me. We are so busy with “darkness” that we never see the beauty and the Light that God provides for us every second of the day. Creation points the way to the Creator who has only ONE Name and in the Book of Isaiah the Creator is called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Yes I said ONE Name – JESUS!

Challenge:

Isaiah 9:6 records some partial but descriptive Titles of God, from the first words in Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” to the last words in Revelation 22:21 – The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you ALL. Amen! God reveals the Goodness of His Name.

For those who read and study the Holy Bible, they will see that God’s gift to mankind is indeed a gift of Love. One of the portions of Scripture that reveal this Love was written by King David. In this Psalm David expresses his understanding of the perfect revelation of God through Creation and how we as God’s created beings might enjoy what God the Creator has done for us.

Psalm 19:1-14 - To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer!

And I conclude: May the words of Psalm 19 be the meditation of our heart today, tomorrow and all the days following, may this meditation be pleasing to You LORD as You are my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen!

The Devotional - 17

The Devotional

Comment:

Once in Boston, MA we were visiting with our niece, there were four of us, the niece, my wife’s sister and mother of our niece and myself. We were in a fancy restaurant, to three of us the surroundings were unfamiliar, to my niece she had been there before. As the meal ended and I began to reach for my wallet to pay for the meal, the waitress explained that the tab had been paid. I could hardly believe it and when the truth finally sunk it, I still wanted to do something, like pay the tip. “All had been paid, I could only say thank you to the waitress” it was an associate of our niece who paid the cost of our lunch and had already left the restaurant.

Challenge:

Now the four of us are not alone in this, while it may be a rare occasion to have someone pay for your meal in a restaurant in a city that is strange to you; it does happen. So I am not seeking to nullify or disqualify the things that just seem to happen to people that are simply wonderful at times when wonderful is not expected.

As we approach this coming Sunday our thoughts ought to focus on another debt, one that is already “paid in full”! We need only to say “thank You” since something WONDERFUL has happened. Every precept, commandment, judgment, law, statute and testimony offered by the Creator God to man has; since time began been broken and disregarded by all men, women and children.

This infraction of mankind on the ordinances of God is called by God “SIN”, the debt is impossible to reconcile by any man since we are all strangers to His Goodness. Yet there is ONE, One whom we do not know because we are “dead” to this knowledge who has paid this DEBT. Notice the following.

Colossians 2:13-14 – And YOU, being dead in your trespasses (sins) and the uncircumcision of your flesh (sinfulness), He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven your trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting (certificate of debt) of requirements that was against us. And He (Jesus the Lamb of God) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Now if you seek to believe this you will experience forgiveness of sins (your debt is already paid in full, since the debt was resolved long before you were born, there is nothing else to do, but believe it. Ephesians 2:8 says this – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of YOURSELVES; it is THE gift of God.

You cannot even leave a tip for Ephesians 2:9 says this – not of works, lest anyone should boast. You cannot walk away from being saved by God and say… “Well, at least I left the tip”! Jesus paid it all.