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You're joining us at FINISHING WELL... --a weekly devotional that's A.I. free! --focused on equipping you to live a godly life in your season of 55+ --a reminder that "God's got this", no matter what you're going thru! Welcome to our final week of the year as we go through the "red letter" words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. As we end 2024 and begin 2025 we'll fly about 30,000 feet, reminding one another of the truth about Jesus that we've known, but in our season in life, we need all the "reminders of those divine details" we can get! MONDAY (Dec 30)
"Here Comes the TRUTH"
Matthew 22 Verses 1-14...The Truth about "HEAVEN'S DRESS CODE" The pressure has been mounting between Jesus & the Pharisees. He tells a parable that appears a little confusing at first. Is there a dress code in heaven? Spiritually speaking, there is. We can't show up with the clothes of our OWN goodness, we need to be given proper "holy attire", that can only come from the perfect "Lamb of God", Jesus. The Bible says in Galatians 3:27 that those who have been "baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ". We need HIS righteousness to cover us, not OUR attempt at being good enough in our own eyes. This guy needed a "change of clothes". Verses 15-22...the Truth about TAXES Notice how the Pharisees are now getting strategic. They are plotting & trying to trap Jesus. They have their disciples pretending to be respectful publicly. But their question attempts to get Him to say "yes, or no" on paying taxes to Caesar. If He says "yes", then the Jewish people will hate Him and if He says "no", then the Romans will put Him in prison. But Jesus isn't tripped up by trick questions. He turns the tables, helping them realize there's a certain "indebtedness to the country" in which they live, so out of respect for authority, pay taxes, which is "owed to the government", but not at the neglect or expense of paying honor to God, in whose image we are made! The Jewish people all knew "the tithe belongs to God", so that day everyone was reminded the answer is "both/and" in their proper context! Pay your taxes.... and honor God! Verses 23-33...the Truth about the RESURRECTION So far, the Pharisees have not made a dent in the popular opinion about Jesus. So now the Sadducees, which was the liberal side of the religious leaders give it their best shot. They offer what I call a "hypocritical hypothetical". Another way to say they pretend to have a view that would respect Jesus, but in the end they're trying to do the same thing as the Pharisees, which is to show an inconsistency or error in Him. They didn't believe there would be a resurrection and yet they posed as they did. Jesus gives a public reprimand for the wrong assumptions. He points out things will be different concerning marriage in heaven and apparently not as it is on earth. We will be like the angels in that regard, which of course bring a whole other set of questions for us until then! Verses 34-40...the Truth about the GREATEST COMMANDMENT Well the Sadducees didn't last long did they? "One & done" on the tough questions for Jesus. So the Pharisees immediately jump in, regroup, & try to pin Jesus from a different angle. But all they really do is throw Him an "alley oop" to slam dunk another truth! So their question this time around is "what's the greatest commandment"? To "love God with all that we are" comes as a resounding #1. And to "love our neighbor as ourselves" is in the #2 spot of commandments. I love it when Jesus gives us a "memorable and a quotable". It's also a "doable", but only with His strength & grace working within us. Verses 41-46...the Truth about JESUS BEING ETERNAL In the final two verses of chapter 22, Jesus takes the opportunity while the Pharisees are still there, to stump them. He has a basic messianic question of "whose son is the Messiah" and they correctly respond that He would be from the lineage of David. And Jesus points out the irony of how David, in the Old Testament, called the Messiah, "my Lord", which indicated the Messiah would be older than he was, to which they had no reply. I wonder if Jesus, under His breath, said, "and you didn't know the answer to that one when I asked you back when I was 12 years old, did you"! TUESDAY (Dec 31)
"Here Comes the BOOM"
Matthew 23 Our chapter today has 3 paragraphs. The first (vs 1-12) is a "general third person exposure" of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He's not speaking TO them, but ABOUT them, as He teaches the crowds & His disciples. Jesus clearly articulates their violation. They see themselves in the "chair of Moses", but they don't do what they TELL you to do. They put heavy burdens on people shoulders. All that they do is to be noticed by other people. And they love the honor & greetings and being called "rabbi" in front of other people. Jesus plainly says that what they do for God is clearly "ALL about THEM". They exalt themselves when they should humble themselves. And He takes a moment to tell His followers, don't be like that! You have only one rabbi. You all are brothers and sisters with one Father and leader. And if you want to be great, then learn to serve each other. This was the total OPPOSITE of what they had seen for years in the lives of their religious leaders! And then Jesus "goes direct" in verses 13-36. He has a list of 7 "woes" for the Pharisees. He pulls no punches. They are on the "naughty list" without question. But He helps everyone understand WHY their mockery of the purposes of God is so grievous. Let's take a brief look at their "points of infraction". 1--they SHUT THE DOOR to the Kingdom & don't enter it themselves 2--they PROSELYTIZE others, making them worse than they were before 3--they made insincere VOWS 4--they would tithe even their herbs & spices, yet NEGLECT matters like justice and mercy 5 & 6--are both very similar in not having "pure hearts" and disguising their OUTER APPEARANCE as better than it really was 7--they PRETENDED they would have treated the prophets of years ago much better than their forefathers did Jesus unloads on the Pharisees in this passage like no other time. His frustration & disappointment in their mockery of "all things holy" finally caught up with Him & He confronted them for such ruthless & godless behavior. Over 500 years ago, Martin Luther, a monk in the Catholic Church nailed over 90 grievances on the Wittenberg Door in protest of things he found wrong. He had developed a deep conviction that "salvation was by faith alone" and not by works. He clearly pointed that out along with other things. I have a feeling he identified strongly with the "righteous indignation" that Jesus felt toward the Pharisees. Finally, in our last passage today, Jesus moves from "jeers to tears". He does speak fully what's on His mind concerning the things that can no longer continue in the life of God's people in the way they are led and shepherded spiritually. In verses 37-39, Jesus deeply grieves over the disconnection there is between the Jewish people in Jerusalem and their God, who has gone out of His way multiple times to nurture and warn them of what was to come. This is one of the most touching passages as the heart of Jesus is fully seen, as He weeps over those who should be saved, but clearly are lost! They are those who long for godly truth, but don't know how to access it from the God of all creation. May we be those people who come "alongside" them while we can! The heart of Jesus still "breaks" over those who haven't repented or "bowed their knee" yet to Him. And EVERY knee will bow. It's just a matter of time! It's New Year's Eve today. It's a special day for everybody in saying goodbye to a year that for some, was very hard. And tomorrow, we say hello to a future we have entrusted to God. New Year's Eve is extra special for me. It was 47 years ago, my wife, Sue Linn said "I do", and we've been so blessed with our families, our kids and their kids…and so many CHURCH families through the years that we can't imagine to have been without in this life or the next! Thanks to SO many of you in our "finishing well fellowship", who have helped us along the way as we together try to focus & refocus on the "One from all blessings flow"... the "author & perfecter of our faith"… the "name that is above all names"... and the "only name given to us under heaven, by which can be saved… Jesus"! Thanks for being people who have encouraged our family to stay close to Him! We love you and pray God will bless this new year in a mighty way together. Happy new year, our finishing well friends! WEDNESDAY (1/1/25)
"Here Comes the SIGNS"
Matthew 24 If there was ever a chapter in the bible to begin the New Year & excite us about the Lord's return, this one would be right up there in the top few! The topics are just a few verses for each. We'll miss "beginning the year by finishing the gospel" by a couple of days, but this will allow us to have a much more condensed focus starting the year next week. Here we go… The Prediction of the Temple's DESTRUCTION (v 1-2) Today our focus will be on this 1 chapter, but tomorrow and the next day we'll do 2 chapters each day, so we'll be "sprinting intensely to the finish line"! That's what Jesus did in these final few chapters of Matthew's gospel. He kicks it into high gear! In these two verses, He lets His disciples know that the temple is going down after He heads back to heaven. He starts leaving "breadcrumbs" they will be able to follow more clearly when He's gone. The SIGNS @the End of the Age (v 3-8) He now has the attention of the disciples and they approach privately asking for more clues, particularly about WHEN all this will happen? Now remember, they still believe He's going to overpower the Romans and that's their "Messianic Profile" at this point. Jesus lets them know that a lot of people will pretend to be Him and try to deceive them. They'll also be "wars and rumors of war" & don't be alarmed. These things are just "birth pains" prior to the end of time. Expect earthquakes and famines all over the world and don't be surprised. You can feel things intensifying in each paragraph of Scripture today! PERSECUTION Predicted (v 9-14) Now, Jesus is not pulling any punches at all! He literally tells His disciples they'll be persecuted and killed, and the hatred from the nations towards them will be because of Him! The sad thing is, He says, is that many people will fall away and begin to hate each other. A lot of false prophets will rise up as well, but they were to stay faithful to the end! In verse 14, there is a major truth that has driven the hearts of people near and dear to me and the Northside family. Terry and Amy Ruff pretty much have this verse "tattooed on their foreheads". They are dear people who take this verse very seriously, and perhaps we should join them in that intensity. Jesus literally said, "the good news of the Kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." In other words, the Lord is waiting on the Church to take the message to every nation so He can return. Some folks might say they've had plenty of opportunity by now. Have they really? 2 Peter 3 says it's the PATIENCE of God that causes the DELAY of Jesus' return. In verse 12, Peter also implies we can "hurry His return along"! What would that look like this year? What if we were to act like His return was what we desire the most? What if for starters we just began to "delight in the thought" of His return? We'd better keep moving, because Jesus is about to cover a lot more ground! The Great TRIBULATION (v 15-28) Jesus now, quotes the book of Daniel concerning the fall of Jerusalem, that would happen in the year 70 A.D. and many Bible scholars believe that's a parallel of what will happen when He returns as well. Again, Jesus warns them saying many people will try to distract them, but wait for Him, He says. His return will be like lightning across the sky. Then He says, "where the carcass is, the vultures will gather", which for a moment I'm thinking, what's this all about? What Jesus is saying is, it will be obvious when He arrives on the earth! If you see a bunch of buzzards in the trees, you know one thing…something died. It's plain to see. It's undeniable. And when the Lord returns, there will be no question, it will literally be "everybody out of the pool"! The COMING of the Son of Man (v 29-31) OK, Jesus gives us more details! He says the sun will be dark. The moon won't shine, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Sounds like a major eclipse to me! And people will mourn at the sight of Jesus as they see Him coming on the clouds with power and glory! Angels will be sent out with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His people from the four winds. Now this is powerful language! Jesus is not being overdramatic. How in the world could you paint that picture in a couple of sentences? Again, Jesus is giving a little more revelation all the time. His story is progressing with accumulative detail, so THEY will be ready and so WE will be ready! The FIG TREE Parable (v 32-35) Finally… A fig tree that doesn't get cursed! Jesus tells a simple parable/illustration teaching, "you can tell when summer is close, by the branches and leaves as they sprout". Then He reminds them of the power of His words. Heaven and earth will pass away, but not His WORDS. As I previously mentioned in 2 Peter 3, later in that chapter, Peter says, "the elements will melt with fervent heat". That's when "heaven and earth 2.0" will come about. But there will NEVER be a passing away or destruction of His words. They are eternal! Heaven & earth are much like our bodies, temporary. But the word of the Lord will LAST FOREVER! NOBODY Knows the DAY or HOUR (v 36-44) David Reagan of "Lamb and Lion Ministries" has been a passionate preacher of prophecy for years. I remember hearing him in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the late 80s and his passion for the Lord's return appeared to me to have the intensity of John the Baptist! It was from him that I heard the phrase the first time, that would come alongside this verse of Jesus, which says, "no man knows the hour or the day". In his sermon, he adds the phrase, "but we can know the SEASON"! Jesus mentions Noah & the flood and how the party was going on all around him without the people understanding the seriousness of the situation until the flood came. It's been said, "people don't get it when they see the LIGHT, they only get it when they feel the HEAT!" But then it's too late. The people in the days of the flood were swept away, and Jesus says this is how it's going to be when He returns. So, the point is "be alert because we don't know when"! Jesus is clear in saying for us to be ready, be ready, be ready! And while we're at it… help OTHER people be ready as well! FAITHFUL SERVICE to the Lord (v 45-51) So what kind of servant should we be? Ones who act RESPONSIBLY with the knowledge that the Lord is returning! Jesus seems to indicate that not taking His return seriously indicates a "wickedness of heart", not just a "relaxed & less than type A" personality. And if verse 51 doesn't put the fear of God in you, I'm not sure what will! He's referring to people who DON'T ACT like believers, even though they CLAIM to be. There seems to be a "reassignment with the hypocrites" where there's "great regret", which is the explanation of "weeping and gnashing of teeth". Yep, the warnings are getting pretty serious as Jesus winds down His time on the earth! As I mentioned, tomorrow we'll double up with a couple of chapters as well on Friday. I might be attempting to justify my own scheduling of this, but I do believe the Lord would have us start this year with an intense passion & commitment to Him. Nothing says "happy New Year's Day" like the quote from Jesus of "no man knows the hour or the day of my return". In this New Year, many people will be looking for a lot of political change in our country. Some will be grateful for it & some will remain resentful of it. But my question is, "will the Church TRANSCEND the cultures in which it resides"? What a pivotal year this one appears to possibly be for the nation & perhaps the world! But will it be an "equally redefining" time for the Church? Will the Church's hope of a "return to godly values" be expressed louder than the hope of the "return of the Lord Himself"? We can either "wait and see", or we can "choose to become who we're called to be". As His People. As "The Church". As those "called out" of the world! THURSDAY (Jan 2)
"Here Comes the PASSOVER"
Matthew 25/26 These next two days as we finish the gospel of Matthew, we'll go at a speed that's for the AVID reader! One of the biggest challenges in preaching, teaching, or writing devotionally is to "condense Scripture into a brief phrase", PRIMARILY for the sake of triggering our memory by that phrase and tying it to the rest of Jesus' story. So let's give it our best shot! Here we go... "Don't WASTE your RESOURCES" (1-13) Most of us remember this Bible story when we were kids as the "parable of the bridesmaid or wise and foolish virgins". At a glance, we feel sorry for those girls who simply ran out of oil and mis-calculated. But the deeper lesson Jesus was teaching in these final parables before His death on the cross was about the RECOGNITION of the "Bridegroom" (in this parable) or the "Master" (in the next parable). The simple take away is to "SAVE ourselves" for godly purposes, rather than "WASTE ourselves" in pursuits that don't prepare us & others for the eternal Kingdom! Any vintage believers out there with me remember the kids' church song, "Give Me Oil in My Lamp"? Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning, burning burning Give me oil in my lamp, I pray, hallelujah! Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning, keep me burning till the break of day. Sing Hosanna, sing Hosanna, sing Hosanna to the King of Kings. Sing Hosanna, sing Hosanna, sing Hosanna to the King! I'm guessing it's been been a while since you've sung that song! So happy new year! Fill 'er up...& check the oil! "Don't MAKE EXCUSES" (v 14-30) Now this parable, I remember being called "the parable of talents", but many translations now refer to it as "the parable of the three servants". I love this description in the NLT, which says the master was "full of praise" and invited his servant to "celebrate together with Him"! But the third servant who hid his Master's money in the ground, rather than invest it, was full of excuses and rationalizations when the Master showed up. He made wrong assumptions about the character of the Master. But the biggest assumption he got wrong was he treated the money "as if it were his", not us a manager who was given a special gift and would be judged by the way he treated that special gift. He assumed there would be "no accountability for his actions". It appears the greatest complaint of the Master was the guy "didn't respect his Master", even enough to try, by making a trip to the bank! And once again, there's the reference to "the weeping & gnashing of teeth", which is a literary symbol of the emotion of "personal regret". Let's not be "that guy" this new year! "Don't be a GOAT, be a SHEEP" (v31-46) Jesus paints a vivid picture of the judgment day. There will be those on the right headed for glory and those on the left who aren't. Just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, Jesus says, "so will the Son of Man". And one of the indicators of "the difference between the two groups" appears to be how they responded to "the least of these", meaning those who were "in need". Of course, this isn't the only difference between the sheep and goats in Jesus story, but it is a huge indicator that those who know Him and hear His voice, also recognize Him in the faces of the hearts of desperately hurting people, although apparently unaware of it at the time. Their hearts remain tender and compassionate towards those in "lonely situations" among us this new year! All this & more on the "Road to the Passover"! And now in chapter 26, the plot literally begins to thicken! (Sorry for the "double up" these final 2 days!) "The 2 DAY WARNING" (26:1-5) Like a 2 minute warning in a football game, Jesus gives the disciples a 2 day warning that the Passover it's just about to happen. Jesus clearly states prophetically that the crucifixion will soon happen. Meanwhile, the High Priest & elders had their secret meetings about the capturing of Jesus, but they did so carefully, strategically, & avoiding any interference with the Passover. "The Bethany ANOINTING" (v 6-13) What a beautiful story of a loving act towards Jesus from this woman! She honored Jesus in lavish style. Notice how the disciples were critical of the misuse of the money. "If she would've just given us money rather than wasted on Jesus, we could check the poor off our list in making a contribution"! But they didn't see the brokenness in the heart of the woman who would do such a thing. Jesus says her story is going viral, and everyone will hear about it and she will be remembered for this loving act! In Luke 7, the same story is recorded with more detail of interaction with Jesus and Simon the Pharisee. (Just for those who want a little further reading) "Judas CROSSES THE LINE" (v 14-16) Now Judas "formally joins" the Pharisees in their plot to remove Jesus. We don't know all that went thru his mind & heart, or what misconception he might've had. But we do know that the devil was in there. John 13 indicates that had already happened. It was now just a matter of the "MONEY exchange" and for Judas to give the alert as to "WHEN and WHERE" the best time & place would be for Jesus to be apprehended. "The Final PASSOVER Supper" (v 17-30) Time now, is of the essence for Jesus as He directs the plans for them to celebrate the Passover together. The disciples respond respectfully and promptly. Notice in verse 21, Jesus "puts it on the table quickly" about one of them betraying Him. He then teaches that this is a "fulfillment of prophecy", & also very bad news for the one who's doing this! Well, the disciples ask the obvious question as to whether "they were the one who" would betray Jesus? Even Judas asks the question, so as not to blow his cover. Then Jesus simply indicates the bread NOW represents His body, and the wine NOW represents His blood. And after that, they sang a hymn & headed to their usual place...The Mount of Olives. (I always love a closing song) "Jesus Predicts Peter's DENIAL" (v 31-35) There was a short walk on the way there with at least enough time for a brief discussion. Jesus again, reiterates that "this all goes down tonight", and their "desertion" of Him fulfills the prophecy of God" in "striking the shepherd and the sheep scattering" (from Zechariah 13:7). He reminds them clearly that after all this is over and He's raised from the dead, that He will meet them in Galilee. That's when Peter takes issue and says that he would never desert Jesus, even if everyone else did. Jesus specifically tells Peter that before morning, when the rooster cross, he would have denied him 3 times. They all joined in with Peter saying, "none of us would ever do such a thing", and even made vows concerning it. I don't believe they had any idea what they would be in for during the night and the next day. And many times, neither do we! "The PRAYER at GETHSEMANE" (v 36-46) Jesus separates the disciples by pulling the 3 in the Inner Circle (Peter, James, and John) to be alone with Him. He still has them to be nearby as He begins His "prayer of anguish & distress". The humanity of Jesus surfaces as He tells them, "His soul is crushed with grief to the point of death". That's a clear indication that "this is the most serious point in My life", and yet these guys can't even stay awake! He didn't ask him to pray with Him, just don't fall asleep, and they couldn't seem to keep from it! He even gives them the quote of "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak", but it wasn't in them to do it that night. Jesus' prayer was simple & direct. "May this cup of suffering pass from Me, O God, but regardless, I want YOUR will to be done, not MINE". His prayer time was less than an hour. But it seems the disciples were like me at the Escape Theaters in Jeff. Put me in a reclining chair and I doze off w/ or w/o popcorn & even if it's an "action movie"! Yep, out like a light & with a snore, so I'm told. These guys couldn't stay awake either. And I can kind of understand why. All this was "beyond their imagination", but it wouldn't be for much longer. This paragraph of scripture ends with Jesus saying, "Look, My betrayer is here!" All the teachings and hints Jesus had given up til now will become PAINFULLY real to them over the next 18 hours (assuming it was 3 hours past the 6:00 pm Passover meal, and in 12 hours He would be on the cross, & then in another 6 hours His earthly life would be over). "the BETRAYAL & ARREST" (v 47-56) Notice the RED LETTERS of this paragraph... "Do what you've come to do" (to Judas) "Put away your sword" (to Peter) "Am I that dangerous you had to come at night with clubs? Why didn't you arrest me during the day as I was teaching at the Temple? (To the crowd) It was at this point, the disciples all scattered. Peter eventually "follows from a distance". And John, the beloved disciple, is seen at the cross (within speaking proximity to Jesus). But the others? Like "rats off a ship"! Fear & uncertainty can be overwhelming for all of us at times. "Jesus Before the COUNCIL" (v 57-68) Time for a little meeting of the "powers that be" over at Caiaphas' house (the High Priest). The religious leaders begin "manipulating potential lying witnesses" but they can't them to get their false testimonies straight. When directly asked if He was the Messiah, Jesus responds with some "holy smackdown"... "You've said it...and you'll see the Son of Man powerfully seated by God's right hand coming on the clouds of heaven!" Wow...put that in your Pharisaical pipe & smoke it! Just the words they wanted to hear to use against Him...except they were true! 100% true! And now the abuse begins..... 1--Jesus has had His closest friends fall asleep during His most painful time. 2--He's been betrayed "with a kiss" from a friend of 3 years.... 3--the highest religious leaders of the day ALL pronounce Him guilty, spit in His face, beat Him with their fists, as well as slap & mock Him... And it's just about to get worse.... with the denial of a close friend who just promised he'd never do such a thing... "Peter's DENIAL" (v 69-75) I've always identified a little more with Peter in my spiritual life. I've always kind of given him a break because I know he meant well. When he took a big splash trying to walk on water towards Jesus, at least he got out of the boat! The others didn't even try! And even though we know this won't end well with what he's about to do, at least he was trying to be vigilant and monitor the persecution that Jesus was going through. He just literally "got a little too close to the fire". Both Matthew in his gospel and John in his take 7 verses to describe Peter's denial. The embarrassment of Peter's life. And for all of us to see and read about! But remember one thing. Remember the difference between "denial and betrayal". It's the difference between Peter and Judas. "DENIAL is something we've all done. It's LETTING Jesus DOWN". In all sorts of ways. We have the best of intentions, but sometimes the worst of follow throughs... and we need Grace… Miles and miles… Tons and tons of grace! "But BETRAYAL is not letting Jesus down, it's SETTING Jesus UP". You & I haven't done that, thank God! Peter had a lot of "recovery work" to do, and if you read the last chapter of the gospel of John, you'll see one of the most beautiful stories of how Jesus reinstated Peter and turned his "regret into resolve" & his "wordless depression into unspeakable joy"! And He can do that for us if we need him to! See you guys tomorrow! Let's finish this strong as we sprint to the end! FRIDAY (Jan 3)
"Here Comes the KING"
Matthew 27/28 Sure proud of you guys for hanging with me! We're covering a lot of ground today… the final two chapters of Matthew ending this first partial week in January. On the other hand, if you are diving into a kind of a "through the Bible in a year" program, you'll be getting used to reading about five chapters a day, so this is only two! Let's finish these RED LETTERS well! There are 7 paragraphs in chapter 27 and 3 in chapter 28. We've gone from "here comes the Truth, the Boom, the Signs, the Passover & now the King! The End of JUDAS (27:1-10) It appears Judas did not expect them to condemn Jesus to death. The Bible says he was instantly filled with remorse and took the money back, hoping to unwind the deal. Acknowledging his sin before the elders in betraying an innocent man, their response was, "we could care less"! The Bible is pretty clear in how he acted in committing suicide in an abrupt fashion. The elders took the money and in fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, made the "field of blood" into a cemetery for foreigners with the body of Judas as the first resident. The TRIAL Before PILATE (v 11-26) While the red letters in this exchange with pilot were very few, and Jesus simply response to the question if he was the king of Jews, by saying you have said it. The rest was pretty much read letter silence from Jesus. Pilot goes through the motions, but is lead definitely by the crowd, who would prefer to release Sporus rather than Jesus. Pilot attempts to wash the blood stains off of his hand and a bowl of water but some stains just don't leave! He was able to turn Jesus over for a flogging by the Romans, who would later crucify him. I have often wondered how a crowd could go from "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" on the triumphal entry of palm Sunday, to "crucify Him & give us Barabbas" on the following Friday? But they did. Pilate's wife had even come to him and told him about a dream she had about Jesus and her reluctance for him to be mistreated, but even that didn't seem to affect Pilate! He seemed to be at his own "point of no return". Funny how politicians feel that during election years. The MOCKING by the SOLDIERS (v 27-31) I'm sure this went along with the job of soldiers involved in crucifixions and scourging. The pilots soldiers go out of their way to new levels of mockery. They brought out the whole regiment of soldiers and stripped Jesus, mocking him with a scarlet robe, thorn of crowns and a reed as a scepter. They knelt & taunted, spit & struck him on the head. The CRUCIFIXION (V 32-44) We can only imagine the exhaustion and weakness that Jesus felt after the beating He took. And so He stumbled along the way caring his cross, a man Simon from Cyten was appointed and forced to carry the cross for Jesus. All th, the place of the tasted and refused the bitter the soldiers offered Him. After nailing Him to the cross, they gambled for His clothes, which fulfilled an old testament prophecy. The sign saying "Jesus, King of the Jews” was nailed to the top of the cross into thieves and rebels, recertified one on each side of. More mockery from other people came, and Jesus was ridiculed for claiming to rebuild the temple in three days. Many walked by Him, challenging him to save himself and come down off the cross. Now the Bible says in Luke 23, there was a discussion Jesus had with one of the thieves on the cross, pretty much being a moment of "repentance and assurance" in such a beautiful fashion. But Matthew leaves that conversation out now and his gospel. Matthew record, both thieves, locked Jesus in the early stages. His DEATH (v 45-56) Although in other gospels, it's recorded that Jesus said, "Into your hands, I commit my spirit, to His Heavenly Father". Matthew leaves those words out, but he does include the appeal that was misunderstood, when Jesus said, "my God, my God, why have you abandoned or forsaken me?" It was easily misunderstood because the Hebrew would have been, "Eli, Eli" and some thought He was crying out for the prophet Elijah. Matthew records that "all heaven broke loose" at that point with the sanctuary curtain in the temple ripping from top to bottom, signifying "access to the holiness of God for all people now", not just designated priests! There appeared to be an earthquake and tombs were opened and godly saints "strutted their stuff", leaving the cemeteries and going into Jerusalem making appearances to many people. Now that's just cool on so many levels! I wonder which ones got to make that trip? I wonder did they go back to their families and tell them how important it was for them to follow Jesus as the Messiah? We won't know until we can ask in heaven and at that point it won't matter to us! Matthew records that the Roman soldier nearby observed all of this and came to the Starling conclusion that Shirley this was the son of God! He never seen anything like that before. Never seen all the signs and miracles that accompanied the death of Jesus. And he for sure had never seen, an innocent man like that go as quietly as a lamb to the slaughter as predicted in the Old Testament. An ungodly unbelieving Roman soldier blown away by the magnificent life and death of Jesus! And now the ladies come close to the cross. There were many women, but the primary ones were Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus and the mother of James and John. His BURIAL (v 57-61) Joseph of Arimathea, who was a wealthy follower of Jesus approached Pilate, requesting the body of Jesus as evening approached. He personally took responsibility for the burial of Jesus by offering his own new tomb. Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of Jesus sat and watched and wept as the great stone was rolled in front of the entrance. The GUARDS at the TOMB (v 62-66) The next morning, the priests and Pharisees approach pilot concerned about Jesus claim coming back to life in three days so they requested a seal on the tomb, which would prevent the body being stolen. These yahoos were so threatened by Jesus, they made every effort to squelch His influence even after His death! Pilate accommodated them. Why wouldn't he? He had caved in to everything else they played him for & wanted up to this point. CHAPTER 28.... The RESURRECTION (v 1-10) Oh my! It's Easter Sunday morning! Now I know we're just coming off Christmas and if you read this on the day it's scheduled it's January 3 which seems a little early to get excited about Easter. But how can you NOT get excited about the resurrection of the son of God Day ANY day of the year or ANY time of ANY day! We've got Mary and Mary Magdalene both there. And earthquake. An angel coming down from heaven, rolling stone away and purchasing up on top of it doing an end zone celebration (probably not the Trump dance). The angel is so lit up and radiant that the guards pass out with fear like a whole cast of Scarlett O'Hara's and "Gone with the Wind" getting the vapors! They go down like dominoes into a pile! And the angel speaks… "Don't be afraid! You're looking for Jesus, but He's not here, He's risen! Come take a look, but go quickly and tell His disciples He'll meet them in Galilee, just like He said He would! Now go on...git!" And Jesus wants to see the ladies and honor them for being there for Him, and He does so with a special visit as they are running from the tomb to tell the disciples. He greets them, they worship at His feet, and He reiterate the message… "Don't be afraid but go tell my brothers. I'll see them in Galilee!" The REPORT of the GUARD (v 11-15) As the ladies are running, some of the guards wake up and go into the city to tell the leading priests, what just happened. Time for another secret meeting of the elders, and they decide to bride the soldiers… pad their wallets… slide a little extra under the table… you get the picture! They tell the soldiers what to lie & say "the disciples came while they were sleeping and stole the body". They promised when the governor hears about it, the elders would speak up and vouch for them. So the guards took the bribe and spread the rumor. They knew Pilate wanted anything BUT more attention drawn to this matter, so they felt pretty safe in singing the song by the Steve Miller Band, "Take the Money and Run"! The GREAT COMMISSION (v 16-20) And now for the final words in Matthew's gospel. There's a lot more details that he allowed Mark, Luke (in his gospel, and in the book of Acts), and John to fill-in during the 40 days of Jesus on the earth after the resurrection. But this moment of the "great commission" has rung true in the hearts of believers since the first time we all heard it! We're down to 11 disciples now. And what's troubling is in verse 17, it says "some of them still doubted"! What is up with that? It might just be that God is giving us permission to "give ourselves time to wrap this whole thing around our head"! You see our doubts are just the "holy hiccups" of our faith that we get when we're startled for some reason. But we've got to get over the hiccups! And they did. And so will we. It just takes some time & truth. Please don't rush these next three verses. I know we're about done. These verses have been "memorized and yet the church still appears paralyzed". OK, maybe that's a little too harsh. How about "righteously reluctant to risk and reach out". Does that sound more palatable? These are the memorable final words of Jesus before the ascension. This is his clarifying of what we're here for. He doesn't want us to question the authority that He's been given & He makes it clear in verse 18, that we are to "lead other people into a saving relationship as followers of Jesus", not neglecting their baptism nor their obedience of all the commands He's passed on to us & thru us. WE are the "quality control" of all that. We have a personal responsibility to "teach obedience" & the only way to do it is "modeling". He reminds the disciples (and us as well) of His "constant presence" all throughout our lives & throughout the age! This passage continues to thrill me ever since I heard it at about nine or 10 years old. I know this is what we are called to do while we're alive on this earth and it does not matter whether we leave here earlier or late. What only matters is, are we faithful to this mission that Jesus has invited us to be a part of? It's HIS mission. And it's OUR mission. And we are not alone! But if I can be honest, I'm a little tired, aren't you? In Bible College at 20 years old I was having dreams and visions how I could serve if I could ever straighten my life out a little bit. All these years it's been great seeing how God is faithful and his word just not come back empty… but at 70, I'm feeling a little fatigued, and I'm guessing you are too. So let's "pool our fatigue and our strength", and let the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords..... Revive us again... Fill each heart with Thy love… May each soul be rekindled... with fire from above! Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen! Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Revive us again! Love you guys... Happy New Year... To God be the Glory... Great things He hath done... & great things He is ABOUT to do! Can I get an Amen?
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