Mark 16.1-7
He has risen!
The early morning trip to the Garden Tomb was not to see the Risen Christ. It was to take loving care of a dead body of the One they had hoped was the Messiah.
It was not a trek filled with expectation. It was the first trip to the grave loved ones make after a person dies. It was very hard. Jesus was led out to death, executed for trumped up charges. His was the greatest injustice in the history of the legal system was the crucifixion. Pilate's question would be self incriminating after he consented to His death:
Mark 15.14“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
So now these close friends of Jesus, with ho hope of Him rising again, are on their way to the to the tomb.
Their love was strong. They got up very early after an incredible emotional week. The had no faith or hope but they did have love! Love covers a multitude of sins!
They were expecting things to be just like they left them on Friday before sunset. Look what those ladies had in their hands: spices to anoint His Body. Mary of Bethany had anointed Him the week before, Jesus said beforehand for His burial, now these women are doing after He died.
The stone was an obstacle they had not considered until on the way to the tomb.
Love doesn't consider obstacles until they are in front of it.
All the time Christ has already worked out a solution for our concerns and worries.
He already had in mind what He was going to do.
Worry and fretting are huge wastes of energy.
The News at the Tomb.
1. Don't be alarmed!
*They went there to grieve.
We go to graves to say goodbye, to face death, out of love for the mortal remains, to cry, to think about the person we miss.
The LORD has called me to be a student of grief, to embrace it, the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
If you are grieving today, Jesus has embraced that pain. He knows it full well.
Those who followed Him knew it for a few days, we will know it for a few years and then God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
The Resurrection of Jesus gives us comfort and hope.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
*The word "alarmed" means:
to throw into terror or amazement, to terrify, to be struck with amazement, to be astounded, to be struck with terror.
We live in a time of terror. Don't be struck with terror! Our Hope is Christ.
There are some things that are frightening today, many things.
Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
These poor grieving ladies were astounded the stone was rolled away.
They were struck with terror when they saw the angel.
* They came away bewildered.
* They ended up overjoyed.
2. Jesus, the Nazarene has Risen!
I do not believe we can fully grasp what it was like for these women to hear the words:
Mark 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. "
Whew!
Heaven will bring some of those emotions to your heart.
I am glad we have eternity! Its going to take some time to grasp it!
Jesus has good news in the midst of the most difficult times. For Christians we have hope even in death! Our LORD overcame death by rising again!
One day we are promised death will be done away with.
3. Go tell...
Their commission like ours.
Tell what Jesus has done for you.
Some of need to pray for power to so.
Sometimes we need to be reminded why we are here.
Only what is done for Christ will last.
He is Risen!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
A Day of Prophecy Fulfilled and Prophecy Given
Luke 19.28-46
Prayer in the temple, or in this case the lack thereof, showed their hearts. Jesus pronounced judgment.
What goes on in the physical buildings set apart for the LORD is telling.
Prayer, giving, the ministry of the Word.
So many places dedicated to these things get off track. Almost all of the Ivy League Universities began as Bible Schools to train ministers to evangelize the east coast.
Churches where souls once found Christ are now way out of line.
This building we are in was built for prayer,the instruction of God's Word, giving to others and fellowship. As Pastor I have sought to be faithful to this.
The temple was making more money than ever. The main problem was it was never intended to do so. Jesus was coming in judgement upon its leaders for making it into a den of thieves.
What did he mean?
1. Temple currency and the rate of exchange
2. Selling sacrifices
Thomas Aquinas
1. The Crowd in Jerusalem Were Pilgrims For The Passover Feast v.37
Pilgrims from all over the world.
Pilgrims from Galilee.
The praising was for the miracles they had seen.
And they had seen some incredible displays of the power of God!
Luke 7:20-22 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Feeding of the 5,000
Storm stilled
Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
The raising of Lazarus from the dead took place in Bethany. The Palm Sunday Procession came right through there. No doubt people joined in on it who had seen Lazarus raised by Jesus. I am sure Mary, Martha and Lazarus were a part of it. We know Bartimaeus from Jericho was. The blind see, the dead are raised.
John 11:45, 55-57 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.
The crowd was at a fever pitch emotionally. Jesus fit all the requirements of the Messiah.
And it was Passover. It was a celebration of freedom, of God' deliverance. Now they are not free. As the pilgrims make their way to Jerusalem they are reminded of this by the large amount of Roman Soldiers they see along the way. Herod and Pilate sit in seats of government. Israel has no king. This is very apparent. The level of resentment of paying taxes to Caesar is probably only second to the times of census decrees.
It was time for the Messiah to come, time or him to push the Romans out and return the throne to Israel.
2. The Crowd and Disciples were Delirious With Joy While Jesus' Heart was Breaking Over Jerusalem. vs.41-44
The disciples thought the kingdom was being set up that day.
Luke 19:11 he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
There was an expectation upon the popular mind of the Jewish people, that Messiah was about to come. They expected him to be a temporal prince, one who would make war with the Romans and restore to the Jews their lost nationality. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He might be to them a great temporal deliverer, and we read that on one occasion they would have taken Him and made Him a king, but that He hid himself.
Jesus was pronouncing judgement on Jerusalem that day, on Israel.
The fig tree
The cleansing of the temple
His words on His way to the cross later that week:
Luke 23:27-31 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Judgement is pronounced, then a waiting period:
Noah
Many years to build the ark as he preached.
Jonah
Jonah 3:3-4 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Jesus and Jerusalem
Matthew 24:34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Only three days recorded in all 4 gospels, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Palm Sunday
On His way to the city, as He approached it, He gave out this lament:
Luke 19:42-44 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD.
It has been conquered 40 times, the last being in 1967.
3. What does this scripture say to us? To the USA?
The words of Jesus of Israel's sin "you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
investigation, inspection, visitation
that act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds character, of men, in order to judge them accordingly, whether joyous or sad
There will be the final judgement.
There are judgements of nations along the way.
Matthew 27:24-26 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
Luke 12:48 .... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
September 13, 2001
Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?
Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
The scripture Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle read in response to 9-11 the day after in the Capitol building before a joint session of congress was
Isaiah 9:10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”
The scripture Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards read at a memorial ceremony on 9-11-04, was Isaiah 9.10
This scripture in part was quoted by our US Senator, Governor and President following 9-11. "We will rebuild.,," What they meant to be a rallying cry came out of a context of judgement, of Israel's response to an attack on them. It was a defiant statement.
We all remember where we were on 9-11. I remember that morning. I remember trying to check my e-mail and not being able to, praying with people who family in the city that morning. I remember one of our senators standing there that afternoon, being interviewed, stating, as the rescuers worked, stating, "We will rebuild." It seemed so inappropriate, so out of line of where our hearts should be. It was not right. God was speaking. It was meant to be a time we looked within our soul, the nation's soul.
That is what Jesus was weeping over. In His own words, Matthew 15:24, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They rejected Him.
Peter proclaimed in Jerusalem, 2 months later, "Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
God has richly blessed America. America has been a great blessing.
Israel turned from God and God judged them. We are turning from God also, and He has and will continue to judge us.
Habakkuk 1:1-4 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence! ”Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld.For the wicked surround the righteous;Therefore justice comes out perverted.
The law is paralyzed.
Jesus prophesied over Jerusalem. They rejected Him. There was nothing left for God to do but to judge.
Not one stone was left standing on another.
The temple and the city were destroyed.
His blood was on them ad their children.
It did not have to be that way... If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!
As we think of those events of 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem we cannot help but think of America today.
Habakkuk 3:2 Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear.O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
The crowd did not understand on Palm Sunday either, but Jesus was setting up His Kingdom.
His Kingdom Come.
Its leaders are servants.
Riches are spiritual, not material.
Jesus did not come with an army, although legions of angels were at His disposal.
No pomp in this kingdom.
No taxes either.
When we look for the LORD, we will always find Him with grace.
Have mercy on us O LORD!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Always Pray And Do Not Give Up
Luke 18.1-8
The context of this passage is Jesus' Second Coming which He said will be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Terribly wicked, nefarious times, unspeakably evil. 17.22-30
Luke 17:30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed."
Certainly we can easily compare the time our country is now in to the days of Lot and Noah. Just look at what our leaders are doing with the laws concerning marriage! I agree with the Pope's statement that same sex marriage is from the father of lies.
What was shameful behavior has now attached the word "pride" to it. I'm not talking about civil rights. I'm talking about honoring God and His Word. I'm talking about the woe pronounced on those who call evil good.
Jesus is speaking about prayer, prayer in reference specifically to His return.
There is a difference between consistency in prayer and persistency in prayer. We need both!
In the first you are praying without ceasing, in the second you continue to bring to the LORD the same request until you receive an answer.
George Muller, Nana prayers answered after they went home with the LORD. I am watching some prayers of my grandmother still being answered today!
The LORD thinks ahead:
Deuteronomy 29.14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you 15 who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.
John 17:20-21 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Surrender to Him, willing to keep on praying even if it does not happen in my life time, believing it will eventually or until God says, "No." He does answer prayers like that at times, most of the time He is saying, "Wait." It is that answer which requires the kind of prayer Jesus is referring to here.
1. Always Pray v.1a
Without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually
Without intermission, no broken communication
Prayer is communication with God, and we can live each minute of the day in a constant, flowing, conversation with God, in touch with heaven.
Interestingly this verse from I Thessalonians is in the context of the LORD's Return:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Read through verse eleven.
Praying Continually.
*It is right. It is so appropriate to see Christians pray!
On the other hand prayerlessness is a sin of many dimensions.
*Jesus told us to do pray always.
*It is always best to obey Him.
*He set the example, prayed spontaneously, prayer at night, prayed all night.
Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Mark 6:45-48 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
It is necessary.
We need to pray.
For strength.
To take our stand against the devil's schemes.
For each other.
To keep connected with heaven.
The longer I live the more I depend upon prayer.
It is proper.
We need the LORD.
Dependency.
Honoring God.
Voice, place, posture, time not important.
Place
John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
A Christian has no right to go into any place where he could not continue to pray. - Spurgeon
We can pray always because Psalm 121:3-4. ... He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He Who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
He calls us to pray without ceasing because He is always listening. There is no night in heaven. Great times of prayer happen in the middle of the night.
Luke 18:7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
Crying out to the LORD day and night. This is praying without ceasing.
Day -the interval between sunrise and sunset.
Night - the time when work ceases, when slumber begins.
Psalm 63:6 On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.
Psalm 119:148-149 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises. Hear my voice in accordance with Your love; preserve my life, Lord, according to Your laws.
Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. Today it is the hunger for God's Word.
Amos 8:11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
We are in those days!
Deuteronomy 31.13
Praying without ceasing has inherit benefits.
It brings great blessings as with all obedience to the LORD.
Peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4.7
Mercy to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.16
Pray Always and...
2. Not Give Up v.1b
to be utterly spiritless
to be wearied out
exhausted
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We told what we will need in these Last Days:
Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
We are in sorrowful times, heart breaking times. Prayer gives a channel for sorrows to flow out of our souls and fill us with joy.
When we go through times of personal sorrow, persistent prayer is what we need. Connection with our Father in Heaven is so important, so vital.
What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Joseph Scriven
Keep those appointments with the LORD. Daily Quiet Times. Prayer Meetings.
Times of great need-Pray!
Spirit of prayer spilling over into life's actions and activities.
Deuteronomy 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
There is a direct relationship with God's Word and prayer. You won't pray like what Jesus is teaching here unless you are spending time in His Word.
3. The Sobering Question v.8
Believing, faithfulness
Avoid
Sinful Interruptions
Unnecessary Interruptions
Lethargy and indifference
1 John 2:1-2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Obviously things are going to at their worst just prior to His Return. Persistent prayer is one of the components to fixing our eyes upon Jesus.
The context of this passage is Jesus' Second Coming which He said will be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Terribly wicked, nefarious times, unspeakably evil. 17.22-30
Luke 17:30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed."
Certainly we can easily compare the time our country is now in to the days of Lot and Noah. Just look at what our leaders are doing with the laws concerning marriage! I agree with the Pope's statement that same sex marriage is from the father of lies.
What was shameful behavior has now attached the word "pride" to it. I'm not talking about civil rights. I'm talking about honoring God and His Word. I'm talking about the woe pronounced on those who call evil good.
Jesus is speaking about prayer, prayer in reference specifically to His return.
There is a difference between consistency in prayer and persistency in prayer. We need both!
In the first you are praying without ceasing, in the second you continue to bring to the LORD the same request until you receive an answer.
George Muller, Nana prayers answered after they went home with the LORD. I am watching some prayers of my grandmother still being answered today!
The LORD thinks ahead:
Deuteronomy 29.14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you 15 who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.
John 17:20-21 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Surrender to Him, willing to keep on praying even if it does not happen in my life time, believing it will eventually or until God says, "No." He does answer prayers like that at times, most of the time He is saying, "Wait." It is that answer which requires the kind of prayer Jesus is referring to here.
1. Always Pray v.1a
Without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually
Without intermission, no broken communication
Prayer is communication with God, and we can live each minute of the day in a constant, flowing, conversation with God, in touch with heaven.
Interestingly this verse from I Thessalonians is in the context of the LORD's Return:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Read through verse eleven.
Praying Continually.
*It is right. It is so appropriate to see Christians pray!
On the other hand prayerlessness is a sin of many dimensions.
*Jesus told us to do pray always.
*It is always best to obey Him.
*He set the example, prayed spontaneously, prayer at night, prayed all night.
Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Mark 6:45-48 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
It is necessary.
We need to pray.
For strength.
To take our stand against the devil's schemes.
For each other.
To keep connected with heaven.
The longer I live the more I depend upon prayer.
It is proper.
We need the LORD.
Dependency.
Honoring God.
Voice, place, posture, time not important.
Place
John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
A Christian has no right to go into any place where he could not continue to pray. - Spurgeon
We can pray always because Psalm 121:3-4. ... He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He Who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
He calls us to pray without ceasing because He is always listening. There is no night in heaven. Great times of prayer happen in the middle of the night.
Luke 18:7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
Crying out to the LORD day and night. This is praying without ceasing.
Day -the interval between sunrise and sunset.
Night - the time when work ceases, when slumber begins.
Psalm 63:6 On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.
Psalm 119:148-149 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises. Hear my voice in accordance with Your love; preserve my life, Lord, according to Your laws.
Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. Today it is the hunger for God's Word.
Amos 8:11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
We are in those days!
Deuteronomy 31.13
Praying without ceasing has inherit benefits.
It brings great blessings as with all obedience to the LORD.
Peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4.7
Mercy to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.16
Pray Always and...
2. Not Give Up v.1b
to be utterly spiritless
to be wearied out
exhausted
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We told what we will need in these Last Days:
Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
We are in sorrowful times, heart breaking times. Prayer gives a channel for sorrows to flow out of our souls and fill us with joy.
When we go through times of personal sorrow, persistent prayer is what we need. Connection with our Father in Heaven is so important, so vital.
What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Joseph Scriven
Keep those appointments with the LORD. Daily Quiet Times. Prayer Meetings.
Times of great need-Pray!
Spirit of prayer spilling over into life's actions and activities.
Deuteronomy 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
There is a direct relationship with God's Word and prayer. You won't pray like what Jesus is teaching here unless you are spending time in His Word.
3. The Sobering Question v.8
Believing, faithfulness
Avoid
Sinful Interruptions
Unnecessary Interruptions
Lethargy and indifference
1 John 2:1-2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Obviously things are going to at their worst just prior to His Return. Persistent prayer is one of the components to fixing our eyes upon Jesus.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Coming Glory of Jesus Christ
Luke 9.28-36
The Transfiguration of Jesus. This happened right after Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter gave the great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." That was at Caesarea Philippi. A week later on top of Mount Hermon, Peter, James and John witnessed this incredible event.
They were going up this mountain to pray. (v.28) Mountains are great places to pray, beaches, secluded areas, away from noise and interruption.
I think we underestimate the power of prayer at times. This shows when we are surprised when God answers.
The Transfiguration appears to have taken place at night.
It was the prelude to His death, for from this point on He spoke plainly of His coming death. His face was now set toward Jerusalem. His glory was to come through suffering.
Primarily, the transfiguration was for the benefit of the three disciples. For them, it was a divine confirmation of Peter’s great confession. God attested what Peter affirmed. In addition, it was a confirmation of our Lord’s conception of His mission as Messiah. The popular expectation was that Messiah would come clothed in splendor and break the bonds of Rome. Jesus came first and foremost to redeem men from sin by dying on a cross. The literal and material aspects of the kingdom would come, but only after the necessary and preliminary spiritual preparations were complete.
Then, too, the transfiguration of Jesus was a divine commentary on the teaching of Jesus concerning His coming death, The disciples could not put together the seemingly contradictory threads of suffering and glory. The transfiguration let Peter, James ad John see that the glory which was to be our Lord’s (as well as theirs and ours) was to come through suffering (His exodus.).
The Kingdom of God coming in full force.
The Transfiguration was the fulfillment of these words of Jesus:
“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Mark 9.1
Jesus was letting His the inner circle see what was ahead. The outward glory of Jesus Christ was momentarily displayed.
Peter writes:
2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Jesus’ entire appearance was transformed in a brilliant radiance of light. His face shone like the sun and His clothes had an appearance of lightening flashing out of them. For this brief time, Jesus took on an appearance of the King of Glory.
Psalm 24:7-10 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?nThe Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory.
At His Baptism, in the Beginning of His Ministry
Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
On the Mountain
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
During Holy Week
John 12:27-28 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Just before He was arrested
John 17:4-5 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
-Luke 9:30-31 (NIV84)
Moses, the Law
Elijah, the Prophets
Talking with Jesus. I would have loved to be in on that conversation! One day we will! Glory- having things lie that revealed to us!
They spoke about His sufferings.
Moses and Elijah represented the Old Covenant.
Matthew Henry comments, “The shining face of Moses was so weak, that it could easily be concealed by a thin veil; but such was the glory of Christ’s body, that his clothes were enlightened by it.”
1. The Mountain
Mount Hermon
the sacred mountain. To rise. Jesus brings us up.
Perhaps today you need to be lifted up. Jesus can do it.
He took Peter, James and John up on a high mountain to pray.
Prayer lifts us up to heaven.
Psalm 28:2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;he causes me to stand on the heights.
Psalm 42:6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
David loved the place near Caserea Philippi, down from Mount Hermon, where the Jordan River formed from the melting snow on Mount Hermon.
He wrote in the next verse, Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
I have stood at that spot. It is beautiful. But Jesus takes us up higher than we can imagine,to the heights! He does this even as He speaks to our souls about death and suffering.
Gene Edwards was right when He wrote in A Tale of Three Kings, "How strange, is it not, what suffering begets?"
The Glory of God accentuates human suffering. Jesus was glorified in His death. God, the Father was glorified in His Son's death, the Hoy Spirit was poured out after Jesus made His exodus.
We do all we can to avoid suffering. Jesus calls us to embrace the cross.
2. His Departure
Grk exodus
exit i.e. departure, the close of one's career, one's final fate, departure from life, decease
When Peter wrote about it he was speaking if his own departure:
2 Peter 1:13-19 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Our hearts ought to be so connected to heaven that we are longing to be there.
3. Fulfillment at Jerusalem
They spoke of Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
Fulfillment of the law, Old Testament
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
The sacrifices of Leviticus were about to find their fulfillment.
The Passover Feast was fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Fulfill/accomplish
Outline of Biblical Usage:
to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally
I abound, I am liberally supplied
to render full, i.e. to complete
to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
to consummate: a number
to make complete in every particular, to render perfect
to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)
to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise
of matters of duty: to perform, execute
of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment
Finally, there is a great lesson for Christians in the matter of suffering. Suffering is an essential, inseparable part of the Christian faith. It is one of the basic prerequisites of discipleship. Suffering is the road to glory, not only for our Lord, but for us. It is suffering, then glory, so far as the Scriptures are concerned. The matter of suffering will never be explainable on a purely human level. It is only grasped from the divine perspective. So it was for the three on the mount of transfiguration. So it must be for us.
This tremendous event s seen best in the light of Christ's sufferings.that is the context. He was headed to Jerusalem to die on the cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, "When Jesus calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die.'" Continue to follow Him on that path, on the Calvary Road. It leads to glory, now and eternally.
The Transfiguration of Jesus. This happened right after Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter gave the great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." That was at Caesarea Philippi. A week later on top of Mount Hermon, Peter, James and John witnessed this incredible event.
They were going up this mountain to pray. (v.28) Mountains are great places to pray, beaches, secluded areas, away from noise and interruption.
I think we underestimate the power of prayer at times. This shows when we are surprised when God answers.
The Transfiguration appears to have taken place at night.
It was the prelude to His death, for from this point on He spoke plainly of His coming death. His face was now set toward Jerusalem. His glory was to come through suffering.
Primarily, the transfiguration was for the benefit of the three disciples. For them, it was a divine confirmation of Peter’s great confession. God attested what Peter affirmed. In addition, it was a confirmation of our Lord’s conception of His mission as Messiah. The popular expectation was that Messiah would come clothed in splendor and break the bonds of Rome. Jesus came first and foremost to redeem men from sin by dying on a cross. The literal and material aspects of the kingdom would come, but only after the necessary and preliminary spiritual preparations were complete.
Then, too, the transfiguration of Jesus was a divine commentary on the teaching of Jesus concerning His coming death, The disciples could not put together the seemingly contradictory threads of suffering and glory. The transfiguration let Peter, James ad John see that the glory which was to be our Lord’s (as well as theirs and ours) was to come through suffering (His exodus.).
The Kingdom of God coming in full force.
The Transfiguration was the fulfillment of these words of Jesus:
“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Mark 9.1
Jesus was letting His the inner circle see what was ahead. The outward glory of Jesus Christ was momentarily displayed.
Peter writes:
2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Jesus’ entire appearance was transformed in a brilliant radiance of light. His face shone like the sun and His clothes had an appearance of lightening flashing out of them. For this brief time, Jesus took on an appearance of the King of Glory.
Psalm 24:7-10 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?nThe Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory.
At His Baptism, in the Beginning of His Ministry
Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
On the Mountain
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
During Holy Week
John 12:27-28 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Just before He was arrested
John 17:4-5 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
-Luke 9:30-31 (NIV84)
Moses, the Law
Elijah, the Prophets
Talking with Jesus. I would have loved to be in on that conversation! One day we will! Glory- having things lie that revealed to us!
They spoke about His sufferings.
Moses and Elijah represented the Old Covenant.
Matthew Henry comments, “The shining face of Moses was so weak, that it could easily be concealed by a thin veil; but such was the glory of Christ’s body, that his clothes were enlightened by it.”
1. The Mountain
Mount Hermon
the sacred mountain. To rise. Jesus brings us up.
Perhaps today you need to be lifted up. Jesus can do it.
He took Peter, James and John up on a high mountain to pray.
Prayer lifts us up to heaven.
Psalm 28:2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;he causes me to stand on the heights.
Psalm 42:6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
David loved the place near Caserea Philippi, down from Mount Hermon, where the Jordan River formed from the melting snow on Mount Hermon.
He wrote in the next verse, Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
I have stood at that spot. It is beautiful. But Jesus takes us up higher than we can imagine,to the heights! He does this even as He speaks to our souls about death and suffering.
Gene Edwards was right when He wrote in A Tale of Three Kings, "How strange, is it not, what suffering begets?"
The Glory of God accentuates human suffering. Jesus was glorified in His death. God, the Father was glorified in His Son's death, the Hoy Spirit was poured out after Jesus made His exodus.
We do all we can to avoid suffering. Jesus calls us to embrace the cross.
2. His Departure
Grk exodus
exit i.e. departure, the close of one's career, one's final fate, departure from life, decease
When Peter wrote about it he was speaking if his own departure:
2 Peter 1:13-19 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Our hearts ought to be so connected to heaven that we are longing to be there.
3. Fulfillment at Jerusalem
They spoke of Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
Fulfillment of the law, Old Testament
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
The sacrifices of Leviticus were about to find their fulfillment.
The Passover Feast was fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Fulfill/accomplish
Outline of Biblical Usage:
to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally
I abound, I am liberally supplied
to render full, i.e. to complete
to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
to consummate: a number
to make complete in every particular, to render perfect
to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)
to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise
of matters of duty: to perform, execute
of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment
Finally, there is a great lesson for Christians in the matter of suffering. Suffering is an essential, inseparable part of the Christian faith. It is one of the basic prerequisites of discipleship. Suffering is the road to glory, not only for our Lord, but for us. It is suffering, then glory, so far as the Scriptures are concerned. The matter of suffering will never be explainable on a purely human level. It is only grasped from the divine perspective. So it was for the three on the mount of transfiguration. So it must be for us.
This tremendous event s seen best in the light of Christ's sufferings.that is the context. He was headed to Jerusalem to die on the cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, "When Jesus calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die.'" Continue to follow Him on that path, on the Calvary Road. It leads to glory, now and eternally.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Christ's Sufferings and Ours
Ephesians 6.23-24
Anytime we see the love of the God the Father mentioned our thoughts ought to go to the cross, to John 3.16. The verses prior to it put it in the proper context.
John 3:14-16 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Cross.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.
How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorr’wing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.
The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.
Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus’ pierced feet,
Joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.
O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
When Christ the Lord from heav’n comes down
And bears my soul away.
We are in the season of thinking about Christ's Sufferings, particularly His death on the cross. Actually we are to think about them regularly, each time we take the LORD's Supper. We ought to thank God daily for His Great Love.
The grace of God and the peace we have with Him should bring thoughts of His sufferings as well.
1. From His Conception to His Death He Was Not Without Suffering.
Temporal Blessings- The Son of Man had no place to lay His head.
Bethlehem in the manger Luke 2.7
Egypt to escape death by Herod at the age of 2.
Nazareth- rejected wanted to kill Him
Luke 4:28-30 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
His own family thought He was out of His mind.
Mark 3:20-21 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Complaints against Him
He blessed and there was ingratitude and arguing
Ten Lepers, Healing on the Sabbath
He performed miracles and there was blasphemy
Mark 3.20-30
He taught and was rebuked
2. Holy Week
Seeing the temple mess. The merchandizing. The robbery.
He was betrayed. He knows what it is like to have people walk out of Your life, turn against You, sell you out.
The Shadow of the cross. Jesus knew what was awaiting Him.
Everything was pointing to the cross.
3. The Garden
Sweating drops of blood
Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke, doctor, physical condition called Hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis) is a very rare condition in which a human sweats blood. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death.
4. His "Trial"
Mockery
Physical abuse
Mental Abuse
Scourging
5. The Cross
Nails
Crucifixion
Desertion
Death
We are called to enter into the sufferings of Christ
Philippians 2.10-12
2 Corinthians 1:5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
1 Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
We are to participate in these sufferings.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.
Crosses we carry:
Ridicule for our faith.
Rejection from those who do not believe.
Criticism for doing good.
Brothers and sisters today around the world suffering for this faith.
All this for you and for me. Oh how He loves us!
Anytime we see the love of the God the Father mentioned our thoughts ought to go to the cross, to John 3.16. The verses prior to it put it in the proper context.
John 3:14-16 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Cross.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.
How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorr’wing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.
The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.
Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus’ pierced feet,
Joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.
O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
When Christ the Lord from heav’n comes down
And bears my soul away.
We are in the season of thinking about Christ's Sufferings, particularly His death on the cross. Actually we are to think about them regularly, each time we take the LORD's Supper. We ought to thank God daily for His Great Love.
The grace of God and the peace we have with Him should bring thoughts of His sufferings as well.
1. From His Conception to His Death He Was Not Without Suffering.
Temporal Blessings- The Son of Man had no place to lay His head.
Bethlehem in the manger Luke 2.7
Egypt to escape death by Herod at the age of 2.
Nazareth- rejected wanted to kill Him
Luke 4:28-30 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
His own family thought He was out of His mind.
Mark 3:20-21 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Complaints against Him
He blessed and there was ingratitude and arguing
Ten Lepers, Healing on the Sabbath
He performed miracles and there was blasphemy
Mark 3.20-30
He taught and was rebuked
2. Holy Week
Seeing the temple mess. The merchandizing. The robbery.
He was betrayed. He knows what it is like to have people walk out of Your life, turn against You, sell you out.
The Shadow of the cross. Jesus knew what was awaiting Him.
Everything was pointing to the cross.
3. The Garden
Sweating drops of blood
Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke, doctor, physical condition called Hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis) is a very rare condition in which a human sweats blood. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death.
4. His "Trial"
Mockery
Physical abuse
Mental Abuse
Scourging
5. The Cross
Nails
Crucifixion
Desertion
Death
We are called to enter into the sufferings of Christ
Philippians 2.10-12
2 Corinthians 1:5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
1 Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
We are to participate in these sufferings.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.
Crosses we carry:
Ridicule for our faith.
Rejection from those who do not believe.
Criticism for doing good.
Brothers and sisters today around the world suffering for this faith.
All this for you and for me. Oh how He loves us!
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