Life Through Death

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

LIFE THROUGH DEATH

John 19:25-30

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"  27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."  29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.   30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

NIV

It is interesting John records these three words of Jesus and omits the words recorded by other gospel accounts, such as the time Jesus says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. Perhaps John thought they others covered that sufficiently and his interest, as always, was to show the divinity of Jesus. Yet those words of Jesus were still a teaching moment for the people around the cross, which Jesus was always teaching a truth. He was quoting Psalm 22 and the whole of that psalm is about him, and his lordship, but also about everything which is happening at this very moment. The Psalm speaks about people hurling insults and men casting lots for his clothes. About dogs surrounding him, who would be the Pharisees, everything in that Psalm is about Jesus and he knew people would know that Psalm. When Jesus said those words, it was never about him feeling the Father had forsaken him, he and the Father are one, which many time Jesus had said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me, I and the Father are one” In addition we have been told that he would never forsake us, nor leave us, that he would be with us until the end. If God had turned his back on Jesus because he had all the sin of the world on him, then whenever we commit a sin, then does God turn his back on us too? That is absurd. So then God never forsook Jesus either. It was not about Jesus feeling forsaken, it was about Jesus teaching he was divine. Now about his carrying for his mother, he was not disrespectful, calling her woman, in fact, he was being very thoughtful, as Jesus always is. Had he called her mother, he would have caused her even more pain, seeing her son on the cross. This son she bore without ever being with a man. This son she knew was the Son of God. The term woman or man in that culture was the same as we would say, madam or sir. It is also interesting he entrusted her care to John. He is the only disciple who died a natural death. From this exchange, we have to believe Joseph was already dead and his mother needed to be looked after and John would be the only disciple who would live until she would die. As far as his saying, “I am thirsty”, it surely could have been because of the suffering he has undergone, the heat of the day, the fact he was hanging on a cross, but more importantly he was again proving he was the Messiah. He was quoting from Ps 69:21 21 “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst”. Jesus was always about caring for people and telling them he was the way, the truth, and the life. He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. After he has accomplished all that he needed to do in accordance with the will his Father, he says, “It is finished” and he gave up his spirit. No man took his life, he gave his life up so that we can have life. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends”. This was exactly what Jesus was doing, laying down his life for his friends, us. What was meant for evil, was for the good of all mankind, Just as Joseph had told his brothers back in Egypt, he was a type of Jesus, ensuring the life of his people. Jesus ensured our life by his death.

Take Up Your Cross

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

John 19:16-24

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others — one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

NIV

The Romans soldiers thought they took charge of Jesus, but that is not really true, as this was all being directed by God in accordance with his plan. It appeared like they had charge of him so that he would be the perfect Lamb of God who was slain for the world. Jesus could not do this on his own, as divine as he is, for it had to be done as it was in order for scripture, his very words, to be accomplished. It is interesting the duel places in Jerusalem which have been said are the place of the skull. The Catholic Church has built a great cathedral over the place they believe is Golgotha and the Protestant church has their place they believe is the place of the skull and the garden tomb. Scholars have debated for centuries as to which is more correct, but the point is there was and is a place where Jesus carried his cross to and there he was crucified. The sign, the soldiers casting lots for his robe, all fulfilled what was written about Jesus before he came to earth. Yet what speaks to us about this account is what Jesus did, carrying his cross. The Gospel of Matthew records the time Jesus asked his disciples who they say he is. They were in Caesarea Philippi and as we have learned there was a temple to Caesar, a man who wanted to be a god, and a temple to pan, a god who wanted to be a man. It is here Jesus asks who people say he is, then after the disciples tell him, he asks who do they say he is, and Peter makes that great revelation, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” But within minutes Peter messed up, and Jesus says, “Satan get behind me”. Then the statement which is relevant to him carrying his cross.

Matt 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

NIV

What does it mean for us to take up our cross and follow Jesus? Where did he go with his cross? He went to do the will of the Father. As a man, he died and was buried. But also as a man, he was resurrected in a glorified body which later ascended into heaven. So then we must put our self on that cross and die as a man. Perhaps that is in a metaphorical sense. We do not actually hang ourselves on a cross and die. But we lose our life and gain eternal life. We are to put self to death and thus live to do the will of the Father, and in doing so, we are resurrected in one sense a new creature in Christ, and in another sense, when our body does actually die, we will be resurrected with a glorified body and ascend into heaven. So we take up our cross and follow Jesus.

The Judge's Seat

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE JUDGE'S SEAT

John 19:12-16

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

NIV

There are several very interesting comments here in this portion of the narrative. Pilate was trying his best to set Jesus free, he had no reason to execute Jesus, but the Jews, which is meant the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. We might even suspect it included other members of the Sanhedrin and even some who were serving as priests. They knew the tenuous position a Roman Governor held and that if he could not keep the peace over the region he was in charge of Caesar would replace him, maybe even have him demoted or worse. Pilate also knew he had to keep the peace if he wanted to keep his position. The Jews made it very clear to Pilate that if he did not execute Jesus he was no friend of Caesars. Pilate then sits on the judgment seat and passes judgment upon Jesus. Is that not ironic? Man judging God. Little did Pilate know, one day he was going to be standing before the judgment seat of Christ, and be judged for his deed of refusing to do that which was right, accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Yet, Pilate was also just a bit playing in the plan of God for the salvation of the whole world. Some might say this is divine control over a man who is doomed to destruction, yet we also have to remember Jesus came to earth at a specific time in the plan of God, who foreknew Rome was an occupying force in Israel and the personality of Pilate and the temperament of Judas, and the Pharisees. It is not that God controlled their minds, but that God foreknew who they were and how they were and what they would do about Jesus. That simply means God’s timing was and still is perfect. He is not a God of reaction, but rather a God of action, he initiates how and when things are and will be. The other interesting comment made by the Jews is when that said they have no king but Caesar. Did they not consider the Lord God Almighty as their King of kings? Were they so quick to deny God as their King to accomplish their own personal agenda? We wonder if we have done the same thing at times, denying God as our King in order to do what we want to do when we want to do it. Are we really going to say that our plans for our lives are more important than God’s plan for us? Do we use the phrase, “I have decided to go here or there” or “I have decided to do this”? This “I have decided” should only be used in conjunction with “To follow Jesus”. After that, we should be seeking what the Lord wants us to do and where he wants us to be. When we consider Jesus as our example, he was always about doing the will of the Father, even onto death. If we want to use a man as an example we have many within the scriptures we could use who did things which God called them to do and went where God called them to go. Look at Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, David, to name a few and then there is Paul, Matthew, Peter, James, and John, Mark and Luke and others. Sure, they were not perfect men, but they were about doing the will of God.  We think it wise to always be in a position of knowing Jesus our Lord and our King and he will be upon the Judge's seat. 

All the Power

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

ALL THE POWER

John 19:1-11

19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. 4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" 6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." 7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." 

NIV

This scene is almost unbearable to think about, how anyone could conceive of making a film to portray this event is unbelievable, yet that has been done. Why would anyone what to see how this was, how Jesus was flogged, beaten, mocked, what we might even call tortured? Many people today are absolutely opposed to the torture of enemy combatants to obtain information, yet they will use the Lord’s name in vain. The cruelty of the Roman soldiers demonstrates the evil that lurks within the heart of man, especially when they believe they have the power to do this evil without consequences. We also see that once again Pilate tries to release Jesus, to wash his hands of this affair thinking this harsh treatment of Jesus, would satisfy the Jews. Pilate wanted to keep the peace, which was his job, to keep control of the Jews, to stop any rebellion against the Roman authority in Rome. The Jews were not content with Jesus just being tortured, his flesh torn from his back, his face bruised beyond recognition, they wanted him dead. So Pilate tries once more to get Jesus to give him some reason to let him go, telling Jesus that he had the power over whether to free him or crucify him. Jesus makes it clear, the only power Pilate has is what the Father has given him.  Is it only in this instance that the sovereignty of God is demonstrated? We know this is how it had to be, Jesus had to go to the cross, it was the plan for our salvation, so Pilate was just a bit player in the main event, not having any reason to be in the moment, other to do the will of God. Is all of life like that? Could we be just bit players in a much larger plan of God other than just our own life, our own salvation? We would have to say our life is much bigger than just being all about ourselves. Of course, we do see how many people, such as all who serve and have served in the military may be asked to give up their lives for others. Man does do good deeds for others, our lives are not just about ourselves. Is this the divine act of God in those lives? Does he orchestrate our daily lives, or have given us freedom, does he allow us to play out our lives as we direct them, or since we became believers, submitting our freedom to him, does he direct our daily affairs for his greater good? Does he give us a certain amount of power over our situation, as he gave Pilate the power over Jesus? This type of question may be debated forever and we may never really understand until we reach heaven. But we know one thing for certain, we are willing to go or do wherever or whatever the Spirit inspires us to go and do. Still, we know God has all the power.

I Tell You the Truth

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

I TELL YOU THE TRUTH

John 18:38-40

38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" 40 They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

NIV

Jesus had just said that everyone on the side of truth listens to him and Pilate makes this astonishing response, “What is truth?” This could be seen in two different ways. First, truth is the age-old question man has been in search of, or second, truth is the last thing anyone wants to know. It also might be seen as everyone has their own truth and thus there is no absolute truth. We can certainly see each of those views expressed in the world. Those who believe in Jesus also believe he is the absolute truth. He has even said so when he said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life”. Jesus also started off many teachings with, “I tell you the truth”. But there are many who do not acknowledge that Jesus is the truth, they have either suppressed the idea of Jesus being the truth so as to not having to acknowledge their deeds as evil, or they simply do not know the truth and are actually in pursuit of finding truth, in whatever form that is for them. We wonder what kind of response we would receive if whenever we said anything we started off with, “I tell you the truth”? Then again there can be another view that most people do not tell the truth, in fact, they always lie, as does the father of lies, Satan. So then how would we be seen if we did always said, “I tell you the truth”? If we do say that, we better quote the word of God, for anything else uttered from our lips may not be absolute truth. There are a whole lot of opinions, but only one truth. Well, after Pilate makes this amazing comment, he goes back out to the Jews and tells them he finds no basis for a charge against Jesus. Pilate tries to get rid of this problem by offering the Jews a chance to have Jesus released, but that is the last thing the Jews wanted, at least the Pharisees, the teachers of the law and the high priest wanted, they want Jesus executed, they what to quash this rebellion of his, this so-called truth, of his. We can still see that prevalent in our world today. Those who want any evidence of Christianity removed from the public square, miss-quoting or miss-using the intent of the founders regarding the separation of church and state. What the founders and thus our constitution states is that the state cannot demand any one region be practiced by the people. Which means the freedom to practice any religion. They want their beliefs to be displayed in the public square, but not the belief of Christianity. Again, what is truth? Man has been trying to make up his own truth in an effort to discredit the truth of Jesus, the truth of the word of God. But we will continue to live by this truth of God, we will not go silently into the night, we will speak up and we will speak the truth. We will tell you the truth.

On the Side of Truth

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH

John 18:28-37

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" 30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." 31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. 32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. 33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"  35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" 36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."  37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 

NIV

Having been handed over to Pilate, we have this conversation between Jesus and Pilate. It is interesting the conversation which first takes place outside the palace with Pilate and the Jews. Here they let him know they want Jesus executed, they want this man killed, but they would not go into the palace so they would not defile themselves so they could eat the Passover meal. Having someone executed did not make them unclean, but going in the palace of the Roman governor would. We wonder if we have set up some special set of rules and regulations that as long as we follow those we are all right and we can do other things which would not agree with scripture. For example, some would say smoking or drinking wine is against scripture, which it is not, but they manage to store up wealth for themselves appearing to love money, or they carry a grudge, having no forgiveness in their heart. Some have envy, or jealously or they gossip, but as long as they follow their own set of rules they are alright. It seems strange to us how the Pharisees were so closed-minded to the truth and yet we have to wonder if we are much the same in some respects. Just a thought. This conversation with Jesus that Pilate had is also interesting in the sense Jesus makes it clear to him that he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world. There are two realms that co-exist. The realm of this world and the realm of the kingdom of God. Jesus is showing us it is possible to live within the realm of this world, but be a person, a citizen of the realm of God. Although he was standing there in the physical, he was still in his own kingdom. This is our life as well. We have to live here in the physical, but this is not our home, we are just passing through. So we have a choice as to who we listen to. We can listen to the voice of this world, setting up our rules for life-based on how we think as physical people, or we could listen to the voice of truth and base our life on his voice. So we have to be on the side of truth.

I am not or I am

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

I AM NOT OR I AM

John 18:17

17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.

He replied, "I am not."

NIV

John 18:25-27

25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not." 26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

NIV

Although we are at verses 25-27 we had to go back and grab verse 17 so as to deal with all three of the denials of Peter together. Twice Peter says, “I am not” and the third time we are just told he denied the challenge of the relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. When you hang around Jesus long enough people are bound to recognize you as one of his disciples, but Peter did not want to admit it, at least at this point. Now comes the question as to why he would say, “I am not”. We know later that Peter became a bold preacher, to the point that thousands accepted Jesus. Peter was one of the pillars of the church, so much so, the Catholic Church believes he was their first pope. Yet, here he is denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus had told him he would when he was being brash, saying he would follow Jesus to the end, to the point of laying down his life for Jesus. Of course, we know from other accounts that when the rooster crowed, Peter remembered all he said and what Jesus had said to him about the rooster. He was saddened greatly. This should give us a moment to pause and reflect on our lives. We should not be as bold as to claim how righteous or upright our lives are and that we are great followers of Jesus, doing all that is right and none that is wrong. We should also know that if we hang around Jesus long enough somebody is going to recognize us as one of his disciples. This is especially true, as with Peter, after receiving the Holy Spirit, we are bold preachers of the gospel, standing on our soapbox of sorts, and proclaiming the truth of the Lord. Who knows we might even see people accept Jesus. What we really need to try is to never say, “I am not”. Why would we ever say that? That is unconscionable to think we would deny Jesus in any way at all. But is being silent a form of denial? When we are among a group of non-believers, at least according to our definition of a non-believer, do we sit in silence as they curse or use the Lord’s name in vain? Do we sit in silence as they tell their course stories or jokes? Do they know we are believers? Do they silence their course words when we enter their presence? Do we have an influence on them, or do they influence us? We have the Spirit and just as Peter once he was endowed with power from on high, we have the very same power. Let us recognize we have the potential to be like Peter in his denial and also like Peter in his bold preaching. We can choose to say, “I am not” or say, “I am”.