Tag Archives: john

Because He lives

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Death, it is the cause of nightmares and fills our heart with fear;  it causes men to take the most horrendous actions and make the poorest choices. We do not know all its secrets but we know its reason and its condition. It is the price we must pay for our fall and it is the state of being apart from God. (Genesis 2:17) We are sinners. How can we escape it? How can any debt be escaped? Someone must pay.

The creator in his infinite love and mercy looked down upon us and knowing our hopeless state came to our rescue. He, the Messiah, became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) With supernatural power He changed the lives of multitudes. He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed thousands and caused legions of demons to flee. Nature itself bowed to His will. While all this was done to relieve a suffering humanity, it had an even greater purpose, to help their unbelief. Yet most still did not comprehend that the Messiah would have to die. (Isaiah 53:7-9)

They came with soldiers and thought they had captured Him. But it had always been the plan. He gave himself up to be stripped, beaten and whipped. Then they nailed Him to the cross and completed the sacrifice. With every drop of blood he cleansed our sins and made us new. He would say “It is finished” (John 19:30). The price had been paid. But there was one last enemy to be vanquished.

They placed our Savior in a tomb and sealed it with a stone. They set a guard of several soldiers and thought that was it. (Matthew 27:65) They thought Jesus was defeated. But then came Sunday Morning.

It had been prophesied (Matthew 12.40), it had been told, but no one seemed to be ready. While the disciples cowered in unbelief, the rulers celebrated their victory, and the devil rejoiced in his darkness, an Angel came upon the tomb. He rolled the stone and out came the King of Kings and Lord of lords. (Matthew 28:2) He vanquished death for all time. He shone as the sun, and Instead of the lamb he rose as the mighty Lion of Judah. He had set the captives free, washed away the sin, crushed the devil on his head and freed us from the nightmare of death. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55-56) Because He lives we know He is the Messiah, the promised one. We now know that we will be safe in his arms.

Because He lives we know that we need not fear. Our God lives and we shall forever be with Him!

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Forsaken

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Jesus hung on the cross, fulfilling the will of the father and paying the price we were all supposed to pay for our sins. His suffering to this point had been horrific. What else could He possible endure, only the most painful experience of His eternal existence.

John explained rather clearly that Jesus had always existed. (John 1). Jesus was the eternal word and everything that was ever made was made through Him. He then became flesh, also known as Jesus. What should be realized is that Jesus had always been with the father from the eternal past until the moment He was nailed on the cross. His relationship with the father was one of perfect unity and love. Jesus said on many occasions that the Father and Him were one. (John 10:30, John 17:21). Such a relationship was truly incomprehensible by human standards, a level of oneness and unity that can only be attained by the trinity.

Then all the love, strength and comfort that such a relationship created, for one moment in time, would feel completely lost. Jesus said “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) (Matthew 27:46) Jesus felt alone. He felt abandoned. He was carrying all the sins of Humanity past, present and future. In that moment covered in sin he felt forsaken by the Holy Father. It may have been the worst that He had to endure. We must never forget, He did it for us. He became forsaken so that we would not be forsaken! He did it so that we could be saved, forgiven and be with Him for all eternity.

 

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Tending to others while on the cross

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Jesus was beaten, whipped and nailed to a cross. After all Jesus had been through, you would expect him to hang there in His misery crying in pain or casting judgment. Surely we all have the tendency to focus on our own problems and difficulties. We can be rather indifferent to others when we are in the midst of great tragedy and sickness. In truth even the smallest setback can make us a bit self-centered. Some would call this survival instinct. Perhaps we can call it selfishness. But Jesus with His last breath, and little strength, fighting pain, saw the women that had been with Him since childhood and the most faithful disciple He had. He saw their hearts and knew their needs. He saw a mother losing her son and a disciple losing his friend and companion, and knew how to care for their needs. He drew them together with this statement “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) He knew that one could supply the need of the other.

Jesus still sees our hearts and knows our needs. While hanging on the cross He made the needs of His followers a priority; surely our needs are also His priority. Wait one minute; this was Mary and John! Are we held in the same regard? Actually we are! Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”(Mark 3:35)

Jesus has never be too distracted or busy to tend to our needs. He proved that on the cross. One other note here is that He took care of the needs of two individuals by bringing them together. Often God uses us to satisfy the needs of each other. It is one of the many reasons why we are called to do His will (John 14:23) and tend to those in need (Matthew 31-46). In doing so we do what is best for our lives and all those around us. We also become more like our Savior who was able to tend to the needs of others while in His most difficult time.

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Jesus receives strength

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Jesus, the messiah, God made flesh, showed a whole range of emotions. He was angry when He turned over the tables in the temple and cast out the money changers. He proclaimed that His house would be a house of prayer. He was welcoming and loving to many, especially the children that the disciples tried to keep away. He was merciful to the women found in adultery and the unpopular tax collector Zacchaeus . However it was in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus came face to face with the terror of being a human sacrifice so that the world may be saved. He knew he was going to be killed in the most horrific way. However the scariest event to come might have been the necessary separation He would feel on the cross when the full weight of humanities’ sins would be upon Him. This is when He said,

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46)

Jesus Had never felt apart from the father his entire existence from the very beginning as related both in John and Genesis.

John says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)In the same chapter he also says “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) This is Jesus.

We get another clue of Jesus’ eternal past with the father in Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;” That “us” includes the father and the son.

Jesus Knew he would be forsaken, spat upon, beaten whipped, forced to ware a crown of thorns, and left to die on a cross. (Matthew 26:57-Matthew 27:50) In Gethsemane Luke reveals that even Jesus received the necessary comfort and strength from God to soldier on.

” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:43-44)

Through prayer and the Father’s support Jesus was able to complete the greatest mission ever, the way of Salvation for all Humanity. We too can soldier on under the most horrific circumstances through prayer and God’s support.

It is now up to us to believe and we will reap a great reward, not only strength and support through difficult times, but the greatest gift of all, our Salvation.

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Is the Holy Spirit working in our lives?

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We believe that when we accept Jesus as our Savior the Holy Spirit dwells in us and begins to work in our lives. But how can we be sure this is really happening? One key portion of scripture that deals with this question is found in Galatians 5:16-25. There Paul gives a nice easy to understand summary of what should be evident in our lives and what should not, if we are living a spirit filled life pleasing to God.

One quick look at the “do not list” and many Christians might begin to question their spirituality. Let’s see we have “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies”. (Galatians 5:19-21) Some of these are big ones that most would gasped, if they found a Christian participating in, such as sexual immorality, idolatry, sorcery, orgies, and even drunkenness, but how about some of the others. Take fits of anger for example. Does this mean that if occasionally I get angry I am not a Christian? Paul refers to these elements as “works of the flesh.” The Holy Spirit should not lead us to “fits of Anger.” Yet I am sure every Christian has had a few at least. The same goes for enmity, strife, jealousy, rivalries, dissensions, divisions and envy.

Paul also explained what should be evident if the Holy Spirit is in our lives. We should then bear the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.(Galatians 5:22-23) However once again just about every last self professing Christian I know, including myself, has at times lacked for at least one of these most desirable attributes. Does this mean we do not have the Holy Spirit because we’ve lost our patience at the Wal-Mart checkout line?

The Apostles John and Paul have come to our rescue in explaining this apparent conflict. John first establishes that there is sin in all of us. (1 John 1:7-10) Paul then makes it clear why we still have sin. He reminds us that we are still living in our flesh. He states “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” (Romans 7:18) They both explain that we do not want to live by the flesh, but our desire should be to live by the Holy Spirit or as John explains the light of Jesus. (1 John 1:7, Galatians 5:16) Therefore a Christian should not live a life of sin as he is trying to live by the spirit. However he cannot completely escape his flesh. He is therefore tempted and may at times fail. But when we fail it should be rare and is always followed by sincere repentance. It should never be a game where we tell ourselves without remorse, “let us do this evil today and tomorrow we can repent.” No, we should sincerely engage in a constant struggle to live a life that pleases God. (Ephesians 6:12, Hebrews 12:3-4, Galatians 5:17) Since it is referred to as a struggle in these passages, we know that the temptations are real and the fall is possible; but Jesus knowing this to be a constant possibility taught his disciples to pray on a regular basis asking for forgiveness. The phrase from the “Our Father”, “Forgive our trespasses” reveals that Jesus knew his disciple could fail at times.

We know the Holy Spirit is working in our lives not because we are perfect but because we now have a sincere desire not to sin and our desire is to please God more than pleasing ourselves. The fruit of the Holy Spirit becomes more evident in our lives, but unfortunately we can still fail. John summed it up best with these words, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)

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Feeling unsatisfied?

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Big John was furious as he stormed into Mr. Redington’s office.  He was furious because Mr. Redington had paid Thomas, 600 dollars for one day’s work. Big john shouted “I heard you paid Thomas who has been with the company only 18 months 600 dollars for a day’s work last week. I’ve been with the company 10 years. I come in, sick or not, every day and I’m paid a measly 55 dollars an hour. Now you tell me what’s so special about Mr. Thomas.” Mr. Redington responded calmly, “John When your wife was sick in the hospital how many days where you out?” John was even more furious “How dare you throw that in my face now.  At the time you seemed sincerely sympathetic and told me to take all the time I needed and when I returned I didn’t take a day off for almost 4 years!” Once again Mr. Redington calmly responded, “I am quite aware John and I gave you a promotion. I remember telling you how much I thought of you.” John was not satisfied, “Well what good does that do for me when you can be so unfair!”  Mr. Redington smiled and answered. “John, Thomas worked 10 hours on Saturday, and that’s his day off. His normal pay is 40 dollars an hour. I am required to pay him time and half. That would be 60 dollars an hour for 10 hours. “John was silent. Then John answered, “I apologize.  I’ll be getting back to the floor.” Mr. Redington stopped john with these word “John I am disappointed. I thought you trusted me and would know that I treat each employee with fairness and kindness.”

Jesus once told a parable of a land owner who hired workers at the beginning of the day for a wage and then later in the day hired more workers and paid them the same wage.  The ones hired at first were greatly bothered and complained.  Jesus explained that their reaction was unfair because they had agreed to those wages.  It was the privilege of the land owner to hire more workers if he pleased and he could offer them what he wanted to. It was his land and his money. It appears that the workers hired at first were content with what they had and never thought their wages unfair until they started to compare themselves to others. (Matthew 20:1-16)

Often in life we too are satisfied until we contemplate what others have. We may ask ourselves “Why does he own more land? Why does she make more money? How come he can buy a new car every year?”  We start to think life has been unfair; God has been unfair, because someone has more. Yet we should also consider those that have less. How many times do we compare ourselves to those living in poverty, or even worse those living under persecution in foreign countries. Countless human beings are caught up in human trafficking, prostitution, drug addiction, war stricken countries and other horrific conditions. Life can seem unfair. However most of us still have so much to be grateful for and if it pleases God to give someone else more or less, remember it was His to give from the beginning and trusting in His infinite wisdom we can be sure He has His reasons.

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Jesus is better than Hercules

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I just saw a really fun movie with my kids, “The Legend of Hercules (2014), ” and even though some critics didn’t like it the boys and me thought it was really entertaining. The subject of how Hercules compares to Jesus came up. Zeus is Hercules father and Jesus the son of God, Hercules was procreated with the purpose of saving people(according to this movie) and Jesus came to save the world, both had supernatural power, both could call upon their father and speak to their father, and the kids kept discussing it. Then Samuel my second son said,”but Jesus is better” and everyone simultaneously agreed.

The daddy in me was really proud that his kids came to this conclusion all on their own. This thought, that Jesus is the one and only true “Super” hero, actually passes my mind every time I see a superhero movie and trust me I’ve seen a lot. The boys and I love the genre. It doesn’t matter if it’s the xmen, the guardians, the avengers, or the justice league. We each have our favorite and mine is Superman. The truth is I don’t remember so many superhero movies when I was growing up. It’s as if we have become a culture that desperately seeks a hero or should I say a savior. But we already have one!

My son said it best, “He (Jesus) is the best because He saved the whole world with Love.” Not only is He the best but unlike all the others He is not just another story. He really came and spoke to the storms, raised the dead and battled legions of demons. Most importantly he came with the purpose of saving the world. He came with the purpose of saving you and me! All we have to do is believe in Him, recognize His sacrifice on the cross, repent of our sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior. While we’re at it, we can definitely all agree with my sons, Jesus is better than Hercules!

Verses

John 3:16

16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

More verses on Salvation

More Bibleaid articles on salvation

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Heaven bound!

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He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 

Often we get caught up in life’s struggles. We really have no choice but to address what is happening in our lives and in the world. We must hold ourselves responsible. We are living in this world, citizens of this country and citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Therefore we are responsible for our fellow man. We cannot take Cain’s attitude and say, “Am I my brother’s keeper”? (Genesis 4:9)The answer is yes.

Jesus made us responsible when he commanded us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned.(Matthew 25:31-46) He also holds us responsible when he says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Therefore we are allowed to get “caught up” in the world’s problems and challenges from time to time. However as Christians we have a secret weapon. We have a hope that keeps us from just losing it when the whole world seems to have gone crazy. We know some day we are going home.

We are going where there will be no more tears, no death and no pain. (Revelation 21:4) We will live in a city whose beauty will surpass anything we have ever seen. (Revelation 21:18  ) All the problems of this world will not enter and we will be with God for all eternity. (Revelation 22:1-5)  

Jesus instructs us not to worry for we have a secure place in heaven. A place built for us. (John 14:1-3) Soon enough we will be reunited with him. This is why we are told to build our treasures in heaven “where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” (Matthew 6:19-21) We do this by living our lives submitted to the commandments of Jesus.

There is plenty going on in our lives and in the world to rightfully fill us with grief. We should remain active in the world doing all we can to make it better. However when those moments come that nothing seems to be working it is wise to remember, we will be going to a better place. Soon enough we will be in paradise with our Lord. We will not take this attitude to give up, but only to encourage ourselves to soldier on!

Read Verses-on-heaven

 

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Commandments of Love

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Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

On Sunday morning the Metro North train carrying loved ones, families, children, travelers coming home from celebrating thanksgiving, derailed in the Bronx, near the Hudson River. Four were immediately killed and countless others suffered serious injuries. It’s moments like this that reminds us that life is fragile and easily lost. Loved ones cherished can easily be gone without any warning.

Sad testimonies are often reported. “I didn’t tell him goodbye”, “I was too busy to say I love you,” “We argued that morning and I refused to speak to her.” When you love someone it’s important to show that love and not tuck it away for use whenever it’s convenient.

Jesus taught that love should be at the heart of everything we do and say. He said the entire law can be summed up in two commandments.

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

The commandments were always meant to govern our actions and words, so that we can be better. Jesus simplifies it and says you have to let love guide your actions and words. Too often anger, jealousy, pride and selfishness and insecurities play a greater role in how we live our life, leaving us with terrible regrets.

Love should be expressed in how we interact with the world and society. It is a reason for volunteering, giving to charities and helping whoever might be in need. It should dictate how we respond to people from our most casual conversation to our most formal and professional communication. Courtesy, politeness and just a cheery disposition might just be what the doctor ordered for someone in need at the office on Monday morning.

The love commandments are most certainly for those closest to us. Unfortunately they are often the ones who suffer our wrath the most. We can come home filled with frustration, anger disappointment and depression. We unleash it on our spouses, children and other loved ones. Fights ensue and what should be happy memories of getting home turns into a home front nightmare. We certainly don’t want nightmares to be the last memories we have with those closest to us. It is time to put these actions and words to rest and give our love a chance to reign.

More verses to consider

Ephesians 4:2

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

1 John 3:18

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 4:21

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 3:17

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

John 13:35

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

He was a people pleaser

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Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” John 19:4

Nothing wrong with being a people pleaser, life is so much simpler when everyone is happy.  I am sure Pilate felt exactly the same way.  Pilate was prefect or governor of the Roman provinces of Judea, Samaria and Idumaea. This meant he was the supreme power and might of Rome in these provinces.  His decision was final. He held this position for 10 years.

Jesus was brought to Pilate for one reason and that was to be crucified.  The high priest did not have the power to execute a criminal and needed Pilate to pass sentence. Therefore Pilate had a man he did not arrest in his possession.  Pilate questioned Jesus over and over again and could not find anything wrong with him. Did he do the right thing? Did he let Jesus go? Pilate was too concerned with pleasing the crowd and the high priest.  He decided to check with them first.  The crowd screamed for his crucifixion.  Pilate still tried to please everyone and brought out Barabbas, a known criminal, and informed the crowd that he would release one.  The crowd shouted for the freedom of Barabbas instead of Jesus.  Pilate had two choices. Please the crowd and the High Priest or do the right thing and free Jesus.

Pilate had Jesus, an innocent man, beaten 40 times with a whip designed to rip his skin off, with bits of sharp bones and metal balls, and then crucified him.  Pilate went down as one of the most famous people pleasing politicians in history.  He was literally moved by the crowd in his actions and did not consider the possibility of doing what was right.

In our lives we too must often make decisions based on whether we should please someone or stick to our convictions and do what we know to be right.  Pleasing others sure can make life pleasant in the short run, but living with the guilt of having done something wrong, just to satisfy others, can become a burden too heavy to carry.

Perhaps it is more important to please the one who always has our best interest at heart, and desires for us to do what is right, regardless of the consequences.  This would be God.  Instead of a people pleaser, we can be a God pleaser.