WHY THE CROSS?

 

Saturday, March 8, 2025

 

WHY THE CROSS?

 

Gal 3:13

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

 

As Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter rapidly approach the question of the cross once again needs to be asked. Why the cross? The common method of execution used by the Jews was stoning, yet throughout the Old Testament the Jews hanged dead enemies from trees or pieces of wood, not by their neck but by their hands, as a means of dishonoring them. Joshua did this with several kings he had defeated and then placed their bodies in a cave and covered the opening of the cave with stones!

 

Regarding Jesus and the cross, one commentary lists the following. “The Jews, in contempt, call Him 'the hanged one' [tolwiy], and Christians, 'worshippers of the hanged one;' and make it their great objection that He died the accursed death (Trypho, in Justin Martyr, p. 249; 1 Peter 2:24).

(From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary.)

 

Pastor Paul Gabriel gives these thoughts on Jesus and the cross of wood.

 

1. The Lord deemed that those who died on a "tree" would be cursed.
2. The cross fulfills the physical acts of swiping blood on the doorposts and top piece of a doorway at the Passover.
3. The cross fulfills the physical act of holding up Moses' hands while Israel fought their enemies.
4. The cross fulfills the symbolic act of making a brazen serpent on a pole.
5. Crucifixion allowed for a slower, more painful, and more bloody death than any other, demonstrating what God thinks of sin.
6. The atonement on a "tree" made up for the sin that came from the original tree in Eden.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for taking my curse and replacing it with your blessing, for taking my sin and replacing it with your righteousness, and for taking my sentence of death and replacing it with eternal life! AMEN

 

MAKING IT PERSONAL!

 

Friday, March 7, 2025

 

MAKING IT PERSONAL!

 

Gen 22:6

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

 

Matt 27:32

32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

 

Mark 15:21

21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

 

 

Isaac was a type of Christ; he carried the wood on which he was to be sacrificed. This type was fulfilled when our Lord was led forth carrying His cross.

 

Cyrene was a city of Libya, in Africa, lying west of Egypt. There were many Jews there, and they were in the habit, like others, of going frequently to Jerusalem. We might gather that Simon could have been a black man and that speaks to the issue of race. Little else is known about him, except that he had two sons named Alexander and Rufus, and we might even conclude that he was a pagan and not a Jew. If he was a pagan then that speaks to the issue of world-wide missions, the thought that the cross would one day be laid on the backs of the nations. But his name was Simon and that makes carrying the cross very personal.

 

We are forever inviting people to make Jesus their “personal” Savior and yet the word “personal” is found nowhere in the Bible. The concept is certainly present, however. If I say that “God so loved the world” as we see in John 3:16 then I can easily discount the personal nature of it. But if, with the Apostle Paul, I say that “Jesus died to save sinners of whom I am chief” then I cannot avoid the personal implication of salvation.

 

Indeed, the difference between Jesus preaching to the thousands and sitting on the lip of a well talking to a single woman is glaring. As far as we can tell by the stories the multitudes were not greatly changed but the woman at the well was never the same. Indeed, the whole of Samaria was never the same. It was personal.

 

The personal nature of close contact with Jesus challenges and changes all our other relationships. One of Simon’s sons was perhaps well known to the believers in Rome.

 

Rom 16:13

13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

 

Dear Lord, carrying your cross removes me from being a spectator to a player. I feel the weight of it, I smell the scent of it and the drops of blood fall upon me. It is personal – and I am glad. AMEN

 

SERVING SIN

 

Thursday, March 6, 2025

 

SERVING SIN

 

John 8:34

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

 

Well, that sounds simple enough. It even sounds benign, soft, and not a problem. Our blinded minds tell us even after reading this that it won’t be too bad after all considering the delicate pleasures of certain of our very favorite sins. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that there are pleasures in sin … for a season. It does not last. Beauty turns quickly to fierce ugliness and pleasantries are turned to harshness. Sins allurements become dangerous demands.

 

You can see the torment in the faces of those who have been entangled in sin. The eyes cry out for help but when help is offered the rescue is rebuffed because sin tightens its grip. Release from that grip can’t take place without someone suffering some pain. Jesus took that pain for me but there is still some pain I must bear in tearing myself from the clutches of sin’s enslavement. I can’t sit nibbling on sin’s delicacies and expecting Jesus to rescue me without my personal cooperation. Personal experience has confirmed this over and over.

 

Even the born-again believer continues to suffer the entanglements of sin. Paul describes the condition painfully in Romans chapter 7.

 

 Rom 7:24-25

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

Dear Lord, today I am ready to be rescued. I will not resist your efforts to help me. I acknowledge that sin has pleasures and torments. Please come and make me yours alone. AMEN

 

FASHIONED BY HIS HAND!

 

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

 

FASHIONED BY HIS HAND!

 

Jer 18:3-6

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?

 

It is amazing what medical doctors are capable of doing these days. Those invisible bugs that invade us and make us sick can be eliminated by a handful of pills or a spoonful of tonic. Cardiologists can replace heart parts as simply as a mechanic changes oil and filter in your car. Plastic surgeons can do amazing things with features damaged by accidents or disease. But, as amazing as these things are, none compares to the handiwork of the Great Physician who crafts our soul.

 

God, the potter, can repair the “marred” vessel of humanity. He can emotionally. He has the heart for it. He is great enough in love to forgive the past and bless the future. He can legally. The sacrifice of Christ enables Him to do so in a way consistent with the justice of His character, the honor of His government, and the stability of His throne. He can easily. He has all the moral instrumentality necessary to reform the soul.

 

But man is morally free to make his own choices and to suffer the consequences of those choices. Man is responsible for his conduct. The social history of the world, the universal consciousness of man, and the concurrent teachings of the Bible all show this. Man is responsible for his destiny. Character is constantly being formed: it will emerge either marred or perfect, depending on whether you submit to the Divine will, or resist the influences He brings to bear upon you.

 

Dear Lord, help me to patiently wait for my formation in your hands. AMEN

 

DISCIPLESHIP JESUS STYLE!

 

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

 

DISCIPLESHIP JESUS STYLE!

 

Luke 14:26-27

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

 

          Discipleship has evolved into a twelve week or a twelve-step program. When the class is finished the “disciple” receives a certificate, suitable for framing, declaring himself to be a true disciple. That’s not how Jesus did things.

 

          Jesus called His disciples simply but seriously. It meant something to follow Christ. It meant leaving employment for the fishing disciples and for Matthew it meant leaving his job as well. It required one to be always engaged. The following portion is Jesus’ discipleship plan.

 

Matt 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

          Jesus invited his followers to be with him and to observe him and to copy him. Discipleship is not like a microwave meal but more like a seed planted. It grows gradually and bears fruit slowly. The only certificate of recognition was scars, stripes and martyrdom.

 

          If numbers impress you, Jesus had a shrinking following. Five thousand gathered for bread and fish. There were 120 in the upper room, but only eleven of the twelve were faithful. Judas had a “certificate” and held an important office but proved himself to not be a true disciple.

 

“In the matter of saving lost souls, Jesus wants His house to be filled (Luke 14:23); but in the matter of personal discipleship, He wants only those who are willing to pay the price.” Warren Wiersbe

         

Dear Lord, help me to understand and to comply with the rules of discipleship. Help me to understand the cost involved. Help me to bear fruit in due season. AMEN

 

IF I BE LIFTED UP!

 

Monday, March 3, 2025

 

IF I BE LIFTED UP!

 

John 3:14-15

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 

John 12:32-34

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

 

          In the same chapter that depicts the Triumphal Entry, we find Jesus trying to explain that he should soon die. In verse 24 He explains that His life is like a seed that brings forth fruit only when it is planted in death. Unless he dies, he abides alone.

 

          In verse 25 Jesus repeats a favorite axiom that the man who loves his life dearly and carefully will ultimately lose it anyway because death overtakes all. However, if a man invests, spends and uses up his life in a worthy pursuit, he will keep it forever. This is hard to understand until you apply it to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

          The people were confused regarding Messiah and this confusion was expressed in verse 34. Adam Clarke, in his commentary, clears it up for us. “There was no part of the law nor of the Scripture that said the Messiah should not die; but there are several passages that say as expressly as they can that Christ must die, and die for the sin of the world too. See especially Isa 53:1, etc.; Dan 9:24,27. But as there were several passages that spoke of the perpetuity of his reign, as Isa 9:7; Ezek 37:25; Dan 7:14, they probably confounded the one with the other, and thus drew the conclusion, The Messiah cannot die; for the Scripture hath said, his throne, kingdom, and reign shall be eternal.” (from Adam Clarke's Commentary). Once again, their confusion was centered in the resurrection.

 

          The question, “who is this Son of man” in verse 34, demonstrates their lack of understanding because they had forgotten about the Son of man in Daniel 7:13 who would “come with the clouds of heaven.” This was Messiah!

 

          Jesus clearly, I think, defined not only the person but the purpose for the Son of man being lifted up. He uses Moses’ serpent in the wilderness as an example. The people had sinned, and God had sent fiery snakes to bite them. Many died! Then God told Moses to make a brass snake an put it on a staff and then lift it up. Whenever a bitten man or woman looked upon this they were healed. Jesus would be lifted up on a cross and whenever any sinner looked upon that scene in faith they too would be healed of their sin.

 

          When Jesus said, in verse 32, that he would “draw all men,” He meant that he would provide the means whereby man may follow Him to heaven. In fact, the Greek word for draw, helkuo, literally means “to drag!” So, we are able to ride upon the coat tails of Jesus all the way to heaven. This eliminates any effort on my part along with any boasting. My entrance into heaven is based upon the broken body of the Savior entwined upon the tree. God the Father saw the sacrifice and concluded that it was enough. It was enough for me, and it was enough for you too.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for being willing to be lifted up for me! AMEN

 

WHAT WILL TODAY BRING?

 

Sunday, March 2, 2025

 

WHAT WILL TODAY BRING?

 

Prov 27:1

27 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

 

          With questionable wisdom, the powers that be have decided that next week we should arbitrarily change our time by setting our clocks one hour ahead in order to take advantage of more daylight. The sun looks on bemused!

 

          That being said, I look forward to longer and brighter days. I am an early riser and am accustomed to dark mornings with strong coffee and silence, but the evenings will shine brighter until almost bedtime. For those who love the outdoors it is a great time of year.

 

          I struggle a bit with being recently retired. While I retired because I was tired, I am somewhat uneasy being at ease. I need to understand the words of Eckhart Tolle who said: “Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry—all forms of fear—are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” 

 

          I have never outgrown impatience, but Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that I should develop the ability to patiently wait. He said: “The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait, and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come. They lose the moment when the answers are revealed in dazzling clarity.”

 

Matt 6:34

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 

Dear Lord, let me not set my emotional clock ahead and miss an important hour. AMEN

 

COINCIDENCE OR PROVIDENCE

 

Saturday, March 1, 2025

 

COINCIDENCE OR PROVIDENCE

 

Matt 10:29-31

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

 

What is sometimes called fate is actually God’s providence. Someone has said “fate is blind, but providence has eyes.” For the child of God there are no accidents, only incidents. Providence is not a Biblical term. You will only find it once in the New Testament. It is used by the orator Tertullus in Acts 24:1 & 2, not of God but of the high priest Ananias.

 

George H. Morrison says: “What then is the literal meaning of the word providence? It is the Latin word for foresight. Yet it always includes a little more than foresight. It includes the conception of forethought as well. And so, the providence of God is just God's wisdom, shaping and guiding and ordering all things, acting today in full view of tomorrow, and conducting everything to wise and holy ends.”

 

So, what are we to think about God’s providence? It is simply this. God loves me and has redeemed me by His grace, and he will order the events of my life, both good and bad for His glory and my greater good. If a mother takes her toddler to the doctor for immunization shots, she is willing to allow her child a moment of pain for a future of health. In the same way God often chooses to allow momentary pain in our lives for some future good.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for ordering my steps today. AMEN