MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS

 

EASTER Sunday, March 31, 2024

 

MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS

 

Acts 1:1-3

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

 

1 Cor 15:3-8

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

 

          Witnesses to the resurrection were numerous and credible, although time has taken them away. We are left with written accounts of Christ being alive three days after his death.

 

          Yesterday I watched an old black and white episode of “I’ve got a secret,” hosted by Gary Moore in 1953. It was out of focus and grainy. One contestant was the last witness to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Samuel J Seymore was only five years old when he was taken by his “nurse” to Ford’s Theater. Not understanding the seriousness of the situation, the 96-year-old Seymore confessed to having more concern for John Boothe who “fell from the balcony.” Mr. Seymore was given the full $80 prize money for his appearance on the show.

Did this really happen? No one is still alive to verify it. The only proof we have is a grainy YouTube video.

 

          We must decide whether the written accounts of the resurrection are true, and that decision is essential.

 

Matt 28:7-8

7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

 

Dear Lord, we believe that You have risen and that You will come again. AMEN

 

MAKE IT AS SURE AS YOU CAN!

 

Easter Saturday, March 30, 2024

 

MAKE IT AS SURE AS YOU CAN!

 

Matt 27:62-65

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

 

          How would one go about making sure a body stayed in the grave? Joseph of Arimathea had requested the body of Jesus so that it could receive a decent burial and, in so doing, marked himself as a sympathizer.  If Jesus were not “grave-yard-dead,” he would have had ample opportunity to revive Jesus and steal him away. Perhaps he might even wrap another body – or some object that looked like a body to place in his own tomb. However, the wounds in Jesus’ body were mortal wounds; particularly the spear thrust which pierced the pericardium producing blood and water. No, Jesus was dead.

 

          The tomb was made of solid rock! There were no secret doors by which Jesus might make a Houdini escape. A huge wheel-like stone was rolled in its grooved track across the tomb opening. Rolling the stone to the open position meant pushing it up the incline and then scotching with a wedge it to keep it open. This could not be done from inside and certainly not by someone who was mortally wounded and dehydrated. The only way into this tomb was death and the only way out was life!

 

          The Pharisees – ever sticklers for detail – remembered that Jesus predicted his own resurrection. Pilate ordered it sealed and guarded by a detachment of soldiers. Jesus’ followers would have to engage in combat in order to steal the body. No, the body of Jesus would remain in the grave for three days and three nights.

 

          Only God could open this tomb! There was no way out from within and no way in from without! At the opening of the tomb bored soldiers warmed their hands by a small fire and told stories both true and fabled. This was the easiest assignment any soldier could have.

 

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

 

Dear Lord, now I know that there is no situation, no matter how impossible, that you can’t overcome. Overcome for me today. AMEN

 

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY?

 

GOOD Friday, March 29, 2024

 

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY?

 

Mark 15:15-25

15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

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.

22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

25 And it was the third hour,[mid-day] and they crucified him.

 

          Today is the Friday before Easter. It is referred to as Good Friday and black is its liturgical color. No bells are sounded in the bell towers and no organ is played on this day. Fourteen crosses or stations of the cross are set up in the church which trace Christ’s walk along the Via Dolorosa or the Way of Suffering. Three times Jesus falls to the ground along this way. According to Catholic tradition, a woman named Veronica stops to wipe the blood and grime from Jesus’ face. She is nowhere so named in the Bible. An unnamed or “certain” woman is described in Luke 11:27.

 

          There is some controversy regarding this day being the day upon which Jesus was crucified because it is difficult to squeeze three days and also three nights into the time between Friday afternoon, according to John’s sixth hour, and dawn on Sunday. Some scholars say that each partial day represents a full day, but it seems to be an attempt to put a square peg into a round hole. We are left to our own preferences for either a precise interpretation or a more liberal view.

 

          After all that has been said, the question remains as to what is good about Good Friday. Well, if Jesus had not suffered and died there would be no punishment for sin. He carried the full weight of sin for every man and then extended salvation by grace through faith. Those who claim to win heaven by their own moral behavior mock and shame the sacrifice of Jesus by doing so. Even the wicked Caiaphas understood that Jesus was to be a sacrifice although he applied his logic to the political situation.

 

John 11:49-50

49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

 

          Today is a day to reflect upon the suffering of the Savior. Whether it be the traditional stations of the cross or simply a review of the biblical account, let us remember what it cost to redeem us. Let this humble us and make us grateful. Let this motivate us to deeper devotion. This is what is good about Good Friday.

 

Dear Lord, we would complain with Peter that you should not suffer such a death, but we would be as wrong as he. Thank you for taking each blow meant for me. AMEN

JESUS IN THE HOUSE!

 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

 

JESUS IN THE HOUSE!

 

John 12:1-3

12 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

 

          Jesus often resorted to Bethany where He enjoyed the hospitality of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. As I read this story, I imagine Martha as the elder of the three. She was certainly the house boss, and her gift was serving.

 

          I think all three hosts acted in a manner befitting their gifts, personalities, and circumstance. Martha served! She was a fastidious manager of the home and such a guest as Jesus required that she do her very best. Mary was, I think, wispy and emotional. Her natural inclination would be to simply enjoy and provide companionship. Lazarus, the man of the house, had been sick. In fact, Lazarus had been dead – four days dead. Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. There is no record of anything Lazarus said.

 

          Many will host family and friends this weekend. There is a ham in the fridge which will become the centerpiece of the noon meal. Children will want to bake – egg shaped cookies. Some will surely color eggs and then hide and find them. Guests will be welcomed into a house cleaned and prefect, but it won’t be long before the house will look “lived in.” It will be like Christmas without the tree.

 

          Whether we serve, sit, or spend lavishly, when Jesus is in the house it is a special time. He stands at the door knocking, this morning. Let him in!

 

Dear Lord, come on in and make yourself at home. Let me sit at your feet and worship. AMEN

BEHOLD THE MAN!

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

 

BEHOLD THE MAN!

 

John 19:1-5

19 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

 

          What do you see when you see it? As strange as that question might be it begs to be answered. Pilate could hardly understand why the Jewish leaders were so insistent on killing Jesus. He said: “Why? What evil hath he done?” Truth be told, Pilate didn’t understand much about the Jews or their land. It was a dry and inhospitable place full of strange people.

 

          Behold the Man! See what I have done? I am more powerful than your king. I have proven him to be weak and ineffective. I have made him and you to be a joke. I have given him a crown of pain and a robe of mockery. I have bound his hands that he can’t act. I have humbled him. I have done what I was sent here to do; to quell riots and to keep peace with an iron hand.

 

          Behold the Man! See what you have done. Why torture him further? Hasn’t he suffered enough? He is at the point of death. Send him on his way. He will not trouble you anymore. Why demand his life? Have you no sympathy or natural pity?

 

          Behold the Man! Does he not reveal something evil in all of us? Is he not a mirror reflecting our violence and our hatred? Is this why he must be killed? He must be taken away because we can’t run away. He condemns us just by standing here.

 

          Behold the Man! Ye who look for a savior look to Jesus. He suffers all this for you. He was slapped in the face before Annas the priest, spat upon and beaten before Caiaphas, scourged before Pilate, and mocked by the soldiers.

 

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

 

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

 

Dear Jesus! It is hard to look upon your suffering. My heart melts inside me when I think that each blow has come from my sinful hand. Thank you, Lord, for the cleansing blood. AMEN

 

PLEASE DON’T GO!

 

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

 

PLEASE DON’T GO!

 

Matt 16:21-23

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

 

          It is not easy for us to grasp the oppression that was practiced upon the people by the religious elite of that day. They walked about in royal robes and added tax upon tax while working hand in hand with the oppressive Romans. Rightly did Jesus advise his followers to listen to their teaching but to shun their behavior.

 

          The scriptures at hand indicate either an end of the beginning or the beginning of the end. Jesus began and kept on teaching his disciples that immediately ahead was trouble. The very people who represented God to the people would perpetrate unthinkable cruelty upon the Son of God. Jesus would be killed and that is all that Peter could grasp. We wonder if he even heard the last part of the message – “and be raised again the third day.”

 

          What a burning rebuke it was to hear Jesus call Peter “Satan!” I am sure that Peter’s only motivation was the preservation of his Master but his resistance to God’s clear plan was devilish. Confusion and wonder filled Peter’s mind. He was not thinking spiritually but naturally.

 

          If we stand before our tilled garden with seeds in our hand, we are faced with a decision and a choice. If we look at the seeds with a desire to keep them, we will have no harvest. We must sacrifice them to the ground so that death might produce life.

 

          Thomas Jefferson, a great man, nevertheless could not accept the miraculous elements in Scripture. He edited his own special version of the Bible in which all references to the supernatural were deleted. Jefferson, in editing the Gospels, confined himself solely to the moral teachings of Jesus. The closing words of Jefferson's Bible are these: "There laid they Jesus and rolled a great stone at the mouth of the sepulchre and departed." Thank God that is not the way the story really ends! --James S. Hewett

 

Dear Lord, Peter begged you not to go. I beg you now to return. AMEN

 

PASSOVER DRAWS NEAR

 

Monday, March 25, 2024

 

PASSOVER DRAWS NEAR

 

Luke 22:1-7

22 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.

 

          The Passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. A nation was born in a day and Egypt was spoiled of all their goods. Every year Jewish males were required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It would have been an opportune time for a revolt.

 

          The Romans were always nervous during these feasts, especially Passover, as the comparison of Romans and Egyptians was so very clear. Both were harsh and enslaving. The Romans were always wary of some would-be Messiah bent on overthrowing Roman rule. It was also why King Herod and Pontius Pilate were in Jerusalem. They were there to help keep the peace.

 

          Jesus, during questioning, explained that his kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36). Pilate need not fear a violent revolt spawned by His followers. Those who needed to fear were the religious elite.

 

          One of the liturgical aspects of Passover was the removal of all leaven from Jewish homes. It was a reminder that Israel so hastily left Egypt that they had no time to apply yeast to their bread. Leaven had become a symbol of sin, and Jews carefully swept their cupboards clean. Jesus warned His followers to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees which was hypocrisy. Now their hypocrisy would perpetrate an indescribable evil during Israel’s most holy week.

 

          At this time Satan made his move by entering into Judas the thief but Satan miscalculated the result of his actions. Satan’s participation in the death of Jesus was actually his undoing for in dying Jesus conquered both death and Satan himself. In rising again Jesus sealed Satan’s doom.

 

Living – He loved me.

Dying – He saved me.

Buried – He carried my sins far away!

Rising – He justified, freely forever.

One day – He’s coming! Oh, glorious day!

 

Dear Lord, I am amazed that you so calmly prepared for your own sacrifice. You prepared yourself. You prepared your disciples. Every detail was known by you, and you did not shrink from any of the evil. Thank you, Lord, for your great sacrifice. AMEN

SAVE NOW!

 

Sunday, March 24, 2024

 

SAVE NOW!

 

Ps 118:22-27

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This is the Lord 's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the Lord  hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord : O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

 

Matt 21:6-9

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

 

          The word “Hosanna” literally means “oh, save!” As Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the King of Peace, the people cried out for salvation. Some cried out for political change, no doubt, but there must have been some in the crowd who understood that their souls needed saving. Cursed by the fall, they had ruined their lives with poor choices and selfish concerns. They needed to be saved!

 

          Caught up in this impromptu coronation, Jerusalem still did not understand who this man was (see Matthew 21:10). Some acknowledged Him as a Prophet and with that honor they still failed to realize His full authority. So it is with us! No matter how much we honor Him, He is always much more than we perceive Him to be. Today is a day for praising Him, for crowning Him and for telling others about Him.

 

Zech 9:9

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

 

Dear Lord, let me crown you king of my life today. Thank you for bringing salvation! AMEN

 

CONTINUE!

 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

 

CONTINUE!

 

John 8:31-32

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

          Notice that Jesus addressed what we might today call “new converts.” These were not only Jews, but they were also Jews “which believed on him.” Jesus was about to set them on a steadfast path of discipleship. He points out three important things to consider.

 

          He says that continuing in His teaching was the attestation, proof, and confirmation of the reality of their faith. The word “continue” is the Greek word meno which means “abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, and tarry!” Since they had believed they were to stick with it.

 

          Their continuing would give proof, both to themselves and to observers, that they had real faith. The word “indeed” is the Greek word alethos which means “surely, truly, and verily.” So, the concept of continuance is reinforced.

 

          Taking up permanent residence in the truth would result in knowing the truth and that would make them truly free. The word “truth” is the word aletheia which is a variation of the word used for “indeed” and has the same meaning. It means “truly and verily.” Continuing in Christ’s teaching would move one from speculation to confirmation.

 

          Sadly, the word “free” was filtered through the paradigm and pride of their culture and they were instantly offended. They claimed to never have been enslaved but their own history made them liars.

 

          Jesus concludes by telling them that a “change of residence” was necessary. In verse 34 the word “committeth” indicates habitual practice and not occasional failure. So, we read, “Whosoever habitually practices sin is the servant of sin.” The one who claims salvation yet habitually practices sin is both deceived and a deceiver.

 

Dear Lord, I know I cannot produce salvation by my good works, but I know that salvation will produce good works in me. Thank you for your grace. AMEN