April 23, 2018
JUDAS CHOSE MONEY OVER HIS MASTER
The name Judas has become a byword for betrayal. Once a popular Hebrew name prior to the 1st century, who would name a baby “Judas” after the one from Iscariot has so ruined it? Yet, should we be so quick to distance ourselves from the name and the betrayal it portrays? For haven’t we all betrayed Christ in some fashion?
The betrayal of Judas is made all the worse for his favored position, for he was one of the Twelve. He was hand-picked by Jesus and entrusted with the disciples’ money bag. Yet, there lay his great weakness and therefore the strength of Satan’s temptation. Judas loved money. And Satan identified his natural passion and lust, fanning it into the flame of betrayal. This is how Satan works. He identifies our natural desire and worms his way into our thinking, so that we are convinced that we deserve to have our lust gratified. The love of money was the crack in Judas’ heart that allowed Satan’s entrance.
Judas chose money over his Master. This led to the most heinous betrayal in human history. Yet, don’t we all have a little of Judas in us? Aren’t we tempted to put our love of another person, a valued possession or some particular passion, ahead of our love of Christ? Be careful of loving anyone or anything before Christ. For this is where Satan will seek a place to tempt us to betray our beloved Savior.
April 22, 2018
JESUS SAID PROPHECY WILL BE FULFILLED
Many of the prophecies of the Old Testament have been fulfilled, many of them in Christ’s first coming. Yet, there are still prophecies in the Old Testament that have not been fulfilled. This is an important consideration because some would suggest that the prophecies concerning Israel have either been already fulfilled or given over to the Church. But I believe Jesus was speaking of the turbulent end times that belonged to Israel and would precede His second coming. Certainly, there was a partial fulfillment when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. Yet, it was only a foreshadowing of the time of tribulation to come, which will follow after the “period of the Gentiles comes to an end” (Luke 21:24). This is Daniel’s 70th week and the apostle John’s seven years. After which, the prophecy concerning Christ’s second coming will also be fulfilled.
April 21, 2018
THE DIVINITY OF THE MESSIAH
Jesus asked the Jewish leaders this question not to suggest that the Messiah wouldn’t be the son of David, but rather to show them that he would be the Son of God. It was a well known doctrine among the Jews that the Messiah would be born into the lineage of David. But they emphasized his human side and missed the divine. Jesus sought to correct their misunderstanding with a question, “Why did David call the Messiah, Lord?” Jesus was teaching them that the Messiah would be both a Son of David and Son of God. He would be born into David’s lineage, but would be greater than David. Thus, David himself would bow to the Messiah as Lord.
Humanly speaking, Jesus was born into the line of David. Both Mary and Joseph were from the line of David and therefore had to return to the Town of David, Bethlehem, for the Roman census. Mary’s line established His human lineage and Joseph’s, His legal right. Yet, as the Son of God, there never was a time that Christ was not. He is God. He is not only greater than David, He is greater than all.
When the Jewish leaders questioned Him saying, “Are you greater than our father, Abraham?” (John 8:53). Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58).
April 20, 2018
THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY
When the leading priests, teachers and elders interrupted Jesus’ teaching in the Temple to ask the source of His authority, it was actually the source of theirs that came into question. For when He challenged them to answer whether John the Baptist’s authority was from heaven or from man, they balked. The very men that were supposedly set apart to judge whether a prophet was true or false were afraid to give an honest answer because they feared the people who believed in John’s calling from God. So, they lied saying they didn’t know. Their answer revealed their authority, or should I say the lack thereof. For their authority was merely human and dependent on keeping the right people happy. Jesus’ refusal to answer their question actually revealed that His authority was greater than theirs. He felt no obligation to answer to these people-pleasing hypocrites. So, these so-called leaders scurried away, with the tails of their robes tucked between their legs, back into their darkened rooms where they would plan their next scheme for ridding themselves of Jesus.
Jesus’ authority came from God. As the gospel of John quoted Jesus saying, “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say” (John 12:49-50).
April 19, 2018
JESUS WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM
When Jesus looked at Jerusalem, it wasn’t the palm branch waving crowd nor the beauty of Mt. Zion that drew His attention. For He saw it not only with physical eyes but with prophetic vision. He knew the time had come for Daniel’s prophecy to be fulfilled. As Daniel wrote, “Messiah shall be cut off, the city and the Sanctuary destroyed, and desolations decreed” (Dan. 9:26). Jesus didn’t weep for Himself. He wept that His people didn’t recognize the time of God’s visitation.
April 16, 2018
THE SIMPLE YET POWERFUL PRAYER FOR MERCY
Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and tax collector who went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee thanked God for his superior position above others in this life. He compared his own righteousness to that of those around him and considered himself right with God. The tax collector confessed that he was a sinner and prayed for God’s mercy. Whose prayer was answered? Both. The tax collector received the mercy from God he requested and went home in a right relationship with God, his sins forgiven. The Pharisee who asked nothing from God, for he felt self-satisfied and self-justified, went home having received nothing from God.
We live in a world where people are like the Pharisee. They are self-satisfied and self-justified. They see no need for God’s mercy. For they consider themselves as good. Yet, to those who confess their sin and admit their need for a Savior, Jesus will hear and answer their simple yet powerful prayer for mercy.
April 14, 2018
THIS IS NO PARABLE AND THERE IS NO PURGATORY
Jesus told a story concerning the eternal destiny of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. Some call this a parable, but it is no parable. A parable, according to the dictionary, “is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.” The Greek word, päräbolā’ (παραβολῇ ), literally means “to throw beside.” So, a parable is a simple story that “throws” or points to a deeper, spiritual truth. The rich man and Lazarus story does not follow this pattern. It begins and ends as a spiritual story that pulls back the curtain on our future eternal destiny and the importance of choosing to follow Jesus in this life.
So, it is not a parable. And it clearly shows that there is no purgatory. Those who believe in purgatory see it as “an intermediate state after physical death in which some of those ultimately destined for heaven must first undergo purification” (Wikipedia). Yet, Christ’s account of the afterlife shows this doctrine to be false. He says that there is a “great chasm” of separation between heaven and hades. There is no going back and forth between them. There is no second chance after death. What we choose to believe in this life, will determine our eternal destiny in the next.
April 13, 2018
DO YOU HAVE A PUBLIC PERSONA?
Jesus accused the Pharisees of being hypocrites. They liked to appear as righteous in public, but privately their true nature was revealed. Jesus saw through their public persona. He saw their true nature. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
One of the amazing gifts of salvation is our sanctification. We are being made holy. We are already counted as righteous the moment we receive Christ’s righteousness as our own. This is justification. Yet, our public and private lives are still in process. Part of being made holy is being made whole. So that we are the same through and through. Our public and private selves become indistinguishable. What you see is what you get. And what you get is a new heart and a new life that are in alignment with God’s.
April 12, 2018
SINNERS NEED JESUS
People who admit they are sinners are attracted to the Savior. They recognize their need for salvation. They aren’t attracted to religion and regulations. Those things only serve to make them feel more sinful. What they need is Jesus. He forgives and sets people free. So, instead of judgment and advice, give them Jesus. He is the only One who can save.
April 11, 2018
WHO ARE YOU INVITING TO THE PARTY?
While seated at a dinner, Jesus took note of the people the host had invited. He observed that he had invited his own circle of family and friends. The host must have been surprised to hear the advice that Jesus gave. Invite people that are different than you. Invite those who can’t invite you back. And the Lord will reward you.
The implications of Christ’s word to the host of the dinner are very troubling to us, aren’t they? Invite people to the table that are different than you. People that can’t pay you back. People that will not advance your social standing. In fact, invite people that will probably cause those of your own family and social class to shun you for even hanging out with these “other” people.
Why did Jesus teach this? Because that’s what the Father has done for us. He is the Host of Heaven and He has invited us–– “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” of this world to His banquet table.