The King and the Governor

Friends,

We live in a culture where law and litigation take place continually…perhaps even more so than at any time in history.  We who live in our little corner of the world likely understand this better than most after recent events. Over a month ago, the world (to a degree) descended upon our community, as a jury rendered a guilty verdict in the murder trial of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.  It is a sad situation in every respect.  There are no winners in a situation such as this.  Unfortunately, this is the way that such matters go in too many cases.  That is why when we come to this continuing story of Jesus, as goes from the Jewish authorities and is led before Roman authorities, we see the drama of his arrest and trial continue to unfold.  Only for Jesus, He is not before a court of His peers…because He has none...He is the Son of God.  And He is not able to be subject to true witnesses or even a fair court, as He is subject to a number of trumped up, false charges.  However, in His case, there are winners.  He chooses to give up His life in order that we might have our lives.  We are the ones…the ones who put their trust in Him…who come out of His trial and the following events as winners.  I believe that this message can get dulled by our own lack of connections to the Word and commitment to Jesus Himself.  But, this story…His story…is what makes the difference for each and every person.  It is a story that should resonate with us every day in some way.  We have everything to be thankful for, because Jesus endured what He did for you and me.

Long before the Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, they had determined to kill Him (John 11:47-54).  However, the Jewish council did not have the right to execute prisoners, so it was necessary to get the cooperation and approval of Rome. This is the reason for the need to jump through all of the political hoops.  All of this means a visit to the Roman procurator (governor), Pontius Pilate.  There are three stages in both the Jewish trial and the Roman trial…and as we have seen, the first portion of the first trial at the hands of Annas was a farce.  If the Jews could prove that Jesus was anti-Roman, then it would be much easier for them to get the death penalty for a person that they considered to be a trouble-maker.  Stage two of the Jewish trial takes place before Caiaphas and whatever members of the Sanhedrin he could get to come…and this is recorded in more detail in Matthew, Mark and Luke’s accounts.  When Jesus clearly confesses that He is the Christ, the council finds Him guilty of blasphemy, and therefore according to the Law, worthy of death.  Stage three is merely a formality as the Jewish leaders assemble to declare that Jesus is to be condemned to death.

As soon as the Jewish leaders vote to condemn Jesus, the officers take Him to the palace where Pilate resides during the Passover season…just in case there might be any outbursts of Jewish nationalism.  While the religious leaders do not hesitate to condemn an innocent man, they are very careful not to be defiled by walking on Gentile ground!  It would just be an awful matter to become ceremonially unclean during the days of Passover…the irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife.  It is logical for Pilate to ask for the official accusation.  Instead of stating the charges clearly, the Jewish leaders hesitate and beat around the bush, likely making the professional politician suspicious.  Luke 23:2 lists their official charges – He leads the nations astray…He opposes paying tribute to Caesar…and He claims to be the Jewish Messiah and King. When they are considered against the truth, all are easily dismissed.  Even though He did claim to be King, it was never in the political sense.  And Pilate is not anxious to get involved in a Jewish court case…especially at Passover…so, he tries to evade the issue.  His reasoning is that the Jews should deal with their own political issues. They would have the jurisdiction to be able to do it.

Had the Jews alone judged Him, Jesus would have been subject to being stoned to death, as righteous Stephen was.  But, Jesus was to become a curse for us and die on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:13). Crucifixion would require Roman intervention.  Pilate’s question asking Jesus if He is the King of the Jews is recorded by each of the Gospel writers.  As a Roman governor, Pilate would certainly be interested in the claims of any king.  However, Pilate is not prepared for Jesus’ answer, “It is as you say” (Matthew 27:11, NAS).  Jesus turns the question back around with a question of His own, in order to determine Pilate’s heart, because it is really Pilate on trial here, not Jesus. (18:34)   Pilate’s response to Jesus shows what Romans thought of Jews – “Am I a Jew?” reveals a certain sarcasm and disdain.

Jesus is not a prisoner because Pilate had Him arrested, but because His own nation’s leaders had Him arrested.  So, Pilate asks, “What have you done?” Jesus then tries to explain Himself and His kingdom.  Jesus’ authority comes from God. His kingdom is spiritual. He does not depend upon worldly or fleshly means to advance His cause.  In v.37 Jesus explains more clearly who He is and what kingdom belongs to Him. Pilate likely has little idea what His words mean or their significance.  But, for us, it is necessary that we understand Jesus’ words and their meaning.  When Pilate responds with the question, “What is truth?” he asks a bigger and more profound question than he could possibly understand.  And we really do not know if he was being sarcastic or sincere.  At least he has the courage to face the crowd and declare his verdict…that he finds no fault in Jesus or His message.  Unfortunately, this only riles up Jesus’ accusers even more.  They press Pilate by claiming that Jesus has even riled up people in Galilee, which was Herod’s jurisdiction, so he sends him to Herod.  This does nothing to resolve the situation, as Herod sends Jesus back.  Pilate still has to deal with Jesus and the Jews.

Rick Gillespie-Mobley, in his sermon: Let’s Be Honest About What We Believe, shares this -- Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if we had to stand up and say what many believe based on our game plan for life:  I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth who is not worthy of me making a few hours of every week in my schedule to pray or talk to and to attend worship. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, who really has no right to tell me how to live my life after I leave the assembly of the saints. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, but he should not expect me to make any kind of similar sacrifice on His behalf. I will tell off who I want to tell off, and I will give when I feel like giving. If I do not want to do my part, then others just have to take up the slack for me whether they want to or not. He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from which He shall come to judge the living and the dead, with me being the exception because He knows my heart. I intend to one day get serious about serving God, but until then He should not judge me.

If only…but, He does know the truth.  He sees through our half-truths and outright sins.  He knows our hearts better than we know ourselves.  And rather than expecting Him to get on the same page with us, we need to rethink our Christian life and walk, because it is about getting on the same page with Him.  We are special people, but not because of any of our humanistic reasoning and concepts, but it is because of what He did for us. And we must live like He lived. What is truth?  This is the truth.

Blessings, Don

How to Have a Crumby Faith

Friends,

As the story goes, it came to the ears of good King Alfonso of Spain that the pages in his court had been forgetting to ask God’s blessings for their daily meals.  Determined to teach them a lesson, the king invited them to a banquet, which they all attended.  The table was spread with every kind of good thing to eat, and the young me ate vigorously, but once again, none of them remembered to ask the Lord’s blessings for the food!  During the feast, a shabby beggar entered.  He seated himself at the royal table and ate and drank to his heart’s content.  At first, the pages were amazed.  They expected that the king would order him away, but Alfonso never said a word.  When the beggar had finished, he arose from the table and left without saying a word of thanks.  The pages cried out, “What a despicable fellow!”  But, the king silenced them, and in a clear, calm tone said – “Boys, bolder and more audacious than this beggar you all have been.  Every day, you sit down to a table supplied by the bounty of your heavenly Father, yet you do not ask His blessing or say thanks!”  The pages did not exercise much patience or understanding.  Like them, we like to eat, but we need to remember to say “thanks” in faith.  In fact, all things need to be discerned by faith.  Patience is long-suffering, willingness to wait on the Lord.  This passage is a lesson in the patience of faith, as Jesus’ discussion with a Gentile woman helps her to learn and grow.

Jesus has just had a confrontation with the religious leaders. So here (in Matthew 15:21ff), he has retreated to Gentile territory on the Mediterranean Sea.  Jesus is not in Phoenicia for the purpose of evangelism, yet He “providentially” encounters a woman in a situation where she does not belong…much like the Samaritan woman.  Here, she is a Gentile among Jews, and what is amazing is that she, being a Gentile, hears where Jesus is and comes looking for Him.  What is her purpose?  She wants Him to heal her daughter who is sick.  She boldly calls Jesus, “Son of David,” putting herself on Jewish ground, and place where she really would have no right to be.  This further reveals her peculiar nature.  All of this reveals her faith in God to call on the man she perceives is the Messiah.  As we have seen in other situations, as with the aforementioned Samaritan woman, Jesus is the Master Communicator.

Here we expect some great word of wisdom from Jesus, except the He is silent -- He says nothing. But, Jesus has an advantage in the situation -- He knows her heart.  He exercises patience with her, and His silence in this situation spurs her on.  For her part, she is a very patient, persistent mother, which we might expect.  But, she has no argument, as she is an outsider in every respect.  Still, she is simply a person who comes to Jesus as a sinner in need of help.  Now, the Lord speaks, and it is interesting to say the least.  Jesus says, “I have been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v.24).  Jewish Messiah comes for Jewish people – case closed, right?  This might discourage most individuals, but once again, Jesus knows this lady…and He is not seeking to destroy her faith, but build it up.  This is patience at work!  As the drama continues to unfold, the woman’s response, "Lord, help me!" (v.25) shows that she is growing in faith and unwilling to let Him go without giving her an answer.

Lest we forget the third party in this situation, the disciples now chime in.  They are impatient with her persistent following and crying out, so they speak up…and they want her to be dismissed (not a whole lot of compassion here).  It is the disciples who have no respect for this woman of another place and another race.  Perhaps Jesus’ silence, in part, has been to see if the disciples would show kindness…but, to no avail.  His next response, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs" (v.26) surely pleases the disciples.  Yet, once again, He is not refusing her as they might seem to think.  He is not trying to run her off, but He is about to “run off” the disciples’ ugly attitude.  He shares a proverb of the day, and it is shocking.  Is Jesus saying that she is a dog?  “Dog” was a frequent Jewish term of abuse for Gentiles at that time.  The “dogs” that Jesus refers to are “mongrels” that would run in packs like wolves.  The disciples are likely thinking, “Yeah, deal with her Lord.”  But, Jesus’ words cannot convey the true feelings of the situation.  Although He presents her with the sort of language that she might expect from a Jew, Jesus’ tone is not humorless or rude.  If only we could see the twinkle in His eye…once again, He continues to draw out a growing, patient response of faith.  Jesus has known she is capable, and this Syro-Phoenician woman does immediately seize on His illustration and provides a remarkable reply that is precisely what Jesus is hoping for and looking for.  Her point (v.27) “that dogs at least get the crumbs” is no less tongue-in-cheek than Jesus’ statement.  We see that she accepts His basic position that He has a mission to Israel, but also that His mission allows others to share in the blessings of His kingdom, even if secondarily.

Jesus acknowledges her “great faith” immediately and He heals her daughter…surely as the disciples’ jaws are hitting the floor in disbelief over what has happened.  They must have been equal parts stunned and confused.  There are two instances of “great faith” in the New Testament, and both are Gentiles, not Jews…this woman and the centurion in chapter eight.  Her faith is great because she persisted and was patient in asking and trusting when everything seemed against her – her race (Gentile), gender (woman, who had little social standing at that time), the disciples (obviously), and even Jesus initially (it may have seemed)…and she persisted nonetheless.  Life is often a matter of perspective isn’t it?

Many years ago, an American shoe salesman was sent to Africa by his company.  Shortly after arriving, he messaged back to the manufacturer saying, “Please bring me home – nobody wears shoes in this part of Africa.”  They brought him home and sent another salesman.  He sent back order after order for shoes and sent a message saying, “Everyone here needs shoes.”  And so it is with faith!  Seeing and believing in Jesus is a matter of perspective – a faith perspective.  Jesus was looking for a patient, albeit forthright, response from the Syro-Phoenician woman.  His connection with her was no accident, but according to the will of God.  As with this woman, we must allow the Lord to work with us, to grow us patiently, strengthening our faith.  We may not always understand what life is going to bring our way, but we must simply turn to the only One who can truly help us.  Like the woman, we have every capability to live according to “great faith.”  In addition, another sign of growth in us is our ability to work with and accept people who are different from us.  Jesus was empty of the prejudices of many who were close to the situation, be it the leaders of the Jews or His own disciples.  We must seek to serve those whom the Lord sends our way; He wants what is best for us and others!  So, we can be like the short-sighted, impatient disciples and doubt (although they undoubtedly learned from the experience and grew).  Or, we can be like the patient woman, hungering for righteousness, thirsting for salvation, moldable in the hands of the Lord…finding wisdom and life!  

Blessings, Don

A Genuine Bible Code

Friends,

A little over thirteen years ago, the calendar was about to turn over to the year 2000.  Of course, there were some “doomsayers” then, just as there were a few weeks ago.  One of the fellows I knew back then was trying to convince me that the Bible spoke about the destruction of the world that was going to take place in the year 2000.  He spent some trying to convince me that a Bible Code from Genesis and other places was predicting such an event.  Of course me…being the reasonable guy that I am…didn’t believe a word of it.  This doesn’t mean I didn’t listen to what he was sharing, because I was willing to do so. There are still some proponents of the Bible Code.  What is it, exactly?  Though Bible codes have been postulated and studied for centuries, the subject was popularized by Michael Drosnin's book the Bible Code a couple of decades ago.  The code, as reenergized by Drosnin, stipulates that there is a set of secret messages encoded within the Hebrew text of the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy.  This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to reveal an otherwise obscured message.  One cited example is that by taking every 50th letter of the Book of Genesis, starting with the first “taw,” the Hebrew word “torah” is spelled out. The same happens in Exodus and so on.  Modern computers have been used to search for similar patterns and more complex variants.  My opinion?  Baloney.  Stick to crossword puzzles…they make more sense.  However, Paul does reveal to us a code, or a mystery, in the third chapter of Ephesians…and this code makes a lot of sense…it is a message we can trust.

Paul speaks about being a prisoner of the Lord.  He was the Lord’s bond-servant, commissioned to take the message of the gospel to all mankind.  As he shares in Ephesians 3:1ff, Paul believes in God’s new program of uniting believing Jews, Gentiles into one body…the church.  There is one small problem – the Jews don’t like the Gentiles.  They want nothing to do with them (or the Samaritans for that matter).  Paul courageously defends the grace of God and the unity of the church in Acts 15, Galatians 2:1-10 (and the message in those places is that…the Gentiles did not have to become Jewish in order to become Christians).  Paul follows his calling by taking the gospel to the Gentiles, even though he is accused of prejudice by the Jews.  Paul is no longer a prisoner of the law…he has been released.  He wants to free both Jews and Gentiles from bondage to law and bring them to genuine life in Christ.  For Paul, it isn’t enough simply to win Gentiles to Christ and form them into local assemblies.  He is also able to teach them about the wonderful position that they have in the body of Christ…one that is equal to the Jews.  Paul ministers this critically important mystery that had not been revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is revealed in the New Testament to the apostles by the Holy Spirit.  The Gentiles, even though they were outside of the covenant just a few years before, are to experience this new relationship with God through Jesus Christ that they were never able to experience before.  The mystery shows that new power is available to them through the Holy Spirit.  They can witness and minister concerning this message concerning Christ and this new power that is available to them and to others. 

Paul continues to describe the new riches that the Gentiles have available to them.  Paul describes them as being so vast that their end cannot be discovered.  Paul understands all of this and it humbles him.  Some of the Jews might think that they are God’s gift to mankind, but Paul considers himself, “the least of all of the saints.”  Understanding the great mystery of unity that is revealed does not “puff up” people so that they have “a big head”…rather it “humbles” them and brings “a broken and contrite heart.”  When God saved Paul, He gave him the treasures of the gospel truth.  Paul in turn, invests his life in bringing these truths to others.  In doing this, he exhorts them to commit the truths to other people (2 Timothy 2:2).  This is our responsibility.  We cannot simply own this message ourselves, but we must live it, share it with others.  The great truth concerning the church was not some divine afterthought, as if God was piecing together some puzzle haphazardly.  It was all a part of God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus.  To understand this truth gives us great hope, confidence in the faith.  And if there is one thing that people in this broken, fallen world need, it is a message of hope, confidence.  The final gift that comes for believers is courage in difficult circumstances.  We know that we can and will be victorious if we persevere.  Any suffering we experience…including that for the cause of Christ…will bring about blessings, glory.

Rodney Buchanan shares concerning the book, “Mystery on the Desert,” in which Maria Reiche describes a series of strange lines made by the ancient Nazea people in the plains of Peru, perhaps as early as 200 years before the time of Christ. The area where the lines are covers over 37 miles. It is impossible to make out what these line drawings are from the ground, and people at one time assumed they were irrigation ditches. No one really knew what they were until 1939 when Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University studied them by flying over them in an airplane. There is an assortment of perfectly straight lines, many running parallel, others intersecting, forming a grand geometric form. In and around the lines there are also strange symbols, and pictures of 70 animal and plant figures that include a spider, hummingbird, monkey and a 1,000-foot-long pelican.  One geometric figure goes in a straight line for nine miles across the plain. All of them are etched on a giant scale that can only be appreciated from the sky. When viewed from high in the air, these seemingly random lines form enormous drawings of art. They have meaning. People often assume that since they cannot see the purpose of something from their perspective that there is no purpose — no reason or rhyme to what they are facing…that it is a mystery.  But from God’s perspective it makes perfect sense. There is not only order and design to what he is doing…it is a work of art.  It doesn’t matter if you are too small to see the whole masterpiece, it is still there. And one day, looking from heaven, the mystery of what God has been doing will be clear to us. What looked like a ditch to us will be seen as a part of God’s design that has been stretched out over his universe.

A preacher (not me) was driving to a preaching engagement, trying to follow a map that he had in his car.  He couldn’t locate the highway he needed, so he stopped at a nearby convenience store.  The attendant said, “You’ve got an ancient map there, mister!”  Here is the latest map.  Follow it and you will get to where you are going.  And the attendant was right…the preacher arrived in plenty of time for the meeting.  People who do not understand “God’s mystery” in His church are trying to make progress with the wrong map.  There are no such things as social, race, age or even “religious” distinctions in the family of God.  The church is not ever to be shackled by the physical, by the reasoning of men…because it has been set free by the spiritual, through the blood of Jesus Christ.  God had a “secret”, but it is not a secret any longer.  If you and I understand the wonderful position that we have in Christ, it is going to knock down any barriers to progress.  And, we will be a blessing to and for the kingdom of God.

Blessings, Don

A Peace of the Action

Friends,

As seen in this portion of the Ephesian letter (2:11-22), Paul is working with the Gentiles.  Most of the Ephesian believers are Gentile converts, yet they understand that much of God’s program in the Old Covenant involves the Jews.  The Jews are not kind to the Gentiles.  Many of the Jews believe that the Gentiles need to become Jews first before they can be acceptable to God and to them.  God made the difference between the Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abraham…not that the Jews might boast in how great they were, but in order to be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.  The Jews might have been different nationally, ritually…but morally, they are the same as the Gentiles.

Before they came to Christ, the Gentile Ephesians worshipped Diana (or Artemis).  Some of them believed they could worship Diana and Christ…and that it would all be the same.  Paul says – no way!  The Jews were a “special nation”…but not so the Gentiles.  They did not have a covenant for themselves.  They were aliens and strangers and the Jews never let them forget it.  The Gentiles’ philosophies, religions were empty and powerless to help men face life and death.  They were, as a whole, without God.  The nations had many gods (see Paul in Athens, Acts 17), but they didn’t know the One True God.  The Gentiles were included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)…and this ultimately would culminate in their having hope through Christ Jesus. 

Although the Jews, Gentiles might have different purposes, these differences are erased in Christ’s reconciliation or “bringing them together again.”  There is not a significant problem for the church until Peter is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  Then there is enmity (Acts 11-15).  Are the Gentiles supposed to become “Jewish Christians”?  No.  The enmity was taken away.  The law that separated the Jews and Gentiles is taken down…Christ destroys the wall and makes peace.  The big picture is what really needs to be considered.  Not only did the Gentiles need to be reconciled to the Jews, but both Jews and Gentiles need to be reconciled to God!  It is not a question of a Gentile becoming a Jew in order to become a Christian, but the Jew admitting he is a sinner like the Gentile.  Jews and Gentiles both have access to the same God through the new covenant brought by Christ Jesus.  Israel was God’s chosen nation, but they rejected their redeemer and suffered the consequences.  The kingdom was taken from them and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…” (Matthew 21:43).  The new nation is “spiritual Israel”, the church.  Sin divides mankind, but Christ unites people by His Spirit.  All believers, regardless of national background, belong to a “holy nation” with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3).  God does not dwell in a house made with hands, in temples or church buildings…but He lives in the lives of His believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), who are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:19). What a glorious plan in order to bring “oneness” and “peace.”

Joel Jongkind shares this -- In the latter part of the gospels, the disciples were in quite a state when they were gathered in the upper room. Their Lord and friend had been crucified, and the authorities were after them. They sat and wondered what to do next. Some of them were ready to go back home. And suddenly, Jesus was with them, and they heard His wonderful words, "Peace be with you."' Sometimes we too doubt and worry; sometimes we have a feeling of anguish in our hearts. We sit and wonder, or we lie in bed and worry, and we pray about it, or we go to church to worship, or we pick up the Bible and read those wonderful words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Or we hear Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."  The word "peace" has been used a great deal over the years. Every time we turn on the television, we hear people “talking about peace” in places where there are wars and uprisings: in the Middle East, in Syria in particular lately, and in a number of African countries as well. There are a lot of negotiations, but there does not seem to be a lasting peace.  Before one war is over, another one has started. There seems to be no end to it, and we have learned nothing from history; there is no lasting peace. But inner peace is for all of us to have and to hold through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We know that the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- is our source of lasting peace, and then, it does not matter what might happen in our lives, for we can be at peace through faith, and we will have peace in our hearts.”

It is interesting to note that religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the One True God.  Rather, it is the sad story of man knowing the truth about God and deliberately turning away from it.  God called the Jews beginning with Abraham that through them, He might reveal Himself as the One True God.  Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles, but their light burned dimly.  Today, we…spiritual Israel, the church…are not all that unlike the Jews and Gentiles as it relates to our ideals, philosophies and the like.  We all come from different places, have different backgrounds.  The message of grace and reconciliation is just as important today as it has always been…maybe it is even more important as it relates to one another, given the great differences between people…especially those in our fellowship.  But, the goal is not any different for us than it was for early believers.  In spite of our differences, we find ways to submit our spirits to the Spirit of God and when we do so, we are able to be at peace with God and with one another.  And this has value beyond what any of us can really truly appreciate individually…but it is good. Keep working at allowing the “peace of Christ to dwell in your hearts.”

Blessings, Don