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

Putting the Giving Back into Thanksgiving

Friends,

Well, I thought I would be creative with this title…until I googled it and saw dozens of references to it…c’est la vie.  I still believe it is a good subject to consider this time of year.  It has been well-documented how the world has sought to void Christmas from the holiday season.  But, it is just as troubling concerning what has happened to the current holiday, as it has become much more about Thanksgetting than Thanksgiving. Caution…a mini-rant is coming. :-)  A holiday once reserved for family time has become another casualty of the world system, as Black Friday has overridden family time for shopping time.  And, this in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing…I usually do some shopping myself.  But, when folks line up at stores on Wednesday (and before, much of the time)…and have their cold turkey and dressing on the street while waiting for the stroke of midnight on Friday…something is amiss.  This subject is about our allegiance…it is about the heart. If the focus of this message is that we “give,” then it misses the point.  Giving is a revelation of where the heart is in relationship to our spiritual condition.  There are a number of good passages in the New Testament that help us to understand the importance of this…one of these is 2 Corinthians 9, and it here that we will focus.

God has blessed the Corinthian church in many ways, and yet they are hesitant in some ways to share what they have with others (Chapter 8).  Paul encourages them to give from grace.  And this is not only money, but resources and time. Paul has used the zeal of the Corinthians to challenge the Macedonians in certain ways, and now he turns it around – he uses the Macedonians to challenge the Corinthians.  Paul shares with the Corinthians the example of the Macedonian churches – Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, who have given to the cause of helping the Jerusalem church out of their own poverty.  This becomes a blessing not only for the believers in Jerusalem, but for those in Macedonia, as well.  Our greatest encouragement for giving is to seek to please the Lord.  If our desire is to encourage others to share, then God’s grace can work through us to help others. And when we are able to accomplish this, we begin to see the grand connection between giving and thanksgiving.  The more that we give, the more thankful that we are for what God has given us.  And one of the blessings of giving is that it comes back – “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38)  We can’t out-give God!  He gives back to us.  It may not always be money or material goods, as some proclaim, but it is spiritual, eternal and always worth far more than we have given!  As I shared from the beginning, giving is not something that you do, it is someone you are! It is an indicator of where your heart is with the Lord…it is a measure of commitment.  Giving is a way of life for the Christian who understands the grace of God. 

When it all comes down to it, this message is not about the church, about the bills, about me, or even about God…it is about you.  This is the one message where “church” is about you. And as with other areas of our spiritual walk, we need to continue to grow in our understanding and application.  Our giving must not come from some obligation that we have, but from the heart…one that is seeking to please God.  If we cannot give joyfully, then we must truly do some soul searching…we must open our hearts to the Lord and ask Him to help us to grow in grace.  God is certainly able to bless a gift that is given out of a sense of duty, but He cannot bless the giver unless the heart is right.  In His grace, God wants to bless the giver and the gift!  Remember, those in Macedonia were not wealthy when it came to their giving to help others…they did so, and experienced joy.  Giving is a personal, communal and spiritual subject that we can’t take for granted or take lightly, but we need to ask ourselves how much we are willing to trust the Lord with what really is His.

Blessings, Don

Prayer's Focus

Friends,

Last week was national day of prayer (week), and I spent some time not only pondering about prayer, but actually doing more of it.  I believe that this is an area of our lives that can always bear some improving.  It is with this thought in mind that I offer the following thoughts.  

A faithful, healthy prayer life is the challenge of James (5:13-18), the brother of Jesus. He tells his readers at the end of his letter that there are a number of times and places when we need to pray. He says that when we are suffering, we need to pray (v. 13). He is writing to some people who are facing significant persecution for their faith…and that they have the ability to endure hardship patiently if they call upon the Lord. The Psalmist, Asaph recognizes this as he says concerning the Lord – “call upon me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor me” (Psalms 50:12).

When people are ill, they need to pray, as restoration can come through a prayer of faith (vv. 14-15). James says that those who are sick should call upon the elders and have them come pray. In this context, they pour oil upon the one who is ill, associating it with the healing. Many scholars believe that this was medicinal…and so, there may be some defined purpose in using it. As to whether this was the only purpose and time for it being used, it is hard to say. What we can come to understand is an important recognition -- the Lord is the Great Healer, and not man. There are some who might call attention to the act of healing, when in actuality, it is the fact of healing that matters.  If it does or does not take place is in the hands of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith can affect this, which is amazing in and of itself. The Lord can raise up the one who is ill as the result of such a prayer. Also, sinners can be forgiven through the prayer of faith. The assumption is that man may become sick as the result of sin. This can be the case, as guilt and other negative emotions can wear people down physically, mentally, emotionally in such a way that they are more susceptible to becoming ill. Everyone can and does sin…and yet, our sins can be and are forgiven if we pray and ask for forgiveness. The Apostle John tells us this in his letter (1 John 1:9).

James provides an example of someone who was faithful in prayer. Elijah is an example of perseverance in prayer. He was no superman, but was like us in every way. He was very serious about his relationship with Lord, as James says -- he, literally, “prayed with prayer.” He was intent., as he prayed and it did not rain for three and a half years, as a lesson to the Israelites, but he prayed again at the end of this time and the Lord provided rain (1 Kings 17,18). Even Jesus references this event in Luke 4:25. Elijah had a great faith in an even greater God.

James climaxes his message by explaining the loving-kind and prayerful relationship that Christians should have with one another and with God. Christians should confess their sins…to one another...so they can be in prayer for one another. This involves trust. We should not have to be concerned about revealing ourselves, but need to pray concerning building relationships that are based upon love and trust. Who is it that is able to accomplish this? It is “the righteous person.” And who is this? The person whose sins are confessed and forgiven, the one seeks to the will of God with all of their heart. What we understand is that prayer is supposed to get results. God is not just sitting back in some cosmic rocking chair watching matters unfold in our world. He is near…and He can and does respond to our pleas to Him. Prayer’s ultimate result is to reveal a right relationship with God through the Son.

A minister tells the story of another minister who believed he received protection as a result of prayer. This man had developed the discipline of beginning every day with an hour of prayer. One particular day, however, he felt a strong leading to pray longer, so he continued for a second hour. After two hours he still felt the need to keep on praying, so he persevered for a third hour asking for God's protection and blessing on his day; as well as for other things. He then felt released from the need to pray longer so he stopped. That evening as he was mowing his lawn, he felt something repeatedly brush up against his leg. He looked down and saw a coiled rattlesnake trying to strike him, but it just couldn't hit him. Instead, it kept brushing either side of his leg. Why had the man felt the need to pray longer that morning? What was he doing? Some would say, God doesn't need three hours of prayer to protect one from a rattlesnake. I would agree. He didn't "need" seven days of marching around Jericho to tear it down either, but He chose to do it that way. He didn't "need" to spit in a person's eye to heal them, but He did once. Why He requires things to be done certain ways, we don't always know, but we do know that for us, obedience is the key. Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, pp.80,81.
 
What is at the heart of this message? It is concerning the heart -- it is about your heart! As Matthew West shares in his popular song, we cannot simply go through the motions and expect to cultivate a close relationship with God. If our heart is not focused in a heavenly direction concerning any number of aspects of spiritual life and living, not to mention worship assembly time, then the Lord is not going to be able to effectively work in our lives. Our prayers have the ability to accomplish much, if we are seeking His will for our lives. Care enough to spend some time every day with the Lord in prayer…and care enough to share in prayer together for others. I conclude with a billboard message that I have seen – “the family that prays together stays together.”  

Blessings, Don

Putting New Wine in New Wineskins

Friends

I am indebted to someone(?) for some of these thoughts here, as I am uncertain where they came from. If you have a propriety interest in a portion of this message, let me know and I will certainly give credit where credit is due.

Most are pretty familiar with the wineskins parable of Jesus (Luke 5:36-39). The focal point is typically..."you must not put new wine in old skins or else they will burst" (vv.36-38). I think that we understand what Jesus is saying -- He was not interested in patching up Judaism, but was offering the leaders and the people a whole new way -- His way. He offers new life that is not some reformation of the old paths of the Scribes and Pharisees. Current application -- Jesus is not interested in patching up "our religion," but offers up a new way...a relationship that is dynamic and changing to follow His leading day by day. Yet, the intention of this message is not to focus so much on the familiar verses from this passage, but v.39, which seems like an odd, out of place statement. Upon further review, we will see that it is an integral part of what Jesus is trying to say.

"And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new...for he says, "the old is better"(v.39). This sure sounds like a wine lovers preference for old wine, right? Or, an excuse to hang on to old time religion. Remember, that this parable is delivered by Jesus in Capernaum in response to the Scribes and Pharisees who were very critical of Jesus' "radical" ministry. What Jesus was threatening was not their doctrine or their livelihood, but their traditions. The Scribes and Pharisees were committed to the past and resisted change. Jesus intended that His people be new wineskins...those who would hear and understand His dynamic, life-changing words. We are to present to Christ daily the new wineskin of an open mind, a receptive heart and a ready will to follow Him.

The challenge is not as simple as it sounds...because, like the Scribes and Pharisees, we become secure in our own traditions, pre-suppositions and resist change. We become satisfied with what we have experienced of the Lord's power in our lives and become fearful of new challenges. This wineskin becomes dry, brittle and inflexible as we fearfully try to maintain the status quo of our "life" in Christ. This old wineskin that Jesus speaks of could only hold water -- it was incapable of holding new wine. New wineskins are distinguished for their elasticity, flexibility and adjustability as containers of not only Jesus' new teaching, but of His indwelling Spirit presence.

Now, we come to see why Jesus' conclusion to the parable is challenging to understand. Jesus is not commending "old wine" to them, but condemning their inability to receive "new wine." Some say about the wine of their stage of growth in Christ -- "the old is better". But, what it really means is -- "allow me to stay where I am...I know all I need to know...I am content with what I have." The old wine in new skins presents some significant problems. We pray daily for the Lord's leading and His will for our lives, in our worship sing many hymns of commitment...and yet many would say that they have not received new spiritual power(?). Yet, what does old wine do in a new wineskin? It just sits there like water! Some would desire to offer the Lord a new wineskin, but want to fill it with old wine...they are thoroughly satisfied with the old wine of past experiences. Some constantly rehearse what has happened in the past, rather than rejoice in what the Lord is doing or wanting to do right now! Many of our greatest difficulties in our churches is the comfort of the uniformity and complacency of old wine.

We need to continually offer the Lord new wineskins that are ready for His dynamic power -- the new wine that he desires to pour into them...fresh ideas and strategies for evangelism, worship, programs, etc., where the Lord can truly use us to be His people for the world of the 21st century. If we live in this way, guided by His Spirit, we live according to faith and fear will have no power over us. Only new wineskins filled with new wine are able to handle this challenge.

Blessings, Don

Bread from Heaven

Friends,

It is getting to be that time of year again…when soup tastes especially good. There is just something about soup and cooler weather. Whenever I have soup…there must always be “bread”. I don’t know what it is, but bread just goes well with soup. I don’t necessarily mind a slice of Wonder Bread, but, soup is so much better with one of Kim’s rolls. Under most circumstances, bread would be the secondary portion of the meal…but, not when it comes to Kim’s rolls (and many of you know what I am talking about). Soup becomes that which enhances the roll.

I think about this in relationship to John’s reference to Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:26ff). As that Bread, Jesus takes second place to nothing. We don’t take Jesus as any secondary portion, but everything else in our lives should enhance or glorify Him. Bread becomes a symbol for Jesus and His ministry. By grace, our Lord feeds some people who are hungry, but, in truth, He gives them the Word of God. The problem is that they want the food, but they are not necessarily interested in the truth. For certain, some would stay through the storm in order to seek Him, but Jesus…knowing their hearts…is not particularly impressed. In the end, most of these people would abandon Him. Jesus points out that there are two kinds of food – one is for the body, which is necessary, but not the most important…and two, food for the inner man or spirit, and it is this that is most essential. Jesus quotes “Isaiah 55:2 – “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.” What these people need is not so much “food” -- they need life! Life is the greatest gift.

The crowd, being the persistent bunch that they are, again asks Jesus for a sign to indicate that He really is who He says He is. Paul also says that the Jews are always looking for signs (1 Corinthians 1:22). The rabbis taught that when the Messiah would come, He would duplicate the miracle of the manna (Exodus 16) that came down from heaven...from God. If Jesus is truly from God, then let Him prove it by causing manna to fall from heaven. They want to “see and believe.” I may be missing something here, didn’t Jesus just do this for them...albeit in a different way? He just fed 5000 of them with “bread from heaven.” They miss the truth, because they are preoccupied with other things.

Faith that is based on signs alone, and not on the truth of the Word of God, can lead a person astray. Now, Jesus clearly identifies what, or rather, Who the bread is. He is the true Living Bread that has come down from heaven. He comes…not only for Israel…but for the whole world – and not only to sustain life, but to give life. The crowd wants the bread, but only so they would not have to work at living the life! They want to “take it easy.” In His response, Jesus uses two key words – come and believe. Believing is not merely an intellectual pursuit, as in giving assent to doctrine…it means to come to Him and yield our lives to Him. Just as we take in food or drink, we also must “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” as Jesus says in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:6).

Verse 35 is the first of the seven great “I AM” statements recorded by John. When “Jesus uses the name “I AM,” He is definitively claiming to be God. Jesus concludes His message with hope – that those who would believe in Him and obey would see salvation. Our hope for life…spiritual and eternal…is in the Bread. Jesus says that, in the looking for “signs,” many people miss the “real deal.” Too many people get caught up in the trappings of religion…whether or not they have all of their i’s dotted and t’s crossed…and they miss the point. We can believe that we understand “all of the doctrine” and “still not know the doctrine-maker.” We must not major in eating that which does not sustain us, spiritually. The Bread of Life…His life and message…is the spiritual food that we need to sustain us. We need a relationship with the One who is able to save our souls…we cannot settle for any substitute. Blessings,

Don