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

The Amazing Power of Unity

Friends,

Lyn Chaffart offers this – “I would have loved to have been there, to have seen those 3000 people coming to the Lord as a result of one sermon, to have witnessed the miracles that resulted, and how the church of Jesus Christ grew in leaps and bounds. I'm sure there are many important reasons why the early church grew so rapidly, vital things like faith and love and prayer, and it could be argued that our churches today lack all three of these things. But I would like to suggest there might be something more. Let's consider for a moment how the earliest believers spent their time between the Resurrection and Pentecost: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication . . ." (Acts 1:14 NKJV). The key operative here is "one accord". These believers were in unity with one another! We are also told these early believers sold their belongings and pooled their resources, and it wasn't uncommon for them to spend hours, even days in prayer together (Acts 4:23-31, Acts 12, etc.). But is unity really what made the difference? In John 17 alone, Jesus asks the Father that we would be "One". Not once. Not twice. But FIVE times!” (17:11, 20, 21, 22, 23). I say that this is significant.  What seems to be the most important matter to the Lord…so much so that it would be the very last thing that Jesus would share with His disciples? It is this principle of unity…even though there can, and even necessarily should, be diversity.  I have preached on this subject from Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4…it is important to keep it in front of us. And not only this, but to explore what Jesus’ statement means and how it is that we should interpret it.  So, we move forward…

In this final portion of His High Priestly prayer (John 17:20-26), Jesus focuses His disciples’ attention on the future…and even more particularly, on His disciples in the future – that would be us. He has already prayed for the security and sanctity of His disciples, and now He prays for unity. The disciples often exhibited a spirit of selfishness, competition and disunity. This had to sadden the Lord on many occasions. He is genuinely concerned that His people experience a spiritual unity that is like the Oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Christians belong to the Lord and to each other. What is the basis for Christian unity? It is not based upon externals and other man made dogmas or philosophies…these, rather, create discord and division. John reveals that unity is in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ and His glory (17:2ff). Paul teaches that unity is of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1ff), and the result of believers’ commonness in seven principles -- body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism and God the Father. So, it is indeed not external...it is internal.

As we grow in the Lord, His glory begins to grow and to reveal itself in what we say, as well as the way that we say it and do it…we live to exemplify, glorify Jesus in our lives by loving one another and others to the glory of God. Jesus assures us that some people will believe in Him as the result of our faithful witness (v.20). What Jesus makes very clear is that one of the things that impresses some people is the way that Christians love each other and live together in harmony.  Why is it important? “That the world will believe that His Father sent Him.” The converse is also true.  Some believers operate as critics and judges instead of faithful witnesses, and this complicates matters significantly for the Lord and His body. If we do not love one another and promote “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” then we will turn off those who are seeking the Lord. Nevertheless, we belong to the same Father, and seek to do the same work…witnessing to the lost world that Jesus saves us from our sins.  This is the message. And one day, all who believe are one day going to enjoy the same heaven.

I offer a poignant illustration from our past to help us understand our present (and future). Back in early 1800's there was a preacher in Western Pennsylvania named Thomas Campbell. He was a preacher for the Old-light, Anti-burger, Seceder Presbyterian Church. Each of those phrases described a political division within the Presbyterian Church of that day. Thus, the Presbyterians were divided over many things, and each group sought to maintain the purity of their positions. So they opted for "closed communion" to make sure that only those who clung to their standards could take communion at their churches. In the Presbyterian churches of that time, it worked like this: the Lord's Supper was taken once every month or so... but on the Saturday night before Communion Sunday members were required to come in and answer a series of questions. If they answered the questions correctly they received a "Communion coin" and the next day they would drop their coin in the box and partake. This didn't sit very well with Campbell -- who believed that the Lord's Supper belonged to Christ rather than to him - and on at least one occasion he opened the Communion table to all who belonged to Christ. Word got back to denominational headquarters and they sacked him. He was branded a heretic and eventually left that group. About that same time, Thomas's son, Alexander, was shipwrecked on his way over from Scotland. He stayed in Scotland another year, and while he was there attended worship services at a Presbyterian congregation in the neighborhood. On Communion Saturday night he dutifully went in to answer the questions required of him for the coin...and was shocked to find that the questions were different than he was accustomed to. However, being well versed in Scripture and the obligatory thinking, he was able to answer the questions correctly and received his coin. The next day he walked in, put his coin in the box and walked away without taking of the Lord's Supper. When Father and Son got back together they both had come to the conclusion that the church had way too many HUMAN rules and regulations. Christians were being segregated from God (at the communion table) and from other Christians because each denomination insisted on clinging to their own distinctive denominational names, creeds and practices.  They were soon joined by Methodist and Baptist groups who were struggling with their own denominations' teachings. They were tired of all the divisiveness and they just wanted to be "Christians Only." What these people were upset about was the tendency of churches to change the rules…to change the oil in the machine of the faith once delivered to the saints. They began to believe they needed to do was go back and "restore" -- as best they could -- the concept of a New Testament Church and to only practice and believe what that first group of believers held to. Because they were attempting to "restore" what the early church did, they began to refer to themselves as a "restoration movement" (from which the churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ and Christian Church were “born”). From a sermon by Jeff Strite, Restoration! (5/9/2011)

In a story found in Mark’s gospel, when the apostle John has a concern that some “other believers” are casting out demons in Jesus name, Jesus says this -- "Do not stop him…for the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward." (Excerpted from Mark 9:39-41) It is critical that there be truth and love in the church, but this must be found, discerned and practiced in the right matters, and the right ways in order for genuine unity to work. What many in our fellowship (as well as in other fellowships) have been taught, including myself, has been a “truth” not founded on Scripture, but according to human reasoning. Thomas and Alexander Campbell recognized this for what it was and wanted a “fresh start.” I once believed that we could have unity as long as we all believed the same precise teachings. I believed, “As long as people have the doctrine of the churches of Christ, then they can be Christians and I can accept them and fellowship with them.” But, this is not a New Testament or biblical concept…it is a humanistic concept called – uniformity.  It is what the Campbells wanted to break away from, and what our fellowship became and represented, in many respects, after another 40 years or so had passed by the turn of the 20^th century.

We believe much the same truth that genuinely matters as believers in other tribes. First and foremost, we should live as Jesus commanded: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) I can already hear the “Yeahbuts” coming, but when we break through our “shibboleths,” many believers (most that I have known) have experienced a conversion similar, if not exact, to what is practiced in our fellowship…contrary to the negative propaganda and fear-mongering of certain folks. They love Jesus…they are sorry for their sins…they are immersed...and they receive the Holy Spirit. We do have certain doctrines in common with all people, which are seen in the Ephesians 4 passage. As we have seen, believers do have some differences of traditions and opinions, but we have much more in common in the big picture – as Paul says, we have the same Holy Spirit who unites us. Paul teaches there, as well as in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, 14 that believers may have varying gifts, processes and beliefs, but that believers are united in Christ through His Spirit. If we can get past our own prejudices and incomplete, in not inaccurate, understandings concerning uniformity and unity, then we can truly build up the Kingdom of God to the glory of God, and people will not be turned off, but turned on to what Jesus is doing in our lives.

Blessings, Don

In the Word, not of the World

Friends,

Steve Shepherd shares this -- The most interesting thing about Tifton, GA is an abandoned Victorian house filled with thousands of bats.  Tift County declared the once-elegant house in the town’s historic district off limits after a bat specialist said that maybe 20,000 bats had moved in, apparently for good. Now, teenagers call it the bat house. People talk about the smell, which is a mix of urine and decaying wood. I have no intention to visit that bat house. Vacant houses get infiltrated with all kinds of creatures and probably not just bats. And many of these creatures make a mess, create a big stink, and eventually ruin that dwelling. But it doesn’t just happen with vacant houses, it also happens with vacant lives! If a person doesn’t fill their life with good stuff, the bad stuff and sometimes, the evil stuff, will move in and take over. God wants us to stay clean in this world and this will only happen when we let Him move in, that is, when we fill our lives with worship, prayer and service. (From a sermon, Our Walk in This World, 4/4/2011) I believe that this is the encouragement that Jesus is sharing with his disciples in this next portion of His high priestly prayer in John 17 (vv.13-19). If we do not immerse ourselves in the presence of God, then the world is going to have a much easier time infesting our lives and making us miserable. Jesus knows that if His disciples are going to survive and thrive in taking His message to a lost world, that message must be inside of them first…helping them, guiding them, and empowering them to be in the world, and yet not have the world be in them.

The Word of God is God’s gift to us.  It tells His story, the story of His Son, and it is empowered by the Holy Spirit to change lives.  In the world that we live in today, it is easy to take the Word of God for granted.  D.L. Moody wrote in the front of His Bible – “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” We live in a world where there is little joy.  A lot of people, including some Christians, look and act as if they have been feasting on some sour grapes…and it is not a pretty sight.  This is because sin or sinful attitudes regularly control their lives. Those who regularly spend time in the Word know that it is necessary to do so in order to be an overcomer.  And how does the Word of God help us to overcome the world?  One way is that it brings us joy (v.13), and this inward joy…the fruit of the Spirit…provides us strength to overcome. John has already shared that joy comes as the result of answered prayer (16:23-24).  It also comes from struggling and overcoming as our Lord was able to do. Jesus experienced many struggles as He ministered among fallen men, but He also had a deep and abiding joy.  Jesus’ joy was not affected by the fleeting mess of the sinful world, but the abiding enjoyment of relationship with His Father, the Holy Spirit and the Word. He did not depend upon, nor was He controlled by outward circumstances, but on inward spiritual resources.  It is this kind of joy that Jesus want us, His followers, to experience.

The Word also assures us of God’s love.  The world hates us…this becomes more evident with each passing day.  The world hates us because we do not belong to its system…and often times, we take the world’s bait, and try to fight the world on its terms.  This is never going to turn out well for Christians. But, we are able to confront this hatred with the love of God…a love, once again, that is imparted by the Holy Spirit through the Word. We must overcome the temptation to be as ugly as the world is in returning vile for vile…and allow the Holy Spirit to help us to be above the fray – we must love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us, as Jesus shares in His Sermon on the Mount.

The Word not only brings us joy and love, but it also imparts God’s power for holy living (vv.15-17).  Jesus prays for security for believers in this prayer, but He also asks for sanctity – holiness. We are indeed in the world, but not of this world…and we must not live like the world. Some people would like to be “outside of the world”…and some people really are “out of this world” J…but such spiritual isolation would not keep evil from us or us from evil. True sanctification takes place on the inside, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  As we grow in faith, the more we experience this “cleansing”, and the less that we are willing to partake of the world’s offerings. This is spiritual growth!  You and I love sin less and we love God more.  You want to serve Him and be a blessing to others, rather than serve yourself, sin and the world. All of these matters help the truth of God to be worked out in our lives.  Once again, if we seek to be holy and right as the Lord is holy, truth is present – it is as much something that we live as what we know.  In fact, if we truly know the truth, then we will live the truth. And being made holy, sanctified, is not for the purpose of selfish enjoyment or boasting, it is so that we might represent Christ in the world and be an example to others of what it is to be Christ-like.

To consider these thoughts further, Mark Brunner shares this -- when we purchased Beech Springs years ago, we arrived in a valley that was filled by trees, trees and more trees. There was little lawn because the trees shaded it out. We would not need much in the way of landscaping, which was to my liking. There would be little need for a rototiller, a spade and a wheelbarrow here. I could focus on making wood and the necessary improvements that were needed on the inside of the house. Puttering with flower beds and the like was so tedious and, as opposed to making wood and other tasks like it, were slow in demonstrating any visible progress. That is, of course, until the elms in the immediate area began to succumb to disease. Suddenly spaces were opened…spaces that beckoned my wife to say, “Plant a sunflower here or nestle a poppy there!” It wasn’t long before a tiller and a wheelbarrow appeared on my gift list.  I have often thought how much like those flower beds you and I are as we daily walk in grace. It takes work to get us ready for growth in grace. Sometimes, the results aren’t so immediately visible. But, over time, the work and effort pay off. The flowers bloom and fade and come back again the next year that much more brilliant and bountiful. Phillips Brooks was a very busy minister, yet he always seemed relaxed and unburdened, willing to take time for anyone in need. Shortly before he died, someone asked him the secret of his strength and serenity. In a heartfelt response, Brooks credited his still-growing relationship with Christ. He responded, “The more I have thought it over, the more certain it has seemed to me that these last years have had a peace and fullness which there did not used to be. It is a deeper knowledge and truer love of Christ.  I cannot tell you how personal this grows to me. He is here. He knows me and I know Him. It is the most real thing in the world. And every day makes it more real. And one wonders with delight what it will grow to as the years go on.” (Our Daily Bread, October 14, 1994) God promises to “sanctify” us “by the truth” (John 17:17) in our daily walk with Him. That is, He will make us holy, set apart and cleansed through Christ Jesus. He doesn’t tell us that it is a work completed overnight, however. It is something that is ongoing like my wife tending those flower beds. As the faithful gardener He digs, weeds, tills and transplants in the gardens of our hearts. Then, when day is done, we are known to Him perfectly as we continue to grow in our knowledge of Him. It won’t happen overnight nor should it. Some of the best flower beds are those which are never completed.

We live in a very impatient world.  We often expect spiritual education and growth to happen instantly…overnight…but, this typically is not going to be the case.  It is much more like a marathon than it is a sprint. We must be patient concerning what the Lord is seeking to do with us.  He isn’t done with you or me just yet. As Jesus reveals in the Revelation, "if we are able to be faithful until death, He will give us a crown of life." (2:10) In this, we are not talking about “mediocre” faith, or faith “until things are falling apart around me" -- it is genuine faith, like that of the Centurion or the Syro-Phoenician woman.  When we are focused on what the Spirit of God is seeking to do with us though the Word, the world is not going be able to wreck us, but we will continue to grow to be more like Jesus, and being more like Him, day by day, is to be our goal.

Blessings, Don