Sacrifice and pleasure

March 9, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Darkness from 6th to 9th hour; Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45


BWE: Matthew 27:45. About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

There was darkness. The light of the sun was made of no affect because the light of the Son was being extinguished.  It was a sacrifice so I could gain heaven.

This causes me to think about my sacrifices.  My sacrifices are made so that someone else can receive happiness.  If there is not enough money and the kids want to go out to eat, I will take a smaller portion so that they can enjoy the time. When my daughter was little she used to love to play Uno, a game I did not care for. Because of my love for her, I would sacrifice my time so that she could be happy.

What happiness could be gained from Jesus sacrifice I wondered. God was not pleases with putting sin on His Son. The followers of Jesus were not happy at all that He was dying on the cross.

The happiness came from what has happened. All men can now enter into salvation and relationship with the Father.  If that sacrifice had not been made, we would all be dammed to hell. I am thankful that the sacrifice was made.

Read for next time: "Eloi, Eloi, Lamma, Sabachthani"; Matthew  27:46; Mark 15:34

Last minute conversions

March 8, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: "…you will be with me in Paradise."; Luke  23:43

The third of the recorded words that Christ spoke from the cross.


NET: Luke 23:43. And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."


My daughter asked me a few years ago if she would see grandpa in heaven as she never knew him. He died many years before she was born.

I paused and thought before I said anything. My dad, if he had accepted Jesus certainly did not live the life of a Christian. He was an alcoholic who was only sober when he was in the hospital, and sometimes I wondered if he was then. On his last visit they told him he would die if he kept drinking, and he said I can not give up living to live.  He died two weeks later, in his recliner, a drink by his side.

Maybe somewhere deep inside, something that someone said came back to him that night and caused him to turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. I do not know. I only know that if he did, then like the thief on the cross, he would see Jesus in paradise that day.  I do not put down death bed conversions, Jesus died for people who put it off to the end just like He did for me. I can only think about how much richer and fuller both his life and my children’s lives would be if Grandpa was still alive today.

So my answer to her was I do not know. I can only hope that he is.

Read for next time: Darkness from 6th to 9th hour; Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45

March 7, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: One robber rebukes the other; Luke 23:40-41


ESV: Luke Chapter 23
[40] But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.

In chapter 5 of his book ‘The Father Heart of God’, Floyd McClung Jr. tells one of the results of having pride in a person’s life:

Pride does not usually admit wrong or personal responsibility. When it does, it excuses it or explains it away, and there is no sorrow for the wrong done.

It is pretty clear that one thief on the cross had no pride at this point in time.  While the first one railed an complained to Jesus asking for what he felt he was entitled to, the second one took responsibility for his actions. He said, what I did was wrong, and what you did Jesus was nothing.  I stand before you with no excuses, give me the punishment that I deserve.

In dealing with people I sometimes get angry for what would appear to be no reason at all.  After the fact I realize this and will apologize, but will say something else like ‘I am the one responsible for my anger, but the actions that you did are what led to my anger.’  While I am taking responsible for my failure, I am also trying to point out the failure in the other person. I am trying to be their god and point out their failure.  I need to step out of the way and let God be God and not me.  I need to stop and just say ‘I am sorry’ and then shut up.  I need to say to myself it is my fault and try harder to not go there again.

Like the thief on the cross, I need to take responsibility for all my actions.  A hard lesson to learn, one I hope that I can learn well.


Read for next time: "…you will be with me in Paradise."; Luke  23:43

Choices

February 23, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Robbers mock Jesus; Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32; Luke 23:39


ESV: Luke 23:39. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!

How hard it must have been for Jesus. He come to seek the lost and save them. Now He is on the cross as are two real thieves. I assume they would be the type Jesus was sent to.
They are telling Him to save them. He has a choice, save them or save mankind.

A class I have been in this week has been on prodigal children.  Sometimes tough choices have to be made. In helping a prodigal child you can hurt them. To give in to their needs can be the worst thing you can do.  You do not give them the choice to fix themselves.

Jesus could have done the thing they had asked. He would have ruined our chance of salvation. He also would have removed their choice to ask for forgiveness.

When offered choices I need stop and think about them them. Often the choice I will have to make is an uncomfortable one. I need to learn to make the tough choices. Jesus did.



Read for next time: One robber rebukes the other; Luke 23:40-41

I can not do it myself

February 17, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Multitudes mock Jesus; Matthew 27:39-43; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-37

On Wednesday nights at the church I attend we have a self-help group running for people who have co-dependency issues.  One thing that I have learned from them is that a person can not help themselves get out of their addictions.  Nor can you help anyone else out of their addictions.  If you try, you run the risk of becoming codependent and having an addiction to trying to fix them. 

The only way one can come out of those addictions to recognize that they can not do it in their own strength.  As I have gone through this program, I have had to say that I am powerless in myself, that I can not break the chains. However, if I turn acknowledge that I have the problem, and turn to God for help (a higher power as some organizations say), then God can help me through the problems.  To put it bluntly, I can not save myself. 

ESV: Mark 15:31. So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself.

Here is a man who could save Himself.  Jesus had not only the power to come off that cross, but since He had not sinned, He should not have been up there and had the right to do so. If He had done so I would still be in my co-dependent state.  I could not save my self, I had to have God do it for me by having His Son die for me.  For years I tried to do things in my own power, until I realized that I could never do it for myself, I had to have help.


Read for next time: Robbers mock Jesus; Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32; Luke 23:39

What is important?

January 30, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: "Behold your mother."; John 19:25-27

ESV: John Chapter 19

[25] but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son! [27] Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus second words from the cross can be a mystery at first. He tells His mother that the disciple John is her son and tells John that Mary is his mother. It would almost seem that He was slightly delirious. History tells us Jesus had two brothers so why would Jesus let them take care of Mary?

History also tells us that they did not believe in Jesus statements that He was the son of God.  While they would be responsible for for her physical needs they obviously could not take care of her spiritual needs. Jesus was saying from the cross what I need to hear today. The spiritual needs are always more important than the physical needs . Physical needs are important but they should never be more important than the spiritual. Something that I need to reinforce in my life.

Read for next time: Multitudes mock Jesus; Matthew 27:39-43; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-37

--
Want to know what is going on in my brain?  Check out http://dr_bob.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotional for you at http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/

Dignity

January 11, 2012
The Life of Jesus; read today: Soldiers divide the garments of Jesus; Matthew 27:35-36; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24

ABP: Mark 15:24. And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot over them, who should take what.

I learned in reading the commentaries for this verse, that the garments of the condemned man were considered the wages for the solders who did the execution.   They would throw the lots and see which man got to choose first, second, etc.  So this was a common occurrence at this time.

I can get a picture of what is happening here.  Jesus is up on the cross, looking down on the men who have stripped Him and now are throwing dice to divide up his clothing. What little dignity He may have had was now gone.  Jesus just gave it all.

A few night ago, my wife corrected my actions in front of the children.  I felt that she had embarrassed me in front of the kids so I blew up and let her know my feelings.  I guess my dignity was at stake here.  I wonder when I will be more like Jesus and not let my emotions get in the way.

Read for next time: "Behold your mother."; John 19:25-27