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

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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

Forgive them

January 8, 2012
The Life of Jesus; read today: "Forgive them…"; Luke 23:34

Common: Luke 23:34. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they divided his garments and cast lots.

The first of Jesus sentences as He was on the cross.  The sins that I have done are what is holding Him there, though logic would tell you it was the nails, it way my sin.

So He spoke to the Father about what was happeing.  Forgive them, they do not know what they are doing here.  They did not.  Though they knew the scritpures, they did not realize what they meant.  So Jesus spoke to that, forgive them.

Or was He talking about them?  Was He looking down through the centuries to where I live today. When I want what I want and do what I need to make myself happy, and I pound that nail in a little harder, was Jesus looking at me and saying, 'Forgive him, he does not know what he is doing."

Read for next time: Soldiers divide the garments of Jesus; Matthew 27:35-36; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24

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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/

What he wrote...

January 8, 2012
The Life of Jesus; read today: Inscription written by Pilate; Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-22

BBE: John Chapter 19
[19] And Pilate put on the cross a statement in writing. The writing was: JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
[20] The writing was seen by a number of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was put to death on the cross was near the town; and the writing was in Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

The Jewish leaders got mad at Pilate. They wanted him to change the words, and he would not.  He said that what he had written was what he had written.  The words are important.  They tell us what Pilate thought of Jesus. yes, Pilate had to kill Jesus, there could be no king but Cesar, and he realized the Jewish leaders could have let this go, so he told them that as far as he was concerned, yes, Jesus was king of the Jews.

And He was, and it was said in all the languages.

And Pilate did what I should do. Declare Jesus kingdom to all that will listen.


Read for next time: "Forgive them…"; Luke 23:34

The center spot

January 7, 2012
The Life of Jesus; read today: 2 robbers are crucified with Jesus; Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27-28; Luke 23:33; John 19:18

ESV: John 19:18. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.


What significance would it be that Jesus was hung in the middle between two thiefs?  I know enough about the Bible that nothing is put there that is not significant.  Sometimes you have to dig a little to see it though.

In our lives today we often put significance to a central position.  The man or woman of honor at a banquet is often seated at the center of the table.  When a Formula One driver wins a race, they put up a podium with the top three drivers, the winner at the center.  Same with the Olympics.

But with the cross, the Romans saved the center cross for the worst of the criminals that were being murdered.  It is hard to believe that Jesus would have had the center cross for just claiming to be King of the Jewish people.  As I think about it, it was appropriate, He was taking on Himself the sins of all the people who ever were and would be.  All that sin is a lot, more than any criminal would ever do.  By placing Jesus where they did, they made a statement without even knowing it.



Read for next time: Inscription written by Pilate; Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-22