Facing Problems

September 16, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today: Jesus answers the mob with authority; John 18:4-9


ESV: John 18:5. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.

Jesus had never been one to avoid a problem but I can imagine that this was a time that He was tempted to.  Death is on its way and these people care going to take Him to it. He could have run away. He could have called angels to His side to defend Him. He could have forced the soldiers to identify Him (Judas had taken care of that thought). He does none of these. He asks whom they seek. He faces the problem head on.

Like Jesus I have to face problems head on. In a self-help group that I am that deals with co-dependency and addictions one of the things that I have learned is that even if the problems in my life are the result of other peoples actions, they still are my problems. I can not make excuses as the why they are there. I can not say I have a choice to react this way because of what they did to me.  I need to roll up my sleeves and address them head on.

Like Jesus, there is going to be pain in my future. Running from it can only delay the pain, and most likely make everything worse in the process.  If I face it head on, like Jesus, the reward on the other side of the problems will be great.


Read for next time: Peter severs the ear of Malchus; Matthew 26:50-54; Mark 14:46-47; Luke 22:49-50; John 18:10-11

Why a kiss?

September 2, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today: Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss; Matthew 26:48-50, Mark 14:44-45; Luke 22:47-48

I wonder about things sometimes.  Why was a kiss used by Judas to betray Jesus? Why use Judas at all.  Why not just have someone come and arrest him.


ESV: Luke Chapter 22
 [47] While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, [48] but Jesus said to him, Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

Then one day I head a song the late Michael Card called ‘Why’.

Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord?
and why did he use a kiss to show them, that's not what a kiss is for?
Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain.
and only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain.

It all kind of makes sense when you think of those word.  Strangers would not betray Him, they would not be able to get close enough to identify Him.  For Jesus to have the full effect, it would have to be done by a friend.  A mob coming after Him would not have done it.

I have felt the betrayal of a friend, and I know I am not perfect by any means.  How much more painful would this have been, coming from one who loved Him.

I can only imagine what that paid was like.


Read for next time: Jesus answers the mob with authority; John 18:4-9

Light

September 2, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today: Mob comes to arrest Jesus; Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43; John 18:2-3


ESV: John Chapter 18
 [2] Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
 [3] So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

So the end of Jesus life here on earth begins.  Though He taught openly during the day, and He brought light to the people, the end begins in the dark.

When it is dark, you need light to see. So Judas comes with some light, but not the light. The soldiers carry some small lanterns and torches. They thought that in the light they had, they were doing what was right.

That is the problem, I can be influenced by light that is not the light, but a counterfeit.  They can influence me to do things, gossip about people, desire things that should not, etc.

I need to learn to move away from the small light and move too THE light.  The small ones are ones sent by Satan to deceive me.


Read for next time: Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss; Matthew 26:48-50, Mark 14:44-45; Luke 22:47-48

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