Rocks split

July 13, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today:Earthquake; Matthew  27:51
I have had the experience of being in a few earthquakes, or at least being told that I was in one. I never really felt anything, just was told about it on the news later.  Then one night last fall, I was watching the news after a college football game that had been an upset. I felt the floor of my concrete slab house shake. Things shook like crazy and there was a loud rumble. We found out later it was the largest earthquake that the state of Oklahoma had ever had, and it was half a state away.  While someone from California might not have thought twice about what we experienced it scared me. I can only imagine what it was like to be alive in Jerusalem the day that Jesus gave his life, the earth shook, the rocks split.

BBE: Matthew 27:51. And the curtain of the Temple was parted in two from end to end; and there was an earth-shock; and the rocks were broken;

What was it like? Did they have earthquakes in Israel in those days. I do not know, but I think they did not. Even if they did, the rocks were split open.

Just as the curtain had been torn and man now could approach God directly, the earth opening up showed that gates of hell were now broken and the people who believed in the true God could be set free

Life would never be the same again. And when I learned of what Jesus did for me, my life could never be the same again.

Read for next time: Saints rise, after Christ's resurrection; Matthew 27:52-53

Torn Curtain

July 12, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Temple veil torn from top to bottom; Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45

ESV: Luke 23:45. while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

We read these words and think that it was nothing important. It was a curtain that was hanging and it got torn apart by some unknown quantity. We may even think it was eaten away by moths or something like that.

That is not how it was. This was a thick curtain. I have done theater and I picture to be like the curtain that opens and closes the acts of a play. It allows no light to pass, it is heavy enough that if you were hit with it coming down you would feel it for a few days.

In this case it was that and more. Not only was it one curtain, it was two that were overlapping. It was designed to keep people away from where God’s presence in the temple. Only a priest could go in there, and only after a serious cleansing ritual.

And now, as Jesus died, the curtain is torn. Now there is nothing to keep man from God’s presence.

That is why Jesus came, and died on the cross.

Read for next time: Earthquake; Matthew  27:51

How Jesus died

June 9, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Jesus bows his head and dies;  Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30

ESV: John 19:30. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

As strong as Jesus was, physically and spiritually, I do not believe that He was killed. I do not believe it was possible to kill Him at all. I do believe that He had fulfilled all that He was supposed to do and knew this was the time.
Jesus did all He did because He had one idea in mind, salvation for you and me.  Until He had done that He was going to stay alive no matter the pain. What if He had to do something else? Would He still stayed alive. Yes! His love for us was that strong.

Read for next time: Temple veil torn from top to bottom; Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45

Trust

April 14, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit."; Luke 23:46

I can remember when my kids were little, I would hold out my hands when they were up high someplace and scared. I would tell them to jump into my hands, that I would catch them.  Sometimes it would work, sometimes not.  When it did, there was a level of trust built up between us.  Because of that, when other situations would arise,  I could get trust from them much easier.  Why? because a level of trust had already been reached with them.

Think about how much Jesus trusted the Father.

Common: Luke 23:46. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And having said this, he breathed his last.

This is the ultimate in trust.  Jesus was being killed for something He did not do. He had the sins of all man on Him. The Father had abandoned Him, and yet, He called out and in His last words said, Father, I trust you.

I often have problems letting God fix some of the areas of my life. It is not because I do not believe He can handle it, it is because I do not trust Him to do it my way.  Yet like Jesus, I need to trust God in all areas of my life.  My way may be the right way to do something, but if I am not trusting God in it, then I am not trusting God.  If Jesus can trust Him with all He went through, I can also learn to trust Him in all areas of my life.

Read for next time: Jesus bows his head and dies;  Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30

A loud voice

April 14, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Jesus cries out; Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46

BBE: Matthew 27:50. And Jesus gave another loud cry, and gave up his spirit.

I will admit that what I am typing today is not original, I heard it in a sermon yesterday and the church I attend.

Stop and think about things for a few minute and you can see something unique in this verse.  Jesus cried out in a loud voice.  A man who was about to die would not cry out with a loud voice, he would barely talk at all.

Jesus was in full control of the time that He was about to die.  It is said that this was the time of the Passover lamb sacrifice and the timing, if accurate, was important, but more important was the fact that Jesus was in control. Too often I have read this and thought that Jesus died at a point when His body could take no more. Further fact that Jesus chose to die for me.

Read for next time: "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit."; Luke 23:46

A final journey begins...

April 14, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: "It is finished."; John 19:30

Weymouth: John 19:30. As soon as Jesus had taken the wine, He said, "It is finished." And then, bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

I have always read this verse and connected the statement and the giving up of Jesus Spirit as tied to each other.  Another thought came across my mind today.  “It is finished” might not be referring to the death, but to the life that He had to participate in.

They had beat Him, whipped Him, mocked Him, nailed Him to a cross, and as a final insult gave him sour wine to drink as He thirsted.  The time had now come, all prophecy had been fulfilled. It was time to start the final journey.

I have heard many stories about people who have lived long, productive lives.  They die peacefully, with a smile on their faces. They have started on their final journey as well.  Jesus may not have said this in the way I have looked at it for so many years. It may have been a cry of happiness, now that He was on His way to be back with the Father.



Read for next time: Jesus cries out; Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46

Sour Grapes

April 13, 2012

The Life of Jesus; read today: Jesus is offered sour wine on a reed: Matthew 27:47-49, Mark 15:35-36, John  19:29-30

Sour grapes.  The term brings up something that all of us would try to avoid.  Something that is so bad you just want to spit it out of your mouth.

BWE: Mark 15:36. One man ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink. He said, ‘We will see if Elijah will come and take him down!’

Here was the man that would save them all and all they could give Him was sour wine, made from grapes. That act was the final rejection of Jesus.  After this He would give it up.  The final thing that was done to Him was an insult.

But who did that to Him?  We can claim that it was some bystander like the Bible says, but really, wasn’t it you and me that did this to him.  Every time I respond in anger to someone, try to cheat someone, try to get my own way, I put that wine on the sponge.  Jesus did that all for me.


Read for next time: "It is finished."; John 19:30