Imperfect Prayers to a Perfect God

 Sometimes I find that in order to believe I have to first stop and confess my unbelief.

What exposes my unbelief? It is the depression that is caused by my inability to protect the people that I love. I come to God overwhelmed because of my inadequacy. I am face to face once more with the lie that I have believed, that I can be my own God and that I have the power to save myself or anyone else who is trapped by sin.

I have enough faith to pray, but at the same time my eyes are filled with the struggle before me. I am blinded by my unbelief and I stumbled and fall before the throne of Him to whom I bring my petition. If the answer to my prayers were dependent on my faith, I would be hopeless. I have come, but before I can voice my prayer I must first confess my disbelief.

My prayer is not pretty, it is not well crafted, it is poured out in tears and inarticulate groans. It isn’t because of my faith that my prayers are heard, it is because of the Lord’s faithful love. Even though at times my ears are deaf to the truth of His steadfast love, His ears are never deaf to my plea for mercy. I discover again what I have found to be true so many times before: His mercy never comes to an end. His faithfulness doesn’t depend on my ability to believe. His love is steadfast and unfailing.

When my storm of tears and pleas have quieted, I wait. My heart is still heavy, the situation has not changed, but in the silence I find rest for my soul. I know that I have been heard. Quieted by His love I am aware of His outstretched hand. He raises me to my feet and I stand. My faith has been restored and I remember that, though I cannot save the ones I love, He can.

When You’re Coming Apart at the Seams

The Greek word for anxiety is merimna. HELPS Word-studies describes it this way, a part separated from the whole; (figuratively) worry (anxiety), dividing and fracturing a person’s being into parts. Perhaps you’ve experienced the sensation of becoming emotionally disintegrated. There are times when the pressures of life make you feel like you are coming apart at the seams. What do you do?

My daughter gave birth to twins two weeks ago. Because they were premature, they had to stay in the NICU. Abigail was able to come home, but because she developed postpartum preeclampsia we ended up making two emergency trips to the hospital. The last time we went they did a CT scan to check and see if there was any bleeding in her brain. When I wasn’t with her in the hospital I was helping to take care of her two special needs little boys. The twins are home, my daughter is doing well, and the little boys are thrilled with their tiny baby sisters. However, there can still be opportunities to feel anxious.

When we exhaust our store of endurance we are invited to cast our cares on a God who cares about us. When our strength fails God invites us to enter into His rest. There is a name for this exchange. It is called humility. True humility happens when we are fully dependent on the Lord. “Humble  yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6,7).

When I feel like I'm falling apart I remind myself that I have an invitation to find refuge in the shelter of the Most High God. When I am overwhelmed I find my resting place in the shadow of the Almighty. When I finally stop trying to be in control I find peace for my soul. I cast my anxiety on Him and find that He has covered me with His feathers and that refuge is found under His wings. Fear cannot follow me into this place of humble trust.

The stresses of this life expose our frailty. How we respond to those stresses exposes what we believe. However, when we respond with humility and choose to fully trust God we find that He is worthy of our trust. “We may trust Him fully, all for us to do, They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.”

*Like A River Glorious 

At the Golden Altar

There is a place where the divine world and the human world come together. It is a place of exchange and communication. I have been invited to come to this place with boldness, and so I come. I come boldly, but I also come aware of my weakness and my need. With a humble but hopeful heart I approach the golden altar that stands before the throne of God.

Altars represent places of sacrifice. What is it that I bring to this sacred place? I bring my need, my brokenness and my confusion. My heart full of concern for those I love, my mind flooded with circumstances over which I have no control. These are the sacrifices I bring on bended knee but with a heart lifted to the Sovereign who is seated on the throne.

There are times when the sacrifices that my heart bears are so heavy that tears replace words. But in this sacred place I encounter Love that can translate my inarticulate plea. I find someone who advocates for me before the throne of grace. Here, at the golden altar, the cry of my heart is transformed into incense that is pleasing to God.

At the golden altar the darkness within me is bathed with light. It is here that grief is replaced with comfort, and fear and helplessness with His presence and peace. The welcome that I find does not cease, because access has been gained for me by the blood of the Lamb who stands before the throne.

This golden altar is a place of exchange and communication; not only a place where I am heard and known, but a place where I come to listen. It is here that I find that the Almighty God who is seated on the throne is One who wants and waits to be known. You cannot come into the presence of this holy One and stay the same. My plea and my prayers go up from this altar as a pleasing fragrance, and in exchange I receive mercy and grace to help me in my time of need.

Where Is Your Focus?

It’s hard not to be constantly checking the news. There is so much going on. However, if your only perspective is what you hear, and it really doesn’t matter which news group you listen to, you’re bound to feel anxious. I have found a cure. It is a change of focus.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared do you from the beginning? Have you not considered the foundation of the earth? God is enthroned above the circle of the earth...” (Isaiah 40:21,22) When our mind is focused only on the things happening around us we become unbalanced. We become like people who are tossed about by the waves of an angry sea.

The chapter in Isaiah that begins with the words, “Comfort, comfort My people,” asked the question for a second time. “Do you not know? Have you not heard” (Isaiah 40:28)? What was it that they should have known? What was it that they should have heard? “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).

When our view of God becomes limited we begin to see ourselves as victims of chance. When we cease to know that God is almighty and that the Lord God comes with strength, and that His power establishes His rule we lose sight of truth. When our view of God is small our souls shrink and we become fearful. To have a proper view of God is to have a proper context in which to place all that is happening around us.

*“We become like the things we focus on. If we center on man rather than God, then we ought not be surprised in we finish up off center—eccentric.”

*Selwyn Hughes

Come With Me on a Spiritual Journey

There is a chill in the air and dusk seems to be coming a little earlier every day. Autumn is a transitional season that links summer to winter. For me it’s a season of reflection. In my journey through the Bible September takes me through Job, Ecclesiastes and then into the Song of Songs. These are not books that are easy to understand. As I have read through them I’ve been thinking about how they reflect my own spiritual journey.

As a young child I would enter into the reverential silence of the sanctuary. There was the lingering fragrance of frankincense and myrrh, the flickering of the candles, and the chanting in Latin from the balcony behind me. My eyes would seek out the candle that I had been told was a symbol of God’s presence. I  genuflected and took my seat. As a little girl I was introduced to the holiness of God.

My Grandmother lived close by, and often I would spend the night with her. At bedtime she would invite me to snuggle close beside her. I listened as she read aloud long portions from the book of Isaiah. I could feel a stirring in my soul even though I had no understanding of the poetry of the words. I would stand at the doorway in the morning waiting as she knelt by her bed, her long grey braid falling between her shoulders. I would listen as she blanketed those she loved in prayer. I traveled in prayer with her as she prayed for my aunt who lived as a missionary on the Amazon River. I learned that though God was holy I could learn to hear His voice, and that He was listening for my voice as well.

As a child I was taught that Jesus loved me. This was symbolized for me by a picture of Jesus sitting on the grass surrounded by children. In the picture there was a little girl with her head on Jesus’s lap. I believed that that little girl was me. Every night I would pretend that my pillow was His lap. In childlike trust I would rest my head there. As the night shadows gathered I would rest in His tender love and care.

This was how my journey began, with simple childlike faith. But it is a journey, and that is what I see represented in the books of Job, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. There has been light, and there has been darkness; there have been times when I have felt a deep intimacy with God, and there have been times that I wondered if He existed at all; there have been times when I have wept with the knowledge of His kindness, and there have been times when I wondered if He was cruel. I would like to invite you to join me as I reflect on my spiritual journey.

Confronting the Challenges We Face

The value of filling your mind with the grandeur of God is that everything else finds its proper place. I was thinking about this when I read the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16. Asa found himself in a battle where he was completely outnumbered. If he had only responded to the threatening situation based on what he could see, he would have been defeated even before he went to battle. Instead, Asa reacted by crying out to the Lord: “Lord, there is no one besides You to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder You” (2 Chronicles 14:11).

Asa didn’t focus on the strength of his enemies, he focused on the strength of his God. God showed up and fought the battle and gave Asa a mighty victory. The Spirit of God spoke through a prophet to Asa and told him: “The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandoned Him, He will abandon you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). These words encouraged Asa and he began to remove all the idols from the land and to separate himself from influences that would separate him from God.

Asa enjoyed the blessing of peace that came when he trusted God. However, when Israel’s King Baasha went to war against him, he went into the Lord’s temple for something other than prayer. This time he went into the temple and brought out the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord to make a treaty with Aram’s King Ben-hadad. He was no longer seeking help from God; instead, his focus was on human help.

God again spoke to Asa through a prophet. This time He rebuked Asa for depending on a human king and not on the Lord his God. He reminded him of his past victory and how, when he had depended on the Lord, the Lord had given him victory. Then the prophet said, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9). However, Asa’s mind was no longer filled with the grandeur of God and everything had lost its proper place.

The story of King Asa is not just a history lesson. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). We are living in a time of great difficulty. We are being confronted with the challenges that are very much like the challenges of King Asa. I believe that how we respond will be determined by how we see our God.

The Source of True Strength

I was visiting with my daughter Abigail who is expecting twins. She has already been “blessed” with two special needs little boys. Life can be hard; life can be difficult; and sometimes the unknown is terrifying. As we visited, I shared with Abigail what I have found to be the source of strength in difficult times.

I have discovered this reservoir again and again, not when life was going as I thought it should, but when I was confronted with challenges that felt insurmountable. That was when I discovered the truth of the hymn by Annie J. Flint that says: He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; to added affliction He added His mercy, to multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

The name of this hymn is “He Giveth More Grace.” I shared with Abigail the different chapters in my life where I experienced the sweet place of surrender. “When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere the day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun.”

The book of James tells us to, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” What is joy? Joy is produced when you become aware that even the greatest trial cannot exceed the provisions or the resources God has for us. The more we experience His limitless love the more steadfast we become in our faith.

What is the source of true strength? I believe that true strength comes when the hardships of this life cause us to become sure of what we hope for, because we have encountered the limitless provisions of a loving God. When we lean hard on the everlasting arms we find that His power has no boundaries. The byproduct of this kind of strength is both joy and peace.

A Sacred Mystery

Every year I step into a sacred mystery that began in the courts of heaven when Satan asked God’s permission to test Job. I see the loss and grief that God allowed Job to suffer, and then I listen as Job’s friends attempt to defend God by heaping guilt on Job. I read aloud each argument as these men try to explain God. I begin again to see the holiness of God. 

Isaiah opens our ears to the voice of God, and we can hear Him explaining His holiness this way, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8). Part of this sacred mystery is not only the holiness of God, but the invitation to know Him.

When I was a child I felt like I knew and understood God. He was my friend. When I was a teenager I went through a very difficult time that shook my world. I could not fathom why He would allow me to go through such a confusing time. It was the first time that I began to recognize the holiness of God. It was a humbling experience. I was confronted with the choice of walking away or pursuing a sacred mystery.

With a trembling heart I chose to accept the invitation to, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). It was during this time in my life that I began to understand what it meant to fear the Lord. In the Scriptures whenever the temporal is intersected by the eternal it brings with it a sense of awe. To come into the presence of a Holy God with a heart of awe and wonder is to begin to find wisdom.

I have found that the longer I live the more aware I am of the sacred mystery of God. Through the pages of Scripture I am invited with the angels to see God seated on His throne and to listen to what they never stop saying day and night: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming” (Revelation 4:8). Like Job, I will never truly be able to understand or explain a holy God, but like Job I can declare, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). Until that day, I am content to, by faith, live my life in sacred mystery.

He is Risen, So What? (Mark 16:8)

The day dawned, the morning star rose, the demons fled, the angels shouted for joy, but men continued to slumber blanketed by sorrow and disbelief. The eyes of flesh were blind to the spiritual victory that had taken place. The ears of men had failed to hear the spiritual truth spoken by the Messiah--that the curse of death would be broken--and so they slept; weighed down, paralyzed by grief.

The women were drawn to the tomb not by faith but by love, desiring to do one last act of kindness for their Lord’s dead body. They had witnessed Jesus’s humiliation, they had seen His mutilated, dead body hanging on the cross. They thought that they had watched hope perish. They saw where His lifeless body was buried. Darkness came, and all light seemed to be extinguished.

Spiritually blinded eyes could not see that the sun of righteous had risen, that death’s sting had been removed, and that the grave had lost its victory. The sun of righteousness, however, did arise that morning with healing in His wings. The women exchanged their grief for bewilderment. Their sorrow was replaced by astonishment when they encountered not a corpse to anoint with spices but an angel with the message of resurrection. They were given a new task, not to minister to a dead body, but to be the first to proclaim the resurrection.

The good news about Jesus the Messiah didn’t end when He died on the cross, but with the message that He conquered death. The good news is that the sun of righteousness has arisen with healing in His wings. He touches spiritually blinded eyes and gives sight. Jesus opens ears that are spiritually deaf so that we can hear eternal truths. He touches those who are spiritually paralyzed and gives their life new purpose. The good news is that the curse spoken at the beginning of time has been broken, fellowship with God has been restored, death has been conquered. 

How did the encounter with the angel impact the women at the tomb? They were terrified, astonished and afraid. The women were overwhelmed and started running from the tomb. The gospel ends with the strange statement that they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. When they did at last tell the disciples they weren’t believed, because the disciples were mourning and grieving. And now the question is, what will we do with the good news?

“And Peter” (Mark16:6-7)

“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.”* I have no doubts that Peter suffered from PTSD because of his guilt as he replayed the disturbing vivid memory of the look in Jesus’s eyes just moments after he had denied with oaths that he did know Him.

I wonder if Peter found comfort in the words of David as he relived his failure: “Have  mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you only have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:1-4).

Jesus had told Peter that before the rooster would crow twice Peter would deny Him three times. Peter, however, rejected what Jesus said. He believed that his devotion to Jesus was strong enough for any test. The Sabbath between the crucifixion and the resurrection held no rest for Peter as he relived again and again what he thought was unimaginable. “Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:9-11).

After the crucifixion Peter was haunted by the memory of his failure. His mind was bound up in shackles as he relived his denial again and again. However, if Peter had only known his own righteousness, how could he have ever fully known what it means to be redeemed? The voice of shame and regret was silenced when Peter heard the message that the angel had given the women: “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you’” (Mark 16:7).

Again Peter could now say with David, “Oh, what a joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are left in complete honesty” (Psalm 51:1,2)! The beauty of redemption could only be fully realized after Peter saw his desperate need for a redeemer.

*Mayo Clinic 

“Just as He Told You” (Mark 16:6)

The disciples had been full of anticipation as they made their way the Jerusalem for the Passover. They had no more doubts that Jesus was the Messiah. They had heard His teaching on the kingdom of God. They heard His message from the beginning that the time was fulfill and the kingdom of God was at hand! They had even argued about who would get to sit on His left and right after He set up His kingdom. They had fed on every word that came from His mouth. Or had they? 

From the time Peter had put into words what they all believed, that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus had spoken plainly about what to expect. He had told them that He would suffer many things and be rejected by the chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. He had repeated this to Peter, James and John as they descended from the Mountain of Transfiguration. A third time in the gospel, Jesus taught His disciples that He would be betrayed and killed, and again He told them that He would be resurrected. On the third day after His crucifixion was anyone expecting His resurrection?

After they ate the Last Supper together they went out to the Mount of Olives. It was there that Jesus told them, “All of you will run away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I have resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Mark 14:27,28). Did they hear what He said about the resurrection? I don’t think so, because what follows is Peter arguing with Jesus that he would never deny Him! All the disciples felt the same way. However, everything happened just as Jesus said it would. Peter denied Him, and the disciples scattered. Could they see past their failure to Jesus’s faithfulness? After the crucifixion where they anticipating seeing Him in Galilee like He had told them? 

They didn’t understand. Why? For years the Jewish people had waited for the Messiah to come. They had waited for Him to come and establish the kingdom, a kingdom like they had experienced under King David. They longed for the yoke of oppression to be broken. Then Jesus came. He healed the sick, opened blind eyes and deaf ears, He raised the dead. He taught with authority and told them that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He also taught His disciples that He would be rejected, betrayed, and killed, but He always added that He would rise after three days.

Three days after the crucifixion where were the disciples? They were hiding in fear. The angel told the women who had come to anoint Jesus’s dead body that He had risen from the dead. He went on to tell them to go tell Jesus’s disciples and Peter that He was going ahead of them to Galilee, just as He had told them. Isaiah had prophesied that Galilee of the Gentiles would be filled with glory. He had gone on to say, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness” (Isaiah 9:2). What had prevented them from hearing what Jesus said? I think perhaps it because it was so different from their preconceived ideas. This leaves me with a question. What keeps us from truly hearing what Jesus says?

Joy Came in the Morning (Mark 16:4-7)

“When a man dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes” (Job 14:14). The relief that Job, a man of sorrows, was seeking did come. Death was conquered when the one whom Isaiah called “Man of Sorrows” appeared. Jesus spoke to Martha, in her grief, concerning the death of her brother Lazarus and gave her hope. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25). But did hope die on the cross for the three women who were present for the death and burial of Jesus?

Their eyes were swollen from the weeping they had endured in the night. It was still dark, and their minds were downcast with sorrow as they gathered together with their spices to anoint Jesus. In the twilight before sunrise they made their way to the grave, their hearts heavy with grief. But the darkness of night could not restrain the bright morning star, and the promise that had been given long ago was kept. Joy came in the morning!

When they looked up they found that the heavy stone they had feared would block their entrance had been rolled away. They entered the tomb, but to their amazement they found a young man dressed in a long white robe sitting there. “‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he told them. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you’” (Mark 16:6,7).

What had He told them? On the night before His death Jesus had told His disciples that after He had risen He would go ahead of them to Galilee and meet them there. What else had Jesus told them? “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Death could not conquer life. The grave was not victorious over the resurrection. In the words of John Mark McMillan, “The Man, Jesus Christ, laid death in his grave.”

Job had asked in his grief, “When a man dies, will he come back to life?” When Jesus died on the cross He paid the wages for our sin once and for all. When He rose from the dead He broke the curse of death. Hope did not die on the cross, it was established. Jesus promised that “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). 

Walking in the Mystery

I’ve been working on a memory project. When I was teaching the book of Revelation I was struck by the promise of blessing given twice in the first chapter: "Blessed is the one who reads and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near!” I decided that if there was a blessing for those who read and those who hear and keep what is written that I would memorize it. So I stepped into the mystery, filling my mind with visions that I didn’t and don’t fully understand. 

Why? Many people have asked me this question. Many people have told me that though they read the Bible they avoid brought the prophets. I understand. So why am I memorizing the book of Revelation?!?

I see prophecy as an invitation to intimacy with God. In the book of Amos God states that He does nothing without first showing His  servants the prophets. Jesus was a prophet. His longest teaching was a prophecy about what to expect at the end of time. He told His disciples that He would no longer call them servants because a servant doesn’t know what his master is about to do. He called them friends and prophesied about the end of time.

As I pull back the curtains of heaven and gaze at the One seated on the throne and fill my mind with His thoughts, I am humbled to the core of my being. I have no time charts. I am simply walking in faith. I am like a young child gazing at things I don’t fully understand. But I am beginning to understand part of the blessing. I have found that when my focus is drawn to the eternal the temporal finds its correct place.

That surgery. I had difficulty waking up and was the last one in the recovery room. My husband was the only one left in the waiting room. Even the receptionist had left. When the nurse came back to get him, he asked if I was all right. She hesitated and then told him that they were having difficulty waking me up and that I was quoting the ninth chapter of Revelation. Steve smiled and told her that that was normal.

I am walking in the mystery with childlike faith, believing and anticipating the blessings promised. This week, while reading a children’s Bible to my grandchildren, I received one of those blessings. I was reading about the seven priests who were carrying the seven trumpets before the ark of the Lord. For seven days they marched around Jericho, the gateway to the promised land. The seven trumpets that the priests blew before the ark of the Lord proclaimed the end of one rule and the beginning of what God had promised. I think it was a shadow of what I memorizing about the seven trumpets before the throne of God heralding the end of Satan’s kingdom and the coming of the kingdom of God.

Faithful Worship (Mark 16:1-5)

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). The Lord was watching as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome came together while it was still dark with one purpose in mind, to minister to Jesus. They had been there at the cross doing the only thing they could, being present. They did not leave until they had seen where Jesus’s body had been placed.

They had rested and wept on the Sabbath. The aroma of their worship had reached the very throne of God as they gathered the spices with which they planned to anoint Jesus’s body. As the sun began to rise, their silence was broken by the question, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us” (Mark 16:3)? But their love and devotion and desire for one last act of service was greater than any obstacle that stood in their way.

What does true worship look like? The God of the universe invites us to have a relationship with Him. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. By Him everything in heaven and on earth was created. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made” (John 1:3). The almighty God who spoke the world into being became flesh. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had been invited to have a relationship with Jesus by caring for His earthly needs. Their last act of worship would be to anoint His body which they had seen buried in the tomb.

The privilege of anointing Jesus’s body for burial, however, had not been given to these three women. It had been given to Mary of Bethany. When Mary had been criticized for breaking the alabaster jar and pouring its content of nard--worth almost a year’s wages--Jesus had come to her defense. He told them to leave her alone; that she had done what she could. He went on to say that she anointed His body for burial ahead of time. These women, like Mary of Bethany, had a heart of worship. They were doing what they could to express their love for Jesus.

Often our acts of worship meet with obstacles. For Mary of Bethany it was the disapproval of those who considered her worship wasteful. For the three women on the way to the tomb it was the large stone that blocked their entrance. However, the eyes of the Lord see our heart. Jesus saw Mary’s heart and told those who wanted to shame her that wherever the gospel was preached what she had done would also be told in memory of her. When the three women arrived at the tomb the large stone was already rolled away, and they were the first to receive the good news of Jesus’s resurrection.

No Longer a Secret Disciple (Mark 15:42-46)

The message Jesus had proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near had ignited a spark that became a flame of longing within the heart of Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus had shared with him what he had learned the night he had secretly gone to Jesus. “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). I believe Nicodemus and Joseph had many secret meetings as they watched Jesus’s ministry grow. 

Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. We know from the Gospel of John that he was a disciple of Jesus, but not openly. He kept his belief in Jesus a secret because others in the Sanhedrin were vehemently opposed to Jesus. He was afraid. He could lose everything if he made his belief public.

Joseph had marveled as he listened to the answers that Jesus gave to the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. No one could find fault with Him, and Joseph had hoped that this would at last convince the Sanhedrin that Jesus was the Messiah for whom they had been waiting. All hopes were dashed when he had been awakened early in the morning for the illegal trial of Jesus. Though Joseph had opposed the Sanhedrin’s plans and actions, he was powerless to prevent them.

I wonder if Joseph and Nicodemus were together at the cross and if they remembered what Jesus had told Nicodemus when he had met with Jesus in secret under the cover of night. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God” (John 3:14-18).

Joseph of Arimathea had not consented to what the Sanhedrin did. He had been unable to prevent what was happening; however, he did what he could. He went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. He and Nicodemus were no longer secret disciples. Joseph placed Jesus in a tomb cut out of a rock. In doing this he fulfilled the prophecy, “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). Joseph of Arimathea was no longer a secret disciple.

The Women at the Cross (Mark 15:40,41)

Grief alters time. The days become long and the nights are endless. No matter how many people surround you, they cannot change the feeling of being lost and alone, because grief is a solitary pain. My granddaughter’s life was eclipsed by grief this week when her father was suddenly killed in a motorcycle accident. I watched as her mother, my daughter, did what she could. It is the ancient art of nurturing. With deep humility I watched as my daughter encircled her daughter with love, knowing that she could not take away the pain she saw in her child's tear-stained eyes.

“There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, When He was in Galilee, they followed him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem” (Mark 15:41,42). They had been there when Jesus had made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Their voices had joined in with the multitude as they cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Their hearts, minds and souls were wrapped in wonder of the joy that lay before them.

Why had the women followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem? They were there to minister to His needs and those of His disciples. They were quietly taking care of daily needs. However, in the presence of Jesus no one was in the background. In the eyes of Jesus these women were His mother and His sisters. He Himself had said, “Whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sisters, and mother” (Mark 3:34,35).

Jesus touched each individual life. Mary Magdalene had been possessed by seven demons. Her life had been a living hell. Her actions had been dictated by the darkness that dwelt inside her. There had been no escape--that is, until she encountered the light of the world. The bonds that bound her heart, the shackles that had held her prisoner fell off, and she was free. Where once there had been darkness there was light; where once there had been death there was life. When the demons were gone she rose to follow Jesus, to follow wherever He would lead.

Often when you become a mother your name is lost. The mother of John and James had a name. Her name was Salome. She had dreams for her sons, and she felt close enough to Jesus to voice those dreams. She asked that her sons might sit on Jesus’s left and right when He established His kingdom. On Monday when she had joined the throng in joyful praise she had believed that Jesus would soon set up His kingdom, but by 9 o’clock Friday morning those dreams were dashed. There was Jesus, hanging on a cross. There were thieves hanging on His left and on His right. Salome did not walk away, because she was not only the mother of James and John, she was a follower of Jesus.

What do you do when you encounter sudden and unforeseen grief? How do you respond when the Sovereign Lord allows suffering you cannot comprehend? I believe when we encounter an altering of our stories and the stories of those we love that we are invited to humble our hearts and bend our knees. God alone is the author, but we find our place in the story by our presence and encircling those we love. In humble service we do the will of God. 

Redeemed! (Mark 15:38)

You don’t become a centurion by acts of kindness. He was coarse and vulgar. As an executioner, his heart had become as hard as the nails that he hammered into the hands and feet of Jesus. He had trained himself not to see the pain he inflicted on others. For three hours he had joined in the sport of mocking this man whom he had hung on a tree. He had wiped his blood-stained hands as he gambled for the Jesus’s clothing at the foot of the cross. The blood stained clothing still held the fragrance of the nard that Jesus had been anointed with. Something stirred within the centurion.

At noon, with the sun directly overhead, darkness fell. It was as if a shroud had covered the light. In the darkness the centurion could hear as Jesus struggled to breath. In the darkness he heard the words that began to shatter his hard heart. Words spoken from the cross were few because of the great effort it took to simply breathe. The words he heard created a flash of light within his dark soul, “Father, forgive them; for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus had experienced nothing but cruelty. But just as the darkness could shroud but not extinguish light, so the cruelty Jesus experienced could not diminish His kindness. The thief who had hurled insults at Jesus earlier now asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. With life-giving kindness Jesus spoke, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Years of treating others with ruthless brutality had hardened his heart until it had become like a tomb. But in the presence of relentless tenderness his heart began to soften.

Standing in the darkness, stained by the blood of the man hanging on the cross before him, an awakening began to take place. For years he had tried to put to death his blood-drenched conscience. He had been chased deeper and deeper into the darkness to escape the light that might expose what he had become. Standing guard at the cross he could no longer find refuge in the darkness. For three long hours he stood guard as the light of the world hung on the cross before him. 

When the work of redemption was completed, the centurion heard Jesus say, “It is finished!” Then, to his utter astonishment, he heard Jesus cry out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” and He breathed His last. The ground beneath the cross began to shake, the earth slit open, and those who had been confined to their tombs were brought to life. “When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, ‘This man really was God’s Son'” (Mark 15:39)!

Behold the Lamb! (Mark 15:37-39)

When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” It was during this same time that a voice came from heaven and said of Jesus, “You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You!” These were the proclamations at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, but it was during the last week of Jesus’s life, Passover Week, that we realize what it meant to be the Lamb of God.

There was great excitement in Jerusalem. Many people from all over the country had arrived in Jerusalem, and they were all looking for Jesus. “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will He” (John 11:56)? Imagine the thrill of the crowd when Jesus and His disciples joined the throng of pilgrims streaming into Jerusalem. They cut branches; they spread their coats to make a path for Him as He neared the city. They cried out: “Hosanna! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the Blessed One—the King of the Jews” (John 12:13) *Unwittingly, the crowds chose their Passover lamb on the day the sacrificial lambs were to be chosen.

Exodus 12:5 taught that the Passover Lamb must be without blemish. It was the responsibility of the religious leaders to examine the lambs brought for Passover. Only a perfect, spotless and unblemished lamb would be acceptable. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, Herodians, and scribes each took turns examining Him. They were looking for blemishes, trying to expose a flaw that would disqualify Jesus as the Messiah. However, no one could find any fault in Him. He was without blemish.

On Friday as Jesus hung on the cross, the Temple was crowded with the pilgrims who had brought their lambs to be slain for Passover. At 3 in the afternoon the sound of the shofar would be heard along with the priests chanting, “The cords of death entangled me...precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Righteous One...Open for me the Gates of Righteousness...The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Psalm 113-118). *The dead lambs were hung on hooks, forearms spread in a crucifixion pose as they were skinned and prepared for roasting. At 3 in the afternoon Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.

“Then the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). Behind that veil was the Holy of Holies, the mercy seat, and access to the very throne of God. By the blood of the lamb we may enter into this throne room. Through the lens of Revelation we can look at the throne. There we see the Lamb who is at the center of the throne, and He is there as a shepherd who leads those who enter by His blood to living waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Behold the Lamb! Behold the Son of God in whom He delighted and sent to take away our sins. This same Father will one day wipe away every tear. Behold, the love of God!

*Sar Shaalom Passover Lamb KOEHN 

Seeing the Cross Through a Prophetic Lens (Mark 15:22-36)

“Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against His Messiah, saying, ‘Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraint’” (Psalm 2:1-3). By nine in the morning in the city of Jerusalem, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, had assembled together against Jesus; Jesus, who God the Father had declared to be His beloved son in whom He took delight.

In “The Psalm of the Cross” we hear through prophetic voice the words of Jesus when He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Psalm 22:1)? In this Psalm we hear the voice of Him who was adored by angels cry, “Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: ‘He relies on the Lord; let Him rescue him, since He takes pleasure in him’” (Psalm 22:7,8).

Through this prophetic Psalm we not only hear the prayers that Christ cried out from the cross, but we hear the cruel mocking, the scornful ridicule of those who shot out their lips and wagged their heads at Him. In His agony He was surrounded by derisive laughter. As the Saviour hung with His arms wide open. Priest and people, Jews and Gentiles, soldiers and civilians, all united to ridicule Him as He hung dying.

Though the gospel writers don’t go into details of the excruciating pain that Jesus suffered, “The Psalm of the Cross” does. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth... They pierce my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:14-16). The Psalm goes on to to tell us, “People look and stare at me. They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:17,18) *The first Adam made us all naked, and therefore the second Adam became naked that he might clothe our naked souls.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4,5). Sometimes to understand what you are looking at you have to see it through the prophetic lens of Scripture.

*The Treasury of David by Charles H. Spurgeon 

Whose Cross Was Simon Carrying? (Mark 15:21)

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” This quote from John Lennon came back to me as I considered the encounter that Simon, a Cyrenian, had with Jesus when Jesus was on His way to Golgotha. “They forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’ cross” (Mark 15:21). How random. What an example of bad luck! If only Simon had lingered over breakfast, or if he could have quickened his pace, he might have escaped this misfortune.

Cyrene is the present-day Libya. It is probable that he had made the journey of almost 800 miles to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. He was “coming in from the country,” he was “passing by.” There is no indication that he wanted anything to do with this gruesome execution. However, he was forced to lay aside his plans and take up the cross of Christ. He was not in charge of his destiny. Who was in charge? 

If we look at this scene from simply a human perspective, it appears that his plans were hijacked by the tyranny of Rome. But if we use the lens of Scripture we see a different picture. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23). Look at what this verse is telling us. It is not only the path that is directed, it is the steps. His steps led him directly to the cross of Christ. 

Jesus had taught His disciples that if anyone wanted to come with Him that he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Jesus. We know from the gospel of Luke that the soldiers seized Simon, put the cross on him, and made him carry the cross behind Jesus. Perhaps, as with all the other disciples, it wasn’t Simon who chose Jesus, but Jesus who chose Simon.

Whose cross was Simon of Cyrene carrying? Was it his cross or was it Jesus’ cross? The answer is, both. Every morning I pray a verse from the book of Philippians. My prayer is that I might know Christ the Messiah intimately. I ask that I might know His resurrection power. Last of all I ask that I might share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. Jesus Christ laid aside His celestial robe and instead He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Today, Jesus still invites anyone who would follow Him to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. We know Simon’s name because the Sovereign Lord knew Simon’s name. He knows the name of all who follow Him. 

The Shame of the Cross (Mark 15:15-20)

“He was like one people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him” (Isaiah 53:3). From among the twelve that Jesus chose to be His closest followers, one betrayed Him, all forsook Him, and Peter denied that he knew Him. When Jesus revealed to the Sanhedrin that He was the Messiah, “They all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him, and to beat Him saying, ‘Prophesy.’ Even the temple police took Him and slapped Him” (Mark 14:64). Why did Jesus endure this?

When He was judged before Pilate as the King of the Jews, the crowd chose a murderer to be released instead of Jesus. Pilate handed Jesus over to be flogged and then crucified. “Then the soldiers led Him away into the courtyard (that is, headquarters) and called the whole company together. They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on Him. And they began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They kept hitting Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying Him homage. When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him” (Mark 15:15-20). Why didn’t Jesus stop them?

Only in the honor-shame culture values of the New Testament can we begin to fully appreciate the suffering of the Messiah. Why did He do it? “Yet He Himself bore our sickness, and He carried our pains, but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). It’s been a year since I’ve seen my only son Andrew. The week before he was to return to the United States, I received word that because of Covid-19 he would be unable to come home. I will need to wait several more months to see him. With this longing in my heart for my son, I consider the love of God the Father when He sent His son to atone for my sins.

Jesus was cursed, shamed, scorned and humiliated. Why? We find the answer in Hebrews 12:2: “Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” Jesus had come as the Messiah to bring salvation. He had come to declare the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus accomplished these things on the cross. On the cross Jesus bore our sickness and carried our pain. We are healed by His wounds and through His sacrificial love we find ourselves welcomed into the kingdom of God!

With Crimson Wings (Mark 15:1-15)

He had been tried, found guilty, and was condemned to death. Not just any death, but the torturous, cruel death of crucifixion. He had no hope. All he could do was to wait. He knew his guilt, he knew the condemnation that was his. What he didn’t know was that there was someone who would go to the cross in his place. Isaiah 53 had spoken of a Savior who would be “pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Barabbas experienced the fulfillment of this prophecy in his encounter with Jesus Christ.

Jesus had been declared undeserving of death by Pilate. Yet, when Barabbas’s shackles were removed and he had been declared free, his ears were filled with the cry, “Crucify him!” The crowd was not, however, crying for his crucifixion. It was demanding instead that Jesus be crucified. Barabbas hadn’t been one of Jesus’s followers, and yet Jesus took Barabbas’s place on the cross. When I think of this I’m reminded of Romans 5:8: “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” What was true for Barabbas is true for me; it’s true for you.

Barabbas is acquitted while the sinless Savior dies. In the Old Testament when a someone was cured of leprosy there was a rite of cleansing  that involved two birds. *The one bird was killed, and its blood was poured into a basin; the other bird was dipped in this blood, and then, with its wings all crimson, it was set free to fly into the open field.

The bird slain well pictures the Savior, and every soul that has by faith been dipped in His blood flies upward towards heaven singing sweetly in joyful liberty, owing its life and liberty entirely to Him who was slain. It comes to this—Barabbas must die, or Christ must die; you the sinner must perish, or Christ, Immanuel, the Immaculate, must die.*

This is the gospel. We soar on crimson wings. This is the place we must return to again and again. This is truth we are called to walk in. When our enemy tempts us to despair by reminding us of our guilt and shame, we are to remember that because the sinless Saviour died, our sinful soul has been counted free. Every day we are to tell ourselves the gospel and soar on crimson wings.

• *Barabbas preferred to Jesus by Charles Spurgeon

 

•  https://youtu.be/4MUNywhsZPU

The Choice (Mark 15:6-15)

They had a choice between a man who had led a violent uprising against the authority of Rome and in the process had committed murder, or Jesus. Jesus who had said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). During Jesus’ ministry He had taught them to *suffer any injury that could be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord’s keeping. 

Rome was not the first country to enslave the children of Israel. They had spent 400 years in bondage to Egypt. God appointed Moses to lead His people to freedom. When Moses was forty years old he had committed murder in an attempt to rescue and avenge his Israelite brother from an Egyptian, but this was not God’s chosen way. Release from Egypt did not come by a violent uprising and murder. Instead, God’s people were set free by the shed blood of the Passover lamb.

“At the festival it was Pilate’s custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested” (Mark 15:6). What was the festival? It was the Passover. The lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world stood before them. But He had no form or majesty that the people could see, even though Pilate presented Him as “the King of the Jews.” He stood before them having spent the night being spit at and abused, and He had no beauty that would soften the heart of the mob. They despised Him and rejected Him. 

The choice was made. “Give us Barabbas!” Give us a man who will fight against the heel of Rome. Give us a man willing to murder in his zeal. And what about Jesus? When Pilate asked the mob they shouted, “Crucify Him!” “Then Pilate said to them. ‘Why? What has He done wrong?’ But they shouted, ‘Crucify Him!’ all the more” (Mark 15:14). How did Jesus respond? “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). 

When I was a child my grandmother taught me the Bible verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). I struggled with this verse. I wanted to gain eternal life on my own merit and by my own efforts. Again the Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). In the presence of the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, how many will cry, “Give us Barabbas”?

*Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary 

Decide (Mark 15:1-15)

Things are not always as they appear. The Sanhedrin tied Jesus up and led Him away, and handed Jesus over to Pilate. Why? They had judged Him guilty of blasphemy and they wanted Pilate to judge Jesus deserving of death. Pilate looked at the man standing before him. He was bound, with fresh bruising on his spit-stained face, and Pilate asked, “Are You the King of the Jews” (Mark 15:2)? 

What does it mean to judge? To judge is to decide. Jesus now stood before Pilate, and he had to decide what to do with this man. When Jesus stood before the high priest and claimed to be the Son of Blessed One, the high priest had judged Jesus to be deserving of death. Pilate didn’t seem to be as anxious to put Jesus to death. When the crowd pressured him to crucify Jesus he asked, “Why? What has He done wrong” (Mark 15:14)?

I believe that we are all in the position of Pilate. We must all make a decision about what we are going to do with Jesus Christ. At some point in our lives we must all judge the claims of Jesus. We know from the book of John that Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. Jesus even told Pilate that He was born for the purpose of the kingdom. When Jesus had begun His ministry, He had proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near. Pilate tried to wash his hands of this judgment. He didn’t want to make the decision about what to do with Jesus Christ.

In not making a decision he made a decision. Why do we even know the name of Pontius Pilate? He would have been an insignificant blip in history except for his encounter with Jesus Christ. He is memorialized in the Nicene Creed when it says, “He suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Jesus told Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). The truth was and is on trial. No one can escape judgment.

Pontius Pilate saw a man standing before him waiting for judgment. In truth it was Pontius Pilate standing before the Judge. Everyone will one day give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Pilate tried to escape judgment by turning his back on Jesus and asking, “What is truth” (John 18:38)? But, when he turned his back on Jesus, he made his decision.

Sifted (Mark 14:54,66-72)

Do you know what it means to be sifted? It’s a farming term, a process by which the wheat is agitated or shaken until the chaff is separated from the grain. Jesus told Peter that Satan, the prince of evil, had asked permission to have Peter so that he could sift him like wheat. This is reminiscent of a scene from the book of Job where Satan asks permission to test Job. With Peter, as with Job, Satan was given permission to sift them like wheat.

Those God has allowed to be sifted are forever changed; changed in how they see themselves as well as how they see God. At the end of Job’s season of testing he declared, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5,6). How was this true for Peter since his eyes did see Jesus, God incarnate? How was Peter’s view of both himself and Jesus forever changed after the prince of evil had finished sifting him?

On the night before His crucifixion Jesus had told His disciples, “All of you will run away, because it is written; I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14:27). Peter was indignant. Hadn’t Jesus Himself changed his name from Simon, meaning “reed,” to Peter, meaning “rock”? Peter insisted, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not” (Mark 14:29)! Jesus responded to Peter and said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). However, if there was one thing Peter was sure of, it was his love for and his devotion to Jesus, so he told Jesus, “If I have to die with You, I will never deny You” (Mark 14:31)! Peter’s understanding of who he was and his relationship to Jesus was forever changed that very night.

When the mob came with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, to take Jesus by force, just as Jesus had said, Peter and all the disciples deserted Him and ran away. However, Peter followed at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. The predawn chill and the horror of what was taking place chilled Peter to the core of his being, and he sought warmth by sitting with the temple police by a charcoal fire. Jesus was being spit on, beaten and slapped by the very ones with whom Peter had been warming himself. What was Peter doing? He began to deny Jesus to a slave girl. The third time Peter denied Jesus he did it by cursing and swearing an oath. Immediately, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind. Peter was shaken to the depth of his being, and he wept bitterly.

Jesus gave Satan permission to sift Peter but not to destroy him. After the resurrection there was another charcoal fire where Peter warmed himself. The sense of smell, probably more than any of our other senses, is closely linked to memory and can trigger emotions. It was here that Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Peter didn’t use the same Greek word for love that Jesus used. The experience by the charcoal fire where he had warmed himself with temple police and had denied Jesus had humbled him. Peter now had a clearer understanding of who he was and who Jesus was. It was here, with the smell of the charcoal fire in his nostrils, that Jesus redeemed the memory of Peter’s greatest failure. Peter had been sifted, now Peter could strengthen his brothers and shepherd Jesus’s sheep.

The True High Priest (Mark 14:60-65)

“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrew 5:1). Caiaphas was the high priest before whom Jesus stood. He was the high priest who was to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins on behalf of men in relation to God. He was the mediator between God and the people. It was Caiaphas who had said about Jesus, “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:50). It is fitting therefore that when the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world stood before Caiaphas the high priest at the feast of Passover that Caiaphas should condemn Him to death.

When Caiphas asked Jesus if He was the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, Jesus responded, “I am.” “Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’” (Hebrew 5:5). The earthly high priest then tore his robe in the presence of the true high priest. After the high priest tore his robe and condemned Jesus to be deserving of death, Jesus was treated with contempt, being spit on and slapped. In treating Christ this way they fulfilled the messianic prophecy. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised; we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). 

Here is a great mystery: that the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world should be sacrificed at the Feast of Passover. The Feast of Passover was to commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel from the bondage of  slavery in Egypt. Jesus was, “oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Jesus had come to break the curse and bring liberation from sin and death.

Jesus, however, was not only the sacrificial Lamb, He was also God’s appointed high priest. Jesus is the true mediator between God and man. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrew 5:9,10).

What does this mean for us today? It means that when Satan tempts us to despair, reminding us of our guilt and the sinfulness of our souls, that we have not only a Savior who redeemed us by His blood but a High Priest who intercedes for us. We are invited to draw near to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. Jesus the Lamb of God who took away our sins sympathizes with our weaknesses and intercedes for us before the throne of God. 

Who Is Jesus? (Mark 14:53-63)

When I was a teenager a priest challenged me by saying that Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God. He told me that Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, not the Son of God. Recently I read a quote by historian Bart Ehrman that said, “If Jesus had not been declared God by his followers, his followers would’ve remained a sect within Judaism, a small Jewish sect.” It can be very intimidating when well educated men challenge your faith.

Did Jesus ever make the claim that He was the Son of God? There were many times throughout Mark’s gospel that Jesus told those who followed Him and those He healed to be silent concerning His identity; but was there ever a time when Jesus plainly stated that He was the Son of God? Yes. It was when the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death and they couldn’t find any. There were many who came to give false testimony but they didn’t agree with each other. Finally, the high priest questioned Jesus. Jesus didn’t defend Himself against the false accusations, so the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One” (Mark 14:10)? To this Jesus said, “I am.” But He also added, “ and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). With these words Jesus claimed to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Jesus not only said that He was the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, He also told all who were seated in judgment of Him that “all of you will see Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). The high priest would have known the reference to Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In His short response Jesus also made reference to Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my lord: ‘sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Did Jesus claim to be the Son of God? Yes. He also claimed dominion over those who were judging Him, and let them know that one day His Father would make them a footstool for His feet. Is it any wonder that the high priest tore his robe and cried, “Blasphemy!”?

The high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and all the scribes gathered together to judge Jesus, and like a lamb before its shearer is dumb, in the same way Jesus didn’t open His mouth. However, when the high priest finally asked the only question that really matters, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One,” Jesus didn’t hesitate to answer. This is a question we must all ask, “Who is Jesus?” Through the gospels we have the same evidence that the Sanhedrin did. Our response to this question will determine our relationship to Jesus when He returns.

If Anyone Has an Ear (Mark 14:47)

I was furious! He was standing in my kitchen using Jesus’s name as a cuss word! Then, as an added insult, said, “It doesn’t matter, because I don’t believe in Him anyway.” I scraped the chair on the floor as I pushed against the table to stand. I stalked out of the house and slammed the door behind me! My silence didn’t last long. Once outside I screamed in anger, “How dare you talk like that in my home!” My tongue became a deadly weapon.

At first I felt that the harsh words pouring out of my mouth were justified. But as my fury died down, I began to realize the wounds my sharp words had inflicted on their target, and I felt remorse. My self-righteous attitude changed when I remembered how Peter had taken his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his ear. I don’t think for a minute that Peter was aiming for his ear. How did Jesus respond to Peter? He told him to put away his sword and then restored the man’s ear.

James 1:19-20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteous of God.” Anger is a God-given emotion that we feel when we or someone we love is threatened. I completely understand why Peter would want to use his sword to defend Jesus! However, there was a far greater story being told than the chapter being played out in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had come to break the curse that enslaved the hearts of men. Jesus restored the slave’s ear and by His kindness made it possible for him to hear the truth of the gospel.

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). When the heat of my anger cooled and I realized that I was not righteous but wrong, I began to pray and ask Jesus to bring healing. I began to think of how Jesus had responded in kindness even when He hung on the cross. What did He say? “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus had begun His ministry by saying that the kingdom of God was at hand. He encouraged those who He met to repent and believe the good news. When Jesus told parables about the kingdom He would end the parable with these words, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.” As I thought about this I realized how I, in my self-righteous angry, could use my rash words like a sword to remove the ear of one with whom I was angry. In deep repentance I asked Jesus to restore the one I wounded so that he might be able to hear the mystery of the kingdom of God.

The Betrayal (Mark 14:43-48)

What is phileo love? It comes from the Greek word philos which means “affectionate friendship.” Strong’s Concordance says that its usage is: I love (of friends), regard with affection, cherish; I kiss. HELPS Word-studies definition of phileo is to show warm affection in intimate friendship, characterized by tender, heartfelt consideration and kinship. It is the word used to define the kiss that Judas gave Jesus when he came at night with a mob with swords and clubs. “‘The One I kiss,’ he said, ‘He’s the One; arrest Him and take Him away under guard.’” (Mark 14:44)

*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.* “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). Judas, one of the Twelve, brought with him a mob with swords and clubs when he came to betray Jesus. Have you ever experienced the sorrow of betrayal?

I keep hearing stories of those who seem to have had a close and intimate relationship with Jesus making public confessions of, “Why I’m no longer a Christian.” It’s not a personal walking away from their faith, it’s public. Judas didn’t slip away from Jesus in the night, instead he took a company of soldiers and some temple police from the chief priests and Pharisees. He knew where Jesus would be, and Judas led them to Him with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 

In Matthew we are told how Judas went boldly up to Jesus, greeted Him by calling Him Rabbi, and then kissed Him. How did Jesus respond? “‘Friend,’ Jesus asked him, ‘why have you come’” (Matthew 26:50)? In response the mob took hold of Jesus and arrested Him. This Greek word for friend is herairos. This word carries with it the idea of someone who is viewed as a friend, but is actually an imposter acting for self-gain. I believe that this kind of betrayal is happening today. 

The Bible teaches that “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Christ redeemed all those who put their faith in Him. He became a curse for those who put their trust in Him when He hung on the tree. Judas was filled with remorse when he saw the results of his betrayal. He regretted what he had done. He tried to reverse what was happening when he saw that Jesus was condemned by returning the silver that he had been paid. However, he never put his trust in Jesus. Instead he hung himself on a tree. So what would our loving friend and Savior say to those who publicly betray Him today? “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). While there is breath there is hope for true repentance.

* “Why” by Michael Card

The Arena of Prayer (Mark 14:32-42)

He was deeply distressed and horrified. He had taken Peter, James and John to be with Him while He prayed. “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is swallowed up in sorrow--to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake’” (Mark 14:34). Earlier that same evening Peter had told Jesus that even if everyone ran away he would certainly not! Peter had insisted that even if he had to die with Jesus that he would never deny Him! However, when Jesus fell to the ground and began to pray, Peter lay on the ground and slept.

This ground to which Jesus fell was * “God’s arena” - “the physical theater” in which our eternal destiny freely plays out.* In this arena Jesus fought and won the battle in prayer. He prayed as He had taught His disciples to pray. Deeply distressed He called out, “Abba, Father!” He honored His Father, acknowledging that all things were possible for Him. His ministry had begun in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Now, as Jesus earthly ministry was coming to an end, Satan was with Him once again, but this time in the garden, tempting Him to forfeit the Kingdom and reject God’s will.

When Jesus found His disciples sleeping He asked Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37,38). The arena where the battle of temptation was to be fought and won was prayer. When Jesus had taught His disciples to pray He had taught them to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). This kind of prayer is more than words; it’s being vigilant, and alert, aware of the battle raging.

Jesus had given a similar admonition when He told His disciples what to expect before the “end of time.”  “Watch! Be Alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming. It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming--whether in the evening or early in the morning. Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert” (Mark 14:33-37)!

In the arena of prayer as I watch and wait for Jesus to return in glory, I find that, like Peter, my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. Life becomes a struggle and I long for escape, a place to hid from the crushing pressures of this physical theater where everything that I believe is being put to the test. In my spirit I see Jesus deeply distressed and horrified at the cost of my salvation. How shall I respond? I fall to the ground and pray, “Abba, lead me not into temptation, deliver me from evil. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak.” By God’s grace I choose to stay spiritually awake and pray, because this battle is fought and won in the arena of prayer!

*HELPS Word-studies

Alone (Mark 14:27-31)

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick--who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:9,19). 

When Peter had first begun to recognize who Jesus was, he responded by saying, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8)! But Jesus didn’t go away; instead He invited Peter to join Him. Peter left everything to follow Jesus. Jesus chose Peter to be part of His inner circle. He changed his name from Simon, which means “reed,” to Peter, which means “rock.”

Peter participated in the miracle of feeding five thousand men when he helped distribute the five loaves and two fish that Jesus had multiplied. He had not only seen Jesus walking on the water, but had gotten out of the boat to join Him. Later when many of Jesus’ disciples had turned back and no longer followed Him, Jesus had asked the twelve if they wanted to leave too. It was Peter who answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68).

For three years Peter listened to Jesus teach about the kingdom of God. Anticipation grew as they began the ascent to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus had taught His disciples to pray for the kingdom to come. They had prayed, they had believed, and they were ready to take their places in the kingdom that they expected Jesus to establish. But as they neared Jerusalem Jesus had begun to talk again about being handed over to the chief priests and scribes. He spoke of being condemned to death and being turned over to the Gentiles and being killed. He also told them that He would rise in three days, but they couldn’t understand.

Peter considered himself Jesus’ right hand man. He had been the spokesperson for all the disciples in declaring that he believed Jesus to be the Holy One of God. He had rebuked Jesus when He had first spoken about being rejected and killed. Peter again tried to correct Jesus when Jesus told him that he, Peter, would deny Him. Peter knew that he was not only a faithful follower of Jesus, but that even if he was the only one left that he would die for Jesus!

Peter didn’t understand the establishment of the kingdom was not a joint effort. The kingdom would be established when the curse was broken by Jesus dying alone on the cross. Peter didn’t know his own heart any more than any of us do. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

When Jesus Sang (Mark 14:26)

Did you know that God rejoices over you with joyful songs? “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). On the night before Jesus gave Himself to us as our savior, He sang.

It was customary at the Passover to sing “The Hallel.” Psalms 113-118 make up the Hallel. These Psalms praise God for the various aspects of His great saving power. Psalm 118 is not only the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament, but it is possibly the song that Jesus sang with His disciples before He went out to the Mount of Olives.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1)! Enduring love, loving kindness that lasts forever, loyal love that is eternal. Listen and hear the voice of Jesus as He sings! The Psalm begins and ends with the same words like a love song that embraces the one who listens.

As Jesus sang the words of this song, He would also have been comforting Himself with the truth. He knew what He was facing as He sang, “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me” (Psalm 118:5-7). Jesus had been preparing His followers for what He would suffer, and now as He sang He steadied His own heart with the words of this hymn of praise.

From the beginning of His ministry Jesus had declared that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15)! Jesus had not only come to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom, He had come to set His beloved free by breaking the curse of sin and death. His steadfast love would be rejected by many, but those who were quieted by His love would find that He was the cornerstone of the kingdom.

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I Await the Promise (Mark 14:24-25)

I will never forget the day that I received my engagement ring. It was not just the gift of a beautiful ring from someone that I loved, but a change of status. This ring was an announcement that I was engaged to be married. Throughout the time of my engagement I would hold out my hand and look at my ring with a feeling of anticipation, I was to be a bride! The ring was symbolic of the wedding and marriage that was to follow, and I wanted to share my joy with everyone that I met.

There is a Jewish wedding tradition connected with a marriage proposal that is similar to the giving of an engagement ring. *According to rabbi Michael Short of Phoenix, Arizona, when a Jewish man would propose marriage to a prospective bride, he would offer her a cup of wine. If she drank it, she was accepting the betrothal. Once the woman was betrothed, she would wait for the man to go home to his father and make arrangements for the wedding and their new home together.

At the Passover meal, the third cup of wine was called the “Cup of Redemption.” This was the cup that Jesus was referring to when He said, “This is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many” (Mark 14:24). Just as the bride would drink from the “Cup of Betrothal” and enter into a covenant with the groom, Jesus offered the “Cup of Redemption” to His bride the church.

The fourth cup at Passover was commonly called the “Cup of the Kingdom.” It is also called the “Cup of Consummation.” About this cup Jesus said, “I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). The Jewish bride and groom would celebrate their marriage with a wedding feast that began with the “Cup of Consummation.”

As I consider this, I am filled with a sense of hope and longing. I have drunk from the Cup of Redemption. I have placed my faith in the blood of Christ that was shed for me and all who come to Him by faith. When I take communion I remember the anticipation I felt when I received my engagement ring. I wait with hope and longing, along with all those who have entered into this covenant with Christ, to share the fourth cup in the kingdom. Until then, I will remember with gratitude both the sacrifice and the promise.

*Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts by Michael Norten

Giving Thanks for The Cup of Redemption (Mark 14:24-25)

There were four cups at the Passover Feast. The four cups were to remind everyone of the four promises of Exodus 6:6-7: “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under of the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.’”

The Feast began with the first cup, the “Cup of Blessing or Sanctification.” This was a cup to remember how God had promised to bring them out of Egypt, which also pictures a promise that there would be sanctification from sin. The next cup was the “Cup of Praise.” As they remembered how God had delivered them, they were to give thanks. After the meal they would drink the third cup, which was called the “Cup of Redemption.” With this cup they were to remember how they were redeemed with “an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” It was the third cup that Jesus said was the cup of blood of the covenant.

The covenant that would be accomplished as Jesus stretched out His arms and took the great judgements for our sins was represented by this third cup. Jesus told His disciples, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). Moses had spoken of “the blood of the covenant.” It was a covenant made when they offered burnt offerings and peace sacrifices of oxen to the Lord at the foot of Mount Sinai after the law had been given. However, the book of Jeremiah had spoken of a new covenant. The new covenant would not be written on stone. The new covenant would be written on the heart. With the new covenant came the promise, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 32:34).

When Jesus took the cup He gave thanks. The Greek word for “giving thanks” is  euchariste. According to HELPS Word-studies it means, “acknowledging that ‘God’s grace works well,’ i.e., for eternal gain and His glory; to give thanks-- literally, “thankful for God’s good grace.” Jesus took the Cup of Redemption, gave thanks, and then gave it to His disciples. The covenant that had been established in the wilderness after the first Passover was a covenant based on the law, but on the night before He died Jesus spoke of a covenant of grace,

We have an invitation to have communion with Jesus, to give thanks, and remember. What do we remember as we take the bread and wine? Remember what God promised, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of sin. I will deliver you. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” I remember that God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only son for my redemption. By faith I see the outstretched arms of Jesus and I give thanks for the Cup of Redemption.

But there is a fourth cup...

The Bread of Affection Transformed (Mark 14:21,22)

The first time bread is mentioned is in relation to the curse. What had brought about the curse? “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16,17). Man ate, the curse was spoken, but did death come “in that day”?

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). This is the first time Bread is mentioned in the Bible. The rebellion had brought about eventual physical death, but on the day that the sin was born there was a spiritual death. Fellowship with God was broken and the sound of the Lord God walking in the cool of the day had caused the man and woman to hid. The Lord God drove them out of the garden, “lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22).

Many years later the children of Israel were released from bondage in Egypt by the blood of a lamb. The physical bondage they experienced in Egypt is a picture of the spiritual bondage that is experienced because of sin.  Lord led them into a wilderness where they were not able to toil for bread. Instead they were provided with bread from heaven in the form of manna. This was memorialize by the Passover Feast. The Passover is a festival of freedom.

Passover begins when the host holds up a piece of unleavened bread and says, “This is the bread of affliction our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat.”  A child, or the youngest present, then asks a series of questions about, “why this night is different from all others nights.” The evening is spent remembering and retelling the story of the Exodus while eating the unleaded bread, the bitter herbs of suffering, and drinking the wine of freedom.

“And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body” (Mark 14:22). Fellowship with God was restored at the Passover table. Jesus took the bread of affection and changed it into a symbol of freedom. The curse was broken on the cross. The bread that was produced by the sweat of man’s brow was temporal and still death would come. The bread from heaven given by Christ was eternal and brought with it life. What could not be accomplished by the sweat of man’s brow was accomplished by the outstretched arms of Christ our savior.

The Treacherous Kiss (Mark 14:12-21)

“Now, it is not an enemy who insults me—otherwise I could bear it; it is not a foe who rises up against me—otherwise I could hide from him. But it was you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend! We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God” (Psalm 55:12-14). The chief priests and scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest Jesus, and they found what they were looking for in the heart of Judas.

The chief priests, the scribes and Judas shared something in common -- they shared the same father. In the book of John Jesus told how to distinguish those whose father was the Devil. “You cannot listen to My words. You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a  murderer from the beginning and had not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:43).

“Shining morning star (Lucifer), how you have fallen from the heavens” (Isaiah 14:12)! Why did he fall from the heavens? He had been the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and was made in perfect beauty. Satan had been an anointed guardian cherub. What happened? In his pride he said to himself, “I will set up my throne above the stars of God...I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14;12-15).

Lucifer had  been created to worship God. The chief priests were in a place of honor because they were to lead God’s people in worship. Jesus had warned about the scribes because they would go around in long robes and loved greetings in the marketplaces, the front seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. Judas had been chosen as one of Jesus trusted friends. He was the treasurer and had a seat of honor at the last supper. They each had been created to worship God, but wickedness was found in their hearts. They were all treacherous.

What was it that finally exposed Judas’ treacherous heart? His false worship was laid bare in the presence of true worship. Mary, in an act of worship, had broken the alabaster jar and poured out its contents, using the spikenard to anoint Jesus. Judas responded by going to the chief priests to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. The chief priests, along with their father, were glad, hoping that what had been begun in ages past would now be accomplished.

Judas was watching, like a snake hidden in the grass, for just the right time to strike. The Passover meal would seem to have been the perfect time when Jesus would not be surrounded by a crowd. Judas asked, along with the other disciples, where Jesus wanted to eat the Passover. Jesus didn’t give a location, but instead He gave two of His disciples clues to follow that would lead them to their destination. Judas, much to his disappointment, was not one of the two disciples sent.

As they were reclining at the table, Jesus told them that one of the twelve would betray Him. It was only then that Judas left to go to the scribes and chief priests and finalize his plans. What sign did Judas chose for his betrayal? It was the treacherous kiss of false worship.

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