SHARING BREAD

³⁰ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”‘

³¹ For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Luke 23:30-31 (NIV)

In our verses for today Jesus warns us that there will come a time when the unrepentant will plead for cover even to the point of begging the mountains and hills to fall upon them as a protective shield from the splendor of the Almighty’s majesty.  Here Jesus refers to the prophecies stated in Isaiah, Hosea and Revelation:

¹⁷ The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, ¹⁸ and the idols will totally disappear. ¹⁹ Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.    Isaiah 2:17-19 (NIV)

⁸ The high places of wickedness will be destroyed– it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”   Hosea 10:8 (NIV)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”   Rev 6:15-17 (NIV)

“Only those who have availed themselves of the grace of God before the time of judgment will be able to stand when God deals with the earth in this final period of great distress.”   Bible Knowledge Commentary

“To the one who fears God, there is no reason to fear anything or anyone else.”   Beth Moore

“As men have their day of opportunity, and their times of grace, so God has his day of righteous wrath.”   Matthew Henry 

“There is a living God…..He means what He says and will do all He has promised.”   Hudson Taylor

Jesus presents the Daughters of Jerusalem with a pertinent question – if this is how men treat the Savior when He was actually walking among them – when, so to speak, “the tree is green” – what indeed will happen when He is no longer physically here?  

“And are there scoffers, who madly walk after their own lusts, and question the coming of the Lord?  The hour hastens, when infidelity shall doubt no more:  ‘The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.’  How will sinners fade away, and be afraid in their close places, when, visible to all, the Judge shall appear on his great white throne, and from his face the earth and heavens flee away!  Before him shall stand the whole race of men, small and great; and by the testimony of God and their own consciences it shall be fully proved, and openly declared, what they have been, and what they have done.  Then sentence, most righteous, irrevocable, and big with eternity, shall be pronounced.  On the wicked, everlasting punishment; on the righteous, life eternal.  Think, oh think, what destruction is hanging over your heads, ye obstinate transgressors; for ‘behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him; they also which pierced him, and all the wicked kindreds of the earth, shall wail because of him.’  Now, ‘now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation;’ now embrace him as your offered, your all sufficient Savior; so shall you be for ever delivered from him as your angry Judge.  If this you neglect, how shall you abide the day of his coming in flaming fire, to take vengeance on all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel?  Lift up thy head; my soul, none else is Judge but Christ.  Will he who bore my sins, plead against me in judgment?  No; but he will put strength in me.  I know in whom I have believed; and that he is able to keep that good thing, my souls, which I have committed to him against that day.”    K. H. Von Bogatzky

“We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to His providence.”  Unknown

²⁵ I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. ²⁶ And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; ²⁷ I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!   Job 19:25-27 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

• My day of opportunity is now. ¹ As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.   2 Cor 6:1-2 (NIV)
• In fearing God there is no reason to fear anything else.
• God does what He promises in His time.

************************************************************************

NOTE:  Sharing Bread is a Devotional sent out Monday, Wednesday and Friday (prayerfully and Lord willing).  If you are receiving this and would like to be deleted from the list please respond to me via e-mail: beth [beth@crescent-inc.com] and I will take you off (very understandably!).  Also, if you would like for me to add anyone else to the list just e-mail me at the same address!  All Scripture cited is from the New International Version.  Blessings!      

NOTE:  Sharing Bread now has a blog site containing all of the past devotionals archived for easy retrieval and also includes sites for quotes, comments and A Safe Harbor.  To visit this site, set up by my sweet daughter-in-law Calee Yoe, go to www.bethyoe.wordpress.com

SHARING BREAD

²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’

Luke 23:28-29 (NIV)

“When with an eye of faith we behold Christ crucified we ought to weep, not for him, but for ourselves.  The death of Christ was a unique thing; it was his victory and triumph over his enemies; it was our deliverance, and the purchase of eternal life for us.  And therefore let us weep, not for him, but for our own sins, and the sins of our children, which were the cause of his death.”   Matthew Henry  

Believer, we must remember with grief what our sin caused our Savior.  He delivered us from our bondage to sin making us alive with Him, triumphing over Satan by the cross.  Paul tells us in Colossians:

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.   Col 2:13-15 (NIV)

Prior to the cross, man was separated from God – alienated, dead by his sins yet not annihilated – even the unsaved bear God’s image – cut off from spiritual life yet in bondage, retaining human life.  The power that He bestows upon believing sinners resurrects us to spiritual life in communion with Him.  Praise Jesus!

 ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.   Col 1:13-14 (NIV)

“See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down.”   Isaac Watts

 ¹⁶ ”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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.    John 3:16-17 (NIV)

We must always remember the high price of God’s promise ever considering the excruciating condescension of a God who would become flesh, subjecting Himself to the temptations of all the fallenness of man yet remaining sinless, suffering all its pains even to the point of dying its worst death – and that all being accomplished with humility.  One can scarcely imagine an earthly king doing this act for one of the least of his citizens yet the Creator of all heaven and earth did it for us – amazing love indeed!  His passion was extravagant and lavish – just as Scripture tells us – His desire is to overflows our cups!  He did not come to bestow upon us pittance rather plenty.

²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.   2 Cor 1:20 (NIV)

“I’m forgiven because You were forsaken, I’m accepted, You were condemned.  I am alive and well, Your Spirit is within me, because You died and rose again.  Amazing love, how can it be that You, my King, would die for me?  Amazing love, I know it’s true.  It’s my joy to honor You, in all I do, I honor You.”    Chris Tomlin

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.     Psalms 30:11-12 (NIV)

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Our appropriate response is always praise!

What I glean from this:

• Jesus died for my sin.
• Jesus rescued me from the dominion of darkness.
• All the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Luke 23:27 (NIV)

Following after Jesus, lamenting, wailing and grieving these women showed forth serious devotion towards our Savior.  Indeed, the word translated “mourn” used in our verse for today is from the Greek word “Kopto” meaning to beat one’s breast mourning and crying aloud; it is the strongest form used to describe the outward expression of inner grief (Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids).

God calls us repeatedly throughout Scripture to purity in our worship of Him.  He seeks whole hearted devotion from a willing mind.  This is not simply a recommendation or a suggestion rather it is a command and one, I might add, that He is intensely passionate about.   God makes this abundantly clear in the following verses found in 2 Kings:

³⁵ When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. ³⁹ Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”   2 Kings 17:35-39 (NIV)

“We should dedicate ourselves to becoming in this life the most perfect worshipers of God we can possibly be.”    Brother Lawrence

“No one has ever lost out by excessive devotion to Christ.”  H. A. Ironside

¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.  Psalms 84:11 (NIV)

“Do you seek any further reward beyond that of having pleased God?  In truth, you know not how great a good it is to please Him.”  John Chrysostom

God knows our tendency – He knows that many of us are perhaps fickle in our following.  Easily distracted by the “fires” of the urgent, the fine things of this world, friends, family or finances, we may find ourselves faintly fervent in the purity of our worship. 

“We easily fall into idolatry, for we are inclined to it by nature; and coming to us by inheritance, it seems pleasant.”  Martin Luther

God has given us the divine assistance through the powerful Holy Spirit to enable us to keep our path straight- ever pointing us back to a holy preoccupation with the Father.  This is for our good and His glory.

“The Holy Spirit gives the soul a natural relish for the sweetness of what is holy and for everything that is holy as it comes into view. He also intensifies a dislike and disgust of everything that is unholy.”  Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections

When our focus becomes fixed upon anything but Jesus, we set ourselves up for a fall.  It is when our eyes are off Him and on to our circumstances or our abilities or our “Delilah’s” that we become ensnared.  He is the One who leads us victoriously.  He is the One who equips us and causes us to stand.  He is the One worthy of worship. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Heb 12:2 (NIV)

“For every one look within, take ten looks at Christ.”  Robert Murray M’Cheyne

“We are saved to worship God.  All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.”     A.W. Tozer

What I glean from this:

• God desires for me to praise and worship Him with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind.   “Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little.”   Matthew Henry

• The Holy Spirit equips me to be a faithful follower of Jesus.  “Love Him totally who gave Himself totally for your love.”  Claire of Assisi 

• I am to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.  “We are changed by beholding.”  Hudson Taylor

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

²⁶ As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Luke 23:26 (NIV)

Believers, here we have our job description fleshed out in the life of Simon from Cyrene – we are to carry our crosses, denying self, following behind Jesus.  Jesus makes this abundantly clear – every true disciple must take up his cross and follow after Him:

³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.   Matt 10:38-39 (NIV)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.   Matt 16:24 (NIV)

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.   Mark 8:34-35 (NIV)

²³ Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.   Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)

²⁷ And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.   Luke 14:27 (NIV)

“We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives.”  Charles Spurgeon

“When the Roman Empire crucified a criminal or captive, the victim was often forced to carry his cross part of the way to the crucifixion site. Carrying his cross through the heart of the city was supposed to be a tacit admission that the Roman Empire was correct in the sentence of death imposed on him, an admission that Rome was right and he was wrong. So when Jesus enjoined His followers to carry their crosses and follow Him, He was referring to a public display before others that Jesus was right and that the disciples were following Him even to their deaths. This is exactly what the religious leaders refused to do.”    Bible Knowledge Commentary

As followers of our Lord Jesus we must not be surprised to bear our crosses – indeed, we must expect it.  It should come as an encouragement to us when we meet with our crosses that in bearing them we are following the example of Christ.  He has shown us the way and if we follow Him faithfully, He will lead us through our sufferings triumphantly to glory with Him.  This is the law of discipleship and the terms are fixed.  We are to follow after Christ as the sheep after the shepherd – walking as He walked and going wherever He goes.  This is a choice and one that should be accompanied by resolution and cheerfulness.  Our crosses are not for our evil but for our good.  We must not entertain the thought of simply bearing up under the strain yet rather we should learn to embrace what God in His providence has allowed as being for our good and His glory.  We take up our crosses when we rejoice in our afflictions and focus on the good that it will bring about in our lives rather than on the cross itself.  God uses our crosses to conform us to the image of Jesus.  We follow Christ when we bear the cross.    

“If self-denial is a hard lesson, and against the grain to flesh and blood, it is no more than what our Master learned and practiced before us and for us.  All the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ must deny themselves.  It is the fundamental law of admission into Christ’s school; it is both the small gate, and the narrow way.  We must deny ourselves absolutely, we must not admire our own shadow, nor gratify our own humor; nor seek our own things, nor be our own end.  We must deny ourselves comparatively; we must deny ourselves for Christ; we must deny ourselves for our brothers, and for their good; and we must deny ourselves for ourselves, deny the appetites of the body for the benefit of the soul.”   Matthew Henry  

The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective.   A. W. Tozer

What I glean from this:

• My job description as a believer is to carry my cross, denying self and following hard after Jesus.
• My crosses are not for me to simply endure but to glory in as they are used to conform me into the image of Jesus.
• It is in the denial of my flesh that I benefit my soul.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Luke 23:24-25 (NIV)

Readers, we all are presented with a choice – God has surrendered Jesus to the exercise of our will – do we reject, neglect or embrace the Savior of mankind?  Like these teachers of the law and chief priests, we must each make a decision, a choice, a determination regarding our will towards Jesus.  What is our inclination, our want or desire regarding Him?  Are we anxious to rid Him from our presence as these leaders – viciously fighting against Him – striving to silence Him at every turn?   Antagonistically conniving to get Him out of our life?  Do we simply want Him to leave us alone – do we just want Him out of our space?  Rejecting by neglecting – not too dissimilar to Pilate who thought he was washing his hands of Him yet he remained unclean.  Do we blithely go through this life ignoring and neglecting the most important which is, of course, Jesus Himself?  Do we embrace Jesus as our Savior and Lord, accepting His gift of life both for the here and now and for eternity?  Do we seek to love and serve Him with whole hearted devotion and a willing mind – glorifying Him through our obedience, resting secure in Him for our peace?  Do we allow His life to live through us in the power of the Holy Spirit as did His disciples when they turned the world upside down by emptying themselves of them and filling their vessels with Him?  The choice is ours – what do we do with Jesus?   

“Man’s sensitivity to trivia and his insensitivity to matters of major importance, reveal he has a strange disorder.”  Blaise Pascal

“Worldly wisdom is arrant folly; and, when set in opposition to the will of God, will be sure to disappoint us.”  K. H. Von Bogatzky

He will graciously, albeit sadly, grant the request of denial.  Remember how He mourned over those in Jerusalem who would not receive Him – how He longed to gather them under His wings yet they were unwilling?

 ³⁷ ”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.   Matt 23:37 (NIV)

He offers the free gift of abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in the hereafter yet He never forces us to take it.  Knowing that He is best for us, knowing that He is the Way to salvation, Jesus clearly tells us in John:

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.   John 14:6 (NIV)

Because of this, Jesus’ word to us is “Come”!  Come weary and burdened in shackles or free; come joyful or sad infirmed or in health – He simply woos us by His love to come:

²⁸ ”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)

“Behold, the Heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, and thou sayest, ‘Come ye all unto me.’”    Thomas a Kempis

“To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and rest’. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, ‘Go, labor on,’ as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, ‘Come to me and rest.’
Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one,
a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, ‘Come, come, come.’      Hudson Taylor

“The voice of God is a friendly voice.  No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it.”   A.W. Tozer

“Our Creator is infinitely good, and His will is love: to submit to one who is ‘too wise to err, too good to be unkind,’ should not be hard.”  C.H. Spurgeon

What I glean from this:

• I have a choice – what do I do with Jesus?
• As a follower of Jesus, I should be different from the world’s system:   “Our identity as Jesus’ followers should define and dictate our lives.”  Joseph Stowell, III
• Jesus’ word to me is always “Come”.  I have an open invitation to His presence because of His blood that was shed for me.  “The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ.  There is no other way!  Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary.  We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.  Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace.  The cost to God was the Cross of Christ.  To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid.  Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement.  The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive – He would contradict His nature if He did.  The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross.  God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm……Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.”  Oswald Chambers

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

Luke 23:20-23 (NIV)

Even pagan Pilate realized that Jesus had committed no harmful, hurtful evil – certainly no grounds for the death penalty.  Yet these Jewish leaders and teachers of the law were all the more dogmatic and outraged – their mantra simply, “Crucify!”  “Crucify!”  Interestingly, all the evil ever to be committed would be placed upon Jesus on the cross.  The perfect sinless One would endure the wrath of God for all the sins that man was held responsible for – past, present and future.  Paul tells us:

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

Christ’s death on the cross was a substitutionary death – a death in place of ours.  He died for the feeble and powerless; He died for the ungodly sinner; He died for even His enemies.  Scripture tells us:  

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,    Romans 3:23 (NIV)

“He is a physician good to all diseases, especially at the binding up of a broken heart. He died that He might heal our souls with the plaster of His own blood, and by that death save us.  Shall our sins discourage us when He appears only for sinners?”  Richard Sibbs, 1630 Puritan Pastor.

Scripture also tells we are cooked apart from Jesus work on the cross:

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Justified through faith, because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we have received access to stand in the very presence of God.  He has covered us with His righteousness by His blood:

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.   Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)

God declares us righteous on the basis of our faith in Jesus.  Oftentimes, we read these verses so lightly forgetting our grave condition prior to Jesus’ work on the cross.  Paul tells us in Ephesians:

¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.    Eph 2:1-3 (NIV)

Alienated, Paul goes on to say, “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12) concluding with:

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.   Eph 2:13 (NIV)

“So let me encourage you to make the most of every opportunity to share this Good News.  With so much emphasis on hope generated by our current president, we have an obvious inroad to the cultural psyche.  Our Christian testimony, as Peter reminded his readers, is that, ‘we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of the dead’.  Who else has the answer to the frailty of life, the reality of death and the certainty of judgment than Jesus, who by His death destroyed him who holds the power of death and frees those whose lives are enslaved by the fear of death?”  Alistair Begg 

“Amazing love!  How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”   Charles Wesley

 “Man needs, above all else, salvation.”   Norman Goodacre

Do you know Jesus?

What I glean from this:

• Even pagan Pilate realized Jesus had committed no evil.
• Though He Himself sinless, His body bore my sins on the cross – cleansing me with His righteousness:  ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Cor 5:21 (NIV)
• Without Jesus, I am without hope and without God.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”

¹⁸ With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Luke 23:13-19 (NIV)

Neither Pilate nor Herod found any basis for the charges brought against Jesus by the chief priests and the teachers of the law.  Pilate wrongly assumed that a severe flogging of our Savior would satisfy the bloodthirsty crowds yet they simply were not going for that.  It appears they would rather have an insurrectionist and a murderer among them than a Savior!  In unison, as one powerful voice, they cry out for the release of Barabbas.  I am sure that no one was more surprised than Barabbas!  All the while, Jesus spoke not a word – silently fulfilling prophecy from the pen of Isaiah:

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.   And who can speak of his descendants?  For he was cut off from the land of the living;   Isaiah 53:2-8 (NIV)

Isn’t it interesting that Pilate recognized Jesus’ innocence yet being fearful of the crowds allowed them to determine the outcome?  Isn’t it strange how we often fear man over God?  Scripture tells us:

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.   Prov 1:7 (NIV)

“It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man.”   John Witherspoon

To fail to recognize God’s character and appropriately respond to His character by reverence, obedience, worship, trust and service to Him, we are missing the mark on what it is to fear the Lord and we are foolish.  Contrary to what our selfish natures may scream, His ways are far higher and far superior and far more satisfying and far more profitable than our ways.

“The end of learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love Him and imitate Him.”  John Milton

 ¹² And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?     Deut 10:12-13 (NIV)

 Scripture states through the pen of the prophet Isaiah:

⁸ ”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
⁹ ”As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.    Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

“God’s compassion on those who turn to Him comes because His thoughts and ways are far superior to human thoughts and ways, which in fact are evil. God’s plan is something people would have never dreamed of.”     Bible Knowledge Commentary

Paul, quoting the prophet Isaiah, tells us:

⁹ However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” —    1 Cor 2:9 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

• Jesus silently suffered for me – restraining His omnipotence to save me from me.
• To fear the Lord is the beginning of my knowledge and it results in my reverence, obedience, worship, trust and service to Him.
• God’s ways are supremely higher than my own.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends–before this they had been enemies.

Luke 23:10-12 (NIV)

Impudent and bold were the accusations of the chief priests and teachers – one can almost hear the chattering nonsense as the scene is envisioned.  They did not let up with Pilate and they were certainly not about to let up with Herod either.  They wanted Jesus rid of.  Herod and his cohorts were very abusive to Him as well – mocking and ridiculing our Savior as He silently suffered the slander.  Is it not amazing to see the sheer audacity of mere dust fleshed out?  Is it also not just as amazing to see Jesus restrain His all powerful hand?  I am reminded of Solomon’s words in Proverbs exhorting us all to embrace wisdom rather than be a participant in the foolishness of this world:

²² ”How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?  How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? ²³ If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.    Prov 1:22-23 (NIV)

Isn’t it easy to go along with the crowd, to get caught up in the worldly ignorance of man – smooth talking orators, sounding good but lacking any substance?  Blending with the world, fearful of standing alone – even to the point, as our verses for today state, that enemies become friends, we often get caught up in the power of “they”.  “What will they think?  What will they say?  Who is “they” anyway?  Scripture tells us to choose wisely the path God holds out for us – we are to keep from going our own wicked ways.  We are to refrain from blending with the world:

¹⁶ This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’   Jer 6:16 (NIV)

If we would only learn that God calls for our repentance and trust so that we may experience His rest, strength and power.  Sadly, we often will turn our backs on His offer.  God tells us through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.   Isaiah 30:15 (NIV)

  ….”The fact of the matter is that we cannot cast off restraint, run riot, please ourselves and be completely hedonistic without a price having to be paid. The human price is the destruction of relationships; the spiritual price is a breach with God.”   John Blanchard

“Want of trust is at the root of almost all our sins and all our weaknesses, and how shall we escape it but by looking to Him and observing His faithfulness.  The man who holds God’s faithfulness will not be foolhardy or reckless, but will be ready for every emergency.”    Hudson Taylor

“We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.  If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by ‘looking unto Jesus’.  Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him.  Oh!  Let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.”     C. H. Spurgeon

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace.  In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.  His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood.  When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.  When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found!  Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!  I trust His righteous character, His council, promise, and His power; His honor and His name’s at stake to save me from the burning lake.  On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.  All other ground is sinking sand.”    Edward Mote

What I glean from this:

• Man has always been desirous of going his own way – there is really nothing new under the sun.  It was true in Jesus’ day and it is just as true in our day.
• It is easy for me to get caught up in the world’s way of thinking.  I must, therefore, be intentional in my focus on Jesus and His ways:   ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.    Heb 12:1-3 (NIV)
• I must trust Jesus at all times not giving way to my anxieties, fears, selfish ambitions or vain conceits.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

Luke 23:8-9 (NIV)

Interestingly, the poorest beggar asking for the relief of his necessities was never denied by Jesus yet here we see Jesus passing on performing even the smallest miracle for this prideful prince.  Scripture always rings true as it tells us:

³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”   James 4:3-6 (NIV)

“Wonder not, if thou prayest in such a manner as this, that thou receivest nothing.  Labour to get a deep sense of the majesty of God, and of his mercy, upon thy mind, that thy prayers may be fervent and earnest; and God will bless thee.”     K. H. Von Bogatzky

Falsely thinking he was in control and wanting to be entertained by the performance of the miraculous, Herod’s pompous heart did not move Jesus – He remained silent.  The next verse clearly shows Herod’s true intentions of ridicule and mockery:

¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him.   Luke 23:11 (NIV)

“He might have seen Christ and his wondrous works many a time in Galilee, and would not.  Now he would see them, and shall not; because he knew not the day of his visitation.  Miracles must not me made cheap, nor Omnipotence be at the beck and call of the greatest potentate.”   Matthew Henry

“Pride alienates man from heaven; humility leads to heaven.”  Bridget of Sweden

Jesus saw through Herod’s duplicity as nothing in a man’s heart is hidden from His sight – nothing.  The writer of Hebrews tells us:

¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.   Heb 4:13 (NIV)

We also find in 2 Chronicles:

⁹ For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.  2 Chron 16:9 (NIV)

Sadly, because of his prideful heart, Herod had missed his day of opportunity.  Paul tells us plainly in 2 Corinthians:

¹ As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.   2 Cor 6:1-2 (NIV)

Jesus inaugurated this wonderful message of God’s grace in Luke:

¹⁸ ”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”   Luke 4:18-21 (NIV)

“Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah who could bring the kingdom of God which had been promised for so long—but His First Advent was not His time for judgment. The crowd was fascinated at His teaching—The eyes of everyone… were fastened on Him (Luke 4:20). Jesus’ words plainly stated that the offer of the favorable year of the Lord (i.e., the kingdom time) was being made to them through Him (v. 21).”     Bible Knowledge Commentary

“The present time is the only proper season to accept the grace that is offered…..Tomorrow is not ours; we do not know what will be tomorrow.”   Matthew Henry

We are not to spurn the grace held out to us in this present Age of Grace:

“The voice of God is a friendly voice.  No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it.”   A.W. Tozer

What I glean from this:

• God is not at my beck and call – like a giant dispenser of whatever I may order.  He is Holy and Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Majestic, Loving, All Knowing and on and on but what He is not is my magic genie.
•  My heart is not hidden from God’s sight.
• I must never spurn the grace of God.

************************************************************************

SHARING BREAD

⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Luke 23:4-7 (NIV)

Here we have a classic case of the proverbial “passing the buck”!  Not desiring of charging Jesus with wrong-doing and finding no basis for His guilt, Pilate was delighted to pass this “problem” of Jesus along to Herod.  The chief complaint of the religious leaders and the teachers of the law against our Savior to Pilate was that He “stirred up” the people all over Judea.  Indeed, He had stirred them up but not in riotousness but rather in righteousness.  His call was to everything virtuous and praiseworthy.  I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians regarding this call for wholesome living:

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.   Phil 4:8-9 (NIV)

“The Holy Spirit gives the soul a natural relish for the sweetness of what is holy and for everything that is holy as it comes into view. He also intensifies a dislike and disgust of everything that is unholy.”  Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections

The call for those who follow Jesus was and still is one of honesty, reliability, and dignity.  It is one who is worthy of respect, who conforms to God’s standards, and one who is wholesome and pure.  It is one that promotes peace rather than conflict, and one who is positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive.  It is no wonder that Pilate could find no basis for a charge against Him. 

Jesus’ teaching turned the world upside down – it still does today does it not?  His commands to us certainly go against what comes natural for us.  The Sermon on the Mount is a perfect case in point.  Jesus took the mere adherence to the letter of the law which is simply legalism and lengthened it with the law of love.  The motivation behind the demonstration was a call to love – love of God and love of others.  Jesus tells us the greatest commandment:

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” ²⁹ ”The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”   Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

This was a call to love God volitionally, comprehensively and wholeheartedly – a complete love of our hearts and our souls and our minds.  Jesus stressed the comprehensive nature of the command.  Jesus also added that we are to love our neighbor (a generic term for one that is nearby) as ourselves:    

“The love a person has naturally for himself is not to focus solely on himself—a constant tendency—but should be directed equally toward others.”     Bible Knowledge Commentary    

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not like what they were hearing – set in their ways, unwilling to change or embrace our Savior’s call, they led others astray from the Truth becoming a stumbling block to them. Jesus addresses His sternest words to these religious leaders:

¹³ ”Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.   Matt 23:13 (NIV)

“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, You have brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see You in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Your glory.  Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,  that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Your stars shine; Let me find Your light in my darkness, Your life in my death, Your joy in my sorrow, Your grace in my sin,  Your riches in my poverty, Your glory in my valley.”  From: The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

What I glean from this:

• Pilate had found no basis for the accusations the religious leaders brought against Jesus.
• Jesus “stirs me up” for righteous living through His teachings.
• I am to love God with my whole being and my neighbor as myself.

************************************************************************