Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 7

The last events that took place prior to today is written for us in John 19:40, "Then they took Jesus' body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews." This verse proves one critical truth concerning Jesus' time on earth. He died. He was not simply knocked-out or under some type of deep sleep. Jesus was dead. His body was taken to the place of burial having been prepared for burial.

Today we reflect on the reality of Jesus' body in the tomb. There is nothing recorded in Scripture about this day. However, we know that the disciples had scattered. Peter had gone back to fishing. Their hearts were grieving. The One that they had trusted in and followed for 3 years was now in the tomb. Their hopes of Jesus truly being the Messiah were crushed. How could a dead man be the Messiah? How could Jesus establish His kingdom now?

They had heard Jesus' teachings about the resurrection. Jesus was very forthcoming in what would take place but the disciples did not understand the things Jesus had taught them. Now, the disciples were unsure and completely taken by the surprise because of what just happened.

Oh, but wait . . . Sunday is Coming. The events of early the next day would change everything.This Jesus that was in the tomb on Saturday because He was dead; will be ALIVE tomorrow. More then.

Praying for:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines community of Johnson Creek / Campers
(2) The State of Nebraska
(3) The Nation of Uganda
(4) The Sub-Saharan African Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 6

Today is now called "Good Friday." On that Friday when Jesus went to the Cross it was anything but good for Him. It was for our good that Jesus went to the Cross but not His good.

It started on Friday with interrogation. Jesus appeared before Pilate, then Herod, and back to Pilate. He was falsely accused and because of the pressure of the religious leaders, Jesus was handed over the the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Listen to the words being shouted by the crowd outside Pilate's headquarters: "Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him! (John 19:15). The same people who one day stood in amazement of His teaching and the miracles that they witnessed at His hand; where now shouting for Jesus to be crucified.

It went from bad to worse. Jesus was taken by the Roman soldiers to be crucified but before the actual crucifixion these soldiers mocked, beat, and totally humiliated Him. Finally they nailed Jesus to the Cross. But instead of Jesus speaking words against the soldiers or against those who had shouted for Him to be crucified; Jesus spoke the following from the cross: "Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34), "Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit" (Luke 23:46), and "It is finished" (John 19:30).

On this Good Friday, may we follow the example of Jesus by laying down our lives for those around us. We do this by not retaliating against those who have spoke evil of us but instead by speaking kindness toward them. We share Jesus' love with them. We go to the Father on their behalf through prayer. We trust all things to the Father. Salvation was purchased by Jesus on the cross not just for us but for all. All includes those who don't look like us, those who don't act like us, those who live in different places, and those who are in our neighborhoods.

Praying Today for:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines community of Crestwood
(2) The State of Mississippi
(3) The Nation of South Korea
(4) The North African & Middle Eastern Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 5

The journey to the Cross was filled with many highs and lows for Jesus. He taught His disciples many truths, performed many miracles, and spent much time in prayer. On this day of passion week, Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend time in prayer. Jesus took all His disciples with Him to the garden, minus Judas; who would eventually come to the garden with the servants of the high priest to arrest Jesus.

It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus took that inner three of Peter, James, and John further with Him for prayer. However, He left them by themselves with these instructions: "Sit here while I pray . . . Remain here and stay awake" (Mark 14:32-34). Simple instructions. Sit, remain, & stay awake. Jesus knew His disciples needed to be alert. They needed to understand the significance of what was taking place.

Jesus went a little further and began pouring out His heart to the Father: "Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14:36). Notice that Jesus declared His total surrender to the Father's will. He was willing to go to the Cross because that was the will of the Father. Jesus knew the cost that would be paid. Jesus knew the suffering that would be required. Jesus knew that it was by His stripes, His wounds, and His blood that brings salvation to a lost world filled with sin.

It was also on this night that Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and denied. The torture of the cross was a day away but the emotional torture had already begun. Betrayed by His own disciple, Judas, and treated like a common criminal, when arrested, and denied three times by one of His closest disciples, Peter.

Jesus had been through so much already . . . but His eyes were still fixed upon the Cross. The journey continues tomorrow. But today we see the importance of being alert in our Christian walk. We also see the importance of prayer in the life of our Savior. 

Praying Today for:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines community of Victory
(2) The State of Nevada
(3) The Nation of Libya
(4) The Central Asian Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 4

On the fourth day of journeying to the Cross, we find Jesus teaching those following Him once again. As He often did throughout the gospels, Jesus was right in the face of the religious leaders of that day. In Matthew 22:13 we read: "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in." Wow!!! That is strong words for the religious leaders of that day and for us to consider this day.

Do we "lock up the kingdom of heaven from people"? The first thing we need to know before answering that question is what is meant by locking up the kingdom of heaven. We know from reading the gospels that the Pharisees were famous for keeping the law to the fullest. They obeyed the law handed down from God to Moses. They also obeyed all the additional man-made laws added over the years. These Pharisees were holy - at least in their own eyes and the eyes of other Pharisees.  How were they locking up the kingdom of heaven from the people? They were making it impossible for people to live up to the laws. The expectations were extremely high. Only the best of the best could qualify. God's love was reserved for only those who fit into this way of living.

We fall into the same trap when we expect people to clean-up their acts before coming to Christ. Lost people will act like lost people. They cannot and will not clean-up their own acts because it is impossible. They need a Savior that is for all people, not a Savior that is for the best-of-the-best. People need to seek through our lives the love that God has for all people, including the messed up and sinful.

Today, may our lives show people the love and forgiveness that is found only in Jesus. It is my prayer that we not be guilty of locking up the kingdom of heaven and keeping people out of it because we have gotten in the way. We simply need to continue to point them to the Cross - where Jesus died for the sins of all people & to the empty tomb - where Jesus overcome both death and hell. Because He lives, salvation is available to "whosoever will" surrender to and follow Him.

Praying Today for:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines community of Lassater
(2) The State of Minnesota
(3) The Nation of Iraq
(4) The Southeast Asian Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 3

On the third day of journeying to the Cross, Jesus shared a familiar parable with His disciples. He spoke about a man who planted a vineyard and leased it out to some farmers. When it was time for the harvest, this man sent a slave to gather some fruit from the vineyard. However, the farmers that were working the vineyard beat the slave and sent him back to his master empty handed. This same thing happened a second and a third time. These farmers were not giving in to the master's desire. They wanted to keep all the fruit to themselves.

In Luke 20:13 it is revealed that the owner comes to the following conclusion: "I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him." They should have respected the son. The son represented the his father. In that day-and-time, the son held the same authority as the father when sent as his representative. "But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him, so the inheritance will be ours! So they threw Him out of the vineyard and killed him" (Luke 20:14-15).

Please do not miss the parallels in this parable to all that God has done with man throughout history. God has provided a wonderful place for man to live and enjoy. We call it earth. This world is marred by sin; which by the way was not God's plan but brought into the world because man listened to the evil one rather than trusting God. In various points in history, God has sent forth judges, kings, prophets, and other leaders to get man's attention. These slaves of God proclaimed the word of God to repent from sin and return to the God who loves them and desires the very best for them. But man rejected these messengers from God. In fact, many of them were beaten and mocked and treated harshly. Finally, in God's timing, God sends forth His One and Only Son - Jesus. Jesus, God's Son, was threw outside the gates of Jerusalem and killed on a Cross.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew that He was just like the son in this parable that He shared with His followers. Jesus continued to keep His eyes on the Cross. Where are your eyes this week?

Praying Today for:

(1) The Lake O' the Pines community of Ally Creek

(2) The State of New Hampshire

(3) The Nation of Mongolia

(4) The European Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 2

Yesterday, we looked at the very beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry; which began immediately with His baptism. Jesus' eyes were from that moment forth focused on bringing glory to the Father through daily obedience. That obedience was ultimately lived out in laying down His life on the Cross for the sins of all people.

Today, we will be looking at an event that took place in Jesus' life on the Monday of Passion Week. According to the Scripture some Greeks came to Jerusalem to worship at the festival. However, when the encounter Philip they quickly stated, "Sir, we want to see Jesus" (John 12:20-21). 

We don't know much about these men. It seems that they had a belief in God or at least an interest in Judaism. This curiosity brought them to Jerusalem. Nor are we told why they wanted to see Jesus. It is possible that in their journey or when they arrived in Jerusalem, they heard about all the things this new rabbi was teaching and doing. Perhaps they heard about Jesus healing people and the other miracles that took place through Him. That would be enough to draw people toward Jesus.

As we journey to the Cross with Jesus this week, may we be like these men. It should be our desire to  see Jesus. To see Jesus at work in our personal lives, in the lives of our family members, in the lives of our Church family, in the lives of our neighbors, and in the lives of people throughout the world. Jesus should be so real in the lives of believers that others come to us knowing that we know where to find Jesus. We can be on the front-lines this week being the hands and feet of Jesus in this world that needs desperately to know the true reason from Easter - the resurrection of Jesus. 

Do you want to see Jesus? Are you showing others Jesus?

Praying Today for:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines Community of Pine Harbor
(2) The State of Michigan
(3) The Nation of Ghana
(4) The American Peoples throughout the World

Following Jesus to the Cross - Day 1

Today is Palm Sunday. Next Sunday morning we will celebrate the one event that separates Christianity apart from all other "religions" - Jesus' resurrection from the dead. He is alive!!! No other religious leader was raised from the dead before Him, nor has there been another since Him. Jesus stands alone as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Today we begin a journey to look at what it means to follow Jesus from Palm Sunday to the Cross. It may seem odd to you to begin in Luke 3 but hopefully you will agree that from this passage of Scripture moving forward through the rest of this gospel, Jesus' eyes were on the cross. What caused His eyes to focus on that reality?

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. That is not news to many of you. You also probably remember that there was a voice from heaven that spoke at this event. God the Father spoke from heaven saying, "You are My beloved Son. I take delight in You!" (Luke 3:22). Honestly, don't we all desire to hear those words from our Heavenly Father? Why did Jesus hear them? Perhaps the answer is partially found in the very next words: "As He began His ministry" (Luke 3:23). Is it possible that the delight that the Heavenly Father took in Jesus was the fact that Jesus was beginning an earthly ministry that would take Him to the Cross? Certainly the Father knew the events that were about to unfold for the Son. He knew that Jesus would die that cruel and unjust death on the Cross. Yet, when Jesus began His earthly ministry God the Father said, "I take delight in You!"

Do you desire to hear those words from God the Father? Certainly! What must we do? We come to Jesus for salvation, the forgiveness of sin. We follow Jesus in daily surrender of ourselves to become more and more like Him. We minister to others like we witness Jesus doing throughout His earthly ministry. We can't do this alone. This life is only possible through faith and depending upon Jesus for everything.

Praying Today For:
(1) The Lake O' the Pines Community of Mims & Avinger Cutt-off
(2) The State of New Jersey
(3) The Nation of New Zealand
(4) The South Asian Peoples throughout the World