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Jump Start # 85

Posted on April 30, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 85

Matthew 27:64 “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.’”

  Jesus is dead. It seems that Satan, Rome and the Jews were victorious. The Jews are afraid. They want Pilate to secure the grave lest the disciples steal the body and spread false rumors. When people are afraid, panic drives them. They will go to all extremes when they are running scared.

  Our passage reveals what the Jews actually felt about Jesus and His disciples. Fear has a way of making people say things they never would at other times. Jesus was righteous. Pilate declared that He was innocent. He never did anything dishonest, deceptive or questionable. Jesus preached righteousness. He wanted His followers to be righteous. These Jewish leaders are afraid that the disciples will: (1) steal the body of Jesus; (2) spread lies about His resurrection; (3) deceive the people. All three acts are unrighteous. We’d expect this from these Jewish leaders. They have already proven how dishonest they can be by bringing in false witnesses at the trial of Jesus and then switching the charges against Jesus. They have shown that they can bend the rules, lie and be dishonest. The Lord’s disciples have not shown that. Fear is making things up in their minds. They are expecting the disciples to act as they would. They fear that these lies and deceptions will be so believable that “the people” will be persuaded. But what kind of faith and religion is that? A faith that is based upon lies, theft and dishonesty is of little value and help. To prevent such things, God gave proof. Lots of proof. The risen Jesus was witnessed by hundreds of people. The apostles were “witnesses” to the resurrected Christ. The religion of Jesus Christ is founded upon proof not dishonesty, lies and theft.

  The end of our passage today is interesting. The Jews proclaim, “the last deception will be worse than the first.” They have in mind two deceptions. The first deception they claimed was the belief that Jesus was the son of God. To the Jews that was blasphemy and simply not true. It was a deception. Multitudes were following Jesus. They had been deceived, these Jews thought. But  the “last deception” would be worse. That has to be the resurrection. They felt that the news of His resurrection would spread across the country like a grass fire. There would be no stopping it. This deception would be worse than the first. When people wanted proof of His resurrection, the disciples could point to an empty tomb. The Jews had no response to this if the body was stolen. Little did they know that the disciples would not point to the empty tomb, but rather to the risen Savior Himself. That was their proof. He was not taken away in the middle of the night never to be seen again. He stood before multitudes. He talked with people. His presence after His death was the proof. The Jews could not stop that.

  A sealed tomb is no match for the powerful God.

  A faith based upon fear and lies or a faith based upon truth and evidence. The Jews and the disciples. One running on fear, the other living on hope. Do you see yourself in this?

Roger

29

Jump Start # 84

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 84

John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

  This verse records the final words of Jesus before He died. Jesus made seven statements while on the cross. Many of those were about others. But here, dying, our Jesus makes this last proclamation, “It is finished.” Was this directed to the world? Or, to the people staring at Him? Or, possibly to His Father? Or, to all of these? It is finished.

  Jesus came for a specific purpose. He was on a divine mission. Satan tried to short cut that mission. Others tried to side track Him. Jesus stayed the course. He finished what He set to do. It was all done. It was completed. He didn’t need another day. There wasn’t more to be done but He simply ran out of time, no, “it is finished.”

  You’ll note, Jesus didn’t say, “I’m finished,” but instead, “It is finished.” The “it” is the work He was sent to do. He was to fulfill prophecy. It is finished. He was to prove that He was the Son of God. It is finished. He was to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is finished. He was to defeat Satan. It is finished. He was to be tempted as we are so He could sympathize with us. It is finished. He was to establish His kingdom. It is finished. He was to sit on the throne of David. It is finished. Jesus did it. Perfection. He completed exactly what He wanted to do. We can’t say that. We often don’t get everything done in one day that we want. There are always more things to do. Not Jesus. He finished.

  Looking at the life of Jesus, we see someone who is not layered with multiple responsibilities, complexities and things to do. We have to run the kids to soccer practice, take care of the yard, call our parents, pay bills, go to work. These things keep us busy. They make us tired. Jesus wasn’t concerned about retirement. He didn’t have a house to maintain. I don’t think He had a dog that had to be taken to the vet. As we look at the life of Jesus we often hang our heads with guilt. He could go and pray all night. Our hearts tell us that we ought to do that, but our heads reminds us that we have to get up in the morning and take the kids to school. Our hearts feel guilty about not studying God’s word more than just on a superficial level but our heads tell us we have projects due at work and if they don’t get done we could lose our jobs. I must admit that I like my layers but sometimes all these layers seem to get in the way of being the spiritual person I ought to be. There is a simplicity about the life of Jesus that is very appealing. He had one mission and He finished it. Could it be that I too only have one mission but these layers keep me from seeing that?

  Paul said, “one thing I do” (Phil 3:13). Jesus told Martha that only “one thing is necessary” and Mary has chosen the good part which will not be taken away (Lk 10:42). Could it be that all our layers of our life blind us to the most important thing in our life and that is living for God? Can we say at the end of our journey, “It is finished?”

  Thank you, Lord, for staying with it and finishing. Thank you, Lord, for not giving up when the way became difficult. Thank you, Lord, for not being so busy that you failed to see what it was that you were supposed to finish. Lord, help me to finish what is most important.

Roger

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Jump Start # 83

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 83

Luke 23:52 “this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”

  Our passage shows the courage and faith of Joseph of Arimathea. The Gospels give us several bullet points about this man.

  • He was rich
  • He already owned a tomb, a new one
  • He was a member of the council that ordered the death of Jesus (he did not consent)
  • He was righteous
  • He was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews

  Luke adds to this list that he was “good.” The word “good” has lost it’s value because we call so many things good. God used it very sparingly. There are only three people actually called “good” in the Bible. I’m sure others were, they just weren’t called that. God never used that word on a king, prophet, or apostle. It was used on a messenger of David. Barnabas is called good, and here, Joseph, the man who buried Jesus, was called “good.” It’s something for God to call a person good.

  Two things stand out about the actions of Joseph after the death of Jesus. First, is the courage to approach Pilate and ask for the body. Joseph was afraid of the Jews. If word got out about his faith in Jesus, he would lose his position, status and influence. Much was at stake. More than that, he did not know for sure that Pilate might kill all the followers of Jesus. The Jews were thirsty for blood that day. It took great risks and courage for Joseph to do what he did. Sometimes, often times, we must look beyond our self to do what we know is right. Many get nervous or scared about inviting friends to church services. What if they say “no” or worse, make fun of me? Sometimes you just have to look beyond yourself and do what is right. I’ve known parents who mustered the courage to call the school and complain to the principal about inappropriate things going on at the school. The spirit and courage of Joseph is what caused the reformers to stand up against the powerful Catholic system in years gone by. It was first found in the early Christians, who when faced with death would not stop preaching Jesus. Revelation 12:11 says, “they did not love their life even when faced with death.” This courage has led people to ask their preachers where the Bible authority was for some of their practices. Some get to the point where they realize that their church simply isn’t following the Bible any more. They face a difficult situation. Their head tells them this isn’t right, but their heart is afraid. They find the courage of a Joseph and seek a church that is following the New Testament pattern. I’m thankful for Joseph. Afraid, yes. But that didn’t stop him. His faith and courage was greater than his fear.

  The second action that stands out is that Joseph took the body of Jesus down and buried it. I can only imagine that scene. The tears, the carefully handling the body, the respectful and solemn thoughts that must have gone through his mind. At that point Joseph didn’t care if the Jews or his fellow council members saw him. Jesus deserved to be buried and not thrown in some common paupers grave. At the moment with all the emotions going on, he probably didn’t realize that God was using him to fulfill prophecy—Jesus would be buried in a borrowed tomb, his tomb. Joseph had help, Nicodemus was there, the devote ruler of the Jews, also a disciple. The Bible records no words, prayers or thoughts of these two men as they did their work. I can’t help but think after they wrapped Jesus in linen and laid his body carefully in the tomb, that they paused, looked at the body and made some reflection. I’ve done many funerals. I can’t fathom what I would have said if I stood where Joseph did. Then they closed the tomb by rolling a stone in front of it. The stone won’t stay there long, Jesus would be resurrected in a few days.

  Joseph, a good man. A man that shoved his fears to the back and did what was right! The spirit of Joseph has lived in every generation. Is it in you?

Roger

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Jump Start # 82

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 82

Luke 23:42 “And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You  come in Your kingdom!”

  The occasion for these words is very sad. It is a death scene. Three men are being executed by the state. Two are criminals and the other is our Jesus. Two deserve this death, our Jesus is innocent. The picture about the cross is not pleasant. A few disciples, mostly women are standing at a distance watching. Soldiers and Jewish mobs are shouting and taunting Jesus. The Gospels do not record anyone saying a prayer nor offering any kind words to Jesus. No one wipes His brow. No one strokes His hand. He dies with people staring at Him, but without any outward compassion or acts of kindness. It seems that the words of our passage today are the only ones spoken to Jesus that are not razor sharp and cutting.

  These words come from one of the two thieves. He has had a change of heart. At first, he was insulting Jesus along with his fellow companion in crime. But now after a few hours he sees something in Jesus. Our Jesus is not shouting back. He is not offering insults. But neither is He dying in fear. Just as no one ever lived like Jesus, no one ever died like Jesus. I have often wondered if Jesus actually took the spot that was for Barabbas. Could these two criminals have been part of his gang? Was Rome going to do away with all of them this day but instead, Jesus is now where their leader was supposed to be? Makes you wonder.

  The words of this penitent thief are very revealing. First, he says Jesus remember me. Understand both men are moments from death. By saying this, he must have understood that death is not the end of the line. There is something beyond death, and that after death we remember. Secondly, he expected Jesus to come in His kingdom, even though Jesus was dying. His death would not stop him from coming. Interesting. He probably had an earthly concept of the kingdom as even the disciples did at that time. It took a while for them to realize that the kingdom was spiritual and it was salvation in Jesus Christ.

  Looking at this dying man’s request, what was he wanting? Remember me when you come in your kingdom…Did he think Jesus would bring him back with him or possibly find a place for him in the coming kingdom? It’s hard to grasp exactly what he was wanting other than he wanted to be with Jesus in the future. That is something we all want. It does little good to live in ease and pleasure only to be lost eternally. Jesus said earlier, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” What is the profit in such cases? There is none.

  Some ask, how come this man wasn’t baptized? Sometimes this is asked because we look for a loophole so we don’t have to be baptized. Jesus wants us to (Mk 16:16). The answer is quite simple. Jesus hadn’t died yet. He was dying, but He was still alive. The new law didn’t go into force until Jesus died and rose again. Hebrews talks about a will. For a will to take effect, someone has to die. After the resurrection of Jesus, people wanting to be saved were baptized (Acts 2:38), there are no exceptions in the Biblical record.

  Nehemiah prayed something similar to this dying thief. The last verse says, “Remember me, O my God, for good” (13:31). Four times in that last chapter Nehemiah says, “remember me.” How will God remember you? Like Abraham, as a friend? Like David, as one who sought the heart of God? Like Nehemiah, for the good done? Some want God to forget, but this thief wanted Jesus to remember him. I like that. I like to remember dear friends. I like to think that Jesus remembers me. How about you?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 81

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 81

John 10:15 “even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

    The death of Jesus was a shock to the disciples. They seem stunned and confused and uncertain what to do next. But to Jesus, it was totally different. He knew that He had an appointment with Calvary. It is interesting that Jesus never used the word “cross” in respect to His own death. Romans executing Jews on crosses was a sad and common scene around Jerusalem. Jesus most likely would have witnessed the torture. His thoughts throughout the Gospels are not upon the instrument of His death, or how He would die, but rather the reason and purpose of His death. His death was part of the divine plan of God to save mankind. Jesus came “to seek and save.”

  Here in John 10, the wonderful section about the good shepherd, where Jesus contrasts what He is doing to what Satan and the Pharisees were doing, we find repeated three times this expression, “I lay down my life.” He said it in verse 15 and then again in 17 and 18. Each time, He adds more to the statement. In verse 18 Jesus says, “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” This revelation helps us to understand the Gospels more. On one occasion the angry crowd tried to stone Jesus. They were not successful. Another time, they rushed Him and tried to throw Him off a cliff. Again, Jesus got away. A very old debate argued just who killed Jesus. Was it the Jewish courts? The Pharisees? The Romans? This passage tells us that it was none of those. Jesus wasn’t killed against His wishes nor His time table. When the time was right, He laid His life down. He volunteered His life. He was a willing sacrifice.

  This understanding helps us grasp the Lord’s behavior on the Cross. He is not kicking and screaming and begging for someone to help him. That is the way most died. He is not cursing the Roman empire. That was a common way Jews died on the cross. No, instead, Jesus gave up His life by choice. It was an act of love, sacrifice and obedience to His Father. Paul would say in Philippians, “…He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:7).

  By saying, “I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up” reveals that Jesus was in control of the situation. It also shows that His choice to lay down His life was indeed a gift. His life wasn’t taken from Him, He gave it for us. The angry Jewish mob thought they were triumphant that day. The Romans felt that they had succeeded. Even Satan thought that he had gained a victory. None had. Jesus chose to die and He chose to die that day and that way. One of our hymns sums this up, “I gave My life for thee…” Jesus gave His life for you! This is the greatest gift you have ever received. It is a gift that changes your past (forgiveness). It changes your present (purpose) and it changes your future (direction). This is why Paul would proclaim, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

  And why did Jesus do this? The answer is simply because God loves us. Amazing! Once we have taken hold of this, it changes our motives, attitudes and thinking. We don’t find Jesus saying, “Do I have to die for those people…”, instead, “I lay my life down for the sheep.” Choice. Wanting to. Willing. A gift. Love. Those are the words we find around the cross. Is your service to God out of “have to” and guilt, or choice, wanting to, willing, love?

Roger