"Crucify Him!"

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 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.    “You have said so,” Jesus replied.  The chief priests accused him of many things.  So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested.  A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.  The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. ”    [Mark  15:2-8]

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"Crucify Him!"

The chief priests poured out a torrent of charges against Jesus. Pilate couldn’t get over His poise in the face of such overwhelming accusations. He asked Him why He didn’t defend Himself, but Jesus refused to answer His critics.

It was the custom for the Roman Governor to release one Jewish prisoner at this feast time—sort of a political sop to the unhappy people. One such eligible prisoner was Barabbas, guilty of rebellion and murder. When Pilate offered to release Jesus, taunting the envious chief priests, the people were primed to ask for Barabbas. The very ones who were charging Jesus with treason against Caesar were asking the release of a man who was actually guilty of that crime! The position of the chief priests was irrational and ludicrous—but sin is like that. Basically they were jealous of His popularity.

Pilate asked what he should do with the One whom they call the King of the Jews. The people chanted savagely, “Crucify Him!” Pilate demanded a reason, but there was none. Mob hysteria was rising. All they would shout was, “Crucify Him!”

And so the spineless Pilate did what they wanted—he released Barabbas, flogged Jesus and delivered Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion. It was a monstrous verdict of unrighteousness. And yet it was a parable of our redemption—the guiltless One delivered to die in order that the guilty might go free.

During His First Advent, the glory of His deity was veiled in a human body.  But when He comes again in power and great glory, the veil will be removed and everyone will know exactly who He is.

Dear friend, do you believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, who died for your sins, that you might be delivered. Salvation is a gift of God. You have to receive it in faith.  “Indeed, the "right time" is now.  Today is the day of salvation.” [2 Cor. 6:2].


Jesus or Barabbas?

 

Jesus or Barabbas?


  “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,  knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.” [Mark 15:9-11 ]

 

The LORD used the cloud to tell the Israelites when to move

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 “ On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.  That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.  Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.  At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.  When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.  Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out.”    [Numbers 9:15-20]

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The LORD used the cloud to tell the Israelites when to move 

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they were in a hurry to get out. Four hundred years of bondage can do that to you. It seemed the Promised Land was just around the corner. Except it wasn’t.

As soon as the sacred tent was set up,  a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. The LORD used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year.

Weeks passed, then months, then years. Their sandals didn’t wear out, and most of them stayed hopeful that someday they’d be settled in a land flowing with milk and honey. But for the time being, the Israelites pitched their tents and broke them down, ready to move whenever the cloud or the fiery pillar of God’s presence let them know it was time to move on.

It’s harder to follow God when we can’t see Him.  Most of use aren’t navigating with a miracle cloud hovering over the next step in our journey. And nights without a pillar of fire can seem long and lonely indeed. But we don’t have to be summoned by cloud or fire to know He’s there because we have God’s Word, the Bible. When we remain in His presence, we can trust we’re following God. Even if it seems that we’re staying in one place, God is still accomplishing His work.


 

Pillar of Fire at night


"...the cloud ... at night ... looked like fire"

 “Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. ” [Numbers 9:22-23 ]

 

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..."

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 “ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered him, “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 6:53-54,60-61,66-69]

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"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..."

Jesus’ words in this passage about eating flesh and drinking blood can be understood in the metaphorical sense of feeding on the spiritual nourishment that only he can offer.

Many times Jesus spoke in parables or illustrations that challenged people. In this passage, many of the fringe followers of Jesus decided to turn away.  Their faith dedication extended only so far. It was cool to watch Jesus heal people, amazing to watch him feed the masses with just a handful of fish and bread. But stick with Jesus when his teaching required trust in him vs. trust in his miracles? That separated the casual from the committed.

It separates us too. The Bible’s words not always clear at first glance. Phenomenal truths do not always jump off the page. Instead, sometimes we’re invited to ask questions and check out resources that explain Bible texts. Sometimes we’re nudged to move from the fringe of faith—but always toward God and not away from him.

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.  Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” [John 6:63,64]



 

"I AM the Bread of Life..."


"This is the bread that came down from heaven..."

 “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” [John 6:55-58 ]

The Rich Young Ruler

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 “ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’  ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”   [Matthew 19:16-22]

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The Rich Young Ruler

This incident provides a study in contrasts. Having just seen that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children, we will now see how difficult it is for adults to enter.

A rich man intercepted the Lord with an apparently sincere inquiry. Addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher” he asked what he had to do to have eternal life. The question revealed his ignorance of the true identify of Jesus and of the way of salvation. He called Jesus “Teacher,” putting Him on the same level as other great men. And he spoke of gaining eternal life as a debt rather than as a gift.

Our Lord probed him on these two points. In asking, “Why do you call Me good?  There is no one good but One, that is, God.” Jesus was not denying His own deity, but was providing the man with an opportunity to say, “That’s why I call You good—You are God.”

To test him on the way of salvation Jesus said, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The Savior was not implying that man can be saved by keeping the commandments. Rather, He was using the law to produce conviction of sin in the man’s heart. The man was still under the delusion that he could inherit the kingdom on the principle of doing. Therefore, let him obey the law which told him what to do. Blind to his own selfishness, the man boasted that he had always kept these commandments.

Our Lord then exposed the man’s failure to love his neighbor as himself by telling him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. Then he should come to Jesus and follow Him.
The Lord did not mean that this man could have been saved by selling his possessions and giving the proceeds to charity. There is only one way of salvation—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But in order to be save, a man must acknowledge that he has sinned and fallen short of God’s holy requirements.  The rich man’s unwillingness to share his possessions showed that he did not love his neighbor as himself. He should have said, “Lord, if that’s what is required, then I’m a sinner. I cannot save myself by my own efforts. Therefore, I ask You to save me by Your grace.” .
Dear friend, have you asked Lord Jesus to save you and give you eternal life?


 

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."


"..It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."

 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” [Matthew 19:23-24 ]



Satan-The Father of Lies

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 “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”   [Genesis 3:2-5]

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Satan-The Father of Lies

The serpent that appeared to Eve is later revealed to be none other than Satan himself.  “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” [Rev. 12:9].

Those who seek to “demythologize” the Bible believe that this account of the fall is allegorical and not literal. They cite the talking serpent as proof. Can the story of the serpent’s deceiving Eve be accepted as factual? The Apostle Paul thought so.  So did the Apostle John. Nor is this the only instance of a talking animal in Scripture.  God gave a voice to Balaam’s donkey to restrain the madness of the prophet, and the Apostle Peter accepted this as literal. Thus to reject the account of the fall as literal is to reject the inspiration of Holy Scripture.

First Satan insinuated doubt about the Word of God: “Has God indeed said?” He misrepresented God as forbidding Adam and Eve to eat of every tree.  Then Satan flatly contradicted God about the inevitability of judgment on those who disobeyed, just as his followers still deny the facts of hell and eternal punishment.

"...the devil, and ..... He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" [John 8:44].

Satan misrepresented God as seeking to withhold from Adam and Eve something that would have been beneficial to them.  Eve yielded to the three folded temptation: the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (a tree desirable to make one wise).  “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” [1 John 2:16].






Adam and Eve


 The Fall

 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6 ]