”If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.“
John 15:18-21 NLT
Having been betrayed by Judas, Jesus was brought before Pilate. Pilate, after interrogating Jesus, perceived that Jesus was turned over to him, not because Jesus had done wrong, but because the priests were jealous of Him.
“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.“
Matthew 27:15-18 NKJV
Pilate’s attempts to be able to release Jesus were thwarted when the people cried out for Barabbas to be released rather than Jesus.
“But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”“
Matthew 27:20-22 NKJV
When Pilate saw that his efforts to release Jesus were futile, he “washed his hands” of Jesus’ blood, had Him scourged, and delivered Jesus to be crucified.
“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.“
Matthew 27:24-26 NKJV
Now, we know why the religious leaders rejected Jesus: They were jealous of Him and never even gave Him a chance. Indeed, earlier on Jesus had confronted them about their unwillingness to receive His words.
(Jesus speaking)”[Yes] I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you.“
John 8:37 AMPC
In fact, a great many of the religious leaders rejected Jesus‘ claims concerning who He was.
Sadly, even many of the religious leaders who did believe in Him, were afraid to acknowledge Him, because of fear of being put out of the synagogue.
“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.“
John 12:42-43 NKJV
But back to the case of Pilate, why did he—knowing Jesus was innocent—condemn Him to death?
History suggests that Pilate may have already been on shaky ground with Caesar; and, the people threatened to alert Caesar, if they didn’t get their way.
“From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.””
John 19:12 NKJV
So, it would appear that Pilate’s position was more important to him than letting an innocent Man go free.
Indeed, fear of losing their position also factored into the priests’ and Pharisees’ resolve to have Jesus killed after the resurrection of Lazarus.
“Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.””
John 11:45-48 NKJV
In our opening scripture, we see Jesus warning His disciples that the world—having rejected Him—would also reject them because of Him.
With the world system, and even some professing Christians, rejecting and persecuting those truly following Christ, those who value their position in society, more than their relationship with the Lord, will eventually fall from their steadfastness.
Fellow Believer, even now we are seeing how the world tries to persecute, intimidate, and “cancel” those who cling to following the Lord Jesus.
Tragically, some Christians, have acquiesced and yielded to the threat of rejection and persecution, by compromising their beliefs. Yes, many have already fallen away from Christ, and many more will fall away because of pressure from the world system. We do well to take this warning from Jesus to heart, lest we also fall away:
““Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.“
Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV
Tomorrow we’ll look at a parable that brings all this together.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“
Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
Earlier (Day 21) we referenced the Passover meal Jesus shared with His disciples (Last Supper), just before His betrayal. We discussed how the disciples were confused and wondered who He was referencing when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him. Today we look at another scenario played out at that same meal.
Because of their consternation, Peter asked John to find out who Jesus was referencing.
“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.“
John 13:23-30 NKJV
Yes, the person Jesus was referencing, was Judas. And, whereas Peter denied Jesus, we know that he did later return and finish well. However, this was not the case for Judas. In fact, it would seem that Judas, leaving the Passover meal, probably went straight to the priests to make good on his offer to betray Jesus. Apparently, he had found the opportunity he was looking for to complete his betrayal.
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.“
Matthew 26:14-16 NKJV
We could wonder how someone who spent so many days in close fellowship with Jesus, watching Him minister to the crowds, watching Him healing the sick, watching Him raising the dead and comforting the comfortless, could turn around and betray Him. Yet, that’s exactly what Judas did, never returning to follow Him, choosing rather to kill himself.
To perhaps get some better insight into what brought Judas to the point of betraying the Lord, let’s look at a scene that happened not long before Judas’ betrayal of Jesus:
Jesus had come back to Bethany, where Lazarus—whom He had raised from the dead—lived. Jesus was having a meal there being served by Martha. At some point, Mary did something that got mixed reviews.
“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.“
John 12:3-6 NKJV
There it is! Judas objected to what Mary did, on the basis of the “waste” of something of such great value. And, as we see, John makes it clear that Judas had been embezzling from the disciples’ funds. It would appear that Judas’ offer to help betray Jesus, came very close to this scene with Mary.
Additionally, we know that things were probably already getting very tense. You see, from the point that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, the religious leaders determined that He had to die. In fact, they had even plotted to kill Lazarus!
Let me say this: Pressure won’t bring out of a person something that was not there; but it certainly will reveal something that was there “hibernating.” Like pressing of grapes, pressure will bring out into the open what was hiding inside. For Judas, it seems that Mary putting this very expensive ointment on Jesus’ feet, was sort of a “last straw. Judas possibly began to suspect that he would not get out of his association with Jesus, what was most important to him: MONEY. How tragic it is that Judas betrayed the best Friend he would ever have. Yes, God-made-flesh,
was sold out for 30 pieces of silver.
So, even though we don’t have it spelled out in the scriptures as such, we can safely glean from what we are told, that Judas was a thief, motivated by greed.
In our opening scripture, we see Jesus instructing that where we “treasure-up,” indicates where our heart is focused. For example, if you look at on what someone spends most of their time, most of their money, most of their attention, most of their life, you will know what matters most to them. And, eventually, that love of “things,” will completely overtake love for the Lord.
Consider the warning from John, concerning affection for the things the world can offer:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.“
1 John 2:15-17 ESV
Indeed, in terms of the great Apostasy proceeding the return of Jesus Christ, many will diverge from following Christ, because of their love for what the world can offer. And yes, money is right up there on the top of that list.
We do well to take inventory of ourselves to see if our “money is where our mouth is.” The profession of Christ, in one who overvalues possessions, will only hold up as long as it doesn’t touch what they treasure.
We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.“
Luke 9:23-26 NKJV
Naaman was a mighty commander over the army of the king of Syria. But, he was also a leper. Now, the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel, asking him to heal Naaman of his leprosy. Upon reading the request, the king of Israel became afraid, knowing that he did not have the power to heal a leper. The prophet Elisha, hearing about this, says that Naaman should be brought to him for his healing. However, the prophet’s instructions to Naaman went over like a lead balloon.
“Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.“
II Kings 5:9-12 NKJV
Notice that Naaman already had a picture in his mind of how the prophet would heal his leprosy: “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.”
So, when the prophet did not do as he had expected, when the prophet did not do things Naaman’s way, Naaman became enraged, and would have lost his opportunity to be healed, if not for his servants’ intervention.
“And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.“
II Kings 5:13-14 NKJV
When Naaman did things God’s way, he received the healing he desired.
Certainly, as the proverbial writer informs us, we all have our own idea of the right way, in terms of our being and doing.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.“
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
If we hold tenaciously to our own way of being and doing, if we will not relinquish what we think is right to what God says is right, we will, at best, come short of all that God has for us, but, at worst, fall from following Jesus, losing everything.
Yesterday we talked about Peter’s denial of Jesus, and the fact that it came after he had failed to give heed to the various warnings from the Lord.
In order to better understand what might’ve happened, causing Peter to deny the Lord, let us take a look at an exchange between Peter and Jesus, when Jesus was being betrayed by Judas.
“When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.“
Luke 22:49-51 NKJV
We find out from John’s Gospel, that the disciple who cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, was Peter.
“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?””
John 18:10-11 NKJV
Notice that in Luke’s account of this incident, the Lord scolds Peter, telling him to “Permit even this.”
Peter, who was the only disciple to get out of the boat to walk on the water with Jesus (Matthew 14, Mark 6, John 6), Peter, the one who wanted to build shrines to Moses and Elijah at the spot of the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9, Mark 9, Matthew 17), Peter, who proclaimed Jesus to be the Christ, the son of the living God (Matthew 16, Mark 8, Luke 9), found it hard to not do things his own way. Peter was a man of action. But, you see, our idea of what kind of action is called for, may be far afield from what God wants.
In our opening scripture, we see Jesus explaining to His disciples the cost of discipleship. To follow Him, our way of being and doing, our agenda, our ideas and expectations, must be abandoned. To truly follow Him, we must take up our own cross, and do His will, His way.
We are discussing the Great Apostasy preceding the return of Jesus Christ. And, as we discussed earlier, this falling away has most certainly begun.
One of the reasons some people will fall away from following Christ is their unwillingness to do things God‘s way. At some point, our refusal to follow Him completely, will cause us to diverge from His path.
Thankfully, in the case of Peter, after denying Christ, he got back into alignment with what the Lord wanted. Not only that, he followed the Lord all the way to his own crucifixion. Yes, having been ordered to be crucified by Nero, Peter requested to be crucified upside down, feeling unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ.
Tomorrow we’ll talk more about avoiding being part of the Great Apostasy.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!