John 14:18

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

 Alas, the world had seen its darkest day.  Jesus, the Light of the world was dead, buried and sealed in a tomb.  With the crucifixion of Jesus, the wickedness of men had finally reached the pinnacle of its malevolence.  And while the enemies of God erupted into a very brief celebration, those who were closest to Jesus had sunk down to the deepest depths of bewilderment and despair.  The unspeakable joy of the resurrection was but hours away, and yet, the disciples could not see past the hopelessness of the moment.  Jesus, their master, friend, and Lord was dead.  He had gone to a place that they were sure they could never reach Him.  At this moment, Jesus felt further away than the most unreachable star in the universe.  Had Jesus abandoned those whom He claimed to love?  It is easy for us to dismiss the deep pain of abandonment that the disciples felt after the death of Jesus, because we know the whole story!  However, in the moment of the confusion of loss, they had forgotten these words of Jesus…”I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”  And yet, isn’t it so true of us that in times of great suffering, despair and loss we often ponder the same question, “Has the Lord forsaken me?”  “Has He forgotten me in my plight?”  I am sure that everyone of us has raised this question up when the deep sadness and distress of our darkest night were upon us…when the world seemed to close in on us and there seemed to be no hope in sight.  “Where are You, Lord!?” has been a question that the Lord has heard in the deepest groanings of the prayers of a million saints.  His answer?  It has always been the same; “I am here with you, even now.”  We may not see Him, perceive Him in the overwhelming pain of our sadness.  He may seem to be further away than the furthest star in the universe.  We may not understand how this suffering is being worked out for our good.  But may we learn to never question if the Lord is remaining faithful to our cause.  He is with us!  It was in the hopelessness of the crucifixion that the Lord was planning His greatest victory!  And it is often in the depths of our deepest sadness and loss that the Lord is planning His greatest work in our lives!  Let us then refrain from those thoughts that question God’s faithfulness to us.  There are unquestionably times when we all feel as if the Lord is distant, even indifferent to our plight.  But hold firm in your faith!  Because in truth, He is ever with you, ever watchful, ever mindful of your needs.  There is not a single hair on your head that is not known by God!  He is always working much further down the road than we could ever see.  Even when we feel as though He is far away, He is not.  Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes with the breaking of morning!  May we always hold onto our faith until that morning comes!  O glorious light of day!  It is not too far.  Let these words of Jesus calm your heart, strengthen your soul and uplift your countenance this night…”I will not leave you as an orphan; I will come to you”. 

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John    

John 19:10

¹⁰ “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Without even realizing it, Pilate uttered the most haughty and arrogant single sentence in the History of the mankind!  Perhaps he spoke these words out of anger and frustration as Jesus continually refused to give an answer to his petitions.  Perhaps it was out of desperation to move Jesus to offer a defense of Himself.  Perhaps, even, it was out of humiliation that Jesus would be so bold as to disrespect Pilate by refusing to give an answer in front of the large crowd that had gathered.  Whatever the reason, Pilate did not hesitate to magnify himself and boast of his own authority and power. Even as he stood in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, humility was never a consideration.  Let us compare this response to a few others who had encountered Jesus in their lives.  When John the Baptist spoke of Jesus he said “one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie!”  When the prostitute in Galilee met with King Jesus, she threw herself at His feet and washed them with a mix of perfume and her tears and then wiped them with her hair.  In the presence of Jesus, Peter humbly protested as He began to wash his feet.  The humility of the Syrophoenician (Canaanite) woman was on full display when she compared herself to a dog that would be grateful to only be allowed to eat the crumbs that had fallen from the masters table.  And again, what was Pilates response in the presence of Jesus!?   “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”   But what power did he really have?  In short, he had none.  Jesus willingly laid His life down.  No one had the authority to take it from Him or demand it of Him.  And He did this out of complete obedience to the Father and out of great compassion for the lost sinners of the world.  I wonder, dear Christian, who it is that we are most like?  When we come face to face with Jesus, do we, out of our own pride and boasting, resist His will and calling?  Or do we humbly fall at His feet in complete submission and reverence?  Let us examine this serious question together.  When Jesus calls you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, do you obey?  Or do you stand defiantly before the King?  When Jesus calls you to forgive as you have been forgiven, do you obey?  Or do you hold onto your bitterness like a miser clings to a single penny?  When Jesus calls you to walk across the street and share the Gospel with your neighbor do you obey?  Or through your disobedience, do you attempt to remind Jesus that He has no power over you?  When Jesus calls you to do anything, by your obedience, or lack thereof…who do you prove to be most like?  I think many times we are not so different from Pilate.  Claiming to have power over Jesus Christ, power over His will, power over our own lives, power over His commands, when, in reality, like Pilate we have none.  Dear Believer, there is freedom and joy in full surrender, but there is pain and frustration in clinging to our own delusions of control.  And what are we truly clinging to anyway?  When have your own will, desires and ideals ever brought about anything of real, lasting benefit in your life?  This Good Friday, as we consider the reality that Jesus gave all to redeem us from the power of sin, let us consider if we have truly surrendered all to Him.  You may say that you are too far from living this way, that you are too weak in faith and resolve.  But Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Today is the day to humbly fall at the feet of our merciful savior and say “Here I am Lord, send me!”

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John          

Mark 14:41

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

The hour had finally arrived for the Son of God to be betrayed and handed over to the cruel hands of His torturers.  And what did Jesus do?  Did He run and hide in fear of His captors?  Did He set up a defense?  No, He prayed and anxiously kept watch for His betrayer.  Jesus was keenly aware of the danger that lay just out of sight in the seemingly peaceful darkness of the night.  And where were His beloved disciples?  Jesus found them, not once, but three separate times sleeping while they too should have been praying and keeping watch. But why did Jesus instruct them to keep watch? Was it so they could flee at the first sign of danger?  No!  He told them to keep watch and to pray so that when the evil of the night finally arrived at their doorstep, they would be both spiritually and emotionally ready to stand boldly in the face of the danger at hand.  Jesus did not want them to be surprised, confused, disoriented and disillusioned by the sudden surprise of the enemies assault.  But that is just what happened.  When the trap was sprung, most of the disciples fled in fear and confusion, others cowered and Peter even lashed out in physical violence and anger.  If they had been keeping watch, they would have seen the torches of the enemy in the distance as they made their way through the mist of the olive grove.  If they had been beseeching the Lord in prayer they would have both understood and been at peace about how to respond in the time of trouble.  Dear Believer, are we so different than those poor tired disciples on that fateful night 2,000 years ago?  Isn’t it so true that we are often just as oblivious to the danger that is often so close at hand?  The enemy is ever near, ever scheming, ever springing traps to surprise and disorient our faith.  The traps of false teachers, pride, resentment, anger, offense, distrust, unforgiveness, addiction, laziness and every form of spiritual cancer.  The enemy’s goal is to surprise the Church in order to scatter us and sow seeds of discord, distrust and strife.  Are we keenly aware, as Jesus was, of this very real and present danger?  I think that many times we are not.  The ease, carelessness and even foolishness of our own hearts often prevents us from keeping watch over our hearts, minds, families and the brethren.  It is much easier to sleep than to remain alert!  Especially when we do not daily seek to refill our spiritual “tanks” through prayer, worship and reading the scriptures.  Let us then return to a state of alertness!  Always remembering that the enemy is prowling with the intent of injuring our individual faith, but even more so than this, to injure the unity of the Body of Christ…His Church.  But take heart brethren!  Jesus has promised that in this world we will have trouble…but He has overcome the world!  Remember, Jesus has already gone before us into the night and into the very depths of the enemy’s camp, and He has dismantled sins power over our soul!  This same power of Jesus is alive and well in every Christian!  The power of the Holy Spirit has been given to us to resist the Devil’s ambushes, attacks, and schemes.  If you have fallen prey to the attacks of the enemy lately, then I suggest it is not because the Holy Spirit is weak…it is because you have fallen asleep and not taken the threat of the enemy seriously.  Remember; God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  Wake up!  Arise!  Keep watch and resist the Devil and he will flee! 

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John       

²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.  – Luke 22:20

Here, in Luke 22:20, we see both the severity of God’s hatred of sin, and His unfathomable love demonstrated.  On one hand, we see the terrible reality that yours and my sin is so severe, so rebellious and so exceedingly sinful that it cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood.  And God hates sin so much that He was willing to pour His wrath out upon His only Son to atone for it.  God, by nature, is Holy, Just and Righteous, mankind by nature is sinful and wicked to the very core.  The two natures could not be further opposed to one another.  And because God is perfectly Just, not only does He hate sin and the sinner that commits it (Psalm 5:5), He will also punish sin wherever it is found.  God’s standard is perfection, and mankind is far from that standard.  As such, every man, woman and child on earth are enemies of God through wicked works.  What then is God to do with sinful man?  He can’t just let us go free without payment.  That would be against His Good and Just nature.  Justice demands retribution.  And the retribution (payment) for sin is death.  Without a mighty work of God, every one must pay for sin with their own blood.  And that payment is the eternal death in hell.  That is the level of God’s hatred of sin…it cannot be forgiven without the payment of death.  On the other hand, we see the matchless love of God displayed in the same verse.  Retribution demands blood, but God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, declares that he will willingly take the penalty of mankind’s sin upon Himself.  The Perfect One exchanging His life for the sinful.  Literally, the Lord dying in place of those who hate and despise Him.  That is love the world cannot duplicate.  As we consider this night, that Jesus willingly laid His life down on behalf of sinful man, let us consider the incredible implications of our Saviors love and sacrifice.  First, Christ’s blood confirms the promise of the New Covenant.  We do not hold fast to a Savior that fell short of completing the work the Father sent Him to accomplish.  If you are in Christ through repentance and faith and have been born-again by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, then your salvation is secured and sealed by the fully atoning blood of Jesus!  God has made a covenant with you through His own terms and blood.  And He does not go back on a promise!  Rejoice in this truth!  Next, the blood of Christ covers our iniquities.  One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that the blood of Christ is sufficient to forgive us of all sin…past, present and future.  We are covered with the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, and when God looks upon you, pitied sinner, He no longer sees your sin, but He see’s the righteousness of Christ that has been granted to your account through repentance and faith.  That is why there is now therefor no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!  Because of the grace of God and the blood of Christ, you are no longer under the penalty and wrath of God!  Do you truly understand the magnitude of God’s grace in Christ?  You and I never deserved God’s forgiveness, we could not, and even still cannot earn God’s favor.  There is nothing you or I could ever do to believe enough, serve enough, try enough, obey enough or atone enough for our own sin.  Even as Christians, by our own actions we are daily reminded of our woeful indifference to God, our lack of trust of Him, our wandering devotion to obey Him and our outright rebellion at times!  And yet…God’s grace and mercy never run dry.  Through the blood of Christ and the Gospel terms He gives us what we don’t deserve…salvation.  God’s matchless grace has never been nor ever will be about what we have done or can do…it has always been and always will be about what Jesus did when He poured out His life on behalf of sinners like you and me!  Find encouragement in this truth; He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John

What a terrible declaration the Lord made to the religious leaders of Israel! The temple in Jerusalem had symbolized God’s earthly home and had been the center of Jewish life, culture, religion and worship for hundreds of years. To a people who had been under foreign rule, occupation and oppression for centuries, the last remaining source of cultural pride and religious significance was that their sacred temple was the home of Yahweh. And yet, as the Lord Jesus departed this earthly abode for the final time before His death and resurrection, He declared that as He left, so too would the Spirit of God leave the temple forever. Desolation! What a terrible word for God’s chosen to hear! And why did God leave the temple? Because the faith and religion of the worshipers in that temple was dead. They had missed the Messiah as He passed before their very eyes. And as He walked out of the temple and up to Calvary, the Spirit of God then found a new abode in the hearts of those under the New Covenant. Christian! Do you realize that you are the earthly dwelling place of the Most High! Not in a figurative sense either, but in a very real way, the Spirit of the Living God has taken up residence in your heart, mind and soul. As those redeemed of God through the glorious Gospel, it is our duty and privilege then to make this living temple a Holy and honorable abode for the Most High! With a great passion and sober heart, we must commit daily to the crucifying of our flesh so that this temple is pleasing and honoring to our Savior. Just as we would take great care to prepare our earthly homes for an honorable guest, it must be our life’s goal to surrender our fleshly desires in exchange for the Spiritual Fruit that brings such joy and honor to the most distinguished guest in all of the universe…the Holy Spirit. Let us not offer the Lord a desolate house to live in. A house that is weak in faith, weak in holiness and weak in obedience. As we consider God’s incredible gift of love, passion and sacrifice this Holy Week, “let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In Christ,

Pastor John