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preacher31 A SIGN - Subscribe

A SIGN FOR THE CHIEF PRIESTS

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:38

"And the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom." (Mark 15:3

Reflection:

Very unusual things took place at Jesus'
death- the darkness, the loud cry right before
His death- and the temple curtain tearing in two.

God designed the place of worship for Israel.
The temple consisted of two spaces- one room
called the Holy Place where priests entered daily
to minister before the Lord, and another room
called the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies.
Here sat the Ark Moses built to symbolize God's
presence among His people. This Most Holy
Place was separated from the Holy Place by a
thick curtain. No one could pass beyond that
curtain into the Most Holy Place except the high
priest- and he could only enter one day out of the
year. This curtain symbolized the separation from
God which our sin has caused.

When Jesus died that curtain was torn in two from
top to bottom. This was God's sign to Jesus' greatest
enemies- the chief priests. On the cross they thought
they were right and had protected God's reputation.
Now one of their own priests standing in the temple
sees that great thick curtain tear in two. God was
telling the priests they had crucified their Messiah
and His Son. But they too had access to God now-
through faith in Jesus Christ.

The torn curtain shows that our sin no longer
separates us from our God. Jesus Christ has torn
that barrier apart and washed us in His blood by faith.
That means we are free to come before God without
fear or doubt.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for tearing down the barrier of
sin that separated us from Your heavenly Father. Keep
us always in this faith. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 LAST LOUD CRY 4/03/2012 08:45 - Subscribe

JESUS' LAST LOUD CRY

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:37

"And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed
His last." (Mark 15:37)

Reflection:

Mark doesn't tell us Jesus' final words, only
that He uttered a loud cry and breathed His
last. Matthew does the same. If we want to
learn Jesus' last words we must turn to
Luke (23:46). But why does Mark choose to
leave out these final words of Jesus?

To all appearances Jesus had been a fake
and a fraud. After all, how could the Son of
God be arrested, beaten, flogged and nailed
to a cross? What King of Israel would allow
Himself to be mocked, insulted and spat
upon? Mark wants us to see that beneath
the blood, the sweat and the tears Jesus truly
is God's Son, the promised Savior and King
of the Jews. So He points out the unusual
circumstances surrounding Jesus' death-
circumstances which reveal the divine
majesty of the man wearing the crown of
thorns.

Mark began with the intense three hour long
darkness, and now presents Jesus' final loud
cry immediately before His death. What was
so unusual about this? Criminals who died of
crucifixion did not have the breath to cry out
in a loud voice- especially in the moment right
before their death. Yet Jesus cries out loudly-
and then dies.

In John's Gospel Jesus had told His disciples,
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because
I lay down My life that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My
own accord." (John 10:17). He laid it down for
you. And in three days He will take it up again-
for you!

THE PRAYER:

Lord God our heavenly Father, thank You for
revealing Your Son's divinity- even while He was
holding back His divine power to save us from
our sins. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 CALLING ELIJAH 4/02/2012 08:43 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:35-36

"Some of the bystanders hearing it said,
'Behold, He is calling Elijah.'" (Mark 15:35)

Reflection:

In the darkness the crowd hears Jesus cry out,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
They hear the Aramaic word "Eloi" and think He
is calling Elijah. They are thinking of a prophecy
from Malachi in the Old Testament, "Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the great
and awesome day of the LORD comes." The
bystanders wonder if Jesus is calling out for the
great prophet Elijah to come and rescue Him
from the cross.

Are the bystanders mocking Him again or might
they have another reason for pointing this out? If
it is just mockery then they think it's pretty funny
that Jesus is getting desperate for God to do
something to rescue Him.

But on the other hand, who knows what effect
these hours of unnatural darkness have had on
them? Luke tells us that after Jesus died, many
of these bystanders went home beating their
breast- a sign of sorrow and regret over what they
have done. (Luke 23: 4

. Whether it was mockery
or genuine curiosity one of them ran up and gave
Him wine vinegar. Then they stood back to see
what might happen.

But Jesus wasn't calling Elijah- He was calling
out to His Father. But this time Jesus could not
call Him "Abba" or "Father", God had forsaken
Him because of our sins. But even though the
Father had turned His back against His own Son,
Jesus held on to His God, calling out, "My God".
Because God turned His back on His own Son,
we can be confident He will never turn His back
on us who trust in Jesus as our Savior.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for being willing to lay
down your life for me. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional).

preacher31 MAN OF SORROWS 4/02/2012 05:55 - Subscribe

Christ is our Redeemer

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

He was despised and rejected — a man of
sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the
other way when he went by.
Isaiah 53:3 NLT

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and
shame weighed down, now scornfully
surrounded with thorns Thine only crown; how
pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse
and scorn! How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee,
dearest Friend, for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy
pity without end? O make me Thine forever;
and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never,
never outlive my love to Thee.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

A profoundly personal and awesome vision

Although Bernard was one of the most
influential Christians of the Middle Ages,
settling disputes between kings and influencing
the selection of popes, he remained a devout
monk, single-minded in his devotion to Christ.

In his own day Bernard was known as a
preacher and churchman; today he is
remembered for his hymns of praise. "O Sacred
Head, Now Wounded" comes from a poem
originally having seven sections, each focusing
on a wounded part of the crucified Savior's body —
His feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and
head. The text of this hymn compels us to gaze
at the cross until the depth of God's love overwhelms
us. Bernard's hymn pictures God's love, not as an
abstract theological statement, but as a profoundly
personal and awesome vision of the suffering Christ.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One
Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert
Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995).

preacher31 ENTER IN TRIUMPH 4/01/2012 12:11 - Subscribe

PALM SUNDAY

Scripture:

Mark 11.1-10

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem,
they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany,
on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on
ahead. "Go into that village over there," he told them,
"and as soon as you enter it, you will see a colt tied
there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it
here. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, '
The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'" The two
disciples left and found the colt standing in the street,
tied outside a house. As they were untying it, some
bystanders demanded, "What are you doing, untying
that colt?" They said what Jesus had told them to say,
and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought
the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and
he sat on it. Many in the crowd spread their coats on
the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut leafy branches
in the fields and spread them along the way. He was in
the center of the procession, and the crowds all around
him were shouting, "Praise God! Bless the one who
comes in the name of the Lord! Bless the coming
kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest
heaven!" (NLT)

Prayer

I worship you Lord! You did not enter your holy city
Jerusalem on the back of a war horse, but humbly and
on a donkey. You knew that you were surrounded by
murderers, yet you came in peace, and by your sacrifice
you would utterly conquer death before the week had
passed. You, oh Lord, are blessed and worthy of my
praise. You have saved your people. I say, "you are my
king!" ... I long to live in the city where you sit on the
throne! Establish your Kingdom, so that your people
can live in peace. Jesus, I bow before you, and I will
sing your praises until your Kingdom comes and is
established, and forever after.

preacher31 INSULTING CRIMINALS 3/31/2012 10:28 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Luke 23:35-39

"Those who were crucified with Him also
reviled Him." (Mark 15:32)

Reflection:

The physical pain of being beaten, flogged
and nailed to a Roman cross is bad enough.
But Jesus also experiences the bitter pain
of emotional abuse. He watches the people
pass by on the road turn and fling their
ridicule at Him. He hears the mockery and
laughter of the chief priests and scribes.
Beneath Him the Roman soldiers cruelly
taunt His thirst by holding up wine vinegar
just outside of reach (Luke 23:36-37).

Perhaps two people can actually sympathize
with Him. After all, the criminals hanging on
His left and right are condemned criminals too.
They are going through much the same
excruciating physical pain He is suffering. But
their great pain and suffering drive them to lash
out against Him too. The Greek word we
translate "revile" means to insult or belittle
someone- like a couple of schoolyard bullies.
Wherever Jesus turns He is under attack.

Jesus is literally suffering what all of us deserve
for our sins- everlasting punishment in hell.
Throughout the Bible hell is described as a place
where people are bound hand and foot and cast
into utter darkness (Matthew 22:13) where they
suffer great pain from the inside and the outside
(Isaiah 66:24). That is exactly what Jesus is
suffering with His hands and feet "bound" to the
cross by the nails, the great pain racking His
body- and as we will see tomorrow, thick
darkness which will leave Him alone in His great
suffering.

He did it all for you and me- so we can live with
Him in the perfect peace, joy and light of heaven
forever.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You were surrounded by countless
enemies who mocked and laughed at Your distress.
Thank You for taking my place in hell and giving me
Your place in heaven. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 GLOATING ENEMIES 3/30/2012 06:35 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:31-32a

"Also the chief priests with the scribes mocked
Him, 'He saved others; He cannot save Himself.'"
(Mark 15:31)

Reflection:

The Jewish religious leaders were not satisfied
with beating up Jesus after their illegal night trial.
And it wasn't enough for them to see Jesus bleeding,
beaten, humiliated and nailed to a cross. They want
to add to His disgrace and distress by mocking Him.

Mockery is one of the most vicious ways to lash out
at someone. They turn Jesus' own words against Him
to point out His powerlessness and to prove they were
right to reject Him. And striking deepest they make
fun of His name. The name Jesus means "the Lord
saves". They find it funny that Jesus is famous for
saving others from demons, disease and death itself-
but He's powerless to save Himself.

From the time Jesus was conceived and born in that
little town of Bethlehem, He had held back His power
as God's Son. He had displayed a little of that power
performing miracles to verify His message about God's
Kingdom, but He never used it for His own benefit. Had
He chosen to, Jesus could have floated down from the
cross and destroyed His enemies with a breath.

But Jesus was being Jesus on the cross- He was
saving us by sacrificing Himself. He was dying even for
those who made themselves His enemies- these Jewish
leaders gathered around Him to gloat and celebrate their
apparent victory. He would leave it to God His Father to
prove Him right. And He wouldn't have to wait long- just
three days. All who trust in Him will enjoy His salvation
forever.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You remained silent through the gloating
mockery of those religious leaders who opposed You.
Thank You for dying to offer them and all of us salvation.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 ASTONISHED PASSER-BY 3/28/2012 08:59 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Psalm 22:1-11

"Those who passed by derided Him"
(Mark 15:29)

Reflection:

To make their executions effective deterrents,
Romans crucified criminals on major roads
leading into cities. The road that led past
Jesus' cross into Jerusalem was filled with
people on their way into town for the Passover.
Many of them had been in town since Sunday
when Jesus Himself had entered Jerusalem.
Sleeping in tent cities in the surrounding area,
they walked into town along these roads each
morning, and walked back out to their
temporary housing at night.

Their first word "Aha!" says it all. It expresses
the wonder and astonishment that fill their minds.
They had been caught up in the excitement of
Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Sunday.
They had been astonished by His teachings, His
answers to the challenges of the Jewish authorities,
and His words of rebuke. They expected something
really significant was about to happen at the
Passover- but not to see Jesus hanging on a cross.

The problem was they had been judging by
appearances. Early in the week, when everything
was going Jesus' way, they were quick to sing His
praises. But as soon as they saw Jesus suffering in
His mission as Christ and King, they changed their
mind. They thought God was clearly revealing Jesus
as a fraud and an imposter- like every other false
Christ they had seen before.

As they pass by along the road they deride Jesus
and insult him. They shake their heads and turn His
words against Him. Rejecting the One they had
praised a few days before, they turn their backs and
leave Him behind as they continue along the way
into town and up towards the temple.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, forgive the times I have turned my back
to You and went my own way.
Turn me back to stand before You always.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 COMPANY ON THE CROSS 3/27/2012 08:49 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:27

"And with Him they crucified two
robbers" (Mark 15:27)

Reflection:

Jesus wasn't the first person to be crucified.
Crucifixion was practiced in the ancient Near
East long before. In 519 BC three thousand
political enemies were crucified on one
occasion by Darius 1 in Babylon. In 71 BC
the Roman general Crassus crucified six
thousand slaves who had fought with
Spartacus. So having three criminals crucified
together was not unusual.

We know very little about the two criminals
crucified with Jesus. Mark calls them "robbers".
Jesus used this same word in His parable of
the Good Samaritan to describe the highway
robbers who beat the man, stole his clothes
and left him for dead. Mark also used this word
to describe murderous rebels when he first
introduced Barabbas, "And among the rebels
in prison, who had committed murder in the
insurrection, there was a man named Barabbas.
" (Mark 15:7). Though we don't know their
precise crimes- these were clearly vicious men.

If Jesus was guiltless why would He be crucified
with such vicious criminals? Jesus went to the
cross because He was being punished for all our
sins, not because of anything He had done. He
carried all the atrocities of Hitler, Stalin and Mao
and bore their guilt before God- and our own sin
and guilt too. So it was fitting that He be crucified
along with one robber on His left and another on
His right.

In a few days we will encounter these two robbers-
and an exchange which has brought incredible
comfort to guilt-stricken people ever since.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You were numbered with the criminals
not for anything You had done, but because of our
sins against God's Law. Forgive and restore us.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS 3/26/2012 09:38 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read John 19:19-22

"The inscription of the charge against Him read,
'The King of the Jews'" (Mark 15:26)

Reflection:

The Romans used crucifixion to control areas
prone to rebellion. But unless the people knew
why the criminals were being executed it could
never be a deterrent. So each cross held an
inscription naming the criminal and the crime
for which he was being crucified. The inscription
was written in the legal language (Rome), the
common language of the Empire (Greek) and
the local language (Aramaic).

Pilate's inscription identified Jesus by His
childhood home Nazareth. The crime for which
He was being executed was being King of the
Jews. The chief priests objected- they never
considered Jesus their King. The inscription
should read "This man said 'I am King of the
Jews'". But Pilate had heard enough. They
had threatened him and forced him to condemn
a man he knew was innocent.

God Himself stood behind Pilate and gave him
strength to stand firm on this. God's own Son
was indeed the King of the Jews. That is how
He had been revealed to the wise men when
the Christmas star guided them to Jerusalem
where they asked where they could find the one
born King of the Jews. They foreshadowed that
Jesus the King of the Jews would extend His
kingship over all nations.

And though it may not look like it, as He hangs
on the bloody cross Jesus is exercising His
Kingship. He is laying down His life to protect
His subjects and to rescue them from deadly
peril. His reign won't end on that cross either.
It continues today and for all eternity.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, thank You
for laying down Your life to save and protect Your
people from sin, death, Satan and hell. Remember
me in Your kingdom.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 CRUCIFIED 3/26/2012 07:14 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:25

"It was the third hour when they crucified Him.
" (Mark 15:25)

Reflection:

Life is strange. Events that are so horrible for
some are so positive for others.

For the Jewish priests it has been an amazing
ride. Two days before it looked like the whole
world was going after Jesus. They wanted Him
dead, but the crowds left them powerless. They
could only hope He wouldn't use the Passover
Festival as the occasion to declare Himself the
Christ, the King of the Jews. But everything
changed when Judas showed up. They were
able to arrest Him away from the crowds,
condemn Him to death, and even force the
reluctant Pilate to order His execution. They
couldn't have planned it any better- before the
crowds could return to Jerusalem, Jesus was
already hanging on the cross.

For Jesus it must have seemed like an eternity:
the sorrow-filled dinner, the agonizing hours of
prayer in the garden, seeing His friend Judas
leading the arresting guards, the hostile and
unjust Jewish trial, looking into Peter's eyes
after his third denial, the trial and condemnation
of Pontius Pilate, the scourging, mocking, crown
of thorns, the grueling road to Golgotha, the nails
piercing His hands and feet.

On the cross God brings together the best and
worst: His boundless love and His fiery judgment,
His wrath and His forgiveness, heaven and hell.
Because of the sins we committed He pours His
furious wrath on His Son. Because of the perfect
obedience of His Son Jesus Christ He pours His
love and forgiveness out for you and all people.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, hanging from the tree You poured out
Your life to give us peace, joy, forgiveness and
eternal life. Give me confidence in Your salvation
and transform my darkest days into days of joy,
peace and light.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 GAMBLING FOR HIS CLOTHES 3/25/2012 06:17 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read John 19:23-24

"And they divided His garments among them,
casting lots for them." (Mark 15:24)

Reflection:

In every crucifixion Rome wanted to send a
powerful warning to the nations it had conquered.
If you commit the crimes this man committed,
you will suffer the same fate. So the Romans
made crucifixion as public and shameful as
possible. They hanged the criminals along the
main roads leading into a city and they removed
their clothing before crucifying them.

If Jesus would have drank the wine mixed with
myrrh it wouldn't hurt so much, but one last time
His clothes are ripped from His tattered back as
He is stripped to be crucified. When He is hanging
from the cross the four guards assigned to watch
over Him will divide His clothes between them.
They will divide them into four piles- one for each
of them. Then they will take hold of His long tunic.
Since it is seamless, woven in one piece, they will
not be willing to tear it. Instead they will cast lots to
see who will win it. Jesus watches as they gamble
for the clothes off His back.

Shame is a word the Romans wanted associated
with crucifixion. They wanted that shame to be a
powerful deterrent to keep the peace among their
conquered nations. Jesus saw it differently. There
was no shame in fulfilling God's will or saving the
world. In Hebrews we read, "Look to Jesus, the
founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right
hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You refused to let shame drive You
from Your mission, but humbled Yourself to save
us. Give me strength to bear whatever shame I
may face for trusting in You.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 NO PAIN-KILLERS 3/24/2012 05:30 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:23

"And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh,
but He did not take it." (Mark 15:23)

Reflection:

The Roman execution procession finally reaches
Golgotha- the Place of the Skull. In preparation
for the crucifixion the soldiers offer the prisoners
wine mixed with myrrh. A Medieval Jewish
scholar named Maimonides explains,

"When one is led out to execution, he is given a
goblet of wine containing a grain of frankincense,
in order to benumb his senses, for it is written,
'Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
and wine unto the bitter in soul."
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a)

"The beverage was a mixture of myrrh and wine,
given 'so that the delinquent might lose clear
consciousness through the ensuing intoxication.'"
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 13)

The myrrh contains two compounds which
reduce a person's sensitivity to pain. Of course
the soldiers aren't doing this because they feel
sorry for the criminals- they never offered the
myrrh before scourging a criminal. They do this
to make their job easier- it's difficult to crucify
unwilling victims- especially if you have to nail
them to their crosses.

According to Matthew, Jesus first tastes the wine
then refuses to drink it because of the myrrh. Why?
He is taking our place in hell, suffering the torment
which for us would be eternal, unending. If He is to
satisfy God's justice He must receive God's full wrath
with no anesthetic, no pain killers.

It shows Jesus' remarkable love and strength that
He voluntarily stretches out His hands and receives
the nails without struggling or protesting. Jesus lays
down His life of His own accord, and no one takes it
from Him. (John 10:1

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You took the full brunt of God's wrath at
my sins without accepting anything to blunt the pain.
Thank You for suffering all I deserve so I never will.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 THE PROCESSION TO GOLGOTHA 3/23/2012 04:16 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:20-22

"[The soldiers] led Him out to crucify Him.
And they compelled a passerby, Simon
of Cyrene, who was coming in from the
country... to carry His cross." (Mark 15:20-21)

Reflection:

Finished with their mockery, the soldiers rip
the blood-soaked cloak off of Jesus' shoulders--
and another wave of excruciating pain crashes
through His body. Roughly dressing Him in His
own clothes they line Him up with two other
condemned criminals.

Next they bring three roughly hewn crossbeams
and cruelly drop them across the condemned
prisoners' shoulders. A complete cross is far too
heavy to carry, so they will drag these
crossbeams to the execution site where they
will be attached to the uprights already in place.
The gates of the palace are opened and the six
hundred soldiers of Pilate's Jerusalem cohort
push their way through the Passover crowds,
making a road for the grisly procession.

It is not a great distance from Pilate's palace
to the place of crucifixion, but Jesus' legs
tremble and ache with each step as He
struggles to carry His crossbeam down the
narrow road leading outside the city. After His
sleepless night, His beating at the hands of
His Jewish enemies and His brutal flogging He
repeatedly stumbles and falls. Realizing Jesus
is simply too weak to carry His cross the
soldiers compel a passerby named Simon to
carry it for Him. Looking at the faces along the
way and speaking comforting words to those
who weep, Jesus slowly makes His way to the
Place of the Skull- Golgotha.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You stumbled and fell under the
staggering weight of our sins. But You kept
getting up and refused to stop until You
completed Your course. Give me courage and
strength whenever I grow weary and exhausted,
until my course if over and I can rest with You
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 KING OF THE JEWS 3/22/2012 10:39 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:16-19

"And [the soldiers] clothed Him in a purple cloak,
and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put
it on Him. And they began to salute Him, 'Hail,
King of the Jews!'" (Mark 15:17-1

Reflection:

The scourging is finished and Jesus crumbles to
the ground as He is released from the column. As
He slowly gathers His strength and rises to His
feet the mockery begins. Roman soldiers often
mocked condemned criminals, and here before
them stood the beaten man who was supposedly
the King of the Jews.

If He was a king, then certainly He needed to be
dressed like one. They took a purple cloak and
threw it roughly over his bloody shoulders. Only
someone with open wounds over a large part of
his body can understand the pain that coursed
through our Savior's body.

But if He is a king, then He must have a crown
as well. So they formed a crown out of thorns
and roughly jammed it down onto His head-
piercing His sensitive scalp. He also needed a
scepter- the symbol of a king's strength and
power, so they put a reed in His hands. Then
they ripped it from His grasp and struck it over
His thorn-crowned head- showing just how
powerless this King of the Jews was.

Jesus suffered greatly from the Roman soldiers-
physical and emotional brutality. But He was
also suffering for them, taking on Himself God's
punishment for the horrendous way they were
abusing His one and only Son.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, because of Your great love for me
and all people You humbled Yourself to be
mocked, beaten and abused. Help me to always
rejoice in Your boundless love. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 SCOURGED 3/22/2012 05:36 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:15

"So Pilate... having scourged Jesus...
delivered Him to be crucified." (Mark 15:15)

Reflection:

Pilate has washed his hands of Jesus. Now
the Roman soldiers take over. The Romans
customarily scourged condemned criminals
before crucifying them. So Jesus is stripped,
bound to a column and scourged mercilessly.
Mark records it briefly then quickly passes on.
For Jesus it was anything but brief.

In the ancient world scourging was a common
punishment for lawbreakers, and it still continues
in parts of our world today. The Jewish Law
provided for the whipping of the guilty, but limited
the punishment to forty blows. Roman scourging
was not nearly so merciful.

Roman floggings were meant to bring a criminal
close to death. Metal and sharp pieces of bone
were tied into the thongs. They dug deeply into
the victim's back and shoulders, tearing them to
shreds. Even when a scourging victim was not
crucified, he often died from the trauma of the
beating. If he survived he was certainly crippled
by it. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah predicted
Jesus' scourging when he wrote, "Upon Him was
the chastisement that brought us peace, and with
His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Jesus' flogging shows us just how great God's
wrath is at our sins. But in a more powerful way
it shows how much greater His love and mercy is
as He gives His own Son to suffer and die to save
us.

By the time the officer stopped the brutal flogging
Jesus had lost a great amount of blood. Sadly,
Jesus' sufferings were not over, the soldiers were
just getting started.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, in Your brutal scourging I see the
terrible wrath of God I deserve for all of my sins.
Show me Your incredible saving love that made
You willing to receive such torture for me. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

preacher31 HEAR MY VOICE 3/18/2012 09:41 - Subscribe

Scripture:

I love the LORD because he hears
my voice and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
Psalm 116:1-2, NLT

Reflection:

God is so responsive that you can
always reach him. He bends down
and listens to your voice. This writer's
love for the Lord had grown because
he had experienced answers to his
prayers.
If you are discouraged, remember that
God is near, listening carefully to every
prayer and answering each prayer in
order to give you his best.

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

preacher31 I CARE 3/13/2012 06:54 - Subscribe

Several years ago, a 98-year-old woman who
had been a volunteer for a prison ministry and
other service organizations passed on to her
Eternal Reward. For twenty solid, persistent
years she had brought encouragement and
new hope to prisoners, shut-ins, and persons
from all walks of life who were experiencing
loneliness and despair. Over the years she
had led countless people into the Community
of Christ. At her funeral, an ex-offender gave
the following tribute to this remarkable
Christian woman who had changed his life:

I met her, only once, although I talked to
her on the telephone almost every week for
fifteen years while I was in prison. Our
telephone talks and her letters led me to
the Lord, and kept me sane! Then, through
a series of miracles, I was put on work release,
then on parole (long before I was due for it).
When I got out she put me in touch with people
who found me a place to live, and others who
gave me employment.

I called her "Mom." And whenever I felt lonely
and blue, I phoned Mom. She always helped
me to see my circumstances from an eternal
perspective. I know I owe my life, as well as
my salvation, to that faithful woman. (The man
who gave that tribute to "Mom" has since been
ordained and is serving as Chaplain in a Federal
prison.)

"Mom" was the messenger the Lord had sent to
rescue that lost soul. When they finally met, she
could not see him. "Mom" had been blind since
childhood. And, in her later years, she was
confined to a wheelchair! She was unable to walk
and she could not see. These things she lacked.
Seemingly, she had little to offer, this little blind
and crippled lady. But one thing she had in
abundance: Christian compassion.1

It is important for us to talk about the compassion
of the Christian because unless we are a people
of compassion, the love of God is not flowing in us
and through us.
COMPASSION IS A MARK OF A CHRISTIAN PERSON.

(The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online )

preacher31 IT JUST GOT PERSONAL 3/06/2012 09:23 - Subscribe

Lent

Scripture:

Read Mark 9:2-10, 30-32

"The Son of Man is going to be delivered
into the hands of men, and they will kill Him."
(Mark 9:31)

Reflection:

Have you ever asked an engaged or married
couple how they first met? Often they were just
friends until one day their friendship was
transformed before their very eyes- they realized
they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

That helps explain what happened when Jesus
took Peter, James and John up a mountain by
themselves. In an instant His familiar appearance
was transformed before their very eyes. His divine
glory as the Son of God began shining through His
human face and body. They were seeing Jesus' full
glory as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Afterwards Jesus ordered them to keep it to
themselves until after He rose from the dead.

Leaving the mountain behind, Jesus leads His
disciples through Galilee on His way to Jerusalem.
Along the way He makes His second prediction of
His coming suffering and death. But this time He
adds a chilling detail- He will be "delivered into the
hands of men." Someone close to Him, someone
who should stand up to defend Him will instead hand
Him over to His enemies.

If you've ever been betrayed by a close friend, a family
member- a husband or wife- then you know what bitter
pain will strike Jesus when He watches one of His own
disciples bringing soldiers into the garden where He
often meets with His disciples.

But in the midst of all the bad news, Jesus makes
another promise- after three days He will rise from
the dead.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You were betrayed into the hands of
your enemies to save me from eternal death and
suffering in hell. Help me when I face betrayal from
those close to me. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

preacher31 WE LOVE A WINNER 3/03/2012 01:05 - Subscribe

Scripture:

Matthew 5:43-45

[Love for Enemies] “You have heard that it
was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.

Reflection:

I think that Matthew 5: 43-45 are among the
the most difficult verses in the Bible to
understand and to follow. The problem lies,
after understanding, we do not follow.

I'm, what they call, a product of the 60's.
I was a college student, who was very
much, against the war in Viet Nam. I
marched and demonstrated and put all
of my effort into ending of that horrible war.

I would like to pass along a couple of
things I learned about people in this
country during that Viet Nam period. I
learned that mainly people in this country,
all types of people, love a winner. You
see when I was demonstrating against
that war, I was not demonstrating against
the men and women who were fighting in
that war. I loved those men and women
and my main concern was not that they
were fighting in an immoral and unjust war,
my concern was to bring them home. I had
people who I loved very much, dying in that
war, and above everything I wanted all of them
home. The people who yelled and cursed at
me, didn't seem to understand that! They
thought I hated the young men and women
coming back from the war. They were so
very wrong, it was because I loved them
and I wanted them home.
When they did come home, we "hippies"
were among the first to greet them and to
help them. The people who yelled and
cursed at me weren't there. Why?
America loves a winner and hates, what
they think of as a loser, What does that
say about the moral grounds of our
attitudes? Sadly, the primary reason for
this change of attitude was not the result of
a growning awareness of the possible
immorality of the War.
Instead, it was due to images and stories
from the media, whether true or not, that
gave the strong impression our side was
losing. Social critics said that if we were
winning the war, support for the War would
have been strong. That is why I say, " America
loves winners and is harsh on losers. These
young men and women, coming home from
that war, were now seen as losers. Those
veterans, who had lost their lives, the many
more thousands who were suffering from life-
crippling wounds, the large percentage of
veterans who required psychiatric care and
psychological counseling, were all seen as
losers.
Jesus once said that before a competent king
goes to war, he takes stock of his army and
resources and considers whether or not he has
enough to win that war. If he is not sure he
tries to negotiate some kind of settlement (Luke
14: 31-32). It now seems obvious that our leaders
failed to take stock of what would be required not
only to win the war, but also to secure the peace.
The results were disastrous.

We could make a lot of friends out of our enemies
by meeting the needs of the poor and oppressed
people of the world with the billions and trillions of
dollars we continue to waste on war.

That is why Jesus says "[Love for Enemies] “
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you,
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be children of your Father in
heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME VENT!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to love
our enemies and all those who insult and hurt us,
and to pray for them and forgive them; you yourself
prayed for your enemies, who crucified you. Give us,
we pray, a spirit of Christian reconciliation and meekness,
so that we may forgive every injury and be reconciled
with our enemies. Grant us Christian meekness and true
love of our neighbor. Give to our enemies true peace and
forgiveness of sins; and do not allow them to leave this
life without true faith and sincere conversion. Help us
to repay evil with goodness. --

adapted from the Orthodox "Prayer for Enemies"