The Rooster Crowed

Posted on by korgrocker

“Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.”
John 18:25-27 NLT

There are moments in our lives when the enormity of something we have done, or the consequences of a bad decision are suddenly before us. Something perhaps we promised to do or not to do. And all of a sudden we end up having a rooster moment. We experience a feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we find ourselves facing into a situation that we cannot avoid. I remember entering a packed train carriage one commuting morning and ended up standing in a section of the carriage close to a woman who seemed to be having a difficult conversation with a boyfriend or partner on her mobile phone. The carriage was unusually quiet as my fellow travellers became caught up in the emotions of the conversation, one side of it only, of course. But the rooster moment for the person on the other end of the phone was her statement, “You told me I could trust you”. Soon after, she pressed a button on her phone and stored it away, but the silence in the carriage continued, the woman herself staring sightlessly out of the window at the passing countryside. 

Peter we know had promised never to deny Jesus. We read in Matthew 26:33-35, “Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same“. But John 18 records Peter’s three denials, “The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed” (John 18:17, 25, 27). And Matthew 26:75 records Peter’s response, “Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly“. 

Thankfully, the rooster moment for Peter was not terminal and we will read what happened later. But for us too, those occasions in our lives when we screw up and hear a metaphorical rooster crow, are not terminal, as we come into God’s presence, confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness. Paul wrote, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2). Fellow pilgrim, you may have messed up. I may have messed up. But we love Jesus and have the assurance that He is never going to bar the door into Heaven for a repentant sinner, no matter how loud the rooster crows.

Dear Father God. Thank You that You pick us up when we fall, dust us off, and put us again on the right path to Glory. We are so grateful. Amen.

Prove It

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded. Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.”
John 18:20-24 NLT

One thing that could never be claimed was that Jesus failed to tell the truth. In fact, in John 14:6 we read, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. How could the Son of God, who was perfect truth, ever be accused of saying anything that went against the very essence of His nature? Jesus said to Annas that if anyone believed to the contrary then he needed to come up with the evidence to prove it. And for good measure He asked why He was being ill-treated if He was telling the truth. It was very telling that Annas quickly gave up his line of questioning, because he knew that any substantive evidence against Jesus was lacking, and instead referred Him to his son-in-law, Caiaphas. In the presence of God’s Son, the Light quickly dispelled the darkness and brought discomfort to those who opposed God and His Son, Jesus. 

The world around us does not recognise truth. In fact “truth” is invented to suit physical observations or a person’s feelings. In fact, people have become so skewed in their understanding that if they feel, for example, that they were born in the wrong body, then that must be true. Or if they were told by their parents, or a boss at work, teacher, or anyone else, that they were a waster, then that must be truth. In our schools, the theory of evolution is taught as fact and therefore must be true, but as we pilgrims know, it is a lie propagated by the devil himself. Physical processes such as “carbon dating” have been invented to “prove” the age of a something, and the results are taken as being true. I have had philosophical discussions with atheists about the origins of the universe, and they promote theories they consider “true” such as the “big bang” but fall silent when I ask where all the matter involved in the event came from. And I usually follow up with the question as to why there is anything around us at all. Why is there not just nothing? Secular and worldly truth is invented to fit beliefs, ideologies, and limited physical evidence, and we end up with a series of “truths” that become mutually confirming, propagating a lie. 

But in God’s Kingdom, there is no room for lies or half-truths. No room for assumptions and conclusions that are based on anything but God and His Word. To a human being there is no human-derived proof available to confirm the reality of God, and anything to do with Him, because our physical senses are totally inadequate. For example, we cannot see, or taste or feel, the wind of the Spirit. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Jesus said,  “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it“. And that was the problem for the Jewish authorities. Nothing that Jesus said could be disproved. His teaching was firmly founded on Scripture. He often quoted Biblical passages from the Old Testament to back His public messages. In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven“. The problem for the Jewish leaders was that they had turned God’s Law into a monster that controlled them and because of that they missed what God intended. Jesus said of them, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things” (Matthew 23:23). 

People may say to us pilgrims, “show us the evidence”, but then we can refer them to the biggest miracle of all, our salvation. The fact that the Creator of the Universe cared enough about you and me to put into place a plan that would lead to our spending eternity with Him, is severely overlooked by the cynical and unbelieving generation around us. In John 6:30, the people ” … answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” People are still asking the same question today but God is not in the business of displaying His power through the routine example of signs and wonders. But even with evidence of the wonders of God, people will still not believe in Him, because they prefer to stay in their sinful state. I have known Christians who have started their journey well, and have even experienced miracles happening in their own lives, but who have fallen away and lapsed back into their lives of sin. Jesus challenged people to believe in Him and experience eternal life. In may be a few earthly years before we pilgrims join Jesus in heaven and see the fruit of our belief in Him, but one day we surely will.

Dear Father God. it is only by having faith in You that will please You. We declare that faith before You today and declare that Jesus is Lord of all. Amen,

The Questioning

Posted on by korgrocker

“Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.”
John 18:19-22 NLT

A clash of two kingdoms emerged that night, as the Jewish world based on a strict but skewed interpretation of the Law of Moses came up against God’s Son and His world of grace and love. Annas, the high priest’s father-in-law, would have been hoping to trap Jesus, forcing Him to say something that could be construed, to his warped perspective, as blasphemy, thus facilitating a death sentence. But Jesus was not going to play any of his games, and received a slap across His face in the process. But the arrogance of a mere man questioning the God who created him is incongruous, to say the least. But we know that one day that same high priest will stand before Jesus, as He sits on the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15). What will he say, I wonder? Will he gibber and splutter and continue in his arrogance? Even when the guilty verdict is passed down? Will he even try to point out the error of God’s ways to His face? Or will he stay silent, as the enormity and realisation of what he had done penetrated his dark soul? But even for a died-in-the-wool Jew determined to eliminate Jesus from the face of the earth, his ultimate fate doesn’t bear thinking about.

Jesus correctly pointed out that nothing that He had said was said in secret. It was all public, in the Temple and synagogues, and as He walked the highways and byways of Palestine and Judea. As He fed the crowds of men, women and children. As He taught from a boat just off the sea shore. Jesus had a very public ministry and one that founded the faith that drives us pilgrims forward in our journeys towards the Land of Glory. Jesus asked Annas why he asked Him the questions about His teaching and about His followers. Of course, Annas knew all about Jesus’ ministry and teaching because otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have been standing before him. The potential for entrapment has always been a possibility in the courts of history. 

Before we pilgrims climb up onto the moral high ground, we should pause. We look at Annas and recoil from any thoughts about doing what he did. But didn’t we too point a finger of disbelief and antagonism to the Son of God through the sins that beset us before the wonderful day when we discovered the truth? Was it not a possibility that Annas, and any malignant leader before or since, had a light bulb moment before they died, thus ensuring their salvation, plucking them from a fate worse than death? The thief on the cross, in his dying moments, was promised a life in Paradise after reaching out to God’s Son. Our God is in the recycling business – He takes rubbish, because that is what we were, and produces from it something beautiful and fit for a life with Him one day. 

We should also pause before we point fingers at anyone around us who behaves in a way that is sinful and that violates our cosy Christian ways. We mustn’t and cannot judge others, because in the same way that they behave, we are also guilty. In John 8:7, we read about Jesus’ response to demands that a woman caught in adultery was stoned, in accordance with the Law of Moses. “They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”” We might never have been in such a situation, or so we think, but whatever the cause, we are not entitled to throw stones. In the John 8 account, everything went quiet, as the executing committee, with stones already in their hands, stopped to think. We then read in John 8:9, “When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.” With the sound of rocks and stones hitting the ground still in our ears, we pilgrims too must also “slip away” leaving our judgements behind, because we are sinners, albeit saved by grace, but sinners nevertheless. And the story ends with Jesus’ loving and gracious response, “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11). That message is a personal one to each of us, pilgrim or not. And on our knees this morning we come to our wonderful Saviour, confessing our sins in repentance, and asking for His grace and love, His forgiveness, to once again flood over us.

Dear Lord Jesus. There are always sins lurking in our human lives, waiting to emerge into the light of day. Please forgive us and help us to focus on You rather than those around us. And we pray for forgiveness today, once again, because only You have the power to forgive sins. In Your precious name. Amen. 

The First Denial

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.”
John 18:15-18 NLT

A Christian university student, hearing about a terrible atrocity where a gunman had murdered students in an American university, asked her mum what she should do if a similar situation occurred when she was in a class and the gunman asked all the Christians to stand up before they were killed. Should she stay seated, effectively denying her faith, or should she stand up and be shot? A dilemma if ever there was one, I think we can all agree. But we read in today’s verses how Peter was asked if he was a disciple of Jesus and he denied it. It could be argued that by denial, Peter was making a decision that might have preserved his life, or at least help him avoid unnecessary hassle. We remember Peter’s statement of allegiance to Jesus, and the Master’s response, as recorded in Matthew 26:33-35, “Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same“. So why did Peter go back on his word?

I suppose we have to ask ourselves the question, what would we have done in similar circumstances? Jesus said, and as recorded in Matthew 10:32-33, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven”. ‭‭We Western pilgrims are unlikely to face the same situation that Peter did, but in our daily lives we will face situations where a declaration of our faith in Jesus will be required. In the office or school, with our families or friends. What do we do when faced with hostility, real or imagined, because of our Christian faith, when it would cause us less pain to deny Jesus? I was often resented in the office because I refused to engage with the smutty and misogynistic conversations, or join my work colleagues in after work drinking sessions. But I was never going to deny Jesus. But that is not to say I have always been open and transparent with my faith; instead, in certain situations, having been “expedient” with the truth, particularly in my young Christian days. I think most believers will say the same. We read later how Jesus gently drew Peter back to his faith, and he never wavered again.

As the old song says, “there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of sin”, and before the Cross, in repentance, our loving Saviour will forgive us, pick us up, dust us off, and send us on the way again. The way of truth, the Jesus way. 

By the way, the mum’s answer to her daughter was that she should stay seated in such a situation, because such a terrifying moment would not have been in God’s plan for her and instead would have been the work of the devil. She said that her daughter was a child of God not of the devil and only her Father God’s voice should be obeyed. A good answer? But thankfully the young lady concerned never had to put her mum’s answer to the test, and has now graduated and moved on.

In nautical terminology there is an expression “to nail one’s colours to the mast”. This means that a ship’s crew, when faced with a dangerous situation, have resolved to fight on and they nail the ship’s flag to the mast to confirm their determination. We pilgrims have God’s colours at our disposal, and we nail them to every mast we come across to signify that we will never deny Jesus and will continue to follow Him all the days of our lives.

Father God. We sing together the old song, “We have decided to follow Jesus”. There is no other person to follow. There is none other who is the “Way, the Truth and the Life. We praise You today. Amen.

For The People

Posted on by korgrocker

“So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.””
John 18:12-14 NLT

The historical account of Jesus’ arrest was well documented in the Gospels, with each Gospel writer adding snippets of information to build an overall picture of the events that weekend. Over the years following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples would have perhaps occasionally relaxed and chatted together, going over the events and sharing the details, much in the Jewish way, where fathers shared an important event with their children who in turn did the same with theirs. And then it was all written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who would have brought to their remembrance what He wanted recorded. With the benefit of hindsight, John remembered what the High Priest, Caiaphas, had said in an earlier meeting of Jewish leaders. In John 11:49-52 we read, “Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world”. This would have been remarkable prophecy if it had been related to Jesus and His mission of salvation, but Caiaphas and the other Jewish leaders were more interested in their own cosy lives, and didn’t want anything to rock their boat and cause them personal loss and difficulties. So, they wanted Jesus out of the way, preferably dead, in case He was in the process of leading a rebellion to overthrow the Romans. Caiaphas probably never realised the significance of what he was saying, and the difficulties he was afraid of in fact materialised just a few years later in AD 70 when the Temple was destroyed by a besieging Roman army.

For us pilgrims, the death and resurrection of Jesus forms the bedrock of our faith. No other religion can claim that their god came to earth, where he took on the sins of his followers. No other religion has the power to grant eternal life to all those who believe in the One who created the entire Universe. We read again God’s mission statement, voiced by Jesus in a conversation with a Jewish leader called Nicodemus. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). An all-inclusive statement that embraced all humanity regardless of skin colour, nationality, ethnic origin, sex and genetic makeup. The only criteria to be applied was the people’s belief in Jesus. A belief that went beyond a superficial acknowledgement of a God’s existence and instead placed Him firmly and unequivocally in a central position in our lives. Today, we pilgrims also believe in Jesus, with a faith that knows no doubts, with a faith that has transformed our very lives and with a faith that will carry us to our Heavenly home one day.

Dear Lord Jesus. You came to this world for the people, those who God loved so much. We are so grateful. Amen.

Malchus’ Ear

Posted on by korgrocker

“Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfil his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.” Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”“
John 18:7-11 NLT

Malchus, the High Priest’s slave, makes a cameo appearance in the Biblical account, and he had the dubious experience of an encounter with Peter’s sword. Peter, good old impetuous Peter, once again acted without thinking. Standing before Jesus and His friends was a heavily armed contingent of Roman soldiers, armour and swords clanking, gruff voices speaking a foreign tongue, and with them was the Temple guards and others, and yet Peter thought he could make a difference with his sword. Luke’s account of this episode reveals more details. In Luke 22:49-50 we read, “When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!” And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear”. The next verse records that Jesus healed the man with the “ear-ing” loss and then in Mark’s Gospel we read, “Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked” (Mark 14:50-52). Altogether the arrest of Jesus had the potential to turn into an ugly situation with the arrest of His disciples as well as Jesus, but the Master was in charge, and His friends, the disciples were kept safe. We don’t know who the naked young man was but the accounts in the Gospels kept him nameless and saved his blushes. 

Jesus knew that He had the power to prevent His arrest, but His mission was not about His personal safety. Instead, it was about the salvation of the world, and we 21st Century pilgrims are and will be eternally grateful. But I wonder what the experience did for Malchus. He was in the firing line of a sword coming for him in then dark. He felt the sharp pain as his right ear was severed from the side of his head, and in the commotion the Man who they had been sent to arrest calmly took control of the situation and healed his ear. The pain of loss and injury was suddenly removed and I expect he raised his hand to feel if his ear had been restored. We don’t know if Jesus stooped down and picked up the ear off the ground and put it back in its rightful place, or if He just touched the place where it had been and miraculously grew another one, but regardless, Malchus was ear-less no more. He must have reflected much on what had happened. Did it lead to his belief and faith in Jesus? We don’t know, but perhaps we will get to find out one day.

Dear Lord Jesus. You are the Healer of body, soul and spirit. But we praise and thank You for the ultimate miracle – our salvation. Amen.

None Are Lost

Posted on by korgrocker

“Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfil his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.””
John 18:7-9 NLT

So, there was Jesus facing a crowd of soldiers, Temple guards, Judas, and others, even the High Priest’s slave, who had all been sent to arrest Him. I wonder what this motley crew were expecting? Of course, they may well have seen the miracles, and even might have benefitted from them. They would have heard about Jesus, and the Jerusalem rumour mill might have made them nervous in case He called upon supernatural resources to protect Him and His disciples. But earlier, and as recorded in John 6:39, Jesus said, “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day”. And even in the face of personal danger all Jesus was concerned about was His friends. It is a humbling thought that our incarnate Creator God made friends with human beings. Ordinary men like Peter the fisherman, or Matthew the tax collector. But despite His imminent suffering, Jesus’ concern for His followers was exactly what He taught and demonstrated during the previous years – His selflessness and love. But Jesus’ actions were all part of His Father’s plans for mankind.

There are two things here that apply to us pilgrims. Firstly, and because God has no favourites, Jesus’ care for His disciples extends even to us today. We may not see Him in the flesh but nevertheless He is with us through the Holy Spirit, making available to us all the love and grace we need in our hours of need. Secondly, are we too looking out for others in their times of adversity? Are we putting aside our own convenience and feelings, instead thinking of others? Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too“. We look around us and we have a circle of friends and family. How are we supporting and encouraging them? Perhaps our patents or grandparents need assistance with garden chores. Perhaps a friend is incapacitated by an accident or illness and needs some shopping done. We must remember that for most people the only glimpse they will receive of Jesus is through His followers.

Jesus cared deeply for His friends, the disciples and others who had faithfully followed Him over the previous few years. And even as His life was coming to an end He cared more for them than He did for Himself. In John 15:12-13, Jesus said, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends“. Jesus gave us an example of what true love really means, and we are called to offer that same love to others, “so that none will be lost”.

Dear Lord Jesus. You laid down Your live in the ultimate act of love dying on the Calvary Cross so that we might have life. We are so grateful. Amen.

Jesus the Nazarene

Posted on by korgrocker

“As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.””
John 18:6-8 NLT

In those days the name “Jesus” was relatively common, and there were others of that name mentioned in the Bible. There was one man called Barabbas, also called Jesus Barabbas in some manuscripts. We can read about him in Matthew 27:15-17, “Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named [Jesus] Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you— [Jesus] Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”” As an aside, can you imagine the relief that Barabbas felt, in prison having been part of a gang who had killed Roman soldiers, and expecting to be executed in the very near future, and to then be released, in the place of someone with the same name? Such is the saving power of Jesus Christ, bringing relief to sinners, who are otherwise under a eternal death sentence. There were other historical figures in those times with the name “Jesus” but who weren’t mentioned in the Bible. The name “Jesus” is a derivation of the name “Joshua” meaning “to deliver or to rescue”, or “salvation of God”. 

To differentiate between men with the same name, often the place where they lived was added for clarity, along with the name of their father. So Jesus became Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Joseph. Or Jesus the Nazarene. Matthew 2:23 reads, “So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”” Later Jesus was referred to “Jesus Christ” or “Christ Jesus”, adding the Greek name of Messiah, as written by Paul in Romans 1:4, “and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” The name Jesus is not commonly used in English-speaking nations, but it is  more used in places where languages such as Spanish in spoken.

To us pilgrims, however, Jesus is not “Jesus of Nazareth”. He is our wonderful Saviour, the Name above all names. There is no other name by which man can be saved. Romans 10:9-10, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved”. In Acts 4 we can read the account of Peter and John, brought before the Sanhedrin for healing the lame man begging at the Beautiful Gate, healing that took place in the Name of Jesus. Acts 4: 7, 10, “They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” … Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead“. Peter didn’t hold back. He clearly pointed out to the Jewish leaders what the power of the Name of Jesus was capable of, and added for good measure the facts of His death and resurrection. And he finished up by saying, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Dear Lord Jesus. Your Name is above all names. We sing it and believe it and worship You today. Amen.

‭‭

The Great I AM

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!”
John 18:4-6 NLT
 
Jesus’ use of the two words “I Am” were very significant because they were the name of God. To the Jews this name was so sacred that they would not use it in conversation or any other time, instead referring to Him as HaShem or Yahweh. These were sacred names to them, names that would be used with care, if at all. Back in Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and God commissioned him to go and lead the Israelite people out of Egypt. A daunting task for a mere shepherd looking after his father-in-law’s sheep. As we read the account, we find that initially Moses wasn’t too keen on the idea – after all he was about eighty years old at the time. In the ensuing conversation, where Moses tried to present reasons as to why God had chosen the wrong man, he asked for God’s name. We read in Exodus 3:13-14, “But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you””. In the following verse, it says, “God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations“.
 
In relationship to Himself, Jesus used the name “I AM” several times in the Bible. We find it in John 8:24, “That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins”. And in a previous blog we considered the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made. But we know of course, as it is a fundamental part of our faith, that Jesus had every right to use the name that associated Himself with God, because we know Him as being the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity. The name “Jesus” has become synonymous with “I AM” because that is who He is. Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father“.

We see in our verses today from John 18 that Jesus, in His use of the name “I AM”, had a dramatic effect on the soldiers and their companions. They stepped back and fell over each other. Such is the power of Jesus’ name. Peter used the name of Jesus to good effect when he and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. We read in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved“. Jesus’ name, “I AM”, is so powerful that it can save men and women from their sins. This is true power, and power without limit.

Jesus is the great “I AM”. There is none greater and there never will be. And the amazing thing is that the greatest will welcome the lowest – you and me – into His home one day. So we refocus our earthly minds on the things above, elevating our thoughts into Heavenly places. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life.

Dear Lord Jesus. Humbly before You this morning we bow in worship of the only Name that really matters. Thank You. Amen.

Looking For Jesus

Posted on by korgrocker

“The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.”
John 18:3-4 NLT

Jesus “stepped forward” to meet the motley crew of soldiers and Temple guards, led by Judas, and asked the question, “Who are you looking for”? A simple enough question and perhaps an obvious one in view of the murky darkness and proximity of trees. It was perhaps not the ideal place, from an arresting officers perspective, to apprehend Jesus, but Judas was providing the intelligence of His whereabouts, purchased for a minimal sum. Was that all Jesus was worth to him? But this was the start of a Divine plan for the salvation of mankind. Jesus told Nicodemus the manner and significance of His death, in John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life“. The bronze snake episode can be found in Numbers 21. In the story, and once again, the Israelite slaves were grumbling. We read in Numbers 21:5, “and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”” The next verse says, “So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died”.‭‭ Rapid justice for any who spoke against God and His servant Moses. As an aside, aren’t we glad that God, in these New Covenant days, holds back His judgement every time we grumble and complain? The account ends with the next three verses, “Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!” (Numbers 21:7-9). This was a prophetic demonstration of God’s true plan for mankind where, instead of a snake representing the remedy for their sinful grumbling and complaining, people instead could look at Jesus crucified and sacrificed to take away the sins of all who believe in Him. 

Jesus’ simple question in the Olive Grove, “Who are you looking for?”, has profound implications. Nicodemus came looking for more information about Jesus and His mission, as we read in John 3. There were some Greeks also looking for Jesus, “Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.”” (John 12:20-21). Many looked for Jesus during His ministry years – people wanting to be fed, be healed, and wanting to hear His teaching. But they were looking for the wrong Man. They were looking for someone to kick out the hated Romans and make Israel a self-governing state once again. But Jesus came to offer them something far better – eternal life.

We pilgrims looked for Jesus and we found Him, not because of our own efforts, but because He chose us before the foundations of the world. We responded to His message of good news with faithful hearts, believing that Jesus was the Saviour of mankind.

Dear Father God. There are many people out there “looking for Jesus”, Your Son. I’m sure we know who they are, so we pray that You graciously help us to connect them with the One they look for. In Jesus’ name. Amen.