GraceUnlimited

Jesus, whom the disciples had been excited to see crowned king, hide in dismay as the is crucified. A dreadful turn of events. Mockers take advantage of the hours that appeared to be a sadly ludicrous surprise reversal. Christians see Jesus as everything--but this picture of failure is how Jesus' enemies still see him and the hopelessness of the subsequent Christian faith. One man--the criminal dying next to Jesus--in the chaos of the cross, sees the true identity of the Christ. He sees Jesus in relation to his own sin. The astounding hope of mercy when there is obviously no other hope. His worst day becomes his best when Jesus promises paradise to him in that very day- This instant mercy is the instant possibility for every person who turns to Christ in faith today.

The degree to which Jesus suffered after his trials at the hands of the soldiers is unspeakable. Dripping with blood, they then forced him to carry the cross bar of his cross. Simon, who was later known to the church, is compelled to carry Jesus' cross. God even used this experience in Simon's whole family. As the King is forced out of the city to his place of execution, it is the Jews who are on trial, not him. Look closer at the King and the cross. God is doing something far greater here than you can ever imagine.

Crucifixion was a gruesome statement to anyone who dared to stand up against the Roman government. The Jewish leaders pushed Jesus forward as one who stood in this position. The greatest act of injustice of all time. Even modern Jewish apologists acknowledge that this, if they believed it was true, would have been completely unjust. Quick, illegal, nighttime trials aim at punishment rather than justice. Jesus must die. Now they only need to work out how. Without a clear charge they depend on the power of mob rule. Pilate, Jesus' Roman judge, couldn't extricate himself from the pressure without negative consequences to himself. Jesus, an innocent man, is ultimately condemned. Perfection bears the penalty of perversion.

We often don't know what current events mean. There may be more going on than you think. This was especially true with Jesus. What the disciples saw had to interpreted. Jesus has been arrested and it seems all of his talk of the kingdom is coming to nothing. but all of the things that are happening to him are proving that he is who he said he was. he is who the Old Testament prophesies said he would be. The Jews' deception to cover up his murder is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is the Messiah and their action are getting God's plan for Christ's exaltation in motion. The more Jesus holds to his argument, the more they oppose him and perpetuate God's purpose. In the current calamity in this world, don't do by what you see. Things are not what they seem. God will do everything he said he will do through Jesus, therefore, the true reality will soon be seen as well as known.

it is easier to learn from other people's failure than from our own. So let's learn from Peter. One moment he is swinging his sword and the next he is following at a distance, then sitting, then denying Jesus. For Jesus, Peter's denial is a huge social taboo. Was Peter trying to satay alive at all costs- Will you stand up before men at the risk of you life in order to own Jesus- Peter's failure began with over-confidence. Temptation cam as a surprise and his confidence was damaged. Like people who neglect the means of grace. He became focused on the wrong things. Jesus warned Peter, and by extension, me and you, but Peter did not take that warning seriously. have you become over-confident and started fallowing further behind- You have sent yourself up for failure. You have an opportunity now to come back to Christ.

As goes the father, so goes the family, it has been said. Every man should be restrained. Not only is he able to restrain his habits, but his personal desires too. He is also to be dignified. That doesn't mean he is only dignified, it means he can be light-hearted and fun, but his family knows that he is serious at the core. he is also sensible. He uses words that line up with reality. he can do this by toning his mind to think realistically. This is not equal to education. You can be highly educated but not think realistically. Men need to think biblically. God loves to help and change a repentant sinner. Have you gone to him and asked him to help you change. Have you then worked toward becoming a godly person. Say no to desire. Be eager to imitate. Think realistically. You will be God's kind of man.

Following Jesus is a different experience depending on what you are living through. For Jesus' disciples, being with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane must have been very confusing. Keeping their eyes on Jesus himself is the key in this confusion. the experience of tragedy is always different to knowing about it before it happens. Judas' betrayal was one of these intensely different experiences for the disciples. Immediately thereafter, it seemed obvious to the the disciples that it was time for them to start fighting with their swords. How bewildering it must have been to them when Jesus puts an end to the rebellion. How could evil be succeeding over Jesus- The soldiers who came to arrest him must have been surprised too when they realised he wasn't actually a dangerous criminal against whom they were armed with swords and clubs. Jesus' response is beautiful. He was the only one not surprised. Clearly, the disciples needed to trust him, even when it seemed he was not in control. Look at him quickly, before you struggle, trying to work it all out by yourself. Look out. Look up.

Jesus asks his disciples to pray as he prayed because he is not only the object of our justifying faith but also the example of our justifying faith. Jesus suffered more than anyone else. This can be said because Jesus was the sole person in the world who faced the greatest injustice. He was also betrayed by his close fiend. These are intensified by Jesus' agonies in the garden of Gethsemane as he anticipated the dreaded cross. The physical pain of astounding proportions precedes the overflowing enduring of the wrath of God against the sins of his people. Jesus' horror at being made sin was exactly the right response to that prospect. This is a demonstration of all of the attributes of God. As an equal expression of those attributes, Jesus sets up and faces those terrors alone. As you watch him moving resolutely toward the cross as your object of faith, do you imitate him as the example of your faith- You may pray and you may still suffer.

Our minds are filled with thousands of thoughts ever hour. When we combine this with the human propensity to constantly choose the wrong rather than the right, it is obvious that we can easily spirial down into a miserable funk. Simple positive thinking is not sufficient. Only God-centred thinking is sufficient to drive such a flow of thinking. Combine this with the purifying work of the indwelling Holy Spirit and you have a progressively God-like thought life. Voices in the world war against this and our minds are strongly influenced by our own unholy desires. They drive us to believe lies that urge us to turn away from God and to the lie. Paul has actually catalogued some broad categories of thought in which Christians should excel. The light of a God-centred worldview needs to overwhelm the darkness of convincingly self-serving lies. Some discipline in explaining this thinking is your lifeline in combination with prayer. Paul has also given the Philippians an example of such thinking and the living that resulted. What do you think-