Truth

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:1-6, NRSV)

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

How can we know the truth when so many people are saying they have the “right” way to follow Christ?

Who is right and who is not?

What is the way?

And what is “the life”. I’ve heard people say, “This is the life!” But what does that mean?

That at that moment everything is great and there is nothing wrong? Does that make the life?

So what is the right way to follow?

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, so follow Him and not what others are telling you is Him.

Follow Jesus.

Hail the king

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. (Mark 15:16-32, NRSV)

Hail the king, but is this how we treat a king?

Spit on him?

Flog him?

Nail him to a tree?

Hang him half-naked for all the world to see?

But when we don’t bring Him to the forefront of our lives, how are we treating him?

So hail the king and give Him the honor He deserves!

What’s in a name?

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:1-15, NRSV)

What was Jesus’ name?

Ok, many of you probably said, Jesus. Ha ha very funny. But what was His last name?

It’s not Christ, that is a title.

His last name depends on whom His father is. If we say Jesus’ father was Joseph his name would be Jesus BarJoesph.

Which leads us to the man that Pilate releases in the reading. His name is Barabbas. That is his last name and is very revealing…

You see Bar is a prefix that means son of. Jesus heals the blind man Bartimaeus, which is literally the son of Timaeus.

So Barabbas literally means son of the Abbas or Fathers or Father. Barabbas is son of the father. Which is also Jesus’ name isn’t it?

So when they ask for the Son of the Father to be released and crucified do they know what they are asking?

Why do you ask?

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  (John 18:33-37, NRSV)

Do you ask this of your own accord or did others tell you about me?

Why do we want to know the things we do?

Is it because we are curious or is it because we want to get something out of it?

And if Pilate did want to know of his own accord what would he gain?

What does it matter that Jesus is King of the Jews?

Why would it matter if He had legions of angels to come and fight?

What would it change here?

I believe Jesus is my King, not because of what He can do for me, but because of what He did for me!

And that is all my gain. Not because I did something, but because He did it all.

So hail Christ as King! And sing it from the mountaintops!

take courage

O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.
Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was beset as a city under siege.
I had said in my alarm,
“I am driven far from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
when I cried out to you for help.
Love the LORD, all you his saints.
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD.
(Psalm 31:19-24, NRSV)

Take courage!

Be Strong! For God is with us!

He will set aside our fears and use us in ways we could not imagine.  He will be our ever present help in trouble and will ease our souls.

So do not let fear get the best of you, but be strong on the Lord!

make you stand


134HBut you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.  (Jude 17-25, NRSV)

Who is the one who makes you stand?

In the end times, which many will say we are in, there will be lots of stuff happening and it will cause some of us to lose our faith. We will waiver and falter and not know what to do.

But He who makes us stand will not leave us nor forsake us.

So remember who makes you stand and rely on Him.

Watch out

Watch out for DeceiversMany deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!  Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person. (2 John 1:7-11, NRSV)

We have to love others, and provide for their needs, but we also have to protect ourselves and be on watch for those who might lead us astray.

So be on watch and follow Jesus, watching out for those who might deceive you and cause you to fall.

But love all and help everyone see the life we can all have in Jesus.

test it…

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6, NRSV)

If you read it on the internet it has to be true!

Well if that is the case, Abraham Lincoln said, “The thing about quotes from the internet is that it’s hard to verify their authenticity.” And that folks just didn’t happen. The internet wasn’t even a thought when Abe was here. So just like stories from the internet or quotes we have to look up, we also must be diligent in our faith to not just believe what one is telling us, but to test the spirit to make sure it is of God. Many will come to lead us astray, even those whom we believe are sent to not do that, so we must test every spirit!

Old or new?

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness. I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:7-14, NRSV)

If you say you are in the light and still hate your brother or sister you are walking in darkness.

You see it is not a new commandment but an old commandment in a different light.

We can not say we love and follow Jesus if we hold others down or hate them. It is not possible for the love of Jesus to be in us and permeate our lives if we hate others whom He has created.

When we love others we live in the light and Jesus is with us, otherwise we are fooling ourselves and trying to fool the world.

So love all, and allow Him to live in you!