If you’re alive and breathing in our world today, you have been, you are currently or you soon will be involved with trials and tribulations that will have you searching for an answer to the question above…..so, let us take a moment and search the scriptures for an answer to this perplexing question…..WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?
Christ asked the same question of his disciples as told in Luke 8: 22-25 which reads as follows: “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So, they got into the boat and set out. As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.” So he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters and the storm subsided….AND ALL WAS CALM. “Why are you so fearful? Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “who is this that even the winds and the water obey him?”
In our story above there are several things that need to be considered as we wrestle with this poignant question…First, who was it that decided that they should go to the other side?
JESUS….for when Jesus leads then we can follow with great confidence. It is a fore gone conclusion for those of us who are believers that if Jesus is with us, then we have NOTHING TO FEAR!!!! Jesus had already ordained the successful crossing to the other side for he said, “Let us go over to the other side.” He said they were going….so nothing would keep them from making a successful crossing. Remember…
What God ordains….God completes!
Secondly, what can possibly keep us from our destination if Christ is in the boat with us?
God is always with us in all our troubles; however, even as Christ slept and had to be awakened by his disciples, we need to assess our situation and be prepared to call out to the Master. God knows our needs and is just waiting to help us in any and every situation; but we must call out to him and ask for his intervention….He is not sleeping…rather he is just waiting for our cry for help before he begins to alter our circumstances.
And thirdly, where is your faith?
Is your faith in the sturdiness of your craft….the tenor of the wood and riggings ….the knowledge and experience of the crew or its captain….or is your faith based on the sight of some lighthouse on the distant shore?
The disciples had sailed these very same waters as fisherman for most of their adult years and they had probably encountered storms of this magnitude before….but what made this storm so different?
THE MASTER WAS ON BOARD…..AND HE WAS ASLEEP!
I am sure it was beyond their human comprehension to understand how anyone could sleep through a storm that was about to capsize the boat and drown them all….but Jesus knew that they would reach the other side because his trust was in the Father ….and God never forsakes his own!!!!!!
So no matter what storms of life come against you….as a child of God know this….HE WILL SEE THAT YOU MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE OTHER SIDE.
In fact that is EXACTLY where Christ is at this very moment…..Just waiting for you on the other side. So no matter what winds may howl or how tempestuous the seas may be during this season of your life, you can sleep and rest peacefully….just like Jesus did…with the secure knowledge that He is in the boat with you …rebuking the winds and calming the seas….waiting with outstretched arms ….safely on the other side.
If you will hold on to that picture in your heart and mind, you will always know the answer to the question…..where is your faith?....For your faith will not falter nor fail when you call on the name of the Lord and trust in His infinite power and promise….God is with you and HE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL!
Setting sail with the Savior,
WPQ
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Road Home....
It had been three days since that horrible crucifixion. My brother, Cleopas and I had been in Jerusalem for the Passover Days; in fact, we had been part of the crowd that welcomed Jesus as we laid down our cloaks and spread palm branches before him. I still remember the shouts of “Hosanna to the King” as the welcoming throng of worshippers ushered Jesus into the Temple courts…and now, just a week later; he is dead and buried….killed as a common criminal…crucified upon a cruel cross.
We had stood along the twisting road that leads to Golgotha and watched as the soldiers beat him and spat upon him as he struggled to carry his cross. I wanted to help but my brother pulled me back into the crowd and in a moment, Jesus and the Roman guards disappeared into the angry mob that kept shouting “ Crucify him, Crucify him!”
It was now about midday as we began our trip back home. We left the East gate of the city and started the seven mile journey that would take us to Emmaus and the comforts of family and home. We had barely cleared the shadow of the city when our thoughts and speech turned to the events of the past three days….Jesus, the beloved teacher, healer and prophet had been killed; his disciples seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth and only a handful of the women who followed him remained behind; brokenhearted and uncontrollable in their anguish.
As we were discussing these events, we were joined by a man who asked us what matters of such great importance could have us so preoccupied. My brother looked at him in amazement and asked him if he was a visitor to Jerusalem….surely he must have heard of the tragic death of the man from Galilee name Jesus. We told him how the chief priests and the Pharisees and other religious rulers had Jesus put to death and how our hopes that this man was the redeemer of Israel had died with him….we shared with him the amazing story, told to us just hours before, of the return of the grieving women who went to the tomb to anoint his body and found it empty. They spoke of angels, arrayed in dazzling white, who told them that Jesus had risen and was alive and was going on to Galilee to meet the disciples. In fact, we ran with some of them to the tomb and although we did not go in, we saw the look of utter amazement on the faces of Peter, James and John.
At that moment the stranger spoke…. “How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken of the Christ and how he must suffer all these things and then enter his glory.” And then, as we continued our journey, he explained to us all that was written in the scriptures regarding the Christ, starting with Moses and all the Prophets….our hearts seemed to be set afire as we listened to and hung on his every word as the Scriptures seemed to come alive on the road home.
Before we knew it, we had reached Emmaus and it was late in the day…the stranger was set to go on, but my brother and I insisted that he join us for a meal and spend the night. We gathered everyone at the table and as we passed the bread, the stranger took a piece and as he blessed it and gave thanks….a miracle happened….like scales falling from the eyes of a blind man….our eyes were OPENED WIDE AND WE SAW JESUS….and in a twinkling of an eye, He vanished from our sight….the Messiah had truly RISEN and we, two discouraged followers from Emmaus, had seen the risen Lord…the Savior of Israel.
We got up from the table immediately and although it was almost dark, we quickly returned to Jerusalem …it seemed as though we ran all the way. When we got to the home of Simon, we rushed in and shared with the Eleven and all those present how we had seen the Lord and all the many things he had taught us that day…the day that our lives we changed on the road home.
Are you like these two men on the road to Emmaus …headed home and discussing the things that have occurred but not making an eternal connection to the events of the Resurrection? They pondered and were perplexed by the outcome of Jesus …a good man who was a healer and a prophet but somehow they missed his true identity….until, on the road home, he opened the word of God and introduced them to the Savior…word by word he told them about himself and how all things must be fulfilled as told by the prophets….and then, the veil was lifted from their eyes and they saw Jesus as he was and is and will always be…the Savior of mankind.
Jesus has done the work….paid the debt….given His all… for us all; but you must open your eyes and see him as the brothers from Emmaus did….as the RISEN LORD. Are you blinded by the charlatans of this world and fooled by cheap imitations or are you truly searching for the Savior? If so, OPEN GOD’S WORD….THE HOLY BIBLE….and there you will meet your maker, creator and Savior of mankind….JESUS.
You need to know him personally before it is time for you to take your road home …the road that leads to eternity with him or without Him....FOREVER separation from the God who loves you and gave his only Son to redeem you…
I trust I’ll see you in heaven because of your relationship with Jesus ….for He is the Way, the Truth and the Light…and HE IS RISEN!
On the road home… to meet my Savior,
WPQ
We had stood along the twisting road that leads to Golgotha and watched as the soldiers beat him and spat upon him as he struggled to carry his cross. I wanted to help but my brother pulled me back into the crowd and in a moment, Jesus and the Roman guards disappeared into the angry mob that kept shouting “ Crucify him, Crucify him!”
It was now about midday as we began our trip back home. We left the East gate of the city and started the seven mile journey that would take us to Emmaus and the comforts of family and home. We had barely cleared the shadow of the city when our thoughts and speech turned to the events of the past three days….Jesus, the beloved teacher, healer and prophet had been killed; his disciples seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth and only a handful of the women who followed him remained behind; brokenhearted and uncontrollable in their anguish.
As we were discussing these events, we were joined by a man who asked us what matters of such great importance could have us so preoccupied. My brother looked at him in amazement and asked him if he was a visitor to Jerusalem….surely he must have heard of the tragic death of the man from Galilee name Jesus. We told him how the chief priests and the Pharisees and other religious rulers had Jesus put to death and how our hopes that this man was the redeemer of Israel had died with him….we shared with him the amazing story, told to us just hours before, of the return of the grieving women who went to the tomb to anoint his body and found it empty. They spoke of angels, arrayed in dazzling white, who told them that Jesus had risen and was alive and was going on to Galilee to meet the disciples. In fact, we ran with some of them to the tomb and although we did not go in, we saw the look of utter amazement on the faces of Peter, James and John.
At that moment the stranger spoke…. “How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken of the Christ and how he must suffer all these things and then enter his glory.” And then, as we continued our journey, he explained to us all that was written in the scriptures regarding the Christ, starting with Moses and all the Prophets….our hearts seemed to be set afire as we listened to and hung on his every word as the Scriptures seemed to come alive on the road home.
Before we knew it, we had reached Emmaus and it was late in the day…the stranger was set to go on, but my brother and I insisted that he join us for a meal and spend the night. We gathered everyone at the table and as we passed the bread, the stranger took a piece and as he blessed it and gave thanks….a miracle happened….like scales falling from the eyes of a blind man….our eyes were OPENED WIDE AND WE SAW JESUS….and in a twinkling of an eye, He vanished from our sight….the Messiah had truly RISEN and we, two discouraged followers from Emmaus, had seen the risen Lord…the Savior of Israel.
We got up from the table immediately and although it was almost dark, we quickly returned to Jerusalem …it seemed as though we ran all the way. When we got to the home of Simon, we rushed in and shared with the Eleven and all those present how we had seen the Lord and all the many things he had taught us that day…the day that our lives we changed on the road home.
Are you like these two men on the road to Emmaus …headed home and discussing the things that have occurred but not making an eternal connection to the events of the Resurrection? They pondered and were perplexed by the outcome of Jesus …a good man who was a healer and a prophet but somehow they missed his true identity….until, on the road home, he opened the word of God and introduced them to the Savior…word by word he told them about himself and how all things must be fulfilled as told by the prophets….and then, the veil was lifted from their eyes and they saw Jesus as he was and is and will always be…the Savior of mankind.
Jesus has done the work….paid the debt….given His all… for us all; but you must open your eyes and see him as the brothers from Emmaus did….as the RISEN LORD. Are you blinded by the charlatans of this world and fooled by cheap imitations or are you truly searching for the Savior? If so, OPEN GOD’S WORD….THE HOLY BIBLE….and there you will meet your maker, creator and Savior of mankind….JESUS.
You need to know him personally before it is time for you to take your road home …the road that leads to eternity with him or without Him....FOREVER separation from the God who loves you and gave his only Son to redeem you…
I trust I’ll see you in heaven because of your relationship with Jesus ….for He is the Way, the Truth and the Light…and HE IS RISEN!
On the road home… to meet my Savior,
WPQ
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Cast of the Resurrection…Mary Magdalene
My name is Mary Magdalene and I had never been this broken-hearted. Even in the midst of my demon-possessions, when all seemed lost, I somehow managed to go on. But now, since the death of my beloved Jesus, I can’t quit crying …and sleep; well, that’s certainly out of the question.
It’s been two whole days since that horrible crucifixion. I still see him hanging there, the thorn of crowns pressed deeply into his head; his beautiful hair, matted and blood-stained. He is missing parts of his beard that were ripped out by the Roman guards as they mocked him. His back is laid open and the muscles are torn to pieces from the scourging that he endured…Oh, Jesus, why did you not die before you were lead down the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha’s Hill?
And where are your disciples, those cowards? They have all fled and are hiding from the centurion’s guard….only a few of us, the women who loved and cared for you deeply, remain. Even the darkness that fell across the land could not hide the great sorrow that was etched in every line upon your face….the sorrow; the shame; the humiliation and degradation that you endured before that barbaric crowd. And those religious hypocrites, those Pharisees, calling out for you to come down and prove that you are the Son of God. Have they no shame….jeering at the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?
May God deal ever so severely with them and heap coals of fire upon their foolish heads; yet, I know that you died for them, too. How often I listened as you taught your disciples to turn the other cheek and to forgive and to love those that persecute us. Even in your dying breathe I heard you plead with God to forgive them for they had no idea of what they were doing….Oh, how great a love you have shown for us.
It still makes me sick to my stomach as my mind replays the hammer’s blows as the soldiers nail you to the cross. I hear your anguished cry for mercy as it falls on deaf ears and the blows continue…CLANG…CLANG…CLANG…as the hammer drives the nail spikes through your feet and hands….please let it stop; I can’t bear to think of your precious body torn and mutilated for my sins….but you told us all this must happen if we were to belong to you.
And then, your body, now limp upon the cross, the last signs of life vanished. The guards approach to break your bones but instead, thrust their spear deep into your side as water and blood gush forth….I turn and leave with John and your mother and the other women…but we are lost and without hope.
I try and try to put these terrible images out of my mind and get some sleep…we will be going to the tomb in just a few hours to anoint your body….please Jesus, help me rest.
THE SABBATH MORN…..A Few Hours Later
It was not yet daylight when Joanna and Mary, the mother of James arrived. We gathered our herbs, expensive aloes and fresh linens and made our way through the Mount of Olives to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea…the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Along the way, we discussed how we might get the Roman guards to roll back the stone so that we could get into the tomb….otherwise. all would be for naught and we would be unable to provide Jesus with a proper burial.
When we arrived….WE COULD NOT BELIEVE OUR EYES ….THE GUARDS WERE GONE AND THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY….we ran full speed into the tomb, but there was no body. We were totally dismayed and wondered who could have taken our Savior’s remains when suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the entire tomb was filled with this glorious light and two men, dressed all in dazzling white garments, stood before us.
I will never forget what they said to us as we hid our faces and bowed before them.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? HE IS NOT HERE; HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID. Come and see the place where he lay. Now, go and tell his disciples: HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him”……and then, they were gone….and my heart leapt into my throat…MY LORD IS ALIVE!!!!!
What about you today? Is your Lord alive or do you worship a God that is dead and powerless? Do you know the crucified Christ as the Redeemer of the Resurrection or are you still searching for a life of meaning and purpose? Have you gone to the tomb; found the stone rolled away and heard the words of the angels….HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN….JESUS IS ALIVE!
Why not become a Mary Magdalene today and hurry to the tomb and find it empty....Rejoice with her that Jesus is alive …in fact, there’s more to Mary’s story in John 20:10-18….Take time to read this passage and you will see the personal encounter that Mary had with her Lord….it's the same kind of personal encounter He wants to have with you.
Then, do as Mary. Go and tell others that your Lord and Savior is alive… Forevermore!
Seeking the Empty Tomb…Praising the Living Lord,
WPQ
It’s been two whole days since that horrible crucifixion. I still see him hanging there, the thorn of crowns pressed deeply into his head; his beautiful hair, matted and blood-stained. He is missing parts of his beard that were ripped out by the Roman guards as they mocked him. His back is laid open and the muscles are torn to pieces from the scourging that he endured…Oh, Jesus, why did you not die before you were lead down the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha’s Hill?
And where are your disciples, those cowards? They have all fled and are hiding from the centurion’s guard….only a few of us, the women who loved and cared for you deeply, remain. Even the darkness that fell across the land could not hide the great sorrow that was etched in every line upon your face….the sorrow; the shame; the humiliation and degradation that you endured before that barbaric crowd. And those religious hypocrites, those Pharisees, calling out for you to come down and prove that you are the Son of God. Have they no shame….jeering at the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?
May God deal ever so severely with them and heap coals of fire upon their foolish heads; yet, I know that you died for them, too. How often I listened as you taught your disciples to turn the other cheek and to forgive and to love those that persecute us. Even in your dying breathe I heard you plead with God to forgive them for they had no idea of what they were doing….Oh, how great a love you have shown for us.
It still makes me sick to my stomach as my mind replays the hammer’s blows as the soldiers nail you to the cross. I hear your anguished cry for mercy as it falls on deaf ears and the blows continue…CLANG…CLANG…CLANG…as the hammer drives the nail spikes through your feet and hands….please let it stop; I can’t bear to think of your precious body torn and mutilated for my sins….but you told us all this must happen if we were to belong to you.
And then, your body, now limp upon the cross, the last signs of life vanished. The guards approach to break your bones but instead, thrust their spear deep into your side as water and blood gush forth….I turn and leave with John and your mother and the other women…but we are lost and without hope.
I try and try to put these terrible images out of my mind and get some sleep…we will be going to the tomb in just a few hours to anoint your body….please Jesus, help me rest.
THE SABBATH MORN…..A Few Hours Later
It was not yet daylight when Joanna and Mary, the mother of James arrived. We gathered our herbs, expensive aloes and fresh linens and made our way through the Mount of Olives to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea…the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Along the way, we discussed how we might get the Roman guards to roll back the stone so that we could get into the tomb….otherwise. all would be for naught and we would be unable to provide Jesus with a proper burial.
When we arrived….WE COULD NOT BELIEVE OUR EYES ….THE GUARDS WERE GONE AND THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY….we ran full speed into the tomb, but there was no body. We were totally dismayed and wondered who could have taken our Savior’s remains when suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the entire tomb was filled with this glorious light and two men, dressed all in dazzling white garments, stood before us.
I will never forget what they said to us as we hid our faces and bowed before them.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? HE IS NOT HERE; HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID. Come and see the place where he lay. Now, go and tell his disciples: HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him”……and then, they were gone….and my heart leapt into my throat…MY LORD IS ALIVE!!!!!
What about you today? Is your Lord alive or do you worship a God that is dead and powerless? Do you know the crucified Christ as the Redeemer of the Resurrection or are you still searching for a life of meaning and purpose? Have you gone to the tomb; found the stone rolled away and heard the words of the angels….HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN….JESUS IS ALIVE!
Why not become a Mary Magdalene today and hurry to the tomb and find it empty....Rejoice with her that Jesus is alive …in fact, there’s more to Mary’s story in John 20:10-18….Take time to read this passage and you will see the personal encounter that Mary had with her Lord….it's the same kind of personal encounter He wants to have with you.
Then, do as Mary. Go and tell others that your Lord and Savior is alive… Forevermore!
Seeking the Empty Tomb…Praising the Living Lord,
WPQ
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Arturo …The Guard of the Tomb
At last this horrible crucifixion was over, so I gathered my men and began the march back to the guard’s barracks. It had been a harrowing night and day leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus…and now we all deserved some much needed rest…but alas, that was not to be.
We had barely made our way back to the Palace walls when I was summoned by Pilate. He had been petitioned, by a follower of Jesus named Joseph of Arimathea, to have the body of Jesus released to him for a quick and hasty burial before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. So, I gathered a small detachment of my men and headed with him back to the Hill. We arrived and quickly took the body of Jesus down and wrapped him in some linen sheets for his transport to the tomb….at last we were done with this man…whoever he was….Son of God or Galilean lunatic….he was no longer my concern…or at least that’s what I thought.
We marched back to the garrison and I set the guards for the rest of our duty and then, I went to bed. I was dogged tired yet, I could not sleep. I could not get the face nor the words of this man Jesus out of my mind; “Father, forgive them” and “It is finished”….what was finished and how could a mortal man endure such pain and agony and ask that his executors be forgiven?
I finally seemed to drift into an uncomfortable and fitful sleep when I was abruptly awakened by one of my men; seems I was being summoned to Pilate’s court again. I dressed hastily and hurried to the courtyard where I was ushered into the presence of my liege. Pilate was surrounded by the same yammering mob of Pharisees that had clamored for the death of Jesus and now, they wanted a Roman guarded posted to keep out his disciples…they were afraid that his disciples would steal his body within the next three days and make claims that Jesus had risen from the dead. They listed several times that they say Jesus had made such claims and somehow, they had convinced Pilate that such a commotion would be bad for him and the keeping of the peace during the Passover days.
Pilate gave me my orders and instructed me to go with 11 of my men to post a full watch over the tomb…that meant 24 hours of guarding a dead man…and for what…..to appease a group of malcontents that hated our very existence in their land….but, I had my orders.
I posted the first watch and then went over to the hillside there in the garden. I found a grassy knoll that peered across the valley of Kidron and settled in for the hours that lay ahead. I checked on the guards periodically and made sure that the tomb was secure and that the seal had not been broken. Now, all that could be done was to spend another night and the three days would have passed….and then, maybe, I would be finished with this Jesus once and for all.
I set the mid-watch and fell asleep for what seemed like only minutes when, I was awakened to the violent shaking of the ground …it reminded me of that day…just days before at Calvary when the ground shook and was split open. There was a bright light and I saw standing before me, a man or some angelic being, clothed all in white. I turned away for I feared that he had come to take my life. I threw myself on the ground and felt it tremble underneath my shaking body…it was hard to tell who was shaking more; me or the ground. I dared not look up in fear that I might be blinded by such a fearsome light.
Now, I have been in many great and ferocious battles in my life…and I have been frightened many times before; but never in my life have I been this terrified of what was about to happen. Was I about to die at the hand of this man robed in white or was there some escape from this doom that was set before me?
I lay perfectly still, hoping that this being might think me already dead….I kept my head still and lay motionless, afraid to look around. I could sense that my men had deserted their post and fled in terror at the first sight of this creature. I was all alone…awaiting my eventual doom….but as I lay there, still and lifeless, I heard voices ….women’s voices.
I decided to risk it all; so, I slowly rose to my feet and looked up. The great stone that my men and I had rolled into the mouth of the tomb was now rolled away…and sitting upon it was the same man of white brilliance. He spoke softly to a small band of women…the same women that had been at the foot of the cross of Jesus …I heard him say that Jesus was not there….that He had risen and was alive and was going before them and would see them in Galilee…and then he commanded them to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead…. a moment later, this man robed in white was gone.
I stood there motionless, as the women peered into the tomb and then rushed by me as they hurried from the garden. I inched slowly toward the tomb, the huge stone rolled over twenty feet from the mouth of the grave; then, I walked inside.
I can hardly describe what I saw next….nor my astonished reaction….the tomb was empty…except for the neatly folded linen and face napkin…Jesus was indeed…GONE!
As a soldier, I knew what this meant….I had failed my assigned duties and I would pay dearly for my dereliction of duty (and so would my men); but, as a mortal man who was in complete control of my intelligent faculties, I knew a miracle had taken place.
My men and I had guarded this tomb with our lives and no one had breached our security…BUT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY…and I had seen with my own eyes, the stone rolled away and a being, not of this realm, seated upon it….and he proclaimed, in no uncertain terms.... JESUS WAS ALIVE!!!
For me that left me with only one conclusion... the same conclusion that I uttered at the time of his death…..
Truly, this man was the son of God!
Today, you are faced with the same unequivocal evidence that the Roman centurion saw as he stood before the cross of Jesus and then later, as he peered into Christ’s empty tomb….Truly, This Man…This Jesus so despised by the maddening throng….This man of sorrows… is the son of God.
Now, we may never know, this side of heaven, if that centurion’s declaration of Jesus as the Son of God sealed his place in God’s eternal home; but today, you can know for yourself….if you will accept His blood shed for your remission of sin and if you will peer into that empty tomb and believe that Christ has been raised from the dead….then, Easter is your time of thanksgiving and eternal celebration….Jesus said many times, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Are you listening today for the voice of the risen Savior as He pleads, "O Sinner, come home?"
Declaring the Risen Lord….Savior and Friend,
WPQ
We had barely made our way back to the Palace walls when I was summoned by Pilate. He had been petitioned, by a follower of Jesus named Joseph of Arimathea, to have the body of Jesus released to him for a quick and hasty burial before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. So, I gathered a small detachment of my men and headed with him back to the Hill. We arrived and quickly took the body of Jesus down and wrapped him in some linen sheets for his transport to the tomb….at last we were done with this man…whoever he was….Son of God or Galilean lunatic….he was no longer my concern…or at least that’s what I thought.
We marched back to the garrison and I set the guards for the rest of our duty and then, I went to bed. I was dogged tired yet, I could not sleep. I could not get the face nor the words of this man Jesus out of my mind; “Father, forgive them” and “It is finished”….what was finished and how could a mortal man endure such pain and agony and ask that his executors be forgiven?
I finally seemed to drift into an uncomfortable and fitful sleep when I was abruptly awakened by one of my men; seems I was being summoned to Pilate’s court again. I dressed hastily and hurried to the courtyard where I was ushered into the presence of my liege. Pilate was surrounded by the same yammering mob of Pharisees that had clamored for the death of Jesus and now, they wanted a Roman guarded posted to keep out his disciples…they were afraid that his disciples would steal his body within the next three days and make claims that Jesus had risen from the dead. They listed several times that they say Jesus had made such claims and somehow, they had convinced Pilate that such a commotion would be bad for him and the keeping of the peace during the Passover days.
Pilate gave me my orders and instructed me to go with 11 of my men to post a full watch over the tomb…that meant 24 hours of guarding a dead man…and for what…..to appease a group of malcontents that hated our very existence in their land….but, I had my orders.
I posted the first watch and then went over to the hillside there in the garden. I found a grassy knoll that peered across the valley of Kidron and settled in for the hours that lay ahead. I checked on the guards periodically and made sure that the tomb was secure and that the seal had not been broken. Now, all that could be done was to spend another night and the three days would have passed….and then, maybe, I would be finished with this Jesus once and for all.
I set the mid-watch and fell asleep for what seemed like only minutes when, I was awakened to the violent shaking of the ground …it reminded me of that day…just days before at Calvary when the ground shook and was split open. There was a bright light and I saw standing before me, a man or some angelic being, clothed all in white. I turned away for I feared that he had come to take my life. I threw myself on the ground and felt it tremble underneath my shaking body…it was hard to tell who was shaking more; me or the ground. I dared not look up in fear that I might be blinded by such a fearsome light.
Now, I have been in many great and ferocious battles in my life…and I have been frightened many times before; but never in my life have I been this terrified of what was about to happen. Was I about to die at the hand of this man robed in white or was there some escape from this doom that was set before me?
I lay perfectly still, hoping that this being might think me already dead….I kept my head still and lay motionless, afraid to look around. I could sense that my men had deserted their post and fled in terror at the first sight of this creature. I was all alone…awaiting my eventual doom….but as I lay there, still and lifeless, I heard voices ….women’s voices.
I decided to risk it all; so, I slowly rose to my feet and looked up. The great stone that my men and I had rolled into the mouth of the tomb was now rolled away…and sitting upon it was the same man of white brilliance. He spoke softly to a small band of women…the same women that had been at the foot of the cross of Jesus …I heard him say that Jesus was not there….that He had risen and was alive and was going before them and would see them in Galilee…and then he commanded them to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead…. a moment later, this man robed in white was gone.
I stood there motionless, as the women peered into the tomb and then rushed by me as they hurried from the garden. I inched slowly toward the tomb, the huge stone rolled over twenty feet from the mouth of the grave; then, I walked inside.
I can hardly describe what I saw next….nor my astonished reaction….the tomb was empty…except for the neatly folded linen and face napkin…Jesus was indeed…GONE!
As a soldier, I knew what this meant….I had failed my assigned duties and I would pay dearly for my dereliction of duty (and so would my men); but, as a mortal man who was in complete control of my intelligent faculties, I knew a miracle had taken place.
My men and I had guarded this tomb with our lives and no one had breached our security…BUT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY…and I had seen with my own eyes, the stone rolled away and a being, not of this realm, seated upon it….and he proclaimed, in no uncertain terms.... JESUS WAS ALIVE!!!
For me that left me with only one conclusion... the same conclusion that I uttered at the time of his death…..
Truly, this man was the son of God!
Today, you are faced with the same unequivocal evidence that the Roman centurion saw as he stood before the cross of Jesus and then later, as he peered into Christ’s empty tomb….Truly, This Man…This Jesus so despised by the maddening throng….This man of sorrows… is the son of God.
Now, we may never know, this side of heaven, if that centurion’s declaration of Jesus as the Son of God sealed his place in God’s eternal home; but today, you can know for yourself….if you will accept His blood shed for your remission of sin and if you will peer into that empty tomb and believe that Christ has been raised from the dead….then, Easter is your time of thanksgiving and eternal celebration….Jesus said many times, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Are you listening today for the voice of the risen Savior as He pleads, "O Sinner, come home?"
Declaring the Risen Lord….Savior and Friend,
WPQ
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Arturo Augustus….Captain of the Guard
In all my years upon the battlefields of the world, I have never been as fearful as I was on that Sabbath morning; but, I get ahead of myself. My story really begins on Thursday evening, when I, and 24 of my best men, encircled a band of misfits in search of the Nazarene, Jesus of Galilee.
We had been lead to the Garden of Gethsemane by one of his inner circle, Judas Iscariot, with orders to arrest the man that he kissed. After a brief skirmish, one of the servant’s of the High Priest had his ear cut off …and this man, Jesus, reached out and touched his wound…and he was immediately healed. We bound him and lead him away.
In the courtyard of the High Priest, Jesus was beaten, kicked and spat upon as my men and I sat silently by…totally amused by these pitiful, rabbinical guards. After their mock trial and its shallow proceedings, Jesus was given to us to be taken to Pilate. We gathered our prisoner and made the short march across the open city square, followed closely by the High Priest and his entourage of Jewish malcontents.
At the palace of Pilate, I entered and asked permission to present the prisoner and in a short time, Pilate appeared. It was clear by his countenance that he was not happy to see this crowd and I reasoned that this matter would be over quickly. He engaged Caiaphas and upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the local Roman administrator of the Jews.
Herod had his fun with Jesus as he had his soldiers dress him in a purple royal robe. They spit upon him, kicked and punched him, then blindfolded him to see if he could tell them who it was that was beating him. They amused themselves for sometime; then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate was not happy as I marched Jesus back into the great hall, followed closely by the mob of Pharisees. One by one they brought forth witnesses that condemned Jesus for inciting the crowds with his magic and miracles and speaking out against Rome. Pilate heard the trumped up charges and then turned his attention to Jesus. He asked him many questions and gave him every opportunity to defend himself; but Jesus just stood there and offered no defense. It was clear to see that Pilate had grown weary of the whole proceeding and so he gave his verdict… he found no fault in this man but to please these peasants, he would have Jesus flogged.
He instructed me to administer his sentence…39 lashes with the cat of nine tails; a Roman device of torture that had killed many a man after only half as many lashes. My men and I took Jesus out into the courtyard and began to take turns beating him with the whip of chards of glass and bits of metal. Some how, in some way, Jesus, though mangled and bloody from this ordeal, was still alive….then once again, with his purple robe and crown of thorns, he was lead back to Pilate. The crowd became enraged that Pilate purported to release Jesus; instead they demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified. Pilate called for a wash basin and there, before all the gods of Rome, he washed his hands of the innocent blood of this man…then he ordered me to carry out his execution upon a Roman cross.
Now, I have followed many an order to execute a prisoner by means of crucifixion and I have hardly ever given it a second thought; but this time, I felt very uneasy as I prepared my men to obey this order. We gathered the other two prisoners set for execution that day and gave each their wooden beam to carry to the hill known as Golgotha. We flanked the prisoners on each side as we made our way through the burgeoning crowds …many still chanting, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM…as the lowly carpenter of Galilee passed by. The women that had been had his trial followed closely; they kept crying out for us to let him go for he had done nothing wrong…and somehow, in my heart, I knew they were right. But, I am a soldier and captain of the guard and I follow orders no matter what!
We had barely begun our march along Golgotha's Way when Jesus stumbled and fell; it was clear that he could not make it on his own, so I grabbed a man from the crowd and made him carry his cross. At the summit, we placed Jesus and the other two criminals on their cross beams and began the torturous process of nailing them to the wooden cross. As captain of the guard, it was required of me to deliver the first blows and to see that the spikes were driven through the flesh and into the hardened wood. Once this was complete, I gave the order to raise the cross beams and lower them into the prepared holes…the resounding THUD and the ensuing cries of pain let me know that the dance with death had begun.
I took my place at the peak of the summit, just a few feet from the cross of Jesus. I ordered one of my men to hang the sign that read, JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS and listened to the angry response from the Pharisees. The crowd was still large for such an early morning hour and they continued to mock him and jeer at him…even my own men joined in as they called for him to save himself, if he was indeed the son of God.
I watched as my men took his garments and divided them among themselves… and because the purple robe was one piece, they cast lots to see who would become the owner of this fine linen. The day wore on and slowly, many of the accusers and the riotous crowd began to disperse…only a few of his women followers remained, along with his mother. I watched as he tenderly asked a man standing there to see to her care…and then, he uttered the unthinkable….that His Father should forgive those that had sent him to such a horrible death….. And I thought to myself, could he possibly mean me?
The next few hours are really almost a blur as the clouds began to gather and the sun seemed to be blackened from the sky…it was high noon, but for the next three hours, it seemed as dark as a starless night. The wind began to blow and torrential rains began to fall and in one defining moment, Jesus raised himself up and cried in a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” …. And with that cry, the earth began to shake; the sky was pitch black and the rocks upon Golgotha’s Hill were split open …and Jesus, this innocent man, breathed his last breath.
I literally shook in my sandals and I could hear my armor rattle as the son of God died on Calvary ….my men lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to move for fear that one of the cracks in the hill would open up and swallow them whole. We were all fearful and yet our orders were not complete. We were to guard the body and to make sure that each of the criminals were dead. We broke the bones of the other two, but since Jesus appeared to be dead, one of my men stuck his spear in his side and watched as water and blood gushed out. It seemed to be finished and yet, it was only beginning.
There’s more to my story….if you care to hear it.
Are you like the Roman centurion…the evidence of Christ as the Son of God is presented and you believe ….at least in your head; but the real message at Calvary has not yet touched your heart.
Arturo proclaimed, as the earth shook and Jesus died…”Surely, this man was the son of God;” but Arturo believed in many Gods and so he felt safe in making such an exclamation of fact…he had head knowledge based on what he had just experienced, but his heart was far from convinced…..
How about you? Do you believe in Jesus or ….DO YOU KNOW JESUS? The answer to that question makes all the difference….ETERNAL DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Come by next week and hear the rest of Arturo’s story and meet the Characters of the Resurrection….you’ll be blessed as you celebrate with each of them the Risen Lord, JESUS CHRIST.
HAPPY EASTER,
WPQ
We had been lead to the Garden of Gethsemane by one of his inner circle, Judas Iscariot, with orders to arrest the man that he kissed. After a brief skirmish, one of the servant’s of the High Priest had his ear cut off …and this man, Jesus, reached out and touched his wound…and he was immediately healed. We bound him and lead him away.
In the courtyard of the High Priest, Jesus was beaten, kicked and spat upon as my men and I sat silently by…totally amused by these pitiful, rabbinical guards. After their mock trial and its shallow proceedings, Jesus was given to us to be taken to Pilate. We gathered our prisoner and made the short march across the open city square, followed closely by the High Priest and his entourage of Jewish malcontents.
At the palace of Pilate, I entered and asked permission to present the prisoner and in a short time, Pilate appeared. It was clear by his countenance that he was not happy to see this crowd and I reasoned that this matter would be over quickly. He engaged Caiaphas and upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the local Roman administrator of the Jews.
Herod had his fun with Jesus as he had his soldiers dress him in a purple royal robe. They spit upon him, kicked and punched him, then blindfolded him to see if he could tell them who it was that was beating him. They amused themselves for sometime; then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate was not happy as I marched Jesus back into the great hall, followed closely by the mob of Pharisees. One by one they brought forth witnesses that condemned Jesus for inciting the crowds with his magic and miracles and speaking out against Rome. Pilate heard the trumped up charges and then turned his attention to Jesus. He asked him many questions and gave him every opportunity to defend himself; but Jesus just stood there and offered no defense. It was clear to see that Pilate had grown weary of the whole proceeding and so he gave his verdict… he found no fault in this man but to please these peasants, he would have Jesus flogged.
He instructed me to administer his sentence…39 lashes with the cat of nine tails; a Roman device of torture that had killed many a man after only half as many lashes. My men and I took Jesus out into the courtyard and began to take turns beating him with the whip of chards of glass and bits of metal. Some how, in some way, Jesus, though mangled and bloody from this ordeal, was still alive….then once again, with his purple robe and crown of thorns, he was lead back to Pilate. The crowd became enraged that Pilate purported to release Jesus; instead they demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified. Pilate called for a wash basin and there, before all the gods of Rome, he washed his hands of the innocent blood of this man…then he ordered me to carry out his execution upon a Roman cross.
Now, I have followed many an order to execute a prisoner by means of crucifixion and I have hardly ever given it a second thought; but this time, I felt very uneasy as I prepared my men to obey this order. We gathered the other two prisoners set for execution that day and gave each their wooden beam to carry to the hill known as Golgotha. We flanked the prisoners on each side as we made our way through the burgeoning crowds …many still chanting, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM…as the lowly carpenter of Galilee passed by. The women that had been had his trial followed closely; they kept crying out for us to let him go for he had done nothing wrong…and somehow, in my heart, I knew they were right. But, I am a soldier and captain of the guard and I follow orders no matter what!
We had barely begun our march along Golgotha's Way when Jesus stumbled and fell; it was clear that he could not make it on his own, so I grabbed a man from the crowd and made him carry his cross. At the summit, we placed Jesus and the other two criminals on their cross beams and began the torturous process of nailing them to the wooden cross. As captain of the guard, it was required of me to deliver the first blows and to see that the spikes were driven through the flesh and into the hardened wood. Once this was complete, I gave the order to raise the cross beams and lower them into the prepared holes…the resounding THUD and the ensuing cries of pain let me know that the dance with death had begun.
I took my place at the peak of the summit, just a few feet from the cross of Jesus. I ordered one of my men to hang the sign that read, JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS and listened to the angry response from the Pharisees. The crowd was still large for such an early morning hour and they continued to mock him and jeer at him…even my own men joined in as they called for him to save himself, if he was indeed the son of God.
I watched as my men took his garments and divided them among themselves… and because the purple robe was one piece, they cast lots to see who would become the owner of this fine linen. The day wore on and slowly, many of the accusers and the riotous crowd began to disperse…only a few of his women followers remained, along with his mother. I watched as he tenderly asked a man standing there to see to her care…and then, he uttered the unthinkable….that His Father should forgive those that had sent him to such a horrible death….. And I thought to myself, could he possibly mean me?
The next few hours are really almost a blur as the clouds began to gather and the sun seemed to be blackened from the sky…it was high noon, but for the next three hours, it seemed as dark as a starless night. The wind began to blow and torrential rains began to fall and in one defining moment, Jesus raised himself up and cried in a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” …. And with that cry, the earth began to shake; the sky was pitch black and the rocks upon Golgotha’s Hill were split open …and Jesus, this innocent man, breathed his last breath.
I literally shook in my sandals and I could hear my armor rattle as the son of God died on Calvary ….my men lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to move for fear that one of the cracks in the hill would open up and swallow them whole. We were all fearful and yet our orders were not complete. We were to guard the body and to make sure that each of the criminals were dead. We broke the bones of the other two, but since Jesus appeared to be dead, one of my men stuck his spear in his side and watched as water and blood gushed out. It seemed to be finished and yet, it was only beginning.
There’s more to my story….if you care to hear it.
Are you like the Roman centurion…the evidence of Christ as the Son of God is presented and you believe ….at least in your head; but the real message at Calvary has not yet touched your heart.
Arturo proclaimed, as the earth shook and Jesus died…”Surely, this man was the son of God;” but Arturo believed in many Gods and so he felt safe in making such an exclamation of fact…he had head knowledge based on what he had just experienced, but his heart was far from convinced…..
How about you? Do you believe in Jesus or ….DO YOU KNOW JESUS? The answer to that question makes all the difference….ETERNAL DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Come by next week and hear the rest of Arturo’s story and meet the Characters of the Resurrection….you’ll be blessed as you celebrate with each of them the Risen Lord, JESUS CHRIST.
HAPPY EASTER,
WPQ
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Manger…The Cross….The Tomb
Mary, Mother of the Condemned…
I stand here at the foot of this hill to see my son, my firstborn, hanging on this cruel cross and my heart is torn from my body. It only seems like days ago that I birthed him on that blessed evening and laid him in that manger while the cattle were lowing in the stillness of the night. I knew he was Heaven’s child as I held him in my arms and sang a mother’s lullaby. Oh, how my heart leapt for joy as Joseph and I stood over our son and prayed for God’s blessing and faithfulness. As I nursed and nurtured him, he grew into a strong and well-mannered child. I still remember the visit from the Magi with their precious gifts, our trips to the synagogue for his Bar Mitzvah and the Passover sacrifices. I remember the panic I felt when we could not find him for three days …and the look of peace and serenity on his face when he told us that he must be about His Father’s business. Though puzzled by his remark, I was so happy to have my precious Jesus in my arms again that I even failed to scold him. Even now, as he labors to breathe, his thoughts and concerns are for me…to give me to his beloved friend, John, so that I may be cared for in the days that are left for me. He told me, so many times, that this day would come…a day when sinful, deceitful men would triumph and he would give his life as a ransom for many….and for me….my Jesus….my son….my Messiah.
Artemas, Thief among Men…..
I have been dreading this day and yet, knowing that it was inevitable. It gave me a sense of strength and purpose, killing that Roman guard after what he did to my mother and my sister…well, he got what he deserved…and now, according to Roman law, I will get what I deserve. But, this man, Jesus? I can’t believe that he is hanging next to me? What crime are they punishing him for….healing the sick, making the lame to walk or the blind to see? My death; I get it! And I would do it over again to avenge my mother and sister. But why Jesus? I heard their accusations; watched as Pilate had him beaten beyond recognition, then washed his hands of this whole fiasco. And these religious hypocrites clamoring for him to be crucified…they should be the ones hanging next to me, not Jesus. Even now, they scoff at him and beg the soldiers to take now the sign hung there by orders from Pilate…”Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.” The soldiers have stripped him naked and cast lots for his purple robe and yet, I heard him say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
Who is this man that even on this cruel cross he pleads for those that would kill him? And you….you vile serpent ….you are getting just what you deserve…a sentence to death and damnation….do not mock this man. For He is innocent and does not deserve the same fate as you and I. Do you dare mock God and fear Him not? Leave him alone and let him die without the haunting screech of a condemned man ringing in his ears….but King Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and do not count my sins against me. And then, He did the unthinkable; he raised himself upon the nail and looked at me with his loving eyes and said, “It will be so. Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
By now, it was near noon and I was beginning to lose some of my strength and my will to live was beginning to falter. The sky began to darken and it became like night…the sun seemed blotted from the sky. The women at the foot of Jesus’ cross kept reaching up to touch Him as they held on to each other, sobbing and calling out for God to save His Son. Then, as the darkness seemed to deepen, Jesus called out in a voice that shook the heavens above and made the foundations of the earth quake. He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The sky grew darker still and the heavens opened up with torrential rain. The rocks seemed to split open as the whole earth shook. Then he shouted again, “Father, It is finished! Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
And in that last breath, He was gone. I heard the centurion who had stood guard at His feet, turn and tell all those who were still there, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Then I turned and looked away…. for I, a guilty, sinful man, was not worthy to gaze upon the Son of God.
Joseph of Arimathea, Disciple of Silent Action….
I had to hurry for the day of preparation would soon be over and the Sabbath would be upon us. I had all the necessary things for a quick burial. There would be time later to return and finish the process after the Sabbath. But, first, I had to get before Pilate so that I might claim His body or Jesus would be given a criminal’s burial in the Potter’s field.
I knew I would take some punishment from my fellow members of the Sanhedrin; but if only there had not been such a rush to judgment, Nicodemus and I might have been able to talk them into something less than death. I know Jesus spoke out against them and their deceitful ways, but He only spoke the truth…and that’s what brought about his death… for evil men do not want the light to be shone on their evil deeds.
I hurried off to see Pilate. When I arrived at the palace, I asked the guard to tell Pilate that Joseph of Arimathea would like an audience with him to plead for the body of Jesus. He quickly returned and said that Pilate was sending one of his personal guards to insure that Jesus was dead and that I should wait here. I sat down and began to think on the events of the last 24 hours …the mock trial before the religious leaders of the Sanhedrin; the confrontation with Caiaphas; the trial and subsequent sentence to death by Pilate; the long road to the cross… and the pounding of the hammers as they drove those spikes into His hands and feet. I knew that I would never get that sound out of my ears….and I knew it was time for me to do something that let others know that I loved and believed in this man Jesus.
I had been a coward and afraid of the Jews for far too long…that’s why I had to do this for Jesus …I had to give him the burial that he deserved. The guard returned and not a moment too soon, for the sun was setting and I had to have his body in the tomb before the Sabbath began.
I had told Nicodemus to meet me at the garden, not far from Golgotha’s Hill, and to bring the burial spices and some additional linen. I ran to the cross and the guards, though visibly shaken, helped me remove Christ’s body. My servants and I hurried to the nearby garden and to the new tomb that had just been dug. There, Nicodemus and I bathed our Lord’s body, washing away the blood and the torn flesh that clung to his lifeless corpse. We wept uncontrollably as we saw the pierced hands and feet; taking our time, we placed aloe leaves in the holes and rubbed the myrrh and spices all over His beaten and bruised frame. We began at his feet and gently, lovingly wrapped his entire body in the fine linen, laying more of the aloe leaves and spices in each fold or crevasse of the cloth.
When we had finished, we each kissed him on the cheek and placed the napkin over his head. I looked over my shoulder, to see standing in the doorway, His mother and the other women from Galilee. They stood there sobbing but could not come in … for contact with a dead body would defile them on the eve of the Sabbath. We left the tomb and with the help of Nicodemus and several of my servants, we rolled a stone in front of the doorway to keep out the grave robbers. I told the women that I would come back with them after the Sabbath so they could finish what we had not….and then, with once last parting glance, I left the garden and the place where my Jesus lay…in a cold, dark tomb.
I had done in His death what I had failed to do in His life….tell my Savior that I loved Him. God forgive me for my unbelief!
The Manger, the Cross and the Tomb….three different places…three different experiences…one Loving Savior. Today…HE IS CRUCIFIED ….he hangs upon that cross for his mother…the criminal ….Joseph of Arimathea….and for you and me.
Don’t be like Mary and love a nostalgic Savior ….for He is alive and waiting for you to confirm Him in your life today.
Don’t be like the criminal and wait until the very last second to meet Jesus…he will save you, but that’s a risky way to live…or then die without Him.
Don’t be like Joseph and be too afraid of the “established” powers in your life to let others know that you love and serve a risen Savior.
Today, proclaim that Jesus is yours and you are His….and then you will enjoy the glory and the blessings that belong to Jesus and those that follow Him….and you will celebrate His Resurrection as a new creation in Christ.
Hallelujah…He died for my sins, yet….. He Lives Forevermore,
WPQ
I stand here at the foot of this hill to see my son, my firstborn, hanging on this cruel cross and my heart is torn from my body. It only seems like days ago that I birthed him on that blessed evening and laid him in that manger while the cattle were lowing in the stillness of the night. I knew he was Heaven’s child as I held him in my arms and sang a mother’s lullaby. Oh, how my heart leapt for joy as Joseph and I stood over our son and prayed for God’s blessing and faithfulness. As I nursed and nurtured him, he grew into a strong and well-mannered child. I still remember the visit from the Magi with their precious gifts, our trips to the synagogue for his Bar Mitzvah and the Passover sacrifices. I remember the panic I felt when we could not find him for three days …and the look of peace and serenity on his face when he told us that he must be about His Father’s business. Though puzzled by his remark, I was so happy to have my precious Jesus in my arms again that I even failed to scold him. Even now, as he labors to breathe, his thoughts and concerns are for me…to give me to his beloved friend, John, so that I may be cared for in the days that are left for me. He told me, so many times, that this day would come…a day when sinful, deceitful men would triumph and he would give his life as a ransom for many….and for me….my Jesus….my son….my Messiah.
Artemas, Thief among Men…..
I have been dreading this day and yet, knowing that it was inevitable. It gave me a sense of strength and purpose, killing that Roman guard after what he did to my mother and my sister…well, he got what he deserved…and now, according to Roman law, I will get what I deserve. But, this man, Jesus? I can’t believe that he is hanging next to me? What crime are they punishing him for….healing the sick, making the lame to walk or the blind to see? My death; I get it! And I would do it over again to avenge my mother and sister. But why Jesus? I heard their accusations; watched as Pilate had him beaten beyond recognition, then washed his hands of this whole fiasco. And these religious hypocrites clamoring for him to be crucified…they should be the ones hanging next to me, not Jesus. Even now, they scoff at him and beg the soldiers to take now the sign hung there by orders from Pilate…”Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.” The soldiers have stripped him naked and cast lots for his purple robe and yet, I heard him say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
Who is this man that even on this cruel cross he pleads for those that would kill him? And you….you vile serpent ….you are getting just what you deserve…a sentence to death and damnation….do not mock this man. For He is innocent and does not deserve the same fate as you and I. Do you dare mock God and fear Him not? Leave him alone and let him die without the haunting screech of a condemned man ringing in his ears….but King Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and do not count my sins against me. And then, He did the unthinkable; he raised himself upon the nail and looked at me with his loving eyes and said, “It will be so. Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
By now, it was near noon and I was beginning to lose some of my strength and my will to live was beginning to falter. The sky began to darken and it became like night…the sun seemed blotted from the sky. The women at the foot of Jesus’ cross kept reaching up to touch Him as they held on to each other, sobbing and calling out for God to save His Son. Then, as the darkness seemed to deepen, Jesus called out in a voice that shook the heavens above and made the foundations of the earth quake. He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The sky grew darker still and the heavens opened up with torrential rain. The rocks seemed to split open as the whole earth shook. Then he shouted again, “Father, It is finished! Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
And in that last breath, He was gone. I heard the centurion who had stood guard at His feet, turn and tell all those who were still there, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Then I turned and looked away…. for I, a guilty, sinful man, was not worthy to gaze upon the Son of God.
Joseph of Arimathea, Disciple of Silent Action….
I had to hurry for the day of preparation would soon be over and the Sabbath would be upon us. I had all the necessary things for a quick burial. There would be time later to return and finish the process after the Sabbath. But, first, I had to get before Pilate so that I might claim His body or Jesus would be given a criminal’s burial in the Potter’s field.
I knew I would take some punishment from my fellow members of the Sanhedrin; but if only there had not been such a rush to judgment, Nicodemus and I might have been able to talk them into something less than death. I know Jesus spoke out against them and their deceitful ways, but He only spoke the truth…and that’s what brought about his death… for evil men do not want the light to be shone on their evil deeds.
I hurried off to see Pilate. When I arrived at the palace, I asked the guard to tell Pilate that Joseph of Arimathea would like an audience with him to plead for the body of Jesus. He quickly returned and said that Pilate was sending one of his personal guards to insure that Jesus was dead and that I should wait here. I sat down and began to think on the events of the last 24 hours …the mock trial before the religious leaders of the Sanhedrin; the confrontation with Caiaphas; the trial and subsequent sentence to death by Pilate; the long road to the cross… and the pounding of the hammers as they drove those spikes into His hands and feet. I knew that I would never get that sound out of my ears….and I knew it was time for me to do something that let others know that I loved and believed in this man Jesus.
I had been a coward and afraid of the Jews for far too long…that’s why I had to do this for Jesus …I had to give him the burial that he deserved. The guard returned and not a moment too soon, for the sun was setting and I had to have his body in the tomb before the Sabbath began.
I had told Nicodemus to meet me at the garden, not far from Golgotha’s Hill, and to bring the burial spices and some additional linen. I ran to the cross and the guards, though visibly shaken, helped me remove Christ’s body. My servants and I hurried to the nearby garden and to the new tomb that had just been dug. There, Nicodemus and I bathed our Lord’s body, washing away the blood and the torn flesh that clung to his lifeless corpse. We wept uncontrollably as we saw the pierced hands and feet; taking our time, we placed aloe leaves in the holes and rubbed the myrrh and spices all over His beaten and bruised frame. We began at his feet and gently, lovingly wrapped his entire body in the fine linen, laying more of the aloe leaves and spices in each fold or crevasse of the cloth.
When we had finished, we each kissed him on the cheek and placed the napkin over his head. I looked over my shoulder, to see standing in the doorway, His mother and the other women from Galilee. They stood there sobbing but could not come in … for contact with a dead body would defile them on the eve of the Sabbath. We left the tomb and with the help of Nicodemus and several of my servants, we rolled a stone in front of the doorway to keep out the grave robbers. I told the women that I would come back with them after the Sabbath so they could finish what we had not….and then, with once last parting glance, I left the garden and the place where my Jesus lay…in a cold, dark tomb.
I had done in His death what I had failed to do in His life….tell my Savior that I loved Him. God forgive me for my unbelief!
The Manger, the Cross and the Tomb….three different places…three different experiences…one Loving Savior. Today…HE IS CRUCIFIED ….he hangs upon that cross for his mother…the criminal ….Joseph of Arimathea….and for you and me.
Don’t be like Mary and love a nostalgic Savior ….for He is alive and waiting for you to confirm Him in your life today.
Don’t be like the criminal and wait until the very last second to meet Jesus…he will save you, but that’s a risky way to live…or then die without Him.
Don’t be like Joseph and be too afraid of the “established” powers in your life to let others know that you love and serve a risen Savior.
Today, proclaim that Jesus is yours and you are His….and then you will enjoy the glory and the blessings that belong to Jesus and those that follow Him….and you will celebrate His Resurrection as a new creation in Christ.
Hallelujah…He died for my sins, yet….. He Lives Forevermore,
WPQ
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Pilate…the Desire to Believe?
I hate this desolate, barren land. It is worse than a boil on the backside of their wretched camels. Why would I, a captain of Caesars’ very own Elite Guard, end up in a place like this? What could I have possibly done to displease him that would merit such punishment? Governor of this region is certainly not what I was hoping to have as my reward for my last great victory. Surely, my time here will be short and my interactions with these Jews will soon be over.
And yet, here they are again….these weak, insignificant peasants; religious pontificators whining about some homeless prophet that they can’t control. It’s barely daylight and already they would summon me from my slumber to decide the punishment for this Jesus. I should have them all dragged into the palace and made to bow at my feet…it is of no consequence to me that they would be unfit for their Passover feast. My only desire is to make this situation go away as quickly as possible so that I can get back to more important matters ….like leaving this wretched land and all its pettiness to the goat herders and the Jews.
Once in the courtyard, I listened as they brought witness after witness to regale how this Jesus had excited the crowds to follow him; had turned out the moneychangers and the livestock from their beloved temple…so I told them to take him and judge him by their puny Jewish laws. They refused since for them it was unlawful to crucify anyone. I found no fault in him; but better to let the local ruler have this on him than me …so I sent him to Herod….and in only a matter of hours, Jesus was standing in front of me again.
So I asked him, “Tell me, are you the King of the Jews?” ...and his answer puzzled me; “Are you asking this of your own accord or have others told you about me?” I told him that I was not a Jew and it didn’t matter to me…. That it was his own nation and High Priest that had brought him to me and that I had the power to have him killed or let him go. He told me that His kingdom was not of this world and when I questioned him about this, he told me that he was here to testify to the truth…whatever that meant, I really wasn’t sure. So, I sought to return him to the Jews for I found no legal grounds on which to condemn him….but they shouted me down and called out to release the rebel, Barabbas, according to the custom of the Passover to release one criminal from bondage.
I sent Jesus away and had the captain of the battalion beat and flog him…they placed a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped a purple cloth around him, all the while mocking him, punching him and asking, “if you are a prophet, tell us who hit you.” I then brought him back before the assembly of the Jewish leaders and the ever-growing crowd and told them once again that I could find no grounds to merit a conviction.
He stood before them, wearing that purple robe and his kingly crown of thorns and I said, “Behold, here is the man!” I was really not prepared for this angry mob as they screamed out … “CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!” I silenced them and told them to take him away and kill him according to their laws for I found nothing in this man that deserved his death by crucifixion ….but they would not be silenced.
What happened next gave me great pause for concern…they told me that he must die according to their rabbinical law…for he had proclaimed himself to be Son of God. Now, I am a god-fearing man that worships many Gods and I was not willing to take the chance that this man might actually be the son of one of them, so I brought him back into the inner chamber and asked him once again, “Where are you from? Who are you? Are you the Son of God?”…but, he just stood before me and offered nothing in his defense. I reminded him that it was within my powers to release him or to have him crucified, yet he told me that I had no authority over him had it not been given to me from above.
This was not an ordinary man and I did all within my powers to release him…I truly desired to let him go with the beating that he had endured and a strong reprimand not to appear before me again. I took him back to the courtyard with every intention to silence the Jews and to let Jesus go, but they cried out even louder that if I did such a thing, I was no friend of Caesar. I could not let this anarchy go on any longer, for word might return to Rome that I was unable to control these weak-minded Jews…so I presented them with the King, yet they shouted even more, “Away with him. We have no King but Caesar. Crucify Jesus!”
So, I did what was expedient. I called for a basin of water, and there before this angry mob and the gods of Rome, I washed my hands of his innocent blood…then, I gave Jesus over to them so that he should be crucified.
It had to be done. I had no choice. I had sworn an oath to Rome and to Caesar to protect this horrible land and to keep the peace. If I failed to give this mob what they wanted, many would probably die trying to restore order and I would be held responsible for their deaths…but my conscience was clear; I had tried to release Jesus …I had done all that I could to let him go, but my duty to Rome came first. After all, I am a soldier and soldiers follow orders no matter how unpleasant they might be. I did all that was possible that day…his death was not my fault!
Today, is that what you have been telling yourself….that Jesus’ death was NOT YOUR FAULT? It was not your decision to send Him to his death… to have Him bludgeoned to within an inch of his life, nailed to a rugged tree and hung between two thieves. Have you tried to wash his innocent blood from your hands and declare that you, too, have a clear conscience?
If so, you have missed the meaning of the cross….Christ may have chosen the nails, but it was your sins that swung the hammer…you and I were the ones that drove those spikes deep into the flesh of Jesus. God requires that we come to Him, holy and acceptable; Jesus accomplished that for us by giving himself as a blood sacrifice on the cross. Now, we must accept our part in His death….it was our sin that put Him there; it is our pride that keeps us from accepting the fact that WE NEED A SAVIOR!!!!
Don’t let pride keep you from knowing Jesus and accepting what He accomplished for you on Calvary…He is just a heartbeat away ….and so is eternity without Him!
Sorrow-filled for My Part … Forgiven and Forever His,
WPQ
And yet, here they are again….these weak, insignificant peasants; religious pontificators whining about some homeless prophet that they can’t control. It’s barely daylight and already they would summon me from my slumber to decide the punishment for this Jesus. I should have them all dragged into the palace and made to bow at my feet…it is of no consequence to me that they would be unfit for their Passover feast. My only desire is to make this situation go away as quickly as possible so that I can get back to more important matters ….like leaving this wretched land and all its pettiness to the goat herders and the Jews.
Once in the courtyard, I listened as they brought witness after witness to regale how this Jesus had excited the crowds to follow him; had turned out the moneychangers and the livestock from their beloved temple…so I told them to take him and judge him by their puny Jewish laws. They refused since for them it was unlawful to crucify anyone. I found no fault in him; but better to let the local ruler have this on him than me …so I sent him to Herod….and in only a matter of hours, Jesus was standing in front of me again.
So I asked him, “Tell me, are you the King of the Jews?” ...and his answer puzzled me; “Are you asking this of your own accord or have others told you about me?” I told him that I was not a Jew and it didn’t matter to me…. That it was his own nation and High Priest that had brought him to me and that I had the power to have him killed or let him go. He told me that His kingdom was not of this world and when I questioned him about this, he told me that he was here to testify to the truth…whatever that meant, I really wasn’t sure. So, I sought to return him to the Jews for I found no legal grounds on which to condemn him….but they shouted me down and called out to release the rebel, Barabbas, according to the custom of the Passover to release one criminal from bondage.
I sent Jesus away and had the captain of the battalion beat and flog him…they placed a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped a purple cloth around him, all the while mocking him, punching him and asking, “if you are a prophet, tell us who hit you.” I then brought him back before the assembly of the Jewish leaders and the ever-growing crowd and told them once again that I could find no grounds to merit a conviction.
He stood before them, wearing that purple robe and his kingly crown of thorns and I said, “Behold, here is the man!” I was really not prepared for this angry mob as they screamed out … “CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!” I silenced them and told them to take him away and kill him according to their laws for I found nothing in this man that deserved his death by crucifixion ….but they would not be silenced.
What happened next gave me great pause for concern…they told me that he must die according to their rabbinical law…for he had proclaimed himself to be Son of God. Now, I am a god-fearing man that worships many Gods and I was not willing to take the chance that this man might actually be the son of one of them, so I brought him back into the inner chamber and asked him once again, “Where are you from? Who are you? Are you the Son of God?”…but, he just stood before me and offered nothing in his defense. I reminded him that it was within my powers to release him or to have him crucified, yet he told me that I had no authority over him had it not been given to me from above.
This was not an ordinary man and I did all within my powers to release him…I truly desired to let him go with the beating that he had endured and a strong reprimand not to appear before me again. I took him back to the courtyard with every intention to silence the Jews and to let Jesus go, but they cried out even louder that if I did such a thing, I was no friend of Caesar. I could not let this anarchy go on any longer, for word might return to Rome that I was unable to control these weak-minded Jews…so I presented them with the King, yet they shouted even more, “Away with him. We have no King but Caesar. Crucify Jesus!”
So, I did what was expedient. I called for a basin of water, and there before this angry mob and the gods of Rome, I washed my hands of his innocent blood…then, I gave Jesus over to them so that he should be crucified.
It had to be done. I had no choice. I had sworn an oath to Rome and to Caesar to protect this horrible land and to keep the peace. If I failed to give this mob what they wanted, many would probably die trying to restore order and I would be held responsible for their deaths…but my conscience was clear; I had tried to release Jesus …I had done all that I could to let him go, but my duty to Rome came first. After all, I am a soldier and soldiers follow orders no matter how unpleasant they might be. I did all that was possible that day…his death was not my fault!
Today, is that what you have been telling yourself….that Jesus’ death was NOT YOUR FAULT? It was not your decision to send Him to his death… to have Him bludgeoned to within an inch of his life, nailed to a rugged tree and hung between two thieves. Have you tried to wash his innocent blood from your hands and declare that you, too, have a clear conscience?
If so, you have missed the meaning of the cross….Christ may have chosen the nails, but it was your sins that swung the hammer…you and I were the ones that drove those spikes deep into the flesh of Jesus. God requires that we come to Him, holy and acceptable; Jesus accomplished that for us by giving himself as a blood sacrifice on the cross. Now, we must accept our part in His death….it was our sin that put Him there; it is our pride that keeps us from accepting the fact that WE NEED A SAVIOR!!!!
Don’t let pride keep you from knowing Jesus and accepting what He accomplished for you on Calvary…He is just a heartbeat away ….and so is eternity without Him!
Sorrow-filled for My Part … Forgiven and Forever His,
WPQ
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