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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Heaven, eternity and glory

  • Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    four crows on a tree branch

    Today, I saw a murder of crows in the tree. In case you don’t know, a murder is the formal name for a gathering of crows.

    Seeing the crows brought murder to mind. I started to think about all the murder mysteries I have watched and read over the years. They all had something in common, besides the body. In all of them, as far as I can remember, the victim was unable to prevent his own murder.

    There is one murder, however, that I know of, where the victim willingly submitted to being murdered for a greater cause. I’m Speaking of course, of the murder of Jesus, planned by the Jewish leaders, and carried out by the Roman rulers.

    The Jewish leaders perceived Jesus as a threat, and when they could not discredit him, they planned to kill him. They used Pontius Pilate to have him crucified, a most ignominious death.

    Let’s set the scene, before Jesus was taken to Pilate, one of his disciples betrays him and shows up at the Garden of Gethsemane with troops to arrest him

    Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:50-56 ESV

    Jesus willingly goes with them and submits to being convicted in a kangaroo court on completely fabricated charges. He is mocked, rejected, tortured, and eventually killed on the cross.

    Why would the God of the universe permit himself such indignities? Because he loves us. He humbled himself, set aside his rights, and came to earth to die.

    “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8 ESV

    If that thought doesn’t amaze you, you need to stop and think about what he has done for you.

    Praise God for all his mercies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    For the Birds – God’s provision
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
  • Are you truly alive

    Are you truly alive

    Black squirrel eating seeds

    Yesterday, I drove past a common and sad sight. The corpse of a black squirrel lay in the gutter beside the road. It looked so small and pathetic. There was no mistaking that it was no longer alive.

    I had seen that squirrel just the day before; it was sleek, bushy, and full of life. I guess it’s a habit of running across the street in front of traffic that brought the inevitable conclusion. 

    When people pass away, they have that same look of death. There is no vibrancy, no animation, and no spirit. YOu can see they are no longer alive. We expect that.

    What we often fail to recognize are the walking dead among us. I don’t mean zombies. I’m talking about those who are still dead in their sins. They look alive and can be animated and fun.  Yet, they are dead in the spirit, wilfully blind and destined for a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

    Contrast that to believers. We face the same trials and struggles. We still have problems, and our lives didn’t somehow magically become perfect. Yet there is an inner joy that circumstances can’t take away. We have a promise of everlasting life with the Lord.

    Only Believers have true life. That’s a harsh fact. It means that most of the people we encounter every day are spiritually dead. That’s an uncomfortable truth we don’t like to think about.

    Yet, there is good news. Those of us who are truly alive have a message of hope to bring to the world of those lost in darkness and without hope. We bring the gospel.

    The very word gospel is from an Old English word, God’s spell, meaning good news or blessing. It derives from the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news.”  The four gospels aren’t called gospels by mistake; they bring us the good news of Jesus.

    What is this gospel? It appears in many forms, fully and partially formed in the Scriptures.  We know that all of us are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. We know that we must be born again by faith. Paul gives us assurance that accompanies those thoughts.

    For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV

    He died for our sins, died, and was resurrected. He is alive today. It’s not a wish, it’s a historical event and a promise rolled into one. That’s astoundingly good news.

    God has given us the privilege of taking this euangelion to the world. He’s responsible for the result; our job is simply to live and proclaim the truth.

    Will we?

    Jesus, the one who came and paid the penalty for our sins, is real and alive.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    The Walking Dead
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear