Tag Archives: Religion

Luke 23- The Cross of Christ

Leave a reply

And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? Luke 23:26-31

As Jesus was heading to the cross, the darkest day of humanity became the redemption day for humanity.As Jesus struggled to carry his wooden cross up the mile trek to Calvary, a bystander named Simon was instructed by the Romans to help Jesus carry his cross. Not much else was mentioned about Simon of Cyrene, but can you imagine having to help The Lord carry his cross to his death, and then just walking away? We don’t read of Simon of having any conversion, so we can assume he must have just walked away. Just like many today and throughout the ages, have heard about the death of Christ, and then just walked away, no care or desire for The Lord

Secondly as Jesus is making the dreadful trip up to Golgotha, he is warning his woman followers of the judgment that is going to be coming upon Israel. Of course we know this was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem and The Temple were destroyed. Why was Jesus only addressing his female disciples? Because all the male disciples took off and ran for their life, except the Apostle John. 

And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. Luke 22:32-37

Jesus was crucified in between two criminals, which criminal on the cross are you? One mocked Jesus , while the other asked Jesus for forgiveness, what was Jesus response “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” Wow! Imagine this, after Christ is beaten and nailed to a cross for no reason, He still forgives them and wants to save them! What a merciful and loving God we serve! 

As Jesus was left hanging on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins, they mocked him “He saved others, let him save himself” But this is the very heart of the gospel message, Jesus died to save us! He could have left us all go to Hell and save himself, but He choose to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He choose to save your soul, because He loves you even before you knew who Jesus was!

The Cross of Christ, was a brutal and horrific event, however it was an event that Christ fulfilled to save your soul. If you want mercy , if you want salvation, you must come to the Cross of Christ first, and Jesus will make you Born Again! Amen!

Luke 23- Jesus Took Our Place

2 Replies

And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Luke 23:13-19

Again as Pilate and Herod found no wrongdoing of Jesus, the religious leaders kept pushing for Rome to execute The Lord. There was a loophole found, the Romans had a custom of releasing a prisoner at the feast. The religious leaders used this clause as a way to have Jesus take the place of a convict murder named Barrabas. Now notice Pilate originally said I will chastise and release him. This was not getting off easy either, this meant the Roman soldiers would brutally beat Jesus almost to death, but not crucify him

However Israel wanted to exercise the clause in this mockery of a trial and have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified. Think about this, Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God is going to take the place of a horrible sinner and die on the cross for his sins. Jesus took your place also, even though we were still sinners God demonstrated his love towards us and Christ died for our sins (Romans 5:8) You are Barrabas! We are all Barrabas!

Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. Luke 23:20-25

Pilate knowing that Jesus is innocent , tried one last time to release him, however the crowd kept shouting “Crucify Him”, “Crucify Him”, and notice it says “He delivered Jesus to their will” The will of man was to kill the Son of God, but the will of God was to save all humanity through his Son! As the Apostle Paul said “Christ became the curse for us, so we can be released from the curse of The Law” (Galatians 3:13)

Jesus took your place, literally and symbolically, We are all sinners and deserve to die on that cross, however because of Gods love for us, He took our place!  He who knew no sin became our sin so we can become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Luke 23- Are You The King?

1 Reply

And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. Luke 23:1-5

The religious leaders wanted to kill off Jesus, because they knew it was immoral, they decided to get Pilate to do their dirty work for them. While Pilate is interrogating Jesus, he asks him “Are You The King of The Jews”? Instead of Jesus directly telling Pilate who He is, Christ wants to know what’s in our hearts. Jesus’ reply was “You have said so” in other words “Pilate are you recognizing me as the King of Kings”? 

Some people always ask “Why didn’t Jesus just say He is God” or “Why doesn’t Jesus just tell everyone He is the Messiah” Well because if you’re truly seeking God or searching for the Messiah, you would have recognized Jesus Is He. However most don’t really care about God or their salvation, they look to just create more division and turmoil

When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves Luke 23:6-12

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, so he decided to try and get Herod to do the dirty work of convicting Christ. Now Herod heard a lot about Jesus and his miracles so he was excited to see Jesus in person. However Christ had no interest in putting on a show for Herod, so he remained silent to see what they would falsely accuse him of. Eventually Herod got angry because Jesus wouldn’t perform a miracle for him, so began mocking him, putting a robe of a King on Jesus.

Notice these wicked and evil men, still unknowingly recognized and acknowledged Jesus as the King. Even though nobody could find any fault with Jesus, the wickedness of the religious leaders kept pursuing the death of Christ. If only these men’s hearts were not hardened, and they were actually seeking Christ, then they would have recognized Jesus right in front of them.

However God used all this evil for our good, Jesus died at the hands of sinful men to be the Lamb of God, who will take the punishment for the sins of the world, Amen!

Luke 22- The Hour Has Come

6 Replies

And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: Luke 22:63-67

The hour has come for the Son of Man to fulfill prophecy and become the Lamb of God who will take the penalty for the sin of the world. Evil beyond comprehension happened to Jesus, taken as a prisoner by the Roman soldiers, beaten and spit upon, then given an unfair trial by the religious leaders so they could prosecute him to death. There was no justice that was happening here, a fake trial that was being held at night so nobody knew about it. False accusations being charged to Jesus, false witnesses and false testimonies, this was the most corrupt trial in the history of the world. However this same corrupt trial brought salvation to the world. As Christ took the penalty of our sins, and make us justified and righteous before God

They mocked Jesus, spit on him, and began striking him. These are supposed to be men of God, but these men didn’t know God. They were blinded by their hardened hearts and false religion. Eventually they asked Jesus, “Are you the Messiah”? Jesus said “If I tell you, you wouldn’t believe” Let’s examine the hearts of these religious leaders. If they truly believed Jesus might be the Christ, would they be torturing and spitting on the Messiah? Obviously they didn’t care if Jesus was truly the Messiah, all they cared about is The Lord was ruining their false religion and traditions. They had a heart issue, much like many still today

And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. Luke 22:68-71

A couple things to point out here, Jesus references himself as the “Son of Man”, this is significant because he is referencing Daniel 7 and the prophecy of the Messiah. All the religious leaders know what he is referring to when Jesus calls himself the “Son of Man” Jesus also addresses himself as the “Son of God” who sits at the right hand of the Father. So Jesus made it very clear who He is, and it was obvious the religious leaders understood his claim, yet they still rejected Christ because their hearts are hardened

Secondly, the religious leaders charge Jesus with blasphemy for calling himself the Son of God. Jesus is clearly making a reference to his deity here, those who reject the Trinity or the deity of Christ, would have to explain this. The religious leaders clearly understood Jesus was referring to himself equal with God, which is why they charged him with blasphemy

The fulfillment of all the Messianic prophecies was about to come, the Christ was being handed over to sinners to be crucified for our sins. The hour has come for the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, Amen!

Luke 22- Kiss of Death

1 Reply

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Luke 22:47-51

Previously we looked at Judas, and how Satan entered him to betray Christ Jesus. Now the hour has come, for the Son of Man to be glorified. Judas was going to sell his soul , to hand Jesus over to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver. However God used the evil actions of man, and turned it for our good (Romans 8:28) While Satan thought he had the perfect plan to kill the Messiah, he was actually fulfilling the prophecies of Christ defeating sin and death at the cross!

The disciples asked Jesus “Should we strike them with our swords”? The Lord told them No, why? Because the hour has come for the prophecies to be fulfilled, Jesus will be handed over to evil men and be crucified as the Lamb of God. All the evil thoughts and actions by the religious leaders, the Romans, and Judas, were still used for our good, God was always and is always in complete control

Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Luke 22:52-53

As prophesied in Isaiah 53:7 “He was like a lamb led to the slaughter” Jesus the sinless, Lamb of God, was taken violently by an vicious army of Roman soldiers and religious leaders. The suffering servant , who was despised and rejected, took on the penalty for our sins

Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, Christ was crushed for our sins, By the stripes and wounds of the Son of God, we are eternally healed and can obtain the peace of God which is beyond all human comprehension. God has laid the sin of us all on Christ, it was the will of God to crush him and cause him to suffer

It all began with the Kiss of death, the kiss from the betrayer, the son of perdition. But God always had a redemption plan for humanity through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen!

Luke 22- Thy Will Be Done

5 Replies

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 39-42

If you are ever wondering how much Jesus loves you, read these scriptures today and find out. The hour has come for the Son of Man to go to the cross and be the atonement for our sins. If you want to know how horrific this event was, just read the words of Jesus. Knowing that he was going to be brutally beaten and nailed to a wooden cross, but He went through it in obedience to our Heavenly Father and because He loves you this much!

Jesus prayed “Father , if you’re willing , remove this cup from me” We sometimes forgot Christ was in human form, he felt all the pain we feel, he endured all the torment giving to him. But notice Jesus said “Its not my will, but Your Will be done” Jesus was obedient , even to the point of death (Philippians 2) We can learn from our Lord also, its not our will be done, but Gods will be done!

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Luke 22:43-46

Notice it says Jesus was agonizing over the thought of going to the cross, that he was sweating blood. Could you imagine the pain and anxiety that must have been going through The Lord’s mind? Knowing you are going to be rejected by your own people, knowing you will be beaten severely to almost the point of death, and then nailed to a wooden cross to be mocked and ridiculed.  However Jesus still went through with it, Christ defeated sin and death by being obedient to God and crushing the head of Satan

Where were Jesus’ own disciples at this time? They were asleep, just like the Church is today. As Jesus said to his disciples, the same message goes for the Church today, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation” We see the power of prayer here by Christ, as He prayed to the Father, as he prayed for his disciples, prayer should be at the center of all of our lives

Reflect upon what Jesus has done for You! Christ went to the cross to redeem you from eternal damnation. Worthy is The Lamb! Thy Will Be Done! Amen!

Luke 22- Merciful Savior

1 Reply

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. Luke 22:31-33

The Apostle Peter is probably one of the most famous people in the Bible, often most people refer to when Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter meaning “Rock” in Hebrew. Peter was one of Jesus’ first disciples, an outspoken fisherman who had alot of passion and leadership qualities. However Jesus had a message to Peter “Satan has desired to sift you like wheat” This reminds me of the words Peter would eventually write “The devils walks around like a roaring lion, looking to whom to devour” (1 Peter 5:8)

Notice Peter’s response to Jesus “I’m ready to go with You (Christ) to prison or death” Peter proclaimed he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus, sounds like very convincing words. However we know that it’s one thing to say something , its another thing to actually follow through with it. Peter was about to get tested as a disciple of Christ, will he pass the test or fall on hollow words?

And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Luke 22:34

Jesus gave Peter a shocking revelation, “You (Peter) will deny me 3 times before the day is over” These words must have been like daggers to the heart of Peter, especially coming from Christ. How can this happen? Well we need to remember that Peter and all the disciples were just sinful, mortal humans like us. Anything that they ever accomplished, whether it be diving revelation or healings, were because of the Holy Spirit living inside of them. 

Now lets give Peter some credit, he left everything behind to follow Christ. However when the time came for Peter to give up his life for Jesus, he wasn’t ready, he failed The Lord. He denied Jesus three times before others, just as The Lord had prophesied. However at the end of the gospel of John, we see how merciful and loving Christ is. Not only did he forgive Peter, but He pursued Peter to let him know everything was alright

We are going to fail Jesus also, even though we profess Christ is our Lord and we give our lives to him, we are mortal sinners also and will fall short from time to time. The good news is Christ is merciful and His love endures forever!  Peter went on to complete his race, to answer his calling, even eventually dying for The Lord. You can complete your race also, because our God will never fail, Amen!

Luke 22- Who Is The Greatest?

2 Replies

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Luke 22:24-27

While Jesus preached a message of humility and sacrifice, the disciples fought among themselves about who was the greatest disciple. This is the problem with our human nature, even the people who were in Jesus inner circle, were the students of the Son of God, still failed at denying their flesh. But Jesus was going to give his disciples and us, the true requirements to being considered “great” in the Kingdom of God

Jesus said “You should not be like them” When we think about how the world judges greatness, its usually based on popularity, money, looks, or athletic ability. It’s all carnal, it’s all driven by the flesh, there are no fruits of the Holy Spirit that are evident to the popularity of this fallen world. During this time of the Pandemic, people started to realize who the “real” heroes are in the world. They were people who actually helped or serviced other people. They were people who gave back and sacrificed for the greater good of humanity. 

Jesus said “If you want to be great , then be like a child” What did Christ mean by this? Well children typically are not driven by worldly things, they don’t have large egos where they will shun a specific population or refuse to lend a hand. When we look through the world in the eyes of a child, then we start to understand what it takes to be great in Gods Kingdom. Deny yourself, Carry your cross, and follow Jesus, (Matthew 16:24) 

Jesus also said “The One who leads is the One who serves” , Christ demonstrated this when he washed the feet of his disciples. Imagine the Son of God, washing the feet of sinful people. What would Jesus do? Follow his example in humility and leadership. You don’t have to be a dictator to be an effective leader, Jesus was the greatest leader of all time and died for our sins, think about that

Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Luke 22:28-30

Now the lesson wasn’t all bad for the disciples, Jesus commended them for standing by him through all the trials and temptations. And notice the promise Christ gave them, to sit at the Lords Table in Gods Kingdom. This very same promise is extended to you also, all those who humble themselves, and put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Amen!

Luke 22- The Lord’s Supper

2 Replies

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:14-20

 Christians might wonder, where did the sacrament of Communion originate? It originated right here at the Lord’s Supper. The day before Jesus went to the cross to be our Passover Lamb, he shared a meal with his disciples. Jesus took the bread, broke it , and distributed among his disciples and said “This is my body given for You, Do this in remembrance of Me” The bread is symbolic of Christ body broken on the cross for the penalty of our sins

Then Jesus took the cup, and said “This Cup is the New Covenant/Testament, which I shed for You” The cup of wine is symbolic of the blood of Christ shed for our sins, our sins washed by the blood of the Lamb. Also the blood of Christ is the sign of the New Covenant, the Better Covenant that makes us Children of God, Jew and Gentile , through Jesus Christ

Notice Jesus said “ Do this In Remembrance of Me” this was a commandment or sacrament Christ gave to us. Everytime we partake of the bread and cup, we are proclaiming The Lord’s death, resurrection, and His return. Jesus wants communion/fellowship with us, don’t neglect coming to The Lord’s table

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. Luke 22:21-23

Jesus again prophesies about his death, the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) As Judas, the son of perdition, betrayed the Son of God to fulfill God’s will of redeeming humanity of their sins. When we partake in Communion/Lords Supper, we should reflect upon what Jesus has done for us and that Christ is returning again soon to establish His eternal Kingdom

We shouldn’t neglect coming to The Lord’s table, we do this in remembrance of Christ. We should mourn and rejoice everytime we come to The Table, knowing your a sinner but the sinless Lamb of God washed you clean by His sacrifice on the cross, Amen

Luke 22- Brotherhood Betrayal

6 Replies

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. Luke 22:1-4

Betrayal sometimes comes from the place you least expect it. Its hard to believe Judas was  actually an Apostle of Christ. Judas was in the inner circle of the Son of God, heard all Christ teachings, he witnessed countless miracles, yet Judas still betrayed the Son of God. Why? Because it says “Satan entered into Judas” Was this literal or metaphorical, regardless Satan influenced Judas to give up his soul for 30 pieces of silver.This is why Jesus warned his disciples to beware and stay alert, keep yourself from sin

Satan wanted to kill off the Messiah, so he deceived and used anyone he could including chief priests and Apostles, don’t think Satan can’t deceive you also. These were all men who knew the scriptures, they have all witnessed the miracles, yet they were blinded by their sin. Let this be a dire warning to all of us, don’t be deceived, cling closely to The Lord and not of this world

And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.  Luke 22:5-6

Now at a quick glance, this might have seemed like a victory for Satan. He persuaded one of Christ’s own disciples to betray him. However God is always in complete control! God took the evil plot by Satan and used it for our good, (Romans 8:28) Judas became a fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11)

This obviously brings up the interesting debate between our free will and God’s sovereignty. Did Judas even have a choice to betray Jesus?  I think so, God never told Judas he needed to betray Christ, Judas chose to follow his lust for money and listen to Satan. However God already knew Judas was going to betray Christ, and used his evil to fulfill the requirements of the Messiah’s sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

I know this is difficult for our human minds to comprehend, but remember God is outside of time, space, and matter. God is eternal and already knows the beginning and the end, He knows the days of your life , however you still have the free will to choose the way of life or death. Its a difficult topic to comprehend , that’s why Christians have spent centuries , even still today, arguing over soteriology.

Just know this, God is in complete control, God will take what was meant for your harm and use it for your good, you are saved through Jesus Christ Amen!