Encouragement

Passion Week–Resurrection

/ Don McGarvey / Leave a comment

You can read about the Resurrection of Jesus in all four Gospels (Matthew 28:1-13; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-49; and John 20:1-31) You’ve probably heard many sermons/teachings about the Resurrection. It’s an exciting story that causes our hearts to burn with love, joy and hope.

Even though we all know how the story ends, the Passion Week of Christ is one of the most meaningful stories of the Bible. Every time I read it, something inside me burns.

I love Luke’s account of Jesus walking with the two of His followers on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35. I get their disappointment. I’ve been disappointed at times by the way God works. But the part I really relate to is their reaction to the words Jesus spoke to them. Their words at that time were, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Something inside me burns every time I read about the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s the foundation of my faith; it’s what brings me hope; and it’s what gives me faith in Him and all that is found in His Word.

There’s one more thing about the Resurrection that causes something inside of me to burn.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the grave, is living inside you and me. It’s power over death and it’s the power that gives me life. Read it in Romans 8:11: “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Life. Jesus’ death and resurrection opens the door to each one of us for life, abundantly. This life is for both the here and now, but also for eternity. His death and resurrection defeated death and destruction satan planned for us.

It’s a great promise! Enjoy!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Passion Week, Day 6

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The night of the Lord’s Supper and the betrayal would make an action-packed thriller of a novel in our world today.

Many scholars believe Jesus and his disciples, minus Judas, left the Upper Room and walked to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent time praying. This was when He invited Peter, James and John to join Him, but they couldn’t stay awake. You can read this account in Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; and in Luke 27:40-46).

As you read the account of this time, I would challenge you to note the agony Jesus must have felt.  I would assume He felt very alone. One of His best friends, Judas, was leading a band of soldiers to come and arrest Him. Three more of his best friends, Peter, James and John, could even stay awake to pray with Him. The Luke account says that “His sweat was like drops of blood” indicating a great deal of stress upon His body.

In Matthew 26:39 He pleaded with God, His Father, about whether “this cup be taken” from Him. I don’t believe this was a request to avoid the suffering or to avoid death. His suffering and His death were part of the plan He signed on for, before the beginning of time. The separation from God was part of the plan too, but it was just about more than He could bear.

The idea of being separated from God brought about great stress in the life of Jesus. I’m thinking we might need to learn a lesson from that. We need to make sure we don’t allow anything, sin, to get between us and God. That’s what happened in the Garden with Adam & Eve. They allowed doubts which turned into sin, to separate them from God. And look at the mess it caused!

Back to the Garden of Gethsemane. I believe the arrest of Jesus happened about midnight, or perhaps a little earlier. Keep in mind, that Jesus was placed on the cross at the time of the morning sacrifice which was 9 AM. The next nine hours were jammed packed.

There were six judicial trials that happened from the time Jesus was arrested and taken away to the time He was nailed to the cross.

There were five rules pertaining to all trials at this time.

#1—A trial was never to be conducted at night

#2—The accused could have an attorney speak on their behalf

#3—The accused could not be declared guilty without reputable witnesses

#4—Members of a Jewish court, after hearing testimony in a capital crime, were not allowed to render an immediate verdict. They were required to adjourn for two day and two nights before returning and hear once again the testimony against the accused

#5—The Sanhedrin was supposed to vote, one person at a time. The youngest members were to vote first so they would not be influenced by the older members. Since there were 70 members to the Sanhedrin, this would have taken a great deal of time.

Here’s a list of the trials along with the Scripture references:

Trial #1—Before Annas, ex-high priest of the Jews, owner of the Bazaars of Annas, the marketplace set up in the Temple Courts—John 18:13-23

Trial #2—Before Caiaphas,  the current High Priest and son-in-law to Annas along with the entire Sanhedrin—Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; John 18:24

Trial #3—Before the Sanhedrin—The seventy ruling men of Israel—Mark 15:1a; Luke 22:66-71

Trial #4—Before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea—Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:1b-5; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:28- 38

Trial #5—Before Herod Antipas, Roman governor of Galilee—Luke 23:8-12

Trial #6—Back to Pilate—Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:18-25; John 18:29-19:6

At the end of the six trials, it is probably 7 AM. All trials were illegal. Five times Jesus is declared innocent by Pilate and by Herod. Yet the Jews still called for His death. They even traded a known murderer, Barabbas, for the life of Jesus.

I think the cross Jesus was hung on had been prepared for Barabbas. But just as He did for you and me, Jesus took the place of this renowned sinner.

Pause for a just a bit, think about it, an innocent man, a sinless man, the Son of God, took your place, took my place, on the cross!

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Passion Week, Day 5

/ Don McGarvey / 1 Comment

Day 5 of Passion Week is traditionally known as Maundy Thursday. It also has been known as Holy Thursday.

The word “maundy” comes from the Latin and means “command.” On this day, Jesus spends several hours with the disciples in the Upper Room. They celebrate the Passover Meal but during the meal, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. He also commands them to “love one another as He had loved them” and He demonstrates what it means to be humble and to be the servant of all.

This will be a little different than the previous Passion Week writings, but I hope and pray you will be challenged by it.

We know from Scripture that Jesus kept the Jewish holy days. From the time He was a child, He would travel to Jerusalem to keep the feasts. In some ways it makes sense because they were all about Him.

This day of the Passion Week was the time spent in the Upper Room, the Passover Meal which became the pattern for the Lord’s Supper was instituted.

 Perhaps the most impactful lesson was when Jesus demonstrated what it meant to be a servant to all. He put on the servant’s apron, took the basin and towel, and proceeded to wash the feet of each disciple. You can read about this in John 13.

While I think this was hugely impactful, it is obvious that this too zoomed over their heads because just a little later, they broke out in the old argument about who among was or would be the greatest.

Earlier, Jesus sent two disciples to prepare the “Upper Room” for their celebration of the Passover Meal. Tradition says the man they encountered was the young man Mark, and the home they ate the Passover Meal was his mother’s Mary upper room.

It was during this time at the meal, Jesus announced that one of them would betray Him.

I’ve always been intrigued over the concern that each one expressed about who the betrayer would be. In Matthew’s account of this, Matthew 26:22, it appears that each of them asked1 the question, “Surely not I, Lord?” They were appalled at the thought of one of them would betray Jesus. But they all asked if it was going to be them.

It appears Judas was not part of this conversation because it was several minutes until Judas addressed the issue by saying, “Surely, not I, Rabbi?”

In John’s account of this, John 13:27, this was when Jesus told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

They finished the meal, Jesus taught on the ministry of the Holy Spirit John 14-16. He also prayed His High Priestly Prayer, the actual Lord’s Prayer in John 17. They sang a hymn, probably one of the Hallel Psalms (perhaps Psalm 116, 117 or 118), and left for the Garden of Gethsemane where His arrest took place.

Before moving on, I’d like to make an observation regarding the disciples. The evening started with Jesus taking the servants apron and performing the act of washing the feet of the disciples. This would have normally been done by the youngest servant, or the lowest servant of the house.

An interesting thing happens here in Luke’s account. Luke 22:24 tells us that at this point in the evening, the disciples once again began arguing among themselves as to which one of them was the greatest. This was not the first time an argument like that had broken out.

I realize they were young, but they just witnessed their “Lord” and “Master” put on the servant’s apron and wash their feet. They missed it. It “zoomed” right over their head. Jesus’ response was to teach how they were to all be like the youngest, assuming nothing. He also taught that the one who rules, also serves.

The commands of the evening were to love one another; serve one another; and never forget the broken body and the shed blood of Christ, who willingly gave Himself, as a ransom for all.

What areas of your life do you see yourself as a servant? Are there areas of your life where you see yourself as “being served?” How do you think that would fit into the teaching of Jesus to His disciples? Could it be there needs to be a change in your thinking?

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Passion Week, Day 4

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This day of the Passion Week is not mentioned specifically in the Scriptures. On the charts detailing the Passion Week, it is sometimes referred to as “A Day of Rest.”

It followed a jam packed three days, First, the Triumphal Entry; then the Clearing the Temple; followed by the Confrontation with the Priests and Elders in the Temple.

Jesus and the Disciples probably returned to Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

I believe this was the time when the Olivet Discourse was given (Matthew 24, 25; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44).

The setting would have been atop the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem.

The Olivet Discourse is the final of five teachings given by Jesus and recorded by Matthew. Essentially, it is Jesus’ response to three questions posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3.

The three questions and their answers are: “When will these things happen?” (answered in Matthew 24:36) “What will be the sign of your coming?” (answered in Matthew 24:30-35) and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (answered in Matthew 4:4-29)

Notice that Jesus answered their questions in reverse order.

In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus reminds the disciples to not get so caught up in trying to figure everything out that they miss out. He was also wanting the disciples to “be righteous,” rather that simply to “appear righteous.” The Pharisees had done a pretty good job of this. They were so focused on dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” that they forgot to make sure they were taking care of business, watching and always being prepared for these things to happen.

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus tells them that, “No one knows about the day or the hour.” He then proceeds to liken the day of His coming to the times of Noah. It was evil; people were completely disregarding the call to repent; and were eternally lost when the door to the Ark was closed.

I guess the moral of that lesson is to make sure we “don’t miss the boat.” Jesus proceeded to try and help the disciples not to miss the boat.

Jesus tells two parables in Matthew 25. The first (Matthew 25:1-13) is the Parable of “The Ten Virgins.” You remember it from Sunday school. Five were wise, five were foolish. The foolish ran out of oil and ultimately missed the coming of the Bride Groom because they were not prepared.

The second parable (Matthew 25:14-30) is, “The Parable of the Talents.” In this story, Jesus puts the emphasis on each of us using the talents (God given abilities) to accomplish His purposes. I would remind you of Ephesians 2:10 were we are told that not only are we God’s workmanship or His masterpieces, but there are also works established for us to do. And God has given each of us “talents” or “abilities” to accomplish those works. We just need to make sure we do what we we’re supposed to do.

Matthew 25 concludes with a great warning. It’s a teaching about the coming judgment. It’s about “sheep and goats” in Matthew 25:31-46. These words were a warning for those who do not live prepared or for those who choose not to use their talents for God’s purposes. There will be judgment. Christ will separate those who were obedient from those who were disobedient.

Again, the big picture here is to always be ready; always be doing the work of God; and always be looking to God as our source.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Passion Week, Day 2

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Today marks the second day of Passion Week. On the first day, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. He was proclaiming Himself to be both Messiah and King. In addition, He was presenting Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice to be offered for the forgiveness of sin.

On the second day Jesus returned to Jerusalem and entered the Temple. Once inside, he encountered the marketplace owned by the former High Priest, Annas and run by his sons. It was set up in the Court of the Gentiles which was the only place non-Jews and infirmed could go.

Clearing the Temple: Jesus went through marketplace, overturning the tables where money exchanged, and animals were purchased for sacrifice.

This was the second time Jesus cleared the Temple. There are a few differences in the two times. In the first (John 2:13-25), Jesus fashioned a whip and drove the moneychangers out. The second time (Matthew 21:12-13), it would appear He did not use a whip but overturned the tables and benches that held many of the animals.

There is one major difference, in my mind. During the first clearing, Jesus referred to the Temple as “my Father’s house.” But the second time, Jesus referred to it as “My house.” Why the difference? The day before, Jesus presented Himself as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. It was time for Him to be revealed as God.

The Marketplace: The vendors of the marketplace weren’t wrong. What they did with the money and where they put it, made it wrong. Travelers were required to purchase animals for their sacrifice. They probably would need to exchange their money for Roman money, but since Roman money was not permissible for Jews to have, the presence of Roman money in the Temple was sacrilegious. Scholars believe the former High Priest Annas and his sons owned and operated the marketplace that was functioning in the Temple. Most believe there was price gouging happening. After all, there were close to two million people visiting Jerusalem for the Passover and they would all need some Roman money plus they would all need to purchase animals for their sacrifices. Prices went up. Fees for changing money increased. This all happened in what was known as the Court of Gentiles.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The Temple Court was being used for mercenary means rather than missionary business.”

The Court of Gentiles: The most grievous part of this event is that the Court of Gentiles was the only place were non-Jews or those who were blind, lame or otherwise unfit for the Temple could come. But there was no room for them. Based on what happens in Matthew 21:14, I would assume the lack of ministry to these folks was as much of a heartache for Jesus as the lack of integrity of the merchants.

Once Jesus had cleared the area, Matthew 21:14 makes it sound as if the blind and lame immediately appeared. (Matthew 21:14 “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.”)

Here’s my take-a-way: Once we get our lives cleaned up, once we get our ministries cleaned up and start doing business like we are supposed to do business, we are going to see ministry start to happen like never before.

As fast as the Court of the Gentiles filled up with the blind and lame, I must assume they were all standing nearby just waiting for a chance to be ministered to. I believe the same is still true. There are many folks who are “blind” and “lame” out there, just waiting for someone to come along and help them see and walk a new path.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Passion Week Day 1

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There are two events from Jesus’ life recorded in all four Gospels. The first the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:335-44; Luke 9:10-17; john 6:1-14) The second is the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19)

In feeding the multitude, Jesus found a creative way to remind us of His sufficiency. In the Triumphal Entry, Jesus reminds us He is our Messiah, Coming King, and our once and for all sacrifice for our sin.

In this second event, the Triumphal Entry, Jesus is presenting Himself as the Messiah; as the King of the Jews; and as the “once and for all” paschal lamb.

Prior to this, He wouldn’t allow anyone, including demons, to announce who He was. But now, it was time.

Jerusalem was overflowing with visitors from around the world in preparation for the Passover celebration. Plus, I’m sure the city was buzzing with the news of Lazarus’ resurrection and this formerly blind guy, Bartimaeus, who would have, no doubt in my mind, been running around town telling how “Jesus, the Son of David” had mercy on him and healed him of blindness. (You can read about Lazarus in John 11 and you can read about Bartimaeus in March 11:46-52.)

Everyone wanted to see this miracle worker. Could He be the Messiah?  Could He be the source of everything they had dreamed of? Could He be the answer to all their problems and questions? Could He be the one to set them free? Could He be coming to establish His Kingdom?

As Jesus entered the city, riding on the back of a previously unridden colt, the foal of a donkey, the folks lined the parade route, shouting “Hosanna” which when translated means, “Save us or save now.” It was a cry for deliverance, much like Israel cried out to God while they were enslaved in Egypt. They waved palm branches, which was a sign of national pride and victory. Could it be that Jesus was the King, their deliverer who was to come and overthrow the Romans and establish a new Kingdom?

Scriptures don’t tell us what the Romans thought of all this. It wouldn’t have been the first time someone tried to overthrow them during the Passover. Passover was a celebration of freedom from bondage, dating all the way back to Egypt. But they weren’t impressed. This newly proclaimed king came riding on a humble donkey instead of a war horse. And instead of heavily armed soldiers marching with Him, He was being followed by Galilean fishermen.

I believe there were three responses to Jesus on this day. The Romans ignored Him; the Jews embraced Him, at least for now; and the Pharisees wanted Him out of the way. He was challenging their long-standing “standard of normal.”

I see these same responses today. Some ignore Him, some try to push Him out of their minds, while some embrace Him.

What will be your response? Will you invite Him to establish a new normal? Or will you ignore Him?

Always in Pursuit!

Don

He’s Willing!

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He’s Willing!

Another one of my favorite accounts from the Life of Christ comes from Matthew 8:1-3.

Right after Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” he came down from the mountain and was met by a leper. This must have been quite a site.

There was a large crowd listening to Jesus teach and I’m sure they would have all been milling around trying to get closer or get that one on one time with the Teacher. But if we could step back and watch this scene unfold, we would notice people scattering. As we begin to search for why they were scattering we might have heard a voice crying out, “Unclean, unclean!”  A leper was approaching. Bloodied, heavily bandaged, missing fingers and toes, dirty and dusty headed straight for the Teacher.

I can picture everyone around Jesus scattering. Some would have been screaming warnings of “UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN!” Others would have reached for a rock to throw. Jesus never moved. He didn’t reach for His pouch of rocks to thwart the lepers form coming too close as some Rabbis were in the practice of doing. He just stood there, watching the leper move closer and closer.

As the leper neared Christ, he knelt. It was an act of humility and worship. The screams and scattering of people didn’t matter. As he is kneeling, he says to Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus did the unthinkable.

He reached out his hand and touched the leper. My guess would be that was the first time another human being had touched this man since he was diagnosed as a leper. But Jesus wasn’t afraid. Note the words with me that came from Jesus’ mouth and heart. “I am willing! Be clean!”

Matthew records my favorite part in the final sentence of verse 3, “immediately he was cured.”

As you probably know, lepers were outcasts. They couldn’t even live with their families. They had to live outside of town with the other outcasts. They were shunned. They had to warn folks they were coming by announcing they were “unclean.” Of course I’m sure the volume of their announcement was nothing compared to the shrieks and screams of others who helped announce their presence.

Have you ever felt like an outcast? Have you ever felt as if you were “unclean” or worse yet that others considered you to be unclean and treated you as if you were.

The leper had great faith in Jesus. We should too! He came, bowed and worshipped. We should too. He confessed his faith in Jesus by saying, “If you are willing you can make me clean.”  We should too.

Jesus will respond the same way to you as he did to the leper. He will touch you and He will make you clean because He’s willing.

In yesterday’s post we learned that Jesus had come to help! Now we learn He is willing to help no matter the circumstance.

What do you need Him to do for you today? He’s come to help and He’s willing. Will you bow and worship before Him! He will touch you!

Always in Pursuit!

Dad Joke #5: Why is corn such a good listener? Because it’s all ears.

God Has Come to Help!

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Help wanted stock vector. Illustration of disaster, help - 31368648

God Has Come to Help!

One of my all time favorite accounts of Jesus’ life is when he traveled to a town called Nain. You can read about it in Luke 7:11-16. Just outside of town Jesus encountered a funeral procession. Luke gives us some details that help us understand how dire the circumstances were that surrounded this particular death.

The person who died was the only son of a widow. Those words tell us a lot. As a widow, she not only lost the companionship of her husband. She also lost the source of provision and security when her husband died. She was fortunate to have a son. At the death of her husband the son would have become responsible for providing and caring for his mother but now he has died too.

This woman not only was grieving the loss of the two most intimate relationships in her life but she was mourning the loss of provision and security. She officially had no one to turn to. But here comes Jesus.

I love verse 13 of Luke 7. It says, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her…..” If you read the verses or know the story you know that he reached up and touched the coffin and said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” And you know the rest of the story.

That part of the story is exciting. I can only imagine the joy in her heart as she sees her son rise from the dead. Once again, she had hope. Once again, she had security. Once again, she had someone to watch over her.

My favorite part of the story is found in the final sentence of verse 16. It says, “God has come to help his people.”

What a great statement! God has come to help his people. If there has ever been a time when God’s people needed His help, it’s today. Be assured, God has come to help.

Always in Pursuit!

Dad Joke #4: Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? Because it was two tired.

A New Normal

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As you know, I’ve been thinking a lot about what normal might look like once this crisis is past. I’m not sure I know what it will look like but I’m thinking and encouraging others in our church to join with me.

Pastor Mark Batterson has sparked some thoughts. A few years ago, I heard him say to a group of pastors, “There are ways to do church that we haven’t dreamed of yet.” (Batterson has become well known for making this statement.)

I believe him. Just thinking about it charges my battery. But for some of us, we are going to have to unlearn a few things.

The church as we know it may never be fully back together like it used to be. At our church, I’m certain we will continue to offer live broadcasts of our services, whether it’s on Facebook or some other medium that has yet to be put into use. (It’s out there, waiting for us to discover it and put it to use to help build the Kingdom.) We will continue to use our YouTube channel and will continue to use other methods to stay connected with those who choose not to join us in person.

First though, some of us may have to “unlearn” a few things. We may never see a “full house” again on Sunday mornings. Thanks to social distancing. Sunday mornings may no longer be “the time” for the church to gather since we are now gathering by technology.

Batterson cited the man in John 5 who had been sick for 38 years. He was waiting for someone to come along and push him in the water when it had been stirred but he had no one to help him. At least till Jesus came by. Jesus challenged his thinking. Jesus offered another way for him to be healed. He didn’t even have to get wet nor did he need additional help. Jesus simply told him to get up! You can read the whole story in John 5:1-15. (When you read it, you will discover this new way of healing also was met with opposition. But that’s for another post.)

The crisis has challenged what we know. It’s causing many of us to unlearn how we did church and to look for new ways to get the word out; to stay connected with one another; to help facilitate spiritual growth; and to encourage continued finances.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Dad joke #3: Which animal in the Ark did Noah not trust?   The Cheetah.

Helpless & Hopeless?

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No matter who I speak with, the sentiments are the same. We’ve never seen anything like this before.

It just seems as if we are being bombarded with bad news that only seems to get worse.

Many are wrestling with anxiety and fear. Many are wrestling with feeling alone and helpless. I’m sure some have even dipped down into the ranks of feeling hopeless.

In 2 Kings 6:8-23 is a great story about Elisha, his servant and the army of Aram. Take a moment to read it.

I love the part where Elisha’s servant sees the enemy army and panics. He feels helpless and hopeless. But Elisha prays, asks God to open his servant’s eyes into the spirit realm, which God does.

The servant looked up and saw that the army of heaven outnumbered the army of Aram. Then God struck the enemy army with blindness and Elisha and his servant led the entire army into the city of the King. Just the two of them.

I wish we could see into the heavens today. We’d see a similar picture. The army of heaven is armed, ready for action on our behalf. The army of heaven will help bring about a great victory through all of this.

I know it’s nothing like we’ve seen before and hopefully will never see again but I know God will help us.

Take a minute and pray for someone you know who might be a bit anxious about all this. Ask God to wrap His arms around them. Then, take another moment and give them a call just to let them know you are thinking about them.

Blessings to you!

Don

Dad Joke #1: Do you know what they call someone without a body and without a nose? Nobody knows.

I know it’s goofy but please keep track for me how many times you repeat it! I know you will.