The Road to Easter:
Jesus Writes on the Ground
(NIV)John 8:3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I have always found this account of the woman accused of adultery to be one of the most compelling of Jesus’ encounters with the Pharisees. Consider this: each time Jesus met with the Pharisees, their intention was not to fellowship with Him, nor to learn from Him, but to entrap Him.
In this instance, if Jesus called for mercy the Pharisees would accuse Him of breaking Mosaic law. If He agreed to stone the woman, He would have been breaking the Roman law, which allowed the Sanhedrin to pronounce a guilty sentence, but not carry out the death penalty.
Jesus wrote with His finger in the dirt reminiscent of God writing the 10 Commandments with His finger on stone not once, but twice. Although we are not told what Jesus wrote in the dirt, what if He was simply writing the “Thou shall nots” followed by the Pharisees’ names?That would get their attention.
Whatever Jesus wrote certainly had the desired effect. One by one the accusers left, until only Jesus and the woman were remaining. What a beautiful depiction of mercy and redemption.
I recall the song “Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word…” When we engage in Bible reading and prayer, we are ensuring that our hearts are fertile for planting the Word, and the harvest we reap will be one of joy.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Road to Easter: Where Shall We Sit?
NIV Luke 14:7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus told the above parable when He was dining with a group of Pharisees. They were not His friends. They would have loved to humiliate Jesus. Instead, He used the gathering as what we would refer to as “a teachable moment.”
The Pharisees, so full of pride and moral superiority, doubtless did not see themselves in these simple stories. At least, not in the beginning. But Matt 21:45 tells us when they did begin to see themselves they looked for a way to destroy Jesus.
It is not easy to break old habits, and trying to exalt oneself goes all the way back to The Garden. But I believe the closer we get to the Cross, the more we seek after holiness.
The more we seek after holiness, the less our opinion matters, the less being right matters, the less knowing the “right people” matters. Those who are devoted to Jesus do not think in terms of elevating themselves. It is all about glorifying Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Road to Easter: The Day that Jesus Lingered
(KJV) John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Generally, when using John 11 as a basis for a sermon or devotional, we look at Jesus’ humanity which caused Him to grieve for Lazarus and his sisters. We focus on the miraculous resurrection event along with the implications of such an event. Today, however, let’s look at this verse a little differently.
We know that Jesus was close friends with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He had visited them in their home in Bethany on more than one occasion. They were so close, in fact, that, in Luke 10, Martha feels at ease chastising Him for allowing Mary to sit at His feet while Martha is left to do all of the work.
But in this instance, we see sisters in need of their friend. Yet, instead of Jesus rushing to their side, He tarries.
While the disciples had witnessed the miracle of resurrection previously, in this instance Lazarus had been dead four days. There was a well known belief that the spirit lingered for three days, and thus it was possible for life to return to the body at any time within that time frame. So why did Jesus wait?
1. He waited until no one could claim that Lazarus was not really dead, thereby discounting the miracle of resurrection.
2. He knew that His own death was imminent and He wanted to provide assurance that just as He had authority to raise Lazarus, that He, too, would be raised.
3. This event would serve to give glory to God because of the way it unfolded.
Along with these points, I always like to mention that Jesus was not limited by time and space. He could have healed Lazarus without ever leaving Jerusalem. But it was important that the bystanders knew without a doubt that Jesus was responsible for this miracle.
And of course we hear one of Jesus’ “I AM”, statements when He declares to Martha, and then to Mary, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Jesus needed to make the point that the resurrection was not an event, but a Person.
And when He said “remove those grave clothes,” Jesus was not simply declaring Lazarus had been dead and buried and was now alive. He was saying we cannot live the same, old, sinful life once we have been made alive in Christ. And who would want to???
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Road to Easter: Meet the Good Shepherd
(NIV)John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Oh, how I love this 10th chapter of John. Previous to these verses, Jesus had said “I am the good shepherd,” establishing for the Pharisees His legitimacy as the One who leads and lays down His life for the Church. But the Pharisees failed to understand.
So, Jesus removed any confusion by clarifying He was not only the Shepherd who cares for the sheep, He was the gate through which they enter. The entrance, the way, the only way— how awesome is that!
Jesus emphasizes that others try to lure the sheep away. But, once you have heard the voice of the Master, none other will satisfy.
He then finishes by contrasting His mission with that of the counterfeit shepherd. When reading this Scripture I like to say the thief comes to kill our joy, to steal our enthusiasm and to destroy our witness. But Jesus offers abundant life.
Why would we choose any One, any Way, but Him?
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Road to Easter: My Yoke is Easy
(NIV) Matt 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
How many of us first learned this verse in Vacation Bible School? Yokes were used for oxen or other beasts of burden. When two animals were paired together it made the load easier, and they were easier to control.
Yokes also signified instruments of servitude. So, you can see why people would not willingly submit to wearing a yoke.
In Jesus’ example, He is offering to share our load, thus making our work easier. He offers to teach us, and, if we put our trust in him, we will find rest.
The Pharisees burdened the people with unfair laws, but Jesus came to set the captives free. Isn’t that wonderful?
For one who has lived on this earth as long as I, the prospect of rest is like offering water to one who is so parched he cannot swallow. When we become Christ followers we willingly agree to take on the yoke of Jesus, knowing we can trust Him completely and He will never fail us.
As Louisa W. R. Stead wrote in 1882, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
May we experience the rest found only in Jesus as we continue on our journey toward the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and if the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 