Hosanna!

By Shirley Mitchell
“They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ ”

Matthew 21:7-9

The Mount of Olives is a ridge about two and a half miles long on the other side of the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem. From this mount, Jesus instructed His disciples to find a donkey with her colt beside her. Scholars say the mother was most likely taken to calm the colt. The time had arrived for Jesus to enter Jerusalem, the “city of peace”.

Jesus had walked throughout Galilee and Jordan; yet, on this glorious day He chose to ride into Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was nothing like a Caesar’s triumphal entry with fanfare and Roman guards that sometimes continued for two to three days. A Caesar or a conquering general would ride on a chariot of gold pulled by stallions. Officers would display the banners from the defeated armies. At the end of the procession, slaves and prisoners in chains would be forced to march through as the spoils of victory. Jesus’ entry was nothing like that. His followers were the lame, the blind, children, Galileans (of all things!), and the peasants. However, His entry did declare that a king was coming. When ridden by a king, the donkey was an animal of peace. However, when a king rode a horse, it was an animal of war. Jesus was presenting Himself in Jerusalem as the Messiah while His earthly ministry closed down.

Jews traveled to Jerusalem for the weeklong Passover feast. The road was filled with Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The custom of their day was to spread out cloaks on the ground ahead of royalty like a royal carpet. The people cut down branches from the trees to wave in welcome. They shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”, and “Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna is made by two Hebrew words:

1. Hosha – “to save”
2. Na – “help, please”.

The people were shouting, “Save us, please”. Most people believed Jesus would now set them free from the oppression of Rome. They expected Him to be a national ruler who would exalt the nation of Israel and restore it to its former glory. The nation’s highest hope for centuries now filled the air. Tears must have run down the women’s cheeks. The men were so happy they weren’t sure if their hearts were going to keep on beating. Maybe they were skipping, leaping, patting each other’s shoulders, shaking hands, and hugging each other.

The Jewish leaders did not miss the significance of Jesus riding the previously unridden colt into Jerusalem. They knew He was fulfilling the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy. Yet, the Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah. They must have cringed at this unbridled spectacle. This mob could turn against the authority of the Roman rule and bring the Roman sword against the city.

Jesus saw through the crowd’s infectious enthusiasm. He knew what would happen in just one week. Therefore, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. The Greek word for wept is klauso which means “to weep, wail, lament, implying not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.” Klauso is weeping from the pit of one’s soul. It is much deeper than the tears that Jesus shed in the story of Lazarus. When He saw Jerusalem, He wept loudly and demonstratively. “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Jerusalem, the “city of peace”, did not recognize the “Prince of Peace”. The truth was hidden from the people.

I never want the truth to be hidden from me! I want to recognize what He brings in my life that will bring me peace. Don’t you?

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, my God, I join the crowds who rejoice in the coming of my Savior. I know the peace Jesus brings. I know the wounds He heals. I know the freedom of the chains that He has broken. It makes me want to skip, leap, and celebrate. Help me to recognize what will bring me peace. It’s in the Name above all names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Late One Night

Late One Night
By Shirley Mitchell

"Late one night he visited Jesus and said, 'Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it.' "
John 3:2 (The Message)

Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders in Israel. We met these leaders when we studied John the Baptist. They are easy to pick out of the crowd for they were the ones pointing their fingers and bearing the proud faces. They were the dry ones - physically and spiritually - too pious to accept the invitation of baptism by John. Nicodemus was a member of a group of 70 men who had given their lives to study and obey the Law of Moses and follow the traditions. He was a man of prominence, wealth, and power. He could have summoned Jesus to his home or addressed Him in the temple. However, he chose to come in the shadows of night.

Isn't it interesting that Nicodemus sought Jesus in the cover of night? Scholars conjecture many reasons why the visit was after darkness settled. Most Pharisees studied the Torah at night after a day's work in the temple. Or maybe he wanted a private conversation with Jesus' full attention and no interruptions. Or was it because he was too afraid of his peers and coworkers to be seen with Jesus? I think it was fear. I picture him looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching and pulling his prayer shawl over his head to conceal his face. I wonder if he sneaked past the Romans who guarded Jerusalem or if he had the influence to move freely.

I lived the first part of my life with a desire to keep my faith in Jesus to myself. In college, I was so embarrassed when my older sister placed a bumper sticker on my mother's convertible. The sticker said "Jesus Lives." She branded the most hip car that we ever owned in the family declaring to everyone that we were Christians. My, oh my, isn't it interesting how God can change a heart? Not only would I proudly have that bumper sticker on my car, I want it to be the neon sign of my life! How I long to use my frail mouth with His mighty Spirit to tell precious souls that Jesus really does live today.

Consider what Nicodemus was thinking that led him to visit Jesus. He watched the crowds as they listened to Jesus. He never held their attention like Jesus did. Jesus used simple words, but He taught with power. Nicodemus, Israel's teacher, had never performed one miracle. He had to visit Him and understand how this could be. It would be too bold, and possibly foolish, to talk to Him where the other guys could see.

He was drawn to Jesus because He knew that He was a teacher sent straight from God. No one could do the God-pointing, God-revealing acts Jesus was doing without God's involvement. Jesus was pointing the people to God! Jesus came to reveal God to man and to be His Messenger to us! Jesus replied to Nicodemus in verse 3 of the Message, "You're absolutely right."

Do you think he accepted Jesus as Savior as a result of this encounter? God's Word does not tell us directly. We can only guess by his actions. Nicodemus and Jesus met publicly soon after this private meeting. In John 7:45-52, Nicodemus stands up to the Pharisees who want to bring Jesus in because they think He has deceived the people about the Law. He plays it safe, sticks to the Law, and says, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

The third encounter helps us to be more certain about Nicodemus' faith. After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple who feared the Jews, asked Pilate for His body. With Pilate's permission he took the body and prepared it for burial with Nicodemus. They brought myrrh and aloes and wrapped the body with strips of linen according to Jewish customs. Both men risked judgment by the religious leaders if it was revealed that they were followers of Jesus. Additionally, Jesus was crucified as a criminal and enemy of Rome. It was dangerous, but they were convinced of who He was and stood for the truth.

Aren't you proud of our shadow walker? His life was changed by the courage that it took one late night to come to Jesus. Later, he took a greater step of courage to risk his life to be involved with Jesus. He did it! Oh, precious one, may you and I be willing to risk something precious to us for the most precious thing in all life - Jesus! May no one be confused about our alliances. May it be evident to all who observe our lives that we believe in Jesus Messiah and live for Him!

Pray with me: Oh, God, we worship You! We exalt You. Give us the courage to seek You even though the crowd may not. Give us the desire to want to understand the deep things of You. May it be obvious whom we are in covenant relationship with. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels

Grand Entrance

Grand Entrance
By Shirley Mitchell

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’ ”

Daniel 3:16-18

I have been faithfully reading every night to my kids from a picture Bible that turns even the Books of the prophets into stories with pictures for every scene. When we studied Isaiah, we saw him plead with the people to destroy their idols and only worship God. He warned the kings what would happen if they continue in idolatry and disobedience, but the kings ignored the warnings. Then he prophesied that because Judah had turned away from God to these idols, it will be destroyed, and the people will be carried away as captives.

Then we studied the prophet Jeremiah who saw a vision of invaders from the North coming to destroy Judah. Jeremiah pleaded with King Jehoiakim and later King Zedekiah to turn from their evil ways. However, neither of them would repent. Day after day Jeremiah stood in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people who came to worship. If they had turned from their evil ways, then God would relent from bringing disaster upon them. Instead, the crowds turned against Jeremiah for prophesying against the city and all the people. Jeremiah was beaten, placed in stocks, thrown in prison, and at one point even lowered by ropes into a muddy cistern.

Then the prophecies came true. Babylon lay siege to the city. King Zedekiah was bound with bronze shackles, had his eyes put out, and was taken to Babylon where he stayed in prison until he died. The walls of Jerusalem were broken down by the imperial guard. Every important building was burned to the ground, including the temple of the LORD.

Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, ordered his men to bring to Babylon some of Israel’s young men from the royal family and nobility. Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were among these young men. The very first verb used to describe Daniel is that he resolved not to defile himself. Daniel was spokesman for this group of four young men. Even though they were stripped from their homeland and everything that was Jewish, they refused to defile themselves. It set the tone for their entire time in captivity.

Later, Daniel’s three friends faced the proclamation to worship a 90 foot high by nine foot wide statue made of gold. When the music played, everyone must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever did not fall down and worship the image would immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. These men knew the consequence was death, but they would not bow down.

Now how easy would it have been to say, “My body may be bowing, but in my heart I’m not.” How easy would it have been to be sick that day or to find another way out of it!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had seen the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah come true in their life time. Their fathers and grandfathers turned to idols and worshipped other gods. They had allowed innocent blood to be shed. They had not responded to the call to repent. Their hard hearts tuned out the true prophets’ words and embraced the false prophets.

These boys had watched the destruction of God’s beloved Jerusalem. They were the ones who had to pay the high price by their captivity – not their fathers, grandfathers, or the previous generations. When their turn came, they decided that they were not willing to pay anymore so they were willing to pay the highest cost - their lives.

So as I’m reading these stories to my children night after night, God breathed on this for me. You see, God had suffered in agony, longing for His children to come to Him. It was not just Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many other prophets crying for repentance, but it was God, too! These three said to the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” In other words,these three young men said, “No! We won’t compromise one bit. We will not serve your gods!”

When I read this part, it made tears come to my eyes. I realized after all those generations of sin, of course, God had to respond with something that would blow our minds away. Of course, He had to break a few natural laws. They set the perfect stage for God to make a grand entrance. This is what God had been looking for through all those prior generations - people who refused to bend the knee to anyone except to Him.

God responded to their invitation with one of His greatest miracles. Those boys were thrown in the furnace, but they did not burn up. God sent an angel to save them, and many people believe the angel was Jesus pre-incarnate. I can’t imagine any bigger way for God to sign a story with His pleasure. These boys did it! They made the choice that even if God didn’t save them - which they knew that He could – they would still rather die than worship an idol. They pleased God with their loyalty to Him. God made His grand entrance to demonstrate how He rewards those who are faithful to Him no matter what. Let’s live with that kind of faithfulness and give God some opportunities to respond with a grand entrance!

Pray with me: Oh, God, we desire to have the commitment to You like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We want to stand up to the opposing forces. Give us the resolve to not defile ourselves. Make us faithful so we can stand up for what is right. Raise up a generation who will not bow down and worship an idol. It’s in the mighty Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels

Tetelestai!

Tetelestai!

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30

Crucifixion was actually a slow death by asphyxiation. They suffocated until they died. A crucified man had to push his feet against a block of wood to raise his body up to draw in breath. Then, he released his weight until he hung by his wrists. This up-and-down movement must have been agonizing torture for Jesus because of the wounds on His back. When a crucified man wanted to speak, he would have to rise up and endure the pain to say his words. It took immense willpower each time Jesus said anything on the cross.

Scripture records Jesus’ seven sayings on the cross. In John 19:30, He said, “It is finished.” The priest said these same words when he slaughtered the Passover Lamb sacrifice. The Greek word for “finished” is tetelestai which means “end, goal, to make an end or to accomplish, to complete something, not merely to end it, but to bring it to perfection or its destined goal to carry it through: to execute fully a rule or law, to pay off or in full, such as taxes, tribute, toll.” It is the perfect indicative passive form of teleo. This tense means a past completed action with a present and continuous result. It happened in the past and continues to be true. It is a legal term used to say that a debt was paid in full. In Jesus’ time, when someone owed someone else money decrees would be written against him on a parchment, an animal’s skin. When it was paid in full, then the loaner would write the word tetelestai across the certificate. The debtor would nail the certificate of debt with tetelestai written across it on the door of his house for all to see. Never more can payment be demanded.

God did the very same thing. He took the parchment of the skin of the Final Passover Lamb, His Own Son, and wrote into His flesh all of your sins and my sins. Then He wrote tetelestai, paid in full, it is finished. All of the prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled. From the virgin birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem to the one who would save the people from their sins. Every work His Father sent Him to do was finished.

What sin are you still beating yourself up about? It is Tetelestai! Jesus paid it in full! No longer can payment be demanded. It is a lie that we must mentally flog ourselves for our sins. It is truth that we should accept His payment and rejoice that we have been redeemed and forgiven and showered with love.

Pray with me: Oh, Thank YOU, Jesus! You paid it all! Tetelestai! All of my sins are paid, gone. God is satisfied. I am Yours and Yours alone. Show me where I believe any lie and if I still beat myself up about what I have done. Teach me to accept that I don’t need to pay anything. May this truth change my thoughts and actions over my sins. I rejoice because I have been redeemed through Your great love for me that compelled You to pay the price for me! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study, Copyright ©2008 Christ Compels

Cry of Forgiveness

Cry of Forgiveness

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

Luke 23:34

Jesus’ first cry from the cross was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24). He was laying down His divine authority and identifying with our humanity because of His great love for you, me, and all mankind. The Son of God was being sacrificed as the Lamb of God.

His pain was so excruciating that it was enough to make any man pass out. Yet, when every nerve ending was screaming in His body, when His flesh was opened, and when the pain was at the fiercest after being beaten and walking through the city of Jerusalem, what did He do? He prayed for the forgiveness of His executioners. He prayed for both the ones physically crucifying Him and the ones in power who called for it or ordered it.

Pilate was so weak that he gave into the crowd’s prevailing cries to crucify Him even though he “found in him no grounds for the death penalty” (Luke 23:22). Judas, who knew the place where His Master and Friend would be that night, betrayed Him with a kiss. The guards spat at Him, blindfolded Him, mocked Him by shouting “prophesy,” struck Him with their fists, and beat Him (Mark 14:65). The chief priests and Sanhedrin, in their search for a way to put Him to death, brought in many who testified falsely against Him, but their statements would not agree (Mark 14:59).

All of these people knew what they were doing was not right. Yet, they were led by their desires for money, peace, or their position of power and standing amongst the people that they played a role in killing the Son of the Living God. There is no greater offense than this! While they knew they were not earning a medal for righteous behavior that day, they had no idea of the expanse of the horror they had committed. They didn’t understand the atrocity. They didn’t see Jesus as Messiah or believe Him to be the Son of God. He was just a troublemaker of whom they must dispose.

Paul talks about how they didn’t grasp the atrocity that they were committing in 1 Corinthians 2:8, “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” They would not have touched the Lord of glory if they knew who He really was. At Pentecost, Peter also told the crowd gathered for the feast - which probably contained many of the people who had been there at Passover time, too - in Acts 3:13-15, 17 what they did. He said, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this…Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.”

The Prince had slipped out of His palace and masqueraded as a common man to identify with man in every way. These people did not know that by Him all things were created and without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3). They didn’t know that He was the One who had given them life and that He was the Author of life. He had every right to use His sword, His mouth, and chop off their heads. Yet, He didn’t. He didn’t have to be restrained by the Father. He exhibited the mercy of His Father. The Lord of glory forgave His killers of their wickedness and role in His death while He was dying. It makes me want to respond in worship when I see how He forgave them.

It makes me wonder when you and I are willing to forgive someone. A new friend and I were talking about forgiveness. We connected very quickly since we are sisters in Christ and both soccer moms. She shared about being divorced for over 10 years now, but she still needed to forgive her ex-husband. I told her that there may be layers to our pain that we have to work through, and forgiveness may be a process. This is why Jesus said to forgive 70 x 7 times. We are to forgive as many times as it takes until we are different. And always, always remember that when we forgive, it does not have the same power as God’s forgiveness to purify someone from his sins and wash him white as snow. When we forgive, we do just like Jesus did. In 1 Peter 2:23, Peter says, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” We entrust our situation with the person who has wronged us, whether he wants forgiveness or not, to the one who judges justly. God was on the throne that day when he committed the sin and every day since when he had a chance to come to Him. At some point, whether he wants to or not, he will come before our Father, the Judge. This knowledge and His power release us from holding onto any grudge.

What about you, beloved? Who do you need to forgive? Is there a grudge or bitterness that you are still wearing? Our faces show it whether we want to accept it or not. Ask the God, who forgives and empowers us to forgive, to move on your heart so that you can forgive whoever has wronged you.

Pray with me: Oh, God, so many of us are holding grudges and living in bitterness. We bring You our wounds from the people who treated us wrongly or maybe didn’t treat us in the manner that we wanted. We are in bondage to the people whom we cannot forgive. They bring out the worst in us and can make us look like fools instead of like Christ.

Praise You, Jesus, that Your own death made it possible for these sinners, for us, and for every person who has every lived to receive the forgiveness of God. You set the example for us so that we can forgive some very horrid things, too. We cry out to You! Move on our hearts and empower us through the Holy Spirit so we can forgive those whom we need to forgive and release and entrust them to You because You judge justly. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels

A Cowardly Ruler

A Cowardly Ruler

“ ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.”

Mark 15:9-10

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead. They could not kill Jesus so they dragged Him to the Roman ruler Pilate. Luke 23:2 says of the leaders “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ ”

Pilate said he found no basis of a charge against Jesus. Although Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, he didn’t have the courage or the character to release Him. He knew that Jesus was no revolutionary leader or Zealot. He knew that the Rabbi before him was unlikely to lead a revolt. He knew the Sanhedrin’s charges were weak.

However, the religious leaders insisted by saying in verse 5, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." They pressured him with a threat of riot. A riot might have him removed from his post. Or they could file a formal complaint against him which would also jeopardize his leadership position. He already had been discarded to this outpost. He could be recalled to Rome, removed from his position, or even be put to death for inept leadership. So he delayed the decision and sent Jesus to Herod to handle this Galilean.

Herod was in Jerusalem for Passover. This is the same Herod who had killed John the Baptist for his dear wife’s party entertainment. Since Herod had refused to hear the truth of John’s message, the window of opportunity was closed for him to hear Jesus. Jesus’ ability to see into Herod’s hard heart was not weakened by His pain. He knew that Herod merely wanted a miracle as one would desire a circus performance. Herod was interested only in a magic exhibition and had no interest in the things of God. Since Jesus would not do what he wanted, Herod let his men taunt, mock, and beat Him.

Both Herod and Pilate were cowards who could not make a tough decision. Neither man had the courage to do the right thing.

When Jesus returned, Pilate asked Him some questions inside his palace - twice. He asked Him, “What have You done?”, “Are you King of the Jews?”, and “What is truth?” Jesus answered them, but it was not enough for Pilate to release Him although it intrigued him. In between the questionings, Pilate let his soldiers flog Jesus and place a crown of thorns on His head that scraped His skull. They stripped Him and beat His bare upper body while He was bound. Pilate thought this was a humane alternative to crucifixion. The questioning and even the flogging are filled with signs that Pilate looked for every reason and every chance to release Jesus. He wanted Jesus to speak up and defend Himself. He said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize that I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?” My paraphrase of Jesus’ answer, “Actually no, you don’t. God has only given you limited power.”

I wonder if the heavenly hosts turned to the Father at this point looking for a signal to swoop in and save the Son of God. They knew Jesus was the One with the real power, and Pilate had limited power. Jesus could command that He be set free any time. However, they didn’t know exactly what the Father and the Son were doing.

Pilate was convinced that Jesus should be freed. He tried to speak to the Jews again. In Mark 15:9-10, the Jews who despised Roman rule were filled with so much envy of Jesus that if Pilate let Him go, then he would be recognized as no friend to Caesar. Their final appeal was to declare allegiance to Rome.

Matthew 27:19 says that Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat known as the Stone Pavement to proclaim judgment on Christ. How interesting! The human judge condemns the Ultimate Final Judge. Someday the roles will be reversed as Christ sits on His judgment seat, and God sits in judgment at His great white throne.

Matthew 27:19 tells us, “While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ " His wife warned him to not hurt Jesus, but Pilate was not strong enough to listen to her warning.

In order to prevent this powder keg from exploding, Pilate gave in to the mob. Since he did not know truth, he couldn’t do what was right. He had no courage in his moment of crisis. He declared that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood. The Jews replied, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25) How tragic that the Jews as a nation never accepted their Messiah. However, we know from reading Zechariah 12:10 that ultimately they will accept Him as their Messiah. If only they had let Christ’s blood cover their sins instead of accepting responsibility for His blood being shed.

Barabbas was on death row for his rebellion against Rome. Barabbas was a murderer and insurrectionist. He deserved to die. Jesus, who had done nothing, died in his place just as He died in your place and my place. We were destined to die in our sins, but Jesus took our punishment for us, and we are redeemed!

Pray with me: Oh, God, thank You! We were on death row and deserved to die. Then Jesus who had done NOTHING wrong stepped into Barabbas’ place and our place and died for every person. Praise You, Jesus! Thank You for allowing Pilate to sit in judgment of You when You had every right to judge him. Thank You for not showing Pilate that You were the one with the power that night and letting everything go as You and Your Father planned. It’s in Your mighty Name we pray, Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study, Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels

They Fell Down

They Fell Down

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’
‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.
‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”

John 18:4-6

Jesus had been praying all night long in the Garden of Gethsemane. He poured out His anguished heart to His Father. When Judas led the detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees to Jesus, He knew all that was going to happen to Him. He went out and asked them who they wanted. With torches and weapons in their hands, they replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Even though Jesus was in so much agony before the soldiers arrived, when He replied “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. The presence of the mighty Son of God knocked them down. His deity and might was not diminished by His sorrow. In fact, the power of His presence seems to be even stronger than normal. Perhaps it is because of His intensity. Additionally, there was a hidden power in His words that is revealed when one studies the original text. In the statement, “I am He,” the word “He” was added to make it proper English in the NIV version.

God says in Exodus 3:14-15 that He would be remembered throughout all the generations by the Name “I AM.” The Great I AM…Yahweh…The most glorious, sacred name of God…The name that the Hebrews would not say. Every time a scribe had to write it, he would remove his dirty clothes, take a bath, and put on clean clothes. He would pick up a new pen, write it, and then throw it away. “Yahweh” means ”the self-existent One.” God is saying, “I have always been, and I will always be.” He doesn’t change because He doesn’t need changing! There are no improvements to be made in Him. He is all we will ever need. When Jesus said this sacred and yet powerful name – I AM – the mob’s knees buckled over the power of the declaration.

Peter was probably aiming for the neck of the servant who saw the sword coming and tilted his head away just in time. Only his ear was cut off. The angry throng heard the Man they had come to arrest rebuke His loyal follower for coming to His defense. Jesus was determined to drink the cup that His Father had given Him (Luke 22:42).

The chief priests and solders who accused this man saw Him touch Malchus’ face. The ear was healed at once. They knew He was no ordinary man. They knew what the people were saying had some truth, but they didn’t care. They didn’t read His Miranda rights to Him or gently place the handcuffs on His wrists. No, it was closer to something that would spring a lawsuit for police brutality today. They slapped the ropes or chains on Him. Little did they understand that at any moment Jesus could break the ropes that bound Him, and they would fall to the ground. He could walk away. He let them bind Him. It was only the beginning of the pain that Jesus would feel this day.

Our beloved, forgiving, merciful Savior submitted Himself to the will of the Father. Because He was committed to His Father’s plan, Jesus let the soldiers seize Him and march Him off. No one knew that Jesus was actually the winner at this point. It looked pretty dismal. He laid down His power that made His accusers fall to the ground. He used His power only to heal one who was seeking to harm Him.

Just when it seemed like all was lost, Jesus was headed for the crown and the throne through the cross. At this seemingly dark point, only the Father knew that Jesus was the Champion who was taking the walk to become the Title Holder of Redeemer and King of Kings. He was walking toward victory. He endured the cross and this agony because of the joy set before Him when He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God having redeemed us. He did it all because of His great love for His Father, for you, and for me! Hallelujah!

Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, Your strength and restraint is amazing! Just Your words alone made mere men fall to their feet. Just Your tongue makes them fall to the ground. They did not realize whom they were coming to harm and to arrest. Gosh, we can’t begin to grasp the fullness of Your power. You are the Great I AM! You have always been, always are, and always will be. You are in control of our lives through every seemingly dark point. Enable us to submit to the Father’s will and take the walk of champions and bring victory to the family. It’s in Your Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
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