Citizens of Heaven | Philippians 1:27-30

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Php 1:27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
Php 1:28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God Himself.
Php 1:29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.
Php 1:30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Where does your citizenship reside?

Have you ever been to another country? Sometimes you don’t even have to leave the country to find a place that will give you culture shock.

I was once traveling across the US and had to stop in Georgia for gas and refreshments. I got out of the car and went into the convenience store to grab a couple of soda’s. When I got to the cash register the man behind the counter said something to me and I swear he was speaking a whole different language. His accent was so thick I couldn’t understand a word he said. I remember just nodding and smiling as I left the store. Things were different in Georgia; people were different and they did things and said things differently then I did.

As a people, human beings have a tendency to become who they spend time with or what they spend time doing. I have an family member that I grew up with in Oregon who later entered the military. He spent a lot of time in the southern states and when he finally came home for a visit he had a strong southern accent. He had been affected and changed by where he lived.

We even title ourselves after what we do or what we like.

“I’m a computer technician”

“I’m a rock climber”

“I’m a christian”

In verse 27 we see Paul encouraging the Philippians to live as though they are citizens of heaven. That’s a pretty high calling. He hints that if they live this way,

“Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose,”.

He makes it clear that he would recognize them even if he only heard about them. If someone was talking about a good friend of yours but never used their name, only characteristics to describe them, would you know who they were talking about?

Would you recognize someone that was a citizen of heaven?

Being a citizen of heaven means that you will be different and Paul makes it very clear that this difference will make life a struggle. He tells us why in verse 28…

Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God Himself.

You see, when you truly start living the life of a citizen of heaven your life will condemn those who you come in contact with. It will give them “culture shock” and remind them that they live contrary to the Will of God. This usually results in one of three outcomes.

1. They will recognize you as different and avoid spending time with you.

2. They will be so offended by you that they will seek to persecute you.

3. They will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and make a choice that they want to be like you.

So, now let’s ask ourselves – are other people “shocked” when they are around me? Do they notice that I’m different in some way or am I so worldly in everything that I do that I seem to be “just one of them”? Are they amazed at my capacity to love and forgive? Do they get a sense of what the Good News is really all about? Does my life shine the light of Jesus on theirs?

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven,

I recognize the worldliness in my life, yet I have a deep desire to not be of this world. I ask for Your Holy Spirit to dwell in me today so that I am clearly a citizen of heaven. You can accomplish this good work in me. Please do so.

Thank You for loving me that much. Thank You for giving Your Son and for allowing Him to take my place on the cross. Help me never to forget this.

Forgive my sin. Cleanse my heart.

Please be with my family and friends. Keep them all safe and draw them closer to You. I love You Lord. Amen.

 

Fruit Inspecting is Required | Philippians 1:12-26

For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.

Php 1:12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.
Php 1:13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.
Php 1:14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.
Php 1:15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.
Php 1:16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News.
Php 1:17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.
Php 1:18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
Php 1:19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
Php 1:20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
Php 1:21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Php 1:22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.
Php 1:23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
Php 1:24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
Php 1:25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.
Php 1:26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what He is doing through me.

How do You Measure Success in Your Life?

Paul is writing his letter to the Philippians from prison. His whole focus is the spreading of the Good News and Jesus Christ. He analyzes everything that happens to him through a lens focused on that goal.

“I’m in prison” – Is my presence here bearing fruit for the gospel movement?
“I’m in chains” – Are people learning of Christ because of these chains? Are people encouraged to do more for Christ because of these chains?
“I’m being falsely accused.” – Is the false accusation because of my work for Christ Jesus? If so, then it is a good thing.

Some people call this personal perspective, but Paul isn’t just quoting what he hopes will happen – he is seeing the fruit of these situations as they blossom, whether for good or for bad. He knows by this fruit that he is where he is supposed to be and he is doing what he is supposed to do. These situations are clearly measured as success in his mind.

Fruit Inspecting – Measuring Success in Your Christian Walk

I’ve heard some of my Christian brothers and sisters say, “I’m not a fruit inspector. It’s not my job to inspect other people’s fruit.”, and they may be right; to a certain extent. However, we are clearly called to inspect fruit – our own fruit and others.

It is the same with My word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:11 [NLT]

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.  A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:16-20 [NLT]

Now look at verses 15-17 from our passage above. Notice that Paul is “inspecting the fruit” of other believers. He is recognizing that some believers are preaching with the wrong motives – out of jealousy and rivalry. He is recognizing that they are preaching against him; and he redirects that in verse 18 and sees the potential for the spreading of the gospel even when the motives are wrong, however, he still sees and brings to light the motives or “fruit”.

He then goes on to list his own fruit in verses 19-25 to show us that his motives are purely all about Jesus Christ, no matter what the circumstances. His focus is and always will remain spreading the gospel.

Paul was most definitely a fruit inspector and I think we can safely say that we are called to be fruit inspectors as well…BUT…and this is a big but, we must always inspect our own fruit before inspecting that of others. Check your motivation for all that you do and say and think. Is it all for the glory of God? Are you lifting up the Word of God or are you lifting up the word of self?

Remember these following texts when considering HOW you should inspect the fruit of others. We are called to inspect. HOW is the big question…

Ecc_12:14  God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. [NLT]

Isa_33:22  For the LORD is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. [NLT]

Mat 7:1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.
Mat 7:2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. [NLT]

Prayer:

Father in Heaven,

Thank You for loving us so much. Please forgive my sin of self righteousness and pride. I see it in myself so strongly when I consider myself the way You want me to. I ask You, based on Your promise, to give me the Holy Spirit today. I want to have the mind of Christ so that I can inspect my own fruits clearly and help others.

Please be with my family and friends. Keep them safe and bring them close to You. Use me in whatever way You see fit for today. Amen.

Understanding What Really Matters | Philippians 1:8-11

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Php 1:8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
Php 1:9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
Php 1:10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
Php 1:11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

How do we know what really matters?

Take any small group of people; heck you can even take a small sample from your local church, and if you ask them this question, “What really matters to you?” The answers could be widely varying simply based on the location of where you ask the question or the age of the person asked. For instance, if I asked them this question directly preceding a fiery sermon, they might say “God is,” or “Salvation is”; but if I asked them the same question on a nice quiet day at their own homes I might get answers like “My children are,” or “My job is.”

Circumstances often drive what we consider important. Most “things” that we would deem important are usually things that satisfy or fulfill a need. Most people we consider important are those that we love or are attached to in some way; usually through blood or by marriage. But Paul wants us to have something so that we can “understand what really matters”.

What do we need to gain this understanding?

Paul directs us to a need for love that “will overflow more and more” and a desire to “keep on growing in knowledge and understanding”. Apparently these two things will lead us to an understanding of “what really matters.” After we do these two things and we gain this understanding of what really matters, it will lead us to “live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? This is the result of understanding what really matters; in fact it is the “fruit of your salvation.” Paul sums up the result of living in love and seeking knowledge in verse 11.

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

What is the result of overflowing love and knowledge?

You will have a righteous character! But don’t stop there…it will be a righteous character produced by Jesus Christ in your life and it’s purpose is to “bring glory and praise to God”, not to you. This is truly what really matters.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven

You have shown how much You love us. We see and feel how unworthy we are of that love. We ask You now…I ask You now…to change me; change us and give us the character of Jesus Christ. We have proven to ourselves over and over again how incapable we are of making these changes on our own, so we ask now for Your promise of the Holy Spirit. We ask even that You would increase our desire for love and knowledge for the purpose of attaining a righteous character. We want this so that You may be glorified, not us.

Thank You for loving us so much. Give us the power and wisdom to increase Your kingdom. Amen.

Serving Other Servants | Philippians 1:1-7

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ…

Php 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Php 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Php 1:4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
Php 1:5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Php 1:7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Serving Other Servants So That They May Serve

I love the way that Paul starts his letters, and the beginning of Philippians is one of the best. First he identifies himself, but then immediately includes a young “minister” and fellow bondservant of Christ. Paul is drawing attention to the next generation of leadership. Timothy is young and needs the support of the older generation. By mentioning Timothy in the letter he gives credence to the work that Timothy has been doing and makes himself equal with Timothy. The reader is asked to assume that the words written are not only from Paul but also from Timothy. This is a kind of “torch passing”. It shows that Paul has seen the Holy Spirit at work in Timothy’s life and that he now wants to bolster and uplift Timothy so that he will continue to do a great work for Christ Jesus. He wants his readers to recognize in Timothy as a man of God.

There should be more of this in church leadership. Too often people are afraid to encourage others and lift them up in Jesus. We become afraid that they may make a mistake and then make us look foolish for supporting them. We hold a sense of pride in our own accomplishments as leaders and we don’t want some young “upstart” to take our glory from us. Sometimes, we just want to do it all ourselves because we crave control or we feel strongly that “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” These are all results of our sinful nature and are not led by the Holy Spirit.

Leadership in Christ does not mean placing oneself above others but instead means placing oneself lower then others…seeking to uplift them and bring them to the fullness of a relationship with Jesus. Church leadership should be about serving, not being served.

Remembering Those Whom God Has Given Us

He loves his flock. Paul, as a shepherd, has such a heart for those whom he nurtured into the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can feel the love and his desire for them to continue to grow in the Spirit, to stay connected with each other and with Jesus.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…”

Each of us, by the mere fact that we are human beings, has influence upon other human beings. Strangers we come in brief contact with on a daily basis are affected simply by the countenance on our faces. Those whom we know more personally are affected by our words and our deeds. Loved ones find value in themselves by how we treat them. Friends can be kept or lost by the words that we speak to them.

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

If you are a Christian there are people in your life who have…

• Showed you Christ
• Shared themselves with you
• Influenced you
• Prayed with you
• Praised with you

…and they need to know how much you love them and appreciate the bond that you have with them in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Draw closer together for the sake of Jesus. Don’t let strife and petty backbiting cause walls of division to be built. Instead, reach out in love and remind those you know that Jesus loves them…that YOU love them…and that if we continue to God’s grace Jesus will complete us. He will make us into a body of believers who can accomplish His work.

Hold on to Jesus and never let go. He will continue to change you into His image. Relish this promise…

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank You so much for the amazing people that You have put into my life. Help me to show them Your love in better ways. Make in me a clean heart that is not defiled with pride and pettiness, but instead is filled with You. May this message help someone who reads it.

Thank you for loving us so much! Amen.

 

I AM With You Always | Matthew 28:11-20

“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mat 28:11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
Mat 28:12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
Mat 28:13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’
Mat 28:14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
Mat 28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
Mat 28:17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The End of the Journey Through Matthew

I have been writing about the book of Matthew for quite some time now. In fact I started back on April 12th, 2010 with my very first post. Today is December 10, 2012 which means I have been doing this for approximately 32 months. Here is the very first paragraph that was written…

There are many reasons that I have started this blog, the most important being that I want to get to know my Savior Jesus Christ more personally. I believe that the only way I can do that is to really spend time in His word. However, the world has many distractions; many paths leading away from Him. So, to take control of a portion of my life, I am dedicating time each week to writing down my thoughts and feelings on a bible passage. I am doing this on the web in hopes that others will gain from this personal journey.

The intent of this blog was to bring me closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, did it? I must answer with an emphatic YES! I highly recommend to anyone that wants a closer walk with Jesus; that they read and then write about what they have “seen”. It is good to do it from the perspective of telling what you know to someone else so that they to can see what you have seen. This drives you to make your points better and to understand things more clearly before you put them down for others to read.

This journey was purely a selfish one. My main intention was to grow closer to my Savior, but if others benefit from my sharing I praise God that the Holy Spirit can work through such a broken vessel.

The journey has been exciting, frustrating and inspiring. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I have grown closer to Christ and this has made this trip well worth it.

Using the analogy of a “trip” or journey was very appropriate. There were times when the road was clear and the travels were easy, and other times when it was extremely hard to start the car and get moving (writing). I needed a lot of fuel (prayer) and my GPS (Holy Spirit) got dropped under the seat a few times along the way..though it never actually left the car. I hit bumps, rough roads, and even stopped in some places for weeks on end trying to really understand which direction the GPS wanted me to go. Jesus spoke to me sometimes like a passenger in the car helping to guide me to our next destination and at other times like police officer reminding me of the rules of the road. Most importantly, He was with me the whole way.

It is appropriate that the book of Matthew ends with the statement “…lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He was with me and I have no doubt that He will continue to be with me to the very end. Why do I believe this? Because He had been there and because He said He would be. His Word has power….power to change men’s hearts. Dear reader, know and trust that the Lord is Good. He proved it on the cross, leaving no doubt about how much He loves you. Don’t let your journey end without allowing Jesus to become your navigator. Pray with me…

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank You so much for giving us Your only begotten Son, Jesus. Your word is truth and life and love. Your love is everlasting and You have promised to be with us always. It has been Your goal from the beginning. You want to know us…help us to want to know you. Give me today Your Holy Spirit so that I may live, because living with You is all I want. Forgive my sins Lord. Cleanse my unclean heart and show me the narrow road that I must follow to stay safe in Your arms. Thank You for providing my daily bread. Thank You for watching over my family and friends. I love You Lord. Amen.

The End of the Journey?

Now that I have reached the end of my journey through Matthew the big question becomes…where to go from here? The car is all gassed up and tuned up, but I need to know where to take it? The road map (Bible) is massive with many different roads leading to new and exciting discoveries. Maybe you, dear reader, have a suggestion? Please leave a comment below and recommend a destination…

 

The “Joy” That Life Brings | Matthew 28:1-10

He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.

Mat 28:1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
Mat 28:2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.
Mat 28:3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.
Mat 28:4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Mat 28:5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
Mat 28:6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.
Mat 28:7 And now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember what I have told you.”
Mat 28:8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message.
Mat 28:9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him.
Mat 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”

The Joy that Life Brings

Consider the act of birth. A new life comes into the world bringing with it all the implications of future joy, future worry, and future expectation; all bundled into this crying wriggling package. The nine month process of bringing this new life into existence caused much pain, discomfort, worry and strife; but along with that hope, expectation and joy of what this new life will mean.

We celebrate the birth of a child as a happy experience even though we know that there will be much pain involved. Not just physical pain but mental pain and stress. There will be a lifetime of work involved and none of it easy, yet we move forward with celebration.

Why? Why does new life bring so much joy wrapped up in so much misery? 

Any parent will tell you that if you looked at the whole process of raising a child from a purely logical perspective, you would have to pronounce yourself mentally unstable for choosing to have one. Who would enthusiastically raise their hand if I asked this question…

“Who wants to bring a completely helpless life into this world. Worry about it, stress over it, be hated by it, cry for it…with it…and about it. Give it much of the money that you work hard to earn, only to have it disdain you for ‘not ever giving it what it want’s’. It will poop on you, barf on you, pee on you and rarely say thank you for what you’ve done. And this is only the beginning of the sorrows…”

Well, did you raise your hand? If you were being purely logical I would venture a guess that you wouldn’t have raised your hand…but then again love is rarely logical.

As parents we are invested in our children in a way that makes no logical sense at all. It’s called love and with love comes hope.

When I look at my children I see only what they could be. I hope for them to be happy, satisfied, joyful and most of all alive with their true purpose. I want them to know the love that I have for them is deeper than they are even able to comprehend. I am willing to do whatever is in my power to help them. I make the tough choices and exercise the tough love that will bring them around to what will save them all the while knowing that they can choose to do whatever they want. They may even choose to rebel against me or hate me but I don’t care. I can quickly forgive that. All I want is for  them to have this gift of love that I have to give. They don’t even understand the treasure that my love is…how can I show them? How can I make them understand? Do I have to prove it somehow? Show it?

Jesus’ death and resurrection

Jesus’ death showed us the depth of His love for us. It brought us to the understanding that even though we were still sinners, sinners who were willing to spit in the face of love….He was still willing to die on our behalf. He did it to show us His character of love. He wanted us to see the real treasure. Do you see it?

However, our experience in this sinful world tells us that the death of something is the end of the line. None of the disciples would have ever come to the realization of the loving act that God performed at the cross if they had not seen the resurrected Christ. Instead they would have ultimately sulked away, thinking “Well, I guess Jesus wasn’t really the Messiah we thought he was,” and that would have been the end of the story. But the resurrection happened and it changed everything. This gave them hope! Now, they had a living Savior who was willing and able to save them. His new life brought with it hope of a future with a loving Father in Heaven who has not only shown that He loved them to the point of death on the cross, but that He has the power to save them and guide them and direct them as a loving Father.

If you are a parent you have undoubtedly had this thought: “If only my children could know how much I really love them, it would change the way they see me and respond to me.” Well, maybe this is a universal truth? God needs us to see just how much He loves us so that it will change our attitude toward Him. And beyond even that, He has given us the demonstrated hope of the resurrection. A hope in His power to change us and form us into His loving image again.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven,

Thank You so much for doing everything possible to show us how much You love us. It is incomprehensible to my sinners mind, yet when I compare what you’ve done to how I feel about my own children I get a glimmer of understanding. Thank You for the trials and thorns of life that have brought me closer to You. I want to love You in a better way Lord. I want to love You the way that You loved me. Give me that strength…please. Help me also to see my “siblings” in the same way that You see them. Help me to desire their salvation as much as You do, and then give me the power to act upon that desire. Forgive me for all the times I did not return Your love.

Be with my family and my children in the way that I cannot. Protect them and lead them back to You Lord. Fill me with the Holy Spirit today. I give You my life. Amen.

Love of Jesus | Matthew Chapter 27

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”

I have known for awhile now that I wanted to post the entire chapter of Matthew 27 uninterrupted by my ramblings and thoughts. If I could give any advice to someone wanting to know Jesus and I could only give them one thing…it would be “Read Matthew Chapter 27 as often as you can”. Read it and know that Jesus Christ did this for you. He took the crushing weight of your sins to the cross and there paid the full price for them. Honor Him as you see Him love you like no other. Remember that He did this for you while you were yet a sinner, ungodly, weak and powerless to save yourself.

Thank you Jesus!

The Love of Jesus

Mat 27:1 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death.
Mat 27:2 Then they bound Him, led Him away, and took Him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
Mat 27:3 When Judas, who had betrayed Him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.
Mat 27:4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
Mat 27:5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
Mat 27:6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”
Mat 27:7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.
Mat 27:8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.
Mat 27:9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, “They took the thirty pieces of silver—the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
Mat 27:10 and purchased the potter’s field, as the LORD directed. “
Mat 27:11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are You the king of the Jews?” the governor asked Him. Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
Mat 27:12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against Him, Jesus remained silent.
Mat 27:13 “Don’t You hear all these charges they are bringing against You?” Pilate demanded.
Mat 27:14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
Mat 27:15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted.
Mat 27:16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.
Mat 27:17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
Mat 27:18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
Mat 27:19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about Him last night.”
Mat 27:20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.
Mat 27:21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
Mat 27:22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”
Mat 27:23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has He committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify Him!”
Mat 27:24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
Mat 27:25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for His death—we and our children!”
Mat 27:26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
Mat 27:27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.
Mat 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
Mat 27:29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on His head, and they placed a reed stick in His right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before Him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”
Mat 27:30 And they spit on Him and grabbed the stick and struck Him on the head with it.
Mat 27:31 When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified.
Mat 27:32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
Mat 27:33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”).
Mat 27:34 The soldiers gave Him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when He had tasted it, He refused to drink it.
Mat 27:35 After they had nailed Him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice. [This fulfilled the word of the prophet: "They divided My garments among themselves and cast lots for My robe."]
Mat 27:36 Then they sat around and kept guard as He hung there.
Mat 27:37 A sign was fastened to the cross above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against Him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Mat 27:38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.
Mat 27:39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.
Mat 27:40 “Look at You now!” they yelled at Him. “You said You were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if You are the Son of God, save Yourself and come down from the cross!”
Mat 27:41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.
Mat 27:42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but He can’t save Himself! So He is the King of Israel, is He? Let Him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in Him!
Mat 27:43 He trusted God, so let God rescue Him now if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Mat 27:44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with Him ridiculed Him in the same way.
Mat 27:45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
Mat 27:46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”
Mat 27:47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought He was calling for the prophet Elijah.
Mat 27:48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to Him on a reed stick so He could drink.
Mat 27:49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save Him.”
Mat 27:50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit.
Mat 27:51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,
Mat 27:52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.
Mat 27:53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
Mat 27:54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
Mat 27:55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for Him were watching from a distance.
Mat 27:56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Mat 27:57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,
Mat 27:58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to Him.
Mat 27:59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth.
Mat 27:60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.
Mat 27:61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
Mat 27:62 The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate.
Mat 27:63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while He was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’
Mat 27:64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent His disciples from coming and stealing His body and then telling everyone He was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
Mat 27:65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.”
Mat 27:66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.