This Is Jesus: King of the Jews

 

John 19:1

So then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged (flogged, whipped).

Isaiah 50:6

I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

Knowing now that His face was a bloody mess from having His beard torn out, we see that His persecutors further assaulted Him.

John 19:2

And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe around Him. 

Matthew 27:29

And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

Mark 15:17

They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head.

John 19:3

And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail (rejoice, be glad), King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.

His back, shoulders, neck, and legs having been whipped to shreds earlier, now had a garment thrown around Him, which caused the wounds to clot and cling to the cloth. But when the rob was stripped away from Him, the bleeding began again. And this is how He walked and carried the cross (beam) in the road and up the hill. 

Matthew 27:31

After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

The post would already have been placed into the ground. The beam Christ carried across His shoulders, but in His condition, His weakened body had not strength to carry such a heavy crossbeam. 

Mark 15:21

Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

Luke 23:26

As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

And when Jesus reached the top of Golgotha, the soldiers nailed His hands to the cross beam, raised Him up on the crossbeam and set it into the post already there. Then they nailed His feet to that post.

Psalm 22:16

For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet.

Matthew 27:35

After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

Psalm 22:18

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

John 19:23-24

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it." This was to fulfill the Scripture: "They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing." So that is what the soldiers did. 

Matthew 27:37

Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The crime He was accused of and crucified for. And who accused Him.

Luke 23:38 tells us it was written in three languages, that all who saw Him would know who He was.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

[in Greek:  Αυτός είναι ο Ιησούς Ο Βασιλιάς των Εβραίων           ; in Latin: Hic est Iesus Et rex Iudaeorum; in Hebrew: זה ישו מלך היהודים]

John 19:19

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And in the agony of breathing, Jesus managed to make seven statements. His lungs were pressed for air, His heart struggling to keep blood pumping through His body for just long enough, His whole body cramping, aching and weakening, Jesus spoke. 

Luke 23:34-35

When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”

But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

 

John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”

Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, this disciple took her into his home.

John 19:28

After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

Matthew 27:46

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Luke 23:44-46

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.

Isaiah 53:3-5, 7

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.

Psalm 22:14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Jesus died of a broken heart. Though leg-breaking was the common way of increasing the time of death for many who were crucified, this was not necessary for the death of Christ: He had already died.

John 19:33-34

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.  

Mark 15:39

When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

This is Jesus: King of the Jews

 

The Responsibilities of Communion

 

 

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.”

In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” 

For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again].

But there's more to taking communion than this. It's partaking in the Lord's Communion.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord.

But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ].

And, if we fail to do this, and take part in the ceremony of communion, there are consequences for our actions.

1 Corinthians 11:30

That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak (either physically or morally, without strength) and sick (feeble), and a number sleep [in death].

What are we eating and drinking into? A contractual agreement with Jesus Christ regarding the breaking of Bread (His body) and the pouring out of wine (His blood). As He was, many of us will also be: broken and poured out before God.

We are being called to suffer for the sake of the cross. 

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."

1 Peter 2:21

For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.

1 Peter 4:13

But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

1 John 2:5-6

But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him: whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.

1 Peter 4:11

Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

Being a Christian is no light thing. It will be the hardest job you ever take on. But we have nothing to fear, for we won't be doing it alone:

When Jesus left (ascended into heaven), God sent Someone else to help us, The Holy Spirit of God. Therefore, we are most able to overcome all obstacles in our way and run 'the race set before us' to it's completion and our win. 

Jesus & God Live Here

  

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

John 15:10
"If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people."

Revelation 3:20
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me."

How wonderful to know that as soon as we believe, God the Son and God the Father enter into us and begin to live in us! We are so blessed to have the power of God resting upon us!

Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Revealed To Few

 

John 14:22

Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”

Acts 10:39-41

We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,

God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—

not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

Why do only the ones chosen by God see the risen Christ? Because He is seen with the eyes of Faith. They who do not believe cannot see Him until they do believe. We who believe, believe by Faith in the Son of God: He Is who He says He is. His Word is Faithful and True. 

Our Faith is not the denomination of the church we belong to: Faith is conditional on Belief and Confession. Romans10:17 Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

And that's who Jesus reveals Himself to: the believer. He reveals Himself to me daily, little by little, until someday I will see Him fully. That perfect day. Until then I will love Him, seek Him and serve Him more every day. I'm a believer.

 

You Are My Rest

 

As I was trying to fall asleep and get some actual rest, I failed. And the Lord said, "Why are you trying so hard on your own? Don't you know that I am your Rest?" The Word is my Rest. So first he led me to Matthew 11:28 - "Come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest." Then He led me to 

Psalm 23
You, Lord, are my Shepherd;
I lack for nothing.

You make me to lie down in green pastures:

You lead me beside still waters.

You restore my soul: You lead me in the paths

of righteousness for Your name's sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil: for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

You feed me in the presence of my enemies:

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Most assuredly goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life:

and (in addition to all of this, I know that)

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Then we strolled over to John 10 where Jesus informs us He is the Good Shepherd and that His sheep know His voice. So I listened to His voice.

Had I been asked I would have said this took only a few minutes of my time, but when I looked at the clock, one and a half hours had gone by. Because I didn't talk back. I rested.

Prepare The Way of The Lord

 

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

Isaiah 40:3

A voice of one calling: "Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert."

John 1:22-23

So they said to him, "Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: "I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the LORD.'"

Jesus Christ is returning soon! Are our hearts prepared to receive Him when He calls us to Him? 

These hearts of ours are rocky paths that need to be cleared to receive Him into us fully. Yes, He enters our hearts when we believe on His name for our salvation. But I want more.

I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way for the LORD, too. God, I need You to fill me with Your precious oil, Your Holy Spirit, to clear these rocky places in my heart, that Christ might be fully visible and shine Your Light and Love through me into the darkness around me. 

So, too, I now encourage you to Prepare The Way of The Lord. Make yourselves ready. Soon. And very soon. 

Christ Reveals Himself to Us

 

John 14:21

Whoever has My commandments and keeps (guards) them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I will love him and reveal Myself to him.

Exodus 33:18

Then Moses said, "Please show me Your glory."

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.

Seeking God early in our life is the best way to live God's Word. But when we fail to do that, then each new day becomes an opportunity to begin again, to start over, early in the morning. 

Wake up. Thank God for waking us up and keeping us through the night. Morning stretches. Thank God for the ability to move and breathe. 

Get out of bed. Stand up. Praise God continuously. Read your Bible or daily devotional or both. Thank God for the ability to read. And thank God for the Spirit who reveals God in God's Word, who reveals Jesus Christ to us; who reveals the mystery of God through the gospel of salvation which God planned from the beginning. 

Genesis 3:15 God tells the serpent his fate for his part in the deception of Adam and Eve: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Romans 16:20 further enhances Genesis 3:15 - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.

1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd. 'He will lead them to springs of Living Water,' and 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

Rejoice! early. Praise God early! Seek God's face early! Rise up from your deathbed and glorify God early! Now is the time of your salvation! Now is the day of your redemption! 

Positioned

 

Good Morning 

POSITIONED

John 14:20

"On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you."

On what day? The day the believer believes that Jesus Christ is who He says He is. The Bible calls this getting saved (John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.")

The day the believer receives the Holy Spirit from God, the Advocate, the Comforter, who will guide us (John 16:13 "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.")

It is not the calendar day which is important, but the spiritual birthday which is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. My name is written there. Is yours?

Because He Lives

 

I will not leave you comfortless: 

I will come to you.

In a little while the world will see

Me no more, but you 

will see Me.

Because I live, 

you also 

will live.

John 14:18-19

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, 

that I shall lose none of those He has given Me,

 but raise them up at the last day.

For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son

 and believes in Him shall have eternal life, 

and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:39-40

"And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me."

John 12:45

Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

John 6:57

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4

Another Advocate

 

John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

Acts 1:4

And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss."

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.

Guard My Heart

 

Good Morning

GUARD MY HEART

John 14:15

If you love Me, keep (guard) My commandments.

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Jesus Christ is the Wellspring of Life. Once He enters our hearts, we become His dwelling-place, His living quarters. We know, too, that He is the Word of God.  Therefore, when we begin to believe, the Word is planted in our hearts as a small seed.

This Word-seed requires maintenance that it might grow within us until it, the Word-seed, reaches full growth and is able to propagate. 

Planting requires preparation of the heart (faith to believe), removing the rocky stones (of unbelief), seeding the tilled heart (reading my Bible daily with prayer), watering the Word-seed (with tears of joy, tears of grief), and much sunlight (the Holy Spirit). 

While it is our faith that invites Jesus Christ into our hearts, it is God who ushers Him in. It is only through the power of the Almighty God that any of this is possible. Nothing we do can even begin to compare with what God can do. 

Are you guarding your heart? Are you keeping His Word in your heart? that it might spill forth like a rushing waterfall into the ears of  those who seek Him? Only you can answer that. I am guarding my heart.

I Want Your Offering

 "Build Me a tabernacle.

Make Me a sanctuary.

Freely give to Me:

I want your offering.

I want your offering.

IAM the Lord thy God,

You will worship Me.

IAM the Lord thy God

You will worship Me."

I'll build You a tabernacle,

Furnished with precious jewels of Faith

I'll make you a sanctuary:

A garden of delights in a secret place.

You are the Lord my God:

I bring an offering.

You are the Lord my God:

I love Thee, Adore Thee

With all of my heart,

With all of my soul.

I praise Thee, Exalt Thee

I do ............ love You.

You are the Lord my God:

I will worship You.

"Build Me a tabernacle.

Make Me a sanctuary.

Freely give to Me:

I want your offering.

IAM the Lord thy God.

You will worship Me."

You are the LORD my GOD, 

I will worship THEE. ............