Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene

Scripture:-

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Observation:

After the torture session, the Lord is too weak to carry the cross, and along the way, they grab a man called Simon from Cyrene and make him carry Jesus’ cross. At the place called Golgotha, meaning the skull, they mixed wine with gall and let Jesus drink it to dull the pain. The Lord after tasting it refuses, and they proceed to drive in the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet. All who pass by hurl insults at Jesus, including the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law. Even the two thieves being crucified with Jesus insulted him, although one later repented and defended Jesus as written in other gospels. The primary insults against Jesus was that He saved others and could not save Himself and that He could rescue Himself or have God rescue Him if He really was the Son of God. No one understood that this was all part of God’s plan for humanity’s redemption, and Jesus was there wholly voluntarily.

Application:

Consider Simon of Cyrene. At that time, he could have counted ill luck in being picked on to carry the heavy cross. The blood of Jesus would have got all over him. The mocking and spitting from the people would also land upon him. After coming so far to worship at the Passover, here he was, becoming ceremonially unclean and being forced labor for the crucifixion of some notorious criminal. Finally at Golgotha, Simon was able to let go of the great burden, full of sweat, blood and pain from the weight. What happened to Simon after this? Did he leave Jerusalem in disgust? Did he stay and watch what happened to Jesus? Did he find out more about why Jesus was being crucified? Scripture does not tell us these details here.

However, later in Acts 13:1, Luke gives a list of leaders of Antioch who send Paul and Barnabas out on the first mission to the Gentiles. In that list is Simon called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene. Niger means Black, so it literally means Simon called Black and Lucius of Cyrene. So the Simon here was from Cyrene, and should quite literally be the same Simon of Cyrene that carried Jesus cross! The fact that he was dark also lends credence to the way the soldiers singled him out among others for the unpleasant task of carrying Jesus’ cross. Also, the reason Matthew recorded his name at all was probably because the church knew who Simon of Cyrene was.

So Simon of Cyrene later would realize that what seemed like incredible misfortune was actually the greatest privilege. Who else had the opportunity of carrying the cross for the Lord, upon which He would bring salvation for not only Simon of Cyrene but everyone who would believe in Jesus.

The lesson for us is that although we might face troubles or great inconveniences, we should bear it humbly and graciously. Unknown to us, it might actually be a great privilege.

Prayer:

We praise thee and worship thee O Lord for the marvelous things You have done. We thank You for the lesson of Simon of Cyrene which teaches us how we should bear hardship and trouble humbly and graciously, for behind the scenes even that could be a great privilege to us. Help us and teach us Lord, even as we seek Your face. In Jesus name, Amen.

Gentleness under trial

Gentleness under trial

Scripture:-

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?” Matthew 26:57-68

Observation:-

After the Lord is arrested, He is brought to the high priest Caiaphas. There, the elders and the Sanhedrin seek various ways to find false evidence to put him to death. Many false witnesses come forward, but nothing conclusive is forthcoming. Finally, two accuse Jesus of saying He is able to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Caiaphas challenges Jesus to answer this accusation but the Lord remains silent. In great anger, Caiaphas then challenges Jesus under oath to God to declare if he really is the Messiah, the Son of God.

At this point, the Lord declares “You have said so. But from now on you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty one and coming one the clouds of heaven.” Caiaphas immediately tears his clothes and cries blasphemy, and induces the crowd to pronounce the Lord worthy of death. Then they abuse him with spit and blows and mock him as the Lord becomes silent again.

Application:-

What was the motive of the elders and the Sanhedrin? From the start, they were already consumed by jealousy, which turned to hate and cultivated that murderous spirit within them. The majority of them were filled with pride and a judgmental spirit. We need to beware of cultivating a similar attitude which in the end, resulted in them degenerating into a murderous mob.

Why was it so hard for the false witnesses to pin concrete false evidence on Jesus? It was because the Lord led such a pure and blameless life. Those who tried to defame Jesus only ended up making a fool of themselves. It should be our objective too to live a blameless life like the Lord, that even if others abuse or slander us, they will be ashamed in their hearts.

What did Jesus mean about sitting at the right hand of the Father and coming on the clouds of Heaven? Firstly, the Lord was foretelling where He would be going in a short while, back to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. Secondly, the Lord was looking forward to His second coming, when He would come in the clouds in all power and glory to the detriment of all who rejected Him.

Why did Jesus accept all the abuse and mocking in complete silence? Scripture prophesies of Jesus as the meek lamb offered up in sacrifice for the world – a bruised reed he will not snap and a smoldering wicker he will not snuff out. He only spoke out as the Spirit led Him. We can only marvel at the humility and self-control of the Lord, who at any time had at his disposal 12 legions of angels that could easily rout the mob and Roman soldiers.

Prayer:

We praise You, Lord, for the great and excellent things You have done. Forgive us, O Lord, for the sin of pride and jealousy, and having a critical spirit. Give us O Lord, a spirit of maturity and wisdom, not to be alarmed or focused on the outside of things, but rather look deeper into the more important spiritual things. Help us, O Lord, live a pure and blameless life to the extent that those who slander us will be ashamed. Help us, Lord, cultivate Your great humility and gentleness and self-control. We praise You, Lord Jesus, who sit at the right hand of the Father, who will come again soon in the clouds of Heaven! Blessed be Your name O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The shepherd struck, the sheep scattered

The shepherd struck, the sheep scattered

Scripture:

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matthew 26:31-35

Observation:

Speaking of the night of His arrest, the Lord prophesies to His disciples how they will all fall away according to the Scriptures. Yet He also adds how He will rise again, and go ahead of them into Galilee. Even before He died, the Lord was fully aware that He would rise again and meet His disciples again.

The disciples naturally refuse to accept their cowardice, claiming that they would never leave Jesus even if it meant dying with Him. Peter in particular boasts how even if all fall away, he would remain true to the Lord. However, the Lord prophesies to him specifically how he would deny Him three times before the rooster crows.

Application:

Earlier, the Lord had warned His disciples, whoever acknowledges Him, He would acknowledge before God the Father in Heaven while whoever disowned Him He would likewise disown. On the night of betrayal, all his disciples fell short there, especially Peter. However, the Lord already in essence forgave them in advance, knowing that they would be restored when they met Him again in Galilee. Later, after being given the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would receive boldness to proclaim the Lord throughout their lives right up to martyrdom.

In the Christian life, there are ups and downs, and sometimes we may be “sifted like wheat” like Peter. We fail in our humanity and weakness. Yet in spite of this, the Lord gives us His grace, even declaring ahead of time, our future position where we will be fully restored and in communion with Him.

For our part, we need to remain humble, to know that if even the Lord’s closest disciples fell away at the hour of trouble, we too can easily give in because of our fears and weaknesses. In these last days, where trouble is imminent for all true Christians once the Anti-Christ appears, we need to be prepared and seek God humbly, asking for His mercy.

Prayer:

We praise You and love You, Lord, for the great things You have done. We thank You for the disciples, and even the record of their failures, for it shows us Your great mercy and grace for our fallen race. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us again that we might serve You faithfully and passionately. Give us more and more of Your Spirit of boldness we pray. Even in these last days, O Lord, pour out Your Spirit abundantly upon us. In Jesus name, Amen.

The first 3 woes

The first 3 woes

Scripture:

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

Matthew 23:13-22

Observation:

Woe after woe fires away at the Pharisees and teachers of the law! They are charged first and foremost as being hypocrites, people who do not practice what they preach, who say one thing and then do the exact opposite. Every Christian had best beware of the charge of hypocrisy, a common accusation leveled against us by unbelievers. The first woe depicts the Pharisees refusing to enter the door to the kingdom of heaven, but instead shutting the door in people’s faces, preventing those who are trying to go in from doing so. It is bad enough not being able to enter Heaven. How much worse for those who prevent others from going in….

The second woe speaks of the futile efforts of the Pharisees, who travel over land and sea to win a single convert, yet only end up in making another Pharisee even worse than themselves. The Lord calls them “sons of hell?, strong words indeed for the Pharisees and Teachers but it is to hell that they are headed and they did not even know it.  Do we influence others for better or worse?

The third woe condemns the Pharisees for making gold more important than the temple. They created the ridiculous law that if anyone swears by the temple, it amounts to nothing while if a person swears by the gold of the temple, they are bound. As the Lord pointed out, it is the temple that makes the gold sacred. Likewise, they made swearing by the gift of the altar binding while swearing by the altar not binding. Again, it is so clear that it is the altar that makes the gift sacred. Man-made laws such as these only served to expose the heart of the lawmakers who valued money and gifts more than God’s temple or God Himself. Where are our priorities? Is money or possessions more important to us than God?

Application:

Beware of hypocrisy. In humility, ask God to show us where we may have acted in a hypocritical manner, and ask Him to help change us. Praise God that in Jesus, we have found the way to the kingdom of Heaven. Yet, we need to also be careful that we are not by our behavior preventing others from entering the kingdom.

Would others consider us “sons of hell” or “sons of god”? We need to be careful to control our anger, to let our light shine before men that they may praise our Father in Heaven.

The Pharisees allowed greed and materiality to cloud their minds so that they thought the gold was more important than the temple and that the gift was more important than the altar. God is always first. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. All the gold and all the wealth in the world belongs to Him. Ultimately, it is God that matters most and we need to remember that.

Prayer:

We praise You and thank You, Lord, for Your great love and mercy. Forgive us we pray O Lord, for the times when we have been hypocritical and careless in our conduct or quick to lose our temper. Help us O Lord, live in a way worthy of You. Help us to learn to let our light shine before men that we may glorify You. Lead us away from temptation we pray, from the greed and materiality that drives the world. Help us remember that You O Lord provide all our needs and we need only look to You. We praise You and love You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Pharisees exposed

The Pharisees exposed

Scripture:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:1-12

Observation:

Pompous and arrogant, the Pharisees and teachers of the law loved to sit at the places of honor at banquets. They delighted in being given the most important seats in the synagogue. They loved it when others called them Rabbi or “Teacher”, when people greeted them with respect in the marketplaces. They had the appearance of being important, of being somebody of note, and they secretly hoarded jealousy of their contemporaries who were famous than they.

Then came along Jesus, who exposed the dark secrets of their heart, who paid no respect to them but spoke out against them without fear or favor. Here was a man who would mix with tax collectors and sinners, yet heal the sick and raise the dead. The Lord was an enigma to them, and they knew not how to handle him.

“You preach and teach, but do not practice what you say. You build up heavy, cumbersome rules to impose on the people but don’t even lift a finger to help them. Everything you do is done for people to see. You love the praises of men, but do not have the true priorities of God in your heart.” Jesus would often rebuke them plainly to their horror and indignation.

Instead, the Lord preached a radically different message from the way of the world. “The greatest among you will be your servant. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Application:

The flaws of the Pharisees are atypical of our own human nature. It is easy to condemn them, yet we would do better to search ourselves to see how we may have become like them.

Do we like them chase after position and fame in life at all cost? Are we proud and arrogant and think of ourselves more than we ought? Do we like the Pharisees do all that we do for the benefit of others to see?   

Here again, we are reminded of having the humility of a little child. Instead of thinking we know so much, and presume to be so much better than others, we need to be humble like little children, trusting God to help us and teach us.

We need to heed the words of Jesus, to humble ourselves and be exalted in His time rather than exalting ourselves and being humbled and brought to shame after our time of glory has passed. The general principle here is that all who follow Christ should keep a low profile, and not chase after fame and glory, but be soberly humble, aware that all that we have, including our position in life is given by God, and we need to be accountable to Him at the end of the day!

Prayer:

Turn us O Lord, we pray, from the ways and attractions of the world. The multitudes seek after fame and glory and popularity, but let our hearts instead pursue You instead O Lord. Let us not be like those who do not practice what they preach, but instead be committed to follow You, and share with others confidently based on what we do. Teach us Lord to always be humble, even as Your Spirit teaches us. Let us not exalt ourselves, but humble ourselves and receive Your commendation in due time. Praise You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

On a donkey and a colt

On a donkey and a colt

Scripture:

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion,  ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 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 heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:1-11

Observation:-

Great excitement filled the air in Jerusalem, and there was deep sense of anticipation among the people. Their promised Messiah had arrived, and they began to dream of their King leading them to a great era of prosperity and fame after overthrowing the rule of the Roman government. Here was the man who fed 5,000, who healed the sick and cast out demons, who walked on water, and turned water to wine. Anything was possible for Him. He was the great Miracle Worker from Heaven, the one who claimed to be the  very Son of God. Even now, coming into Jerusalem, he was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah which said “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal or a donkey.

Curiously, the other two accounts of Palm Sunday in Mark and Luke only list Jesus riding on one donkey, while Matthew lists the Lord as riding on both a donkey and a colt. Theologians surmise that the Lord physically rode on the unbroken colt, which was kept calm by the presence of its mother walking beside. Donkeys were traditionally very effective beasts of burden in those times, and very popular among the people as a mode of transportation. Most likely, the cloaks were placed on both mother donkey and colt as Jesus rode into Jerusalem triumphantly. The image of the Lord on a humble colt showed that He came in peace and gentleness, not for war.

The crowd rightfully shouted “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Hosanna to the Son of David!” The Son of David was a specific reference to Jesus as Messiah, the promised Savior who was prophesied to come and save the Jews. What they unfortunately did not realize was that His first coming was for spiritual salvation, and they would unwittingly participate in this by crucifying the Lord Himself in just a short while later.

Application

What stands out most about the triumphant entry is the humility of Jesus. Here was the Son of God, powerful and mighty, with thousands and thousands of holy angels at His immediate command. Yet He chose to come in humility and peace. This was His way, We too should resolve to live humble and peaceful lives in Him, not being quarrelsome or arrogant.

Also, the image of the colt and its mother show us the Lord’s love for us, like a mother for her child. In Old Testament law, the mother child relationship even among animals was considered sacred, A kid was not to be cooked in its mother’s milk. A bird was not to be captured together with its eggs. An animal was not to be slaughtered in the same day as its young. Even in nature, the Lord shows His love for us through the mother-child animal relationship. Let us appreciate His great love shown to us.

Remember to praise the Lord as the Son of David, our Messiah, our Savior. His great salvation for us is something that we should never take for granted. Be mindful and thankful for His gracious salvation day by day.

Prayer

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for showing us the way, in Your perfect humility and gentleness and peace. Help us too be likewise humble and gentle and peace-loving. We thank You, Lord for Your great love for us which is like a mother’s deep love for her child. We praise thee, Lord, for You are our Great Messiah, our wonderful Savior in whom we have precious salvation. Blessed be Your name O Lord. In Jesus name Amen!