Tag: crucified
Crucified with Christ
Scripture reading for November 28: Galatians 1-6
I hate legalism! Some people, calling themselves Christians, make rules for how we must live and judge others by them. Some think that they are right to condemn others for the length of their hair, wearing make-up, or certain clothes. Some judge others for having tattoos or body piercing . Others are thrown out if they don’t believe in eternal security or baptism in the name of Jesus only. The religious police are always out enforcing their version of “true” Christianity!
The Apostle Paul dealt with some people who tried to add the Old Testament Law to faith in Christ. His approach to that subject is laid out in this letter to the Galatians. He wasted no time setting this group of believers straight. Paul taught that any addition to the simple Gospel of salvation by grace through faith was a perversion that was no Gospel at all! (Galatians 1:6-7) Paul warned these believers that anyone, even if it was an angel from heaven or himself, who tried to preach another Gospel should be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9) That is very strong language because no false Gospel can save.
This mixing of law and grace affected Peter and Barnabas some fourteen years after Paul’s conversion. Paul found Peter withdrawing from the Gentiles and eating only with the Jewish believers who were teaching that circumcision was needed as well as faith. (Galatians 2:11-16) Paul rebuked Peter in front of them all for their hypocrisy! They had given in to peer pressure and moved away from the Gospel given them by the Lord Jesus. If it could happen to Peter the Apostle and Barnabas, it could happen to us!
Paul made a statement as he tried to counter these false teachers. I used to sing it in a Scripture song including Galatians and Colossians that has stuck with me even today. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” (Galatians 2:20-21) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-3
“What shall I do with Jesus?”
Scripture reading for May 12th: Matthew 27, Psalm 95, Proverbs 2
Matthew 27: 22-26 “Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a plot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.”
Each person must face the problem of what to do with Jesus. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of Jesus’ trial and fate that day. He found nothing Jesus had done or said that warranted death by crucifixion. His wife had warned him earlier to have nothing to do with Him. It was his custom to free one of the condemned prisoners to please the crowd that had gathered. He sought to free Jesus, the Christ, thinking that the crowd might be pleased. When asking them if they wanted Jesus to be free, they responded with “Let Him be crucified.” They even declared that His blood would be charged to them and their children! Each person faces this question at some time in their life here on earth. What will you do with Jesus the Christ? Will you demand His crucifixion and death? Or will you ask for mercy for being responsible for His willing sacrifice of body and blood to free you from your own sins?
Psalm 95:8-9 “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put Me to the test and put Me to the proof, though they had seen My work.”
Prayer: Holy Father, I have chosen to trust Jesus Christ, Your Son, as my Savior and Lord. He has freed me from my own evil tendencies and the penalty of sin. My guilty blood would have brought me eternal death and separation from God. Now His sinless blood has cleansed me from sin’s penalty and power and I am free! Praise to the Father, praise to the Son, praise to the Holy Spirit for grace.
Proverbs 2:3-5 “. .yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
“His blood be on us and on our children!”
Scripture reading for August 23rd: Isaiah 11-13, Psalm 118, Matthew 27
Matthew 27: 22-26 “And he said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called the Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.”
Early on the day of His betrayal, Jesus was taken bound before Caiaphas, the high priest. John’s Gospel records that Caiaphas had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. (John 18:14) He unknowingly was prophesying what Jesus would ultimately do. At Pilate’s judgment, it was customary for the crowd to ask for one prisoner to be released. When Pilate asked about releasing Jesus, the Jews had stirred the crowd to demand His crucifixion. Pilate was distraught, because he had been warned by his wife not to have anything to do with Jesus and he had found nothing evil. He washed his hands as the crowd declared that they wanted Jesus’ blood on them and their children!
Psalm 118:26-27 “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God and He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with chords up to the altar!”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son that You bound to the altar of the Cross that we might have salvation through Jesus’ precious blood. Forgive us for our rebellious spirits of violence and murder. Thank You for taking our place and paying for our sins and bringing us the Light of heaven! We now draw water from Your well of salvation and proclaim Your deeds to all peoples! Amen!
Isaiah 13:3-5 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His Name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.”
Crucified with Christ
Scripture reading for May 17th: Galatians 2
Key Scriptures: Galatians 2:15-16, 19-20 “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”. . . .”For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Justification means being made “just” before a holy God. Our sins are forgiven on the basis of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death for sin and sinners on Calvary’s cross by means of crucifixion. Paul explained that we appropriate this justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by our own efforts to keep God’s law. In fact, by the works of the law, no flesh can or will be justified. Paul further described how he viewed his own justification. His old man and sinful flesh were by identification, through faith, crucified with Christ. Paul, the sinner, died on that cross and was also buried with Christ. But as Jesus Christ rose from the dead through justification by God through the Spirit of Holiness, Paul identified with that resurrection and claimed the life of the resurrected Jesus in his own body!
Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for inviting me to believe and identify with You in Your death on the cross, burial, and resurrection to a new life. Help me to clearly communicate the full Gospel and simple faith in Christ Jesus.
1st Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received (the Gospel): that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. . . .”
“He has risen!”
Scripture reading for February 5th: Mark 16
Key Scriptures: Mark 16:1-7 “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back–it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”
Early on the first day of the week, the three women who loved Jesus purchased spices and went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body for burial. It had been a rushed burial because of the Passover and the Sabbath. The women wondered aloud how they might move the large stone covering the tomb, when to their surprise, it had been rolled away. Going inside, a man dressed in white greeted them with amazing good news. Jesus, Whom they sought, was not there! He had risen from death. The place where He was laid was empty, except for some folded grave clothes. The “man” gave them instructions: “Go and tell His disciples–and Peter.” Jesus would appear to them later in Galilee, just as He had told them.
Psalm 16:10-11 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, the empty tomb speaks amazing grace to all who believe in You as the Son of God. Thank You for these women who loved Jesus and testified of the good news they received on resurrection morning! May I have opportunity to share this truth today!
Mark 16:19-20 “So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”
Condemned, Crucified, Raised to Life!
Scripture reading for January 28th: Matthew 20, Psalm 20, Prov. 20
Key Scriptures: Matthew 20:17-19 “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.”
Jesus was going to Jerusalem for the last time. He knew full well what lie ahead and told His disciples plainly what would happen to Him there. As we read this passage, we can note that it is a faith confession from Jesus. He stated what He knew was true, from His condemning, mocking, crucifixion to His resurrection from the dead on the third day! He did this to strengthen His own faith and that of His disciples and ultimately those who would also come to faith through their witness (us).
Faith’s confession: Jesus, I believe that You were condemned, mocked, crucified and laid in a tomb for three days. On the third day You rose from the dead! In Your sacrifice and resurrection I find my life! (Action step: Personally confess with Jesus the truth of His death and resurrection, renewing Your trust in His saving grace.)
Psalm 20:6 “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.”
Let His blood be on us and our children!
Scripture reading for February 12th: Matthew 27:15-34, Psalm 32, Proverbs 9:1-6
Jesus was tried before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate was a politician that tried to please the people. The day of Jesus’ trial, Pilate’s wife sent him a 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.” (Matthew 27:19) Pilate gave the crowd an opportunity to have one of those to be crucified released. He secretly hoped it would be Jesus but the crowd, whipped up by the chief priests, asked for Barabbas instead. When he tried to reason with the crowd, they shouted that Jesus should be crucified. Instead of standing for justice, Pilate washed his hands symbolically, stating that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood.
“All the people answered, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25) This statement was given by the crowd as they were worked up by the chief priests. It is ironic that the blood that Jesus shed was the very thing that they needed to cleanse them from their sins. It is the only thing in the entire universe that can atone for or cover the stain of guilt that comes from sin. They invited the judgment of God against them for shedding innocent blood when the very innocent Son of God, Jesus Christ was going to give His blood as the price for their murderous deeds!
Jesus had wanted to gather all these people under His covering as a hen would gather her chicks, but they were unwilling. (Matthew 23:37-37) There house would be left desolate. These who rejected Jesus would also bring judgment on their children. Parents have an influence on children and their decisions often affect their offspring.
As I think about “Let His blood be on us and our children”, I want the blood of Christ to cover all my sins and my children’s too. I know that as a parent I must pray for my children and live in such a way that they see Christ in my life. I also have personally taught all my children about their need for repentance and faith in Christ’s blood as the only remedy for sin. My prayer is for all my children and grandchildren to be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ! Have you asked for Christ’s blood for your family?