TerryLema

Good Friday. The six trials, the mockery, the tortures, the crucifixion, the burial. There is so much I could, perhaps should, meditate on. Each Good Friday it seems God opens to me a different aspect. I see something I never saw before, or one event touches my soul deeper than ever before. For me, this year, it is two words, “Remember me.”

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” [Luke 23:42 NIV]

Those were the words spoken by one of the thieves crucified beside Jesus. “Remember me.” And Jesus’ promised that He would remember. “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’”  [Luke 23:43 NIV]

My sins demand my punishment, death under God’s glorious standards, just as that thief’s sins demanded his death under Rome’s harsh standards. He was crucified by Rome next to God’s sinless Lamb. His crucifixion may have satisfied Rome’s law but did nothing to satisfy God’s holy standards.  There was still another death, an eternal separation from the God of Glory awaiting him on the other side.  That is, until he spoke those two words.  “Remember me.”

From that moment on, everything changed for that thief. The death Jesus’ was dying, the separation He would experience from the Father, would that day change a thief from a sinner to a child of God.  “Remember me” changes everything for us also because of Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection.

Jesus, remember me. Amen.

Thursday’s events in Jesus’ last week before the cross begin with a meal and a pledge of loyalty. They end with a betrayal and abandonment. In between is Gethsemane. Just the name evokes strong emotions in me.

There is something about the agony in Gethsemane that always breaks my heart. Perhaps it is the loneliness as Jesus prayed to His Father while the disciples slept. Perhaps it is the depth of His agony. “’My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.”  [Mark 14:34 NIV]

Maybe it is the image of the Son of God sweating great drops of blood. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” [Luke 22:44 NIV]

I think, however, what truly breaks my heart is Jesus’ plea … “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matt 26:39 NIV]

Yes, I think it is that plea to His Father. “If there is any other way,” and it is here that I hear my name. “Father, if there is any other way that Terry Lema may be saved, other than by my going to the cross for her, may that be. But if not, then, not as I will, but as you will.”

For me, for you. Jesus took the wrath that should have been ours.

 God had mercy on our souls. Amen.

Busy Tuesday in the last week of Jesus’ life before the cross was followed by what some call “Silent Wednesday.”  We don’t know too much about what happened on this day. Perhaps Jesus rested for what He knew the end of the week would bring. The Gospel writers detail a few events that more than likely happened just prior to this last week. Mark 14 recounts these events back to back, and in doing so, they could not be more startling.  (Read verses 1-11)

First was the anointing of Jesus.  “A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” [NIV]

The fragrance would have filled the room. It may have lingered for a long time on her hands. Jesus called it a beautiful thing and told us that “wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  [NIV]

What follows is the ugliest event in the history of mankind—the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Judas approached the High Priests and asked what he could get for handing the Son of God over to them. Matthew tells us exactly how much he received. “So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.” [Matt 26:15-16 NIV]

One, gave a very expensive perfume to anoint the Son of God; another received 30 pieces of silver to betray Him.  Could any two events be more astounding?

 Precious Jesus, may we never betray You by anything we do! Amen.

The last couple weeks have been busy, this week even more so. This is probably the most important and busiest week in the Church calendar. Resurrection Sunday is just ahead.

Some scholars label this day in the life of our Lord as “Busy Tuesday.” Reading through the Gospels you will see Jesus giving the lesson of the withered fig tree, facing a challenge to His authority and debating with the Jewish leaders. He gave many parables of warning as well as a discourse on the last days.  Busy Tuesday!

Perhaps my favorite event on Busy Tuesday is found in Luke 21, the story of the widow’s mite. “As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”  [v 1-4 NIV]

I like the way it is in the NLT: “For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

 A tiny part of our surplus – which could amount to quite a bit depending upon the size of our wealth; or, everything we have—no matter how little or how much that is.  Jesus knew the cross was just ahead. He knew that very soon He would be giving everything He had. He would hold nothing back. Can you imagine how lost we would be if Jesus had not given “everything?”

His great love for us inspires us to give our ‘everything’ in return. PTL.

“Then [Jesus] entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘”My house will be a house of prayer”; but you have made it “a den of robbers.”'”  [Luke 19:45-46 NIV]

The two quotations Jesus cited “My house will be a house of prayer” and “a den of robbers” are from the prophets Isaiah (56:7) and Jeremiah (7:11).  Many commentators put this final cleansing of the Temple on the Monday following Palm Sunday.

As I read it this morning, I remembered what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? …God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” [1 Cor 3:16-17 NIV]

“My house will be a house of prayer.” I am, you are, the Lord’s temple. God abides in human hearts by the indwelling Spirit of God. I am to be – you are to be – a house of prayer.

I wondered as I read that this morning if I have allowed robbers to enter my temple. Have I allowed greed, discouragement, busyness, distractions, my own expectations or anything else, to rob me in my own house of prayer?

Lord Jesus, cleanse my temple, make me a true house of prayer. Set a guard over my heart that no robber may take up residence there. Amen and Amen.

Today is Palm Sunday, the day the church celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week. This is one of the few events recorded by all four Gospel writers.  (Read Luke 19:28-44)

Luke records three parts to this event. First, this was the first time Jesus not only allowed, but even instituted a public declaration of who He was. This was necessary to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 to acknowledge Israel’s King. It was also to force the hand of the religious leaders who wanted to wait until after the Passover before arresting and bringing Jesus to trial. Jesus knew that God the Father had ordained that His Son, the Lamb of God, be sacrificed on the Passover, not after.

The second thing Luke records is that the rocks will acknowledge Him as King even if the people will not. All creation is waiting, Paul reminds us in Romans 8, for the sons of God to be revealed. Creation recognizes its Creator, even when mankind doesn’t!

Perhaps the most profound thing Luke records is number three – Jesus lamenting over the city of Jerusalem “because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”  [v44 NIV]

They missed the “day of their visitation.” They missed their King. Unfortunately, we are not much different than Israel—we too have the capacity to miss our day of “God coming to [us].” We have heard the contemporary prophecies that a great revival is on the horizon. I believe that to be true. I also believe that if we aren’t watching and willing, we will miss it.

It’s our choice whether Jesus rejoices over us, or whether He weeps.

The end of 2 Samuel gives the names of David’s mighty men.  Two of the top three were Eleazar and Shammah. They had something in common.

“Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered [at Pas Dammim] for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day….Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.”  [23:8-12 NIV]

Do you see what they had in common?  They took a stand and they stood their ground. By doing that, the LORD brought about a great victory.

It only takes one person to “take a stand and stand their ground” to make a difference. God can use many or few – or even just one – to bring about a great victory.

I am praying for revival. Others are praying with me. I want to experience not just a drop here or there, I want to see a flood come pouring into our church, and then out to our communities and region. I want to see it sweep across this nation. The church has surrendered too much. It’s time now to say, “not one more inch!” We are taking a stand, we are standing our ground. We are watching for great victory. Will you take a stand and stand your ground for Christ?

Father, we yearn for revival—Your presence among us! Amen.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” [Luke 18:1-8 NIV]

What follows is the Parable of the Persistent Widow. A widow, needing justice, came to an unjust judge pleading her case. “Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.‘” [NKJV]

The Greek word “came” is in a tense which indicated she “kept coming.” She was constantly on his doorstep asking for what she needed. The point of the parable, of course, is our persistency in prayer—we should always pray and not give up. Just as the widow received what she needed from the unjust judge, so those who pray and never give up will receive from our righteous Lord what is needed.

Jesus ends this parable with an odd question, however.  “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

I’ve seen various commentaries on what Jesus meant by that question; most applying it to the End Times when the Lord returns. I think Jesus was also simply asking, will we, His disciples, continue to seek God in faith (to always pray and not give up). Will we be like the persistent widow? Or, will we lose faith and quit seeking?

Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell the same story of Jesus and the woman who had suffered for 12 years with the “issue of blood.” [Matt 9, Mark 5, Luke 8]

According to Leviticus 15, this woman would be unclean, and would continue to be unclean until her issue stopped. Anything and anyone who touched her would be made unclean. She would be isolated, unable to enter the temple. The Gospel writers tell us that she tried everything known to physicians of her day. The only thing accomplished was that she became poor in the process … all her livelihood went to finding a healing that was never found.

Until the day she heard about the man of God, Jesus of Nazareth. She determined to venture out into the crowd and get close enough to touch Him (a daring adventure for one unclean). “She thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’” [Mark 5:28 NIV]

That is exactly what happened. She touched Jesus and she was made clean. The word used for “touch” is haptomai (hap’-tom-ahee) and means “to attach oneself to.”  Her touch was intentional, not accidental. Jesus recognized that and immediately began to question who touched Him. The disciples, of course, thought He was crazy. He’d been jostled by the crowds all day and now he was asking, “Who touched me?”

Jesus recognized and responded to this woman’s desperate, deliberate touch. Are we as desperate as this woman to “attach [our]self to” Jesus? Are we deliberately reaching out to touch Him?  Maybe we should be even more desperate, even more deliberate as we seek the Presence of our Lord!

We are planning to go back Easter Sunday to the same restaurant we visited on Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful waitress that day. Although busy, she was attentive, always checked in with us to see if we needed anything. She let us know what was going on with our food and made our wait very pleasant, so much so I sent an email to the restaurant with her name detailing what she did. The manager not only acknowledged my email, he sent a $20 gift card to us.

Whenever I hear the Scripture from Isaiah 40:31, I think about what it means to wait on God. “Those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” [NKJV]

Whenever I think about waiting on God, I don’t think about waiting as in a time period, I think about waiting on God as that waitress waited on us. She was attentive to us, she consistently checked in with us no matter how busy she was with other things. She listened to us.

Isaiah also wrote:  “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” [64:4 NIV]

God acts on behalf of those who wait [on] Him. What are you waiting on?