Lingering With the Loss

He was arrested on Thursday evening. Then came the trials, little more than sham proceedings, because the decision had already been made. 

The troublemaker had to go. Jesus had stirred up the people too much already. 

Little did the Sanhedrin know... the stirring had only just begun.

After the trials came the scourging, which was worse than any beating we can imagine. Metal was embedded in the leather straps with which He, who was so full of mercy, was whipped unmercifully. 

I usually forget about the cistern at Caiaphas' house, but it was a part of the horror, too. 

Somewhere between the trials and beatings and crucifixion, rough ropes were tied around our Savior and He was lowered into a giant stone holding cell. It was there, naked, bleeding, betrayed, denied, exhausted and, in His humanness, probably terrified of the next few hours, that Jesus laid on the ground and waited.

He was waiting to redeem the world by defeating sin and death.

Songwriters like to say, "He was thinking of me," but that's only Western arrogance talking. Are we really so prideful that we believe Jesus looked through eternity to see us, sinners in need of the grace He was pouring out, while He was half-dead on the floor?

No. I doubt that version of events. The terror and torture weren't that romantic. 

I think He was doing what He'd done in the garden a few hours earlier. Still praying, "Not My will, but Thine be done."

If I understand Scripture correctly, Jesus could have summoned an army of angels to release Him and wreak havoc on all of Jerusalem with Sodom-and-Gommorah-style destruction. 

Staying in place, going the distance was an act of His will.

He didn't have to stay for the cross, but He did.

I wonder where his mother was during His time in Caiphas' stone hole. I'd have been in a corner of the courtyard, waiting to see what terror would come next, praying that God would miraculously intervene. 

I'd have pondered the words of the angel more than three decades earlier...

"Hail, favored one. The Lord is with you...

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever...

For nothing will be impossible with God..." 

                                 Luke 1:28, 33, 37

I'd have been filled with questions, and Mary probably was, too. If nothing is impossible with God, where is He now? What kind of reign is this, God? 

At some point, the prophecy of Simeon in the temple when Jesus was just a baby in her arms must have come back to her. 

"And a sword will pierce your own soul..."

                 Luke 2:37

During that long night, as they waited for dawn, Mary must have felt that sword piercing over and over again.

First light finally came, and the crucifixion began. 

Jesus was lifted out of the pit. The cross was strapped onto Him and He was forced to walk down the hill from Caiphas' house, across the Kidron valley, and probably through the streets of Jerusalem, to Golgatha. 

It's a long, hard walk when you've been beaten nearly to death and you're carrying a cross, but He did it. Finally, Simon the Cyrene was drafted to help with the cross, but Jesus did the walking alone.

When it didn't seem like it could get any worse, it did. 

Along the roadside by Golgatha, where everyone entering Jerusalem would see Him, Jesus was secured to the wooden beams and the base of that torturous wooden cross was lowered into the ground. 

Jesus and His cross were lifted into the air. He was visible for miles around.

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, 

will draw all people to myself." 

John 12:32 niv

His followers probably remembered what He'd said and wondered, "How can He draw men to Himself now?"

It was the longest day of their lives, for Jesus and His followers. He was in agony. Real, unrelenting, gut-wrenching agony. It was horrid to watch but even more horrid to experience.

God suffering at the hands of the men and women He'd loved...

Before that day came to an end and the Sabbath began, Jesus died. All the hopes and dreams of followers who thought He would be king died with Him. 

And then the tomb...

That's where Good Friday, the blackest day in history, ends. We can only call it Good because we know what comes after, but, for today, let's hold here in the agony. 

Let's linger with the loss.

Perhaps, if we pause long enough to comprehend that most terrible day, we'll be better prepared to celebrate what's coming, more thankful for what He did.

Sunday's coming... but first, the cross.

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The Missing Part of Maundy Thursday and the Greatest Prayer That Can Be Prayed

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#Jesus     

Good Advice for a Son

I read a passage a few days ago that was so profound, I marked it so I could write about it later. 

Here's the setting: 
King David called all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem, along with the princes of the tribes and the military commanders. He brought all the civil, religious, and military leaders together for one gigantic meeting. 

He rose to his feet to make an announcement. He wanted to build a permanent house for God and had made preparations to build it. When David said he had made preparations, it was a classic understatement. He had drawn the plans, assembled the building materials, hired the builders. He'd done everything that was in his heart, not to get the people's accolades, but because He loved the Lord with his whole heart. 

It must have been a terrible blow to him when God said David was not to build His house. "You're a man of war and blood shed." If I'd been David, I'd have argued. "You're the One who made me a man of war. I was a shepherd before You got me started with warring." David, however, was a better follower than I. He just said, "Yes, Sir."

I might have tried to hide the blow from the leaders, or cushion it at bit, but not David. He said, "I wanted to do this, but God said I wasn't fit for the job." 

As God always does, He offered a "nevertheless". (this is the Leanna paraphrase coming up.) "I'm not going to let you build the temple, David, because you're a man of war. I need a man of rest to build it, so I'm going to let your son, Solomon, build it." 

As a parent, there is no greater joy than to see my son blessed, to see the favor of God rest on him. I imagine David was the same. 

David made his announcement. Solomon would build the temple. People probably gasped. Solomon was young for such a big project. 

David turned to Solomon and, with everyone listening, he gave words of wisdom to his son. If Solomon had heeded them, things in Israel would have turned out much differently.

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him..." 1 Chronicles 28:9 nasb

David didn't give Solomon building advice, management suggestions, or tips for bringing such a project in on time.

He gave Solomon advice about his heart, his faith, his integrity.

A relationship with God was not too hard to have. Seek and find. That's all that's required to know God. 

If you seek Him, He'll let you find Him. 

In my mind's eye, I see a boy looking for God. When he least expects it, God steps out, laughing, and says, "Here I am!" Arms open wide, He welcomes the boy to the One he most desires. Right when the boy least expects it. Right when the boy thinks he won't find the object of his search. "Here I am!" God says when he lets the boy find Him.

Maybe the boy realizes it, or maybe he doesn't, but that seeking had a purpose. It solidified his resolve to find God. It pushed his desire. It made him value both the search and the finding. It might've been hard, but it was worth it.

David's relationship with God wouldn't do for Solomon. He had to find and build a relationship of his own. He had to own his faith.

Solomon was to seek and find God first, but when he did, David had a bit of wisdom for that, too. He'd learned from experience.

Get to know God. If you get to know Him, you'll want to serve Him.

Serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind.

Decide to serve God, and do it because you know Him and want to serve Him. Not because of something He might do for you.

It's good wisdom for us, too. Get to know God. If you seek Him, He'll let you find Him. When He does, you'll be so blown away by His goodness, His majesty, His personal love for you, that you'll want to serve Him.

What about us? Do we need to do a little seeking? Press a little harder to have a deeper relationship? 

Maybe what we need is a willing mind or an unfettered heart. 

If we seek Him, He will let us find Him. It's good news in a world that's filled with me.

Seek. Find. Love. Serve. Good words for a good life.

~~~~~~~

Check back tonight for Friday Night with Friends. Coach Jon Ginn is our guest blogger.

Studying God's Word is a good way to seek Him. Join us as we study Hosea in depth. Visit http//lessonsindiscipleship.blogspot.com and get started today!

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Here's the link to yesterday's post: A Story in Six Words
http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-story-in-six-words.html

#goodadvice #GoodFriday #seekGod

Holy Week Day 5: The Dark and Terrible Good Friday

View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

The evening began in the Upper Room, where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover. Jesus knew "His hour had come". (John 13:1) His entire life had been spent preparing for the events that were about to unfold. The Sacrifice. The Death. The Atonement. The Victory. The Resurrection.

Before victory, however, there would be much heartache and sorrow. More physical pain than any one innocent man should bear. More spiritual warfare than anyone but Jesus could survive.

During his last few hours, Jesus poured truth into these men with whom He'd spent the last three years. He taught about their relationships with God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Himself. He taught about their relationships with one another and with the world. He warned them about the persecution to come and His death and resurrection. 

He knew everything that would happen to Him, yet He comforted His disciples. "Do not let your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1) "I go to prepare a place for you." 

Peter and John had gone to prepare a place for Jesus and the disciples to celebrate the Passover. When they heard those words, at some level, they must have wanted to believe Jesus would be back from this preparing in a few hours. 

It's clear they didn't understand, because the events of the next few hours shocked them to their core. 

Olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

After dinner, Jesus did what He always did to prepare for ministry. He went to a solitary place to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. It's a beautiful place. Quiet. Serene. You can see the city from there if you want, or remove yourself completely among the trees, some of which were likely there that night. He prayed for strength and perseverance. He prayed with sweat-drops of blood and, finally, with surrender. 

Not My will, but Yours be done.

The disciples should have prayed, too. If they had, they'd have been prepared for what came next, but they didn't. They slept. When Jesus was arrested and tried, they scattered. They denied. They panicked.

Steps leading to Caiaphas' house

Jesus was arrested in the garden and taken to Annas, (Caiaphas' father-in-law) who bound Him like a common criminal and sent Him to the High Priest, Caiaphas. Those steps you see in the picture are the very steps up which Jesus was led by the soldiers. 

Steps and the courtyard at Caiaphas' where Peter denied Jesus

Caiaphas didn't want to miss the Passover feast, but he didn't want to let Jesus go, either. He was sick of the troublemaker, Jesus, and he saw his chance to be rid of Him. Caiaphas sent Him to Pilate at the Praetorium. 

The Lithostrotos where Jesus' trial was held and where he was mocked and scourged

Mocking and scourging Jesus were not enough to satisfy the blood lust of the Pharisees. They demanded His death. Pilate listened to the accusations against Him and, three separate times, declared Him innocent. He wanted to release Jesus, but feared the crowds. 

Feared a riot in the city. He caved to the pressure and allowed Jesus to be condemned to death by crucifixion.  

By the time He was led to Golgotha, Jesus had been beaten and scourged almost to the point of death. He started out with His cross on His back but collapsed under the load. When He finally finished the climb to the Place of a Skull, Golgotha, nails were pounded into his hands and feet to secure Him to the cross. It was raised into place and He was left to die.

His followers watched in horror. They expected an earthly kingdom. They expected a throne. Stately robes. Wealth. Power. The One on whom they had staked their hopes and future was hanging from nails on a cross. As His blood dripped from His wounds, their hope dripped away, and their faith with it.

He wasn't God after all? He didn't have the power we thought? Why can't He save Himself? He wasn't the Messiah? I believed a lie?

Questions roared through their minds. All they knew for sure was what they saw. What they had believed seemed to be nothing more than fantasy.

That's where the first Good Friday, that dark and terrible day ended for the disciples.

But Sunday was coming. The Resurrection would rock the world and change everything.

For today, we'll stop at the Sacrifice Jesus made for us, because it's vital that we understand these things happened. It's real. I've walked those steps and seen those sites. 

Sin always comes with a price, and it must be paid. Jesus died for us. For our Sin. 

He did it because giving us the Law hadn't helped. We wouldn't obey. Giving us prophecy hadn't helped. We wouldn't listen. Giving us discipline didn't help. We wouldn't change.

Finally, God did the only thing that would help. He gave Himself.

Even now, we don't want to obey. We don't want to listen. We don't want to change. 

On that terrible day so many years ago, Jesus did the only thing that could be done to save us. He gave Himself and left us with a choice. Will we follow Him or not?

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In case you missed part of this series, here are the links:

Holy Week day 1: The Scandalous Act of Love 

Holy Week day 2: The Betrayer

Holy Week day 3: Instant Obedience

Holy Week day 4: Jesus' Last Week

#easter #goodfriday #Jesus #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

Teach us to pray, part 40: The Price of Forgiveness

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

There is no better topic for Good Friday than the issue of "forgive us our sins" and the price that was paid for that forgiveness. Understanding the price paid for forgiveness requires that we understand the need for forgiveness. On this early morning, the birds are filling the air with song, light is just beginning to fill the sky, and peace reigns, or so it appears. The stain of sin seems far removed, but the vision from which I shrink is the dark blot of sin in me. 

My preference is to think of myself as the daughter of the King of heaven, but that relationship was made possible only by the unbounded mercy that covered my sin. When God created this world and placed man (and woman) in it, He pronounced it good. There was nothing evil or wrong or bad in it. No sin. 

This is hard for me to comprehend, but there was no sin in Adam or Eve, either. There was choice, though, and it was that choice that ushered sin right in the door to its happy home in the hearts of humankind. It wasn't the serpent that brought sin into the world. He wrapped it in an attractive package, but it was mankind who unwrapped that package and embraced sin with open arms.

In their defense, Adam and Eve did not believe the consequences of sin would be so great, so far reaching. When Eve reached out for the fruit that would, she believed, make her wise, she was not yet a mother. She never once considered that her decision would result in one of her sons murdering the other, nor that the murdering son would be lost to her, as well. Would she or Adam have done something that would result in the loss of their two sons? Maybe not, if they had realized the price. 

That's one of the problems with sin. All we see is the enticing option. We never see the long-term cost. If we did, it might stop us in our tracks. It is the nature of sin, however, that the price is great and the payday is, many times, long in coming. If I am honest about my own sin, I have to admit that my bad choices, my sin, though long repented and forgiven, still reap a price years later. Sin is far more attractive than it should be. 

If we only knew the price, I think, and then I remember. We do know the price. God gave us the law, and we kept right on sinning. He allowed discipline and we responded by cleaning up our acts for a time, then, like a dog returning to its vomit, we went right back to the sin we loved. 

I had a horse that could not be broken once. I tried everything to gentle him, without success, then finally, reluctantly sold him. He did not have a good end, but, by the time of our parting, I had endured enough of him. He was welcome to whatever came his way. God, however, did not respond to our sin by giving up on us. He did not abandon us to our own wickedness. God, in His infinite mercy, said, "There is a price that must be paid for all of Leanna's sin, for all mankind's sin, and it is so high that I will have to pay it Myself." And He did. 

Scripture tells us about the cross. We know with our mind what it cost Christ to pay our debt, but our hearts cannot take it in. He endured terror and pain, death and shame, and He did it for me. For you.  

It is customary to spend some time considering the cross on Good Friday, but our time might be well spent in considering our compulsion to sin that made the cross necessary. For today, I'm asking God to show me my sin the way He sees it, to show me the ways in which my sin made the cross necessary. I know my sin. What I need to see, all over again, is how God sees my sin, for it is only when I see myself as I am that I can truly understand the enormity of what Jesus did for me, the horrific price He paid. We aren't meant to stay in this difficult place, but it is important to visit it long enough to appreciate the light that Christ bought for us. Join me today on this journey of self-enlightenment, this journey of darkness, as we see ourselves in the light of God and recognize our own unworthiness.