DECEMBER 02 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-06 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER 02  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-06  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

337 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus You are the LORD of ALL and Your Words are the only words of Eternal Life and as my heart walks daily in Your Word my soul feels the spiritual warmth of the Light of the Son as as my body feels the physical warmth of the bright sunshine coming down from the heavens. Lord it is at these precious moments that I know Your Joy and my complete desire is to be “one with You and the Father”!  Forgive me where I fail in my daily walk through this world as I let my selfish soul slip and once again I am “of the world” and not just “in the world” — I know this world is not my home so protect me from myself and from the evil one, both of which want to keep me living in the flesh instead of living in Spirit and in Truth. Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER 02  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-06  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus has shared His Last Passover Supper with His disciples and Judas has betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver just as foretold in Scriptures. When Jesus was led away to the courtyard of the high priest for a mock trial all His disciples “forsook Him and fled” and even Peter who had sworn to be with Him even unto death had denied Him thrice, again just as Jesus said it would happen. Jesus was innocent but declared guilty and the words of Isaiah the prophet about the Suffering Servant were being fulfilled with each blow that Jesus received. The physical pain Jesus had to endure was horrendous but we cannot imagine the spiritual pain that Jesus was experiencing as He knew that this “Burden” was His to bear and that He must bear it alone! In the 3rd grade class that I have the privilege to teach a bright 3rd grader asked during the lesson of Abraham being instructed by God to sacrifice Isaac on the mountaintop, “Why would the father kill the son?” And at that point the Holy Spirit took over the class and I have never been “spiritually” the same since then. The immediate answer took us all the way back to Genesis when God Himself spoke His first command to Adam, “And the LORD GOD commanded the man saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) These two verses establish some core principles that give us an insight into how God has planned for the world and mankind to progress: (1) God gives us instructions that set forth the moral standard we are to live by (2) God makes it very clear that our actions carry with it a consequence (3) God establishes the doctrine of “Freewill” which in today’s modern vernacular is called “Choice”! What we fail to recognize however is that God is establishing His Character with which He will be faithful to display His character fairly and equally to all mankind, forever! Another nuance which is always passed over is what A. W. Tozer in his spiritual gem of a book “The Knowledge of the Holy” writes that even though we are free to choose our actions that God has reserved the sovereign right to determine the consequence of our choice! The answer to “Why the father would kill the son?” can be found in God’s faithfulness — God established in Genesis that “sin” is when we “disobey God” and the “penalty” for sin is “death”! God demonstrated when Adam and Eve disobeyed God that God “sacrificed” an animal (I would bet it was a lamb, i.e. the forerunner of the Passover lamb) and “covered” Adam and Eve’s shame (guilt) thereby establishing the precedent of “Substitutionary Sacrifice” and the “covering sin” with the “shedding of innocent blood” — the TRUTH OF GOD is that God had a Plan of Salvation before the foundations of the earth, and the Plan of Salvation would be a “Substitutionary Sacrifice” of His Only Begotten Son who would “shed His Innocent Blood” for the “remission of [ALL] sin” thus fulfilling the requirement established by God Himself with the first act of disobedience that sin must be punished by death and the shedding of innocent blood. The entire Bible is God demonstrating His Faithfulness and His Justice regarding this Initial Principal of God and is summed up by Jesus His Son as the Son explains the “motive” of the Father and “Why the Father would kill the Son” — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. “ (John 3:16) and … “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”  (John 15:13-14) Jesus the Son is laying down His life for the same reason the Father has allowed it to happen, and in the last words of Jesus to His disciples Jesus told us why He and the Father “love” the world — “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You love Me may be in them, and I in them.”  (John 17:25-26) and lastly: “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” (Hebrews 9:22) 

DECEMBER 01 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-05 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER 01  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-05  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

336 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord I start today with another prayer of praise for I think of my life and where I could have ended up had it not been for Your Guiding Light in my life! Indeed I can remember seeking darkness and was not aware that seeking darkness would lead to no good in my life and I look around at what Your Love has done and the fruit that Your Love has produced in my life and I can see now that all the “good” in my life has come because I have started walking in Your Light. Lord I pray to be always in Your Light that my life will continue to bear good fruit and on That Day God will look upon my life and see Jesus in it and say, “Well done my GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANT!”    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER 01  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-05  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus is now standing alone in the midst of His accusers and He has spoken only the TRUTH that JESUS IS the Christ and that JESUS IS the King of the Jews and both statements are being used against Him in their effort to take His Innocent Life. Jesus has been taken to Pilate and amid accusation upon accusation Jesus has fulfilled the prophet Isaiah “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) Matthew records that Jesus “answered [Pilate] not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly” (Matthew 27:14) but had Pilate known the Scriptures he would have understood that he was part of God’s Plan that had been put into writing 800 years earlier as Isaiah wrote about the Messiah, King of the Jews and that Jesus was the Passover Lamb and that Jesus dying on the cross was the culmination of the Plan of Salvation — yes if Pilate had known the TRUTH of God that Jesus IS the Son of God, the Messiah, the Passover Lamb, and the King of the Jews then Pilate would have truly “marveled” that he was just one little part of prophesy and with the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of God’s Only Begotten Son that God’s Plan of Salvation would be completed and the Ultimate Victory over sin would be accomplished! But Pilate did not know Scripture and he listened to the voice of evil and even though Pilate knew Jesus was innocent that Pilate pardoned Barabbas a known notorious criminal — this is the condemnation of our modern society, we do not know Scriptures and we do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God (billions of people today do not believe God has a Son!) and we listen to the “high priests” speak evil and demand the death of Jesus yet deep in our hearts we know that Jesus has done nothing deserving of death. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising (against Jesus), he took water and washed his hands before the multitude (calling for the death of Jesus), saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.’” (Matthew 27:24) And the people that day condemned themselves just as our world condemns ourselves as we deny Jesus is the Son of God: “And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us  and on our children.’” (Matthew 27:25) This could have been one of the first times you could hear the cliche — “Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it!”   The fact that Jesus is facing this condemnation alone, having been abandoned by all his disciples is just a foreshadowing of His last Question uttered from the cross, JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46) ——— as it says repeatedly in Psalms “Selah - think on this!”

NOVEMBER 30 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

NOVEMBER 30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-04  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

335 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, I come this morning with a thankful heart for each day I pray for You and the Holy Spirit to guide me through the trials of this world and each day I find that You indeed have done just that and more! Lord, You have been faithful in Your promises to us and I can do nothing but start my day asking for just one more day of Mercy and Grace which You supply abundantly and  pray that this day that I will be a light to those around me for my only light is the light You give, for only You can take us through the darkness of this world.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

NOVEMBER 30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-04  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus has been betrayed by Judas with a kiss and Peter has denied Him 3 times and “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56) Jesus is all alone and in the midst of false witnesses and has been declared by the midnight council that had illegally convened after hours to be worthy of death and yet the verdict had been passed down when Jesus declared the TRUTH about Himself as being the Son of God so in essence no charge has been brought against Him and Jesus is totally innocent! The next morning “all the chief priest and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death and when they had bound Him the led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (Matthew 27:1-2) There is no amount of collusion from any government or elected government official that can change TRUTH — Jesus was innocent and regardless of any amount of lies, Jesus would remain innocent and Jesus would die even though He was innocent — in fact it was because of His Innocence that He would achieve the ultimate Victory over sin! Judas was remorseful and brought back the “thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’” (Matthew 27:4) Matthew then records what the world continues to be be guilty of when faced with the TRUTH that Jesus was INNOCENT when he wrote of those who had paid the thirty pieces of silver for the betrayal of Jesus “And they said, ‘What is that to us?”” (Matthew 27:3-4) The men that had paid for the betrayal further admitted their guilt when the chief priests said of the thirty pieces of silver Judas returned to them, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.’” (Matthew 27:6) Judas was remorseful and went and hung himself — Jesus was led to Pontius Pilate and the first thing the governor asked Jesus as Jesus stood before the governor, “‘Are you the King of Jews?’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say.’” (Mathew 27:11) Twice Jesus has spoken and both times He confirmed the TRUTH that His accusers had spoken: first the high priest asked Jesus if He was the  “Christ, the Son of God?” And Jesus had answered “It is as you say.” (Matthew 26:63-64) and now Pilate asked “Are You the King of Jews” and Jesus answered the governor ‘It is as you say.’” (Matthew 27:11) We cannot overlook the TRUTH that Jesus was Innocent of any wrongdoing and Jesus was shedding His Innocent Blood as the “Christ, the Son of God, King of Jews”!!! Today there are still false witnesses and yet today the TRUTH remains that Jesus IS Innocent, Jesus IS the Son of God, Jesus shed His Blood for our sin and Jesus is not just the “King of Jews”, Jesus IS the King of Kings! 

NOVEMBER 29 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

NOVEMBER 29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-03  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

334 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord You are the Son of God, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, my Redeemer, You alone have the words of Eternal Life, You are the Way, and You are the Truth. Lord Jesus You have repeatedly stated that Your Truth is to provide for our eternal souls Salvation and to Glorify our Father in heaven which You have accomplished. Lord I pray that You and the Holy Spirit keep my heart tender, my spiritual eyes open, and may I be blessed that I may hear and then speak Your Love to others. Forgive me of my daily shortcomings and keep me centered in Your Will  for Your’s is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

NOVEMBER 29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-03  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus has been taken to the courtyard of the high priest and in an illegal gathering of the elders, those that had Jesus arrested have used false witnesses to try and condemn Him to death. But in the end it was the TRUTH that Jesus spoke about being the “Son of Man” and “sitting at the right hand of the Power” that made the high priest “[tear] his clothes” and accused Jesus of “blasphemy” and then those gathered in this midnight conspiracy started saying that Jesus “is deserving of death” (Matthew 26:64-65) I cannot help but see our modern world in this illegal gathering of those in stolen power over the people bringing up false charges against Jesus in order to draw the people’s attention away from the Truth of God that God is in control and is the True Power and that Jesus has been sent by God to provide a way for each individual to have direct access to God! When those that have stolen the powers they possess see those powers threatened, they will use all means necessary to eliminate the threat to their stolen control, up to and including murder!!! We can see a parallel to our world today in America’s Supreme Court where 3 or 4 very powerful “judges” who have been appointed by the “high priest” can dictate how our society can be deceived into anti-God lifestyles — there were only four judges that handed down a decision in 1973 that has led to the death of over 60 million unborn American babies and each year this culture of death is growing. Jesus is the Giver of Life so abortion cannot be of God and the parallel of abortion of the unborn to the crucifixion of Jesus is that if one does not believe in Jesus and His Power to “give life” then there is no incentive to try and “protect the unborn that Jesus has given life to” — the TRUTH of the Crucifixion of Christ and the TRUTH of abortion is the same — both are “murder” which is the taking of life from the innocent. We like Peter “sit with the servants” and let the power elite make “false accusations” against Jesus and truly that makes us accomplices to murder! Peter’s own words that night can also be our societies “betrayal” as Peter denied that he knew Jesus: “Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’” (Matthew 26:74) Peter remembered the “word of Jesus…So he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75) It is time that our society remembers “the word of Jesus” and admit that we have denied that Jesus is the Christ and we should hear the cock crow and repent but alas I fear we are still “plotting against Jesus to put Him to death” … and we have let our own “high priests” and “power elite” bound and tie Jesus and lead Him away! (Matthew 27:1-2) When Christians start accepting the TRUTH that we have denied Christ then we should  pray for a repentant heart and return to following Jesus the “Giver of Life” and do not allow society to continue to deceive us into accepting our current “Culture of Death!” The TRUTH is that JESUS IS SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER ———AND HE WILL SOON BE COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. 

NOVEMBER 28 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-02 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

NOVEMBER 28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-02  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

333 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord, my Redeemer, Savior, each day as I start my day by uttering Your Name, the Name above all names there is Hope for whatever comes my way. The world continues to tumble into darkness and trials and temptations are around every corner but when I speak Your Name I am comforted by Your Words “I have overcome” and I know the change that has come over me once I started calling on Your Holy Name and I am confident first that You HAVE begun a Good Work in me and I am even more confident that what You Start, that You WILL FINISH! Praise the God Most High that loved sinners enough to Free them from the slavery of sin and Praise be to the Son of God Most High who was Obedient to the Father’s Will and paid the penalty of my sin debt and Purchased with His Precious Blood our Pardon from our sins.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

NOVEMBER 28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-02  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus has been led away to the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest and Peter has followed Him there from Gethsemane. “Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.” (Matthew 26:59-60) At this point we can make an almost direct parallel to what is happening in our modern world as Christians are suffering the greatest persecution on a world wide scale that has been recorded in many centuries. How does today parallel Jesus standing before the chief priests and elders being falsely accused? The TRUTH that Jesus is Innocent will remain the TRUTH regardless of however many false witnesses the world will publish or report in the mainstream media or quote as “experts” saying “God is dead” and “Jesus is a myth”, or the greatest untruth being spoken by billions today, “God does not have a son” therefore making God a liar. Just as the chief priests, elders, and the councils sought to have Jesus killed, today the world is “hell-bent” on crucifying the Holy Character of God and His Only Begotten Son for the exact same reason today as the reason they had over 2000 years ago — men of power they usurped from God, desire above all else to retain that power and are willing to do so at the expense of their souls and the souls of all they can drag along in their lie. Jesus proved Himself as the Son of God by allowing this event that started in a garden and ended on a cross to bring Glory to God who proved He is the Most High God when on the third day He Resurrected His Son from the borrowed tomb. Evil had its grandest moment when Jesus was nailed to the cross but even with the first blow of the first nail, when the first drop of His Innocent Blood was shed, the grand moment for evil was over because with His Innocent Blood Jesus won the Ultimate Eternal Victory over evil and because “what [man] meant for evil [against Jesus], God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today…” (Genesis 50:20-21) and with the Sacrifice and Resurrection of the Passover Lamb God proved Himself Sovereign over Death and the Grave and all the weapons evil could muster!  Knowing Himself to be the Son of God and having Supreme Confidence in His Father, Jesus did not say a word. “But Jesus kept silent” and did not respond to His accusers until they demanded: “Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Matthew 26:63) and when the high priest had demanded the “truth” Jesus spoke the TRUTH —“Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) Then and today, there is no lie nor any amount of denials that can change the TRUTH that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND GOD IS STILL ON HIS THRONE !!! False witnesses are just that “false witnesses”; however, TRUTH is ETERNAL and WILL NEVER CHANGE — JESUS IS THE GIVER OF LIFE. That night in the courtyard they falsely accused Jesus and started the lie and without knowing it they told the TRUTH as Matthew writes: “They answered and said, ‘[Jesus] is deserving of death {The Lie}…[and]…Prophesy to us, Christ {TRUTH:JESUS IS THE CHRIST!}!” (Matthew 26:65-68) In our world today, the lie is still being uttered by those that desire “power” and once in “power” they lord it over those that put them in “power” so we hear the lie in the form of “God is dead” and they protect their evil intent by not allowing prayer in school and call all those who defend the TRUTH “extremists” and “superstitious”, they have legislated God out of our government and they continue to promote their evil agenda through legislation against God such as legalized abortion (murder of the unborn) and force public acceptance of many things that are abominations against God — but “True Believers” will not be swayed by the modern “high priest” or the lies of billions of false witnesses because we KNOW that TRUTH NEVER CHANGES — Jesus is the Son of God Most High and “God so loved the world that He gave [Jesus] His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through [Jesus] might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) Can you say that Jesus “deserves death” and evil deserves “power”? That’s what today’s “high priest” will demand with their new-world, anti-God agenda, but just as it has been since the beginning of mankind, it is up to you to either “believe” in God and His Son Jesus or “deny” the TRUTH for yourself — that is the TRUTH of FREEWILL — Each individual must decide personally what they believe and not what those in power say they should believe…bottom line: You are personally responsible for what you believe and you will be held accountable for how you act upon that belief!!!

NOVEMBER 27 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#33-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33 “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

NOVEMBER 27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-01  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

332 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Precious Jesus, You took my sins away — I want to thank You for all that You have done, so this is the prayer that I pray: “Please help me Lord, to give of myself and to share with my fellow man, for You have said that there’s no greater LOVE than to give your life for a friend! For all the souls lost, You died on The Cross, You Gave and You Gave some More, so that sinners like me might truly be FREE, Your Death opens life’s door. So O Precious, Jesus Giver of Life, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, and my life won’t be the same! You took my soul, You made it whole, You washed all my sins away, I want to thank You for all that You have done, so this is the prayer that I pray!!! ” (excerpt from “The Prayer I Pray” — written 2001 by L. G. Lewis)   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

NOVEMBER 27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#33-01  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#33  “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46)    Jesus has been up to this point in His earthly Ministry putting down in plain simple statements so that everyone can understand and illustrated those statements with simple examples of what was about to happen to Him was fulfillment of prophecy that was formulated by the Trinity BEFORE the foundation of the world and that Jesus would conclude His Ministry on earth with The Ultimate Victory over the world as the Master Plan of Salvation would be executed with TOTAL SOVEREIGNTY to achieve the ULTIMATE VICTORY. Nothing has been left to chance and nothing has happened that was not Divinely Intended to happen: Jesus was Immaculately Conceived by the Holy Spirit and The Child Jesus was born of a Virgin, John the Baptist came onto the scene preaching “Repentance from sin” and Jesus began His Ministry by approaching John who was baptizing in the Jordan and John declared “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and Jesus said of His baptism by John, “Permit to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15)  Through the first 26 Chapters of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus has been pointing to this upcoming event and now “His Hour” has arrived and as Jesus sweats drops of blood in Gethsemane in anticipation of His Hour of Suffering His disciples are sleeping and Jesus declares, “…Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Matthew 26:45)  Judas has now betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which also is in line with prophecy and now as Jesus is being led away and His disciples have abandoned Him, History and Prophecy have arrived at the point that would be described in our modern vernacular as “This is where it gets real!!!” Matthew writes the last words of Jesus before leaving Gethsemane: “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” (Matthew 26:56a) Then Matthew concludes Chapter 26 with a sad commentary: “Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56b) Sad though it was, it was a foreshadowing of that most important Conclusion of the Master Plan of Salvation in which God Himself “Walks the Walk” proving Himself God and demonstrating the Divine Love of God for His Creation. Through 26 Chapters in Matthew we have studied 32 JESUS Questions that point us to the Final Question asked from the cross just before Jesus surrendered His Spirit to God so let us look at the final two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and understand that with JQ#33 that this is:   “AS REAL  AS  IT  GETS!!!”    Chapter 27 begins: “And those that had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.” (Matthew 27:1-2) Let us read these last two chapters to see “the end of the matter” and to “know beyond a shadow of a doubt” the words uttered at the foot of the cross when JESUS DIED: “So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly saying, ‘Truly this was the Son of God’” (Matthew 27:54) We must ask ourselves this final question: “Could the whole Bible be about the simple fact that God is God and Jesus is His Son?”   ——— COULD IT REALLY BE THAT SIMPLE!?!?!?

NOVEMBER 26 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#32-13 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< Conclusion: JQ#32 “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

NOVEMBER 26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#32-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< Conclusion: JQ#32 “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?”  (Matthew 26:40)

331 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, each day I wake to thoughts of You and each day my spirit has HOPE for I know You are the LIGHT and that after every night full of darkness there comes morning and the drying of tears and the setting aside of my fears as Your Light drives out the darkness as the Son warms the inner parts of my soul. Jesus, forgive me for I fall victim so easily to self and am dissuaded by the world and let the darkness start to take hold but You are as Faithful as the sunrise and each morning Your Mercies are renewed and as soon as I call Your Name Jesus, Your LIGHT rises in my soul and I can walk with HOPE into the new day You have created and graciously bestowed on this a sinner seeking the LIGHT! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!!!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

NOVEMBER 26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#32-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<  Conclusion: JQ#32 “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?”  (Matthew 26:40)    Jesus has drawn us personally into His Final Passover and His Betrayal by first telling the disciples that in “two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” (Matthew 26:2) Then Jesus is anointed with oil as Jesus explained: “For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial” (Matthew 26 12) which again drew serious attention to His Imminent Death on the cross at the Passover. The Passover arrives and Jesus proclaims: “My time is at hand, I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples” (Matthew 26:18) and they gathered in the Upper Room where Jesus again makes it personal when at the beginning of the Passover Jesus announces: “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” (Matthew 26:21) Jesus always uses Scripture and He declares to His disciples as He begins sharing what was to be His Last Passover Supper with them before He was crucified: “The Son of Man indeed goes as it is written of Him…” (Matthew 26:24) Everything Jesus has done in His Ministry has pointed to “His Hour” and even as Jesus eats this Final Passover He continues to Teach and show by His Example how we are to live — for “Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take eat, this is My body.’” (Matthew 26:26) Jesus then took the wine and summarized in detail the Purpose of why He being the Son of God and Son of Man had come down from heaven and had  taken on flesh: “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) At this point the disciples should have recalled at the start of His Ministry that Jesus went to John the Baptist who was preaching “repentance and the remission of sin” and who when he say Jesus coming to be baptized in the Jordan proclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) Now here at the Passover Jesus had been showing that He was the Passover Lamb and that just as God had instructed Moses at the first Passover that the Passover Lamb must be slain and the blood applied as instructed for deliverance from their slavery and now here at this Passover Jesus is giving instructions what to do with the shed blood of the Passover Lamb to be delivered from the slavery of sin! Jesus then goes from the Passover to pray in Gethsemane and there He asks the final, very personal question  “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?”  (Matthew 26:40)   that  makes it clear that Jesus intends for us to “enter into His labors” as He commands us to “Watch and Pray” (Matthew 26:41) Peter had boldly proclaimed his loyalty and Jesus made it personal for Peter and said that even the most loyal followers would betray Jesus and Peter would do it there times “before the cock crows”! Judas then betrays Jesus with a kiss and is seized as Jesus tells Peter who had drawn his sword to protect Him to put his sword “in its place” (which could be a “Render unto Cesar” scenario with the sword instead of money?) and then Jesus explained everything that was happening was part of the Master Plan of Salvation as Jesus explained about the betrayal and why Jesus had allowed this to happen to Him: “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” (Matthew 26:54) and summarizes His entire Ministry: “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” (Matthew 26:56) As followers we should listen to Jesus and trust that everything that happens is controlled and allowed by God and will be used for our good and His Glory!  Jesus is being led away to begin His final hours and to face the cross and the final Question He asks in the Gospel of Matthew is the most personal  Question of all and is also the most revealing of all the Questions into the very Heart of God!