Debbie's Perspective

Just my thoughts of the day.

Apr 5

Easter Series: Despite It All

by Debbie

The three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke give very similar accounts of the things that transpired between Jesus entering Jerusalem to the praise of the crowds up to the Passover meal He had with His disciples. Matthew gives the most thorough account. Those Gospels give great insight into the teachings Jesus wanted to impart while He had time. He knew His time was at hand. These are the last things Jesus spoke before His crucifixion. I encourage you to read Matthew 21-26:16, Mark 10:32-14:11, and Luke 19:28-22:3.

John, however, shared with us something different. In John 12:20 there are some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. They told Philip they were interested in meeting Jesus. Verse 22 says that Philip told Andrew and they went to ask Jesus together. It never says that Jesus met with them. It just tells us what He replied in verse 23,

“Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.”

What? Not a yes or a no. He goes on to say, “unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”

Then John 12:27, “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.”

Bible commentary ties the visitation of the Greeks at the end of Jesus’ life with the visitation of the Magi at the beginning of Jesus’ life. He saw the seeking interest of these Gentiles as the signal that “the time had come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.” Jesus was deeply troubled. He knew what awaited Him, but He also knew this was the reason He had come.

These verses, although spoken to a crowd, seem to be the internal thoughts of Jesus as He lays out the mission He came to earth to complete. The final sentence in verse 36 stood out to me, “After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.” He was done.

The next verse starts with “But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe him.” (John 12:37 NLT) What? They’ve heard incredible wisdom from Him. He’s done amazing, miraculous miracles right in front of them, yet despite it all, they still didn’t believe him. Jesus implored them.

“Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”

The same call from Jesus comes today to trust Him, trust the God who sent Him. But for those who don’t. . .

“But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Lord, in these last days, open blinded eyes and soften hardened hearts so that eyes can see, and hearts can understand, and they will turn to You and have You heal them. Bring the harvest.

Excerpts from John 12:20-50 NLT

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Apr 4

Easter Series: A Curse and a Whip

by Debbie

Yesterday we read about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey to crowds cheering Him and throwing down their garments and branches before Him. The disciples could have been wondering what He was going to do next. I would have probably been thinking that He needed to keep the crowd engaged, maybe do some more miracles, or preach another great sermon like the Sermon on the Mount.

We don’t see Jesus doing any of that, though. Mark 11:11 says, “So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.” It doesn’t say He hung around and talked to the crowds or anything you’d think He would do if He was setting up an earthly Kingdom. He looked around the Temple and headed back to Bethany for the night. Were the disciples wondering what He was doing?

The next morning when they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree that was full of leaves, so he went over to it but found no figs, there were only leaves. “Then Jesus said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat your fruit again!’ And the disciples heard Him say it.” (Mark 11:12 NLT)

This didn’t really make sense to me, so I read a commentary by David Guzik on this verse.  He says, “The tree was cursed for its pretense of leaves, not for its lack of fruit. Like Israel in the days of Jesus, it had the outward form but no fruit. In this picture, Jesus warned Israel – and us – of God’s displeasure when we have the appearance of fruit but not the fruit itself. God isn’t pleased when His people are all leaves and no fruit.”  Whoa!

After this, Jesus heads to the Temple where John 2:15 says He made a whip of cords and drove out the animals and money changers. He poured out their coins and overturned their tables. He told them in verse 16, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” Mark 11:17 says, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” He was not out to win friends and influence people. He was there to do Kingdom business. This doesn’t sound like, to me, the meek and mild Jesus that everyone points to, declaring He’s okay with whatever they want to do.

His actions didn’t come without consequences, though. The Pharisees questioned His authority to do all these things. He ends up questioning them in Mark 11:27-33, but when they couldn’t answer Him, He didn’t answer them. And then He tells the parable of the Evil Farmers in Mark 12. When they realized they were ‘the wicked farmers’, they wanted to arrest Him but were too afraid of the crowds.

There’s a lot here to think about. We get a glimpse and a warning about God’s heart when it comes to hypocrisy (all leaves and no fruit) and His house. We are now His Temple. Maybe we should be cautious of allowing things that shouldn’t be in our temple.

Lord, forgive me when I’ve just gone through the motions or put on a show, and haven’t really produced the fruit you call me to produce. Forgive me for allowing things to come in and take up places that should be clean and pure before you.

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Apr 3

Easter Series: The Colt

by Debbie

Yesterday in my On the Road to Jerusalem post, I talked about how Jesus very clearly told His disciples that He was going to die, be buried, and be raised from the dead. Even so, in the very next verses in Mark 10:37, James and John were asking Jesus, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

Mark 10:38 says, “But Jesus said to them, ‘You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?'” I think I might take a moment and say, hmmm, bitter cup of suffering? But they eagerly say, “Oh yes, we are able” in verse 39. Are they? They seem to be more interested in honor than suffering.

They had no clue what they were agreeing to. I wonder what they thought He was talking about? Further proof that they were looking for an earthly kingdom.

Most churchgoers celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday. This represents the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey to a large crowd of people spreading their garments and cutting branches from the trees to lay before Him. Why was this day significant, and why was He riding the colt of a donkey?

Scripture tells us the answer in Matthew 21:4-5, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” This was a fulfillment of a prophecy given long ago by the prophet Zechariah about the coming Messiah.

You can see how the disciples were probably thinking that Jesus had it all wrong. He wasn’t going there to die. Here He was riding into Jerusalem to crowds praising Him. They had to be thinking, Yes! Now we are getting somewhere. The people are ready to follow Him and get this new kingdom going. They weren’t wrong. He was the coming King, but so much more than that, and not of the kind of kingdom they were hoping for.

Thank you, Lord, for knowing what we needed even when we didn’t. Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Devotional Easter Prayer Thoughts on Faith Uncategorized

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Apr 2

Easter Series: On the Road to Jerusalem

by Debbie

As many of us do as Easter draws near, we start reading the Scriptures that talk about Jesus’ last days before His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. As I read each of the Gospel accounts, I came across some verses where Jesus is talking to the disciples on their way to Jerusalem just before His triumphal entry.

I think because we are usually focusing on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, we can miss the few very important verses just before it.

“As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.’” (Matthew 20:17-19 NLT)

This isn’t the first time Jesus talks about His death and resurrection to the disciples. In Matthew 16:21 He tells them He’s going to suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day be raised. Again, in Matthew 17:22-23, He tells them He will be delivered into the hands of men, killed, and raised on the third day.

The Gospels of Mark and Luke also have three accounts each of Him explaining what will happen to Him. Why did the disciples not understand? There’s a clue in Luke 9:44 ESV when Jesus says, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” Was Jesus saying, Hey look guys, I’m about to tell you something really important. Don’t miss it? I think so. He needed them to pay attention and listen carefully. Then in verse 45, “But they did not understand this saying and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.”

What does the phrase, “it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it” mean?

Did God conceal it from them so that they might not perceive it yet? Was Jesus telling them all of it now, with the purpose being that they would remember and understand after the fact? But what would the purpose be for that? Why would he tell them multiple times, and here, implore them to let it sink into their ears? I think He really wanted them to listen and understand. If they hadn’t been afraid to ask Him what He meant, maybe He would have been able to help them understand. I wonder what they were afraid of? Looking silly or ignorant? Were they afraid Jesus would get angry?

Did Satan conceal it from them? I don’t think so because he didn’t know what Jesus’ death would do. First Corinthians 2:8 ESV says, “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Could it possibly mean that their perceptions and beliefs about the Messiah prevented them from hearing the truth, even though it was spelled out so clearly for them? I believe this is the most likely reason they couldn’t perceive it. We know that many of the Jews believed the kingdom the Messiah was going to usher in was an earthly kingdom that would remove their enemies’ rule over them and make them a mighty nation.

They only had eyes for a natural kingdom on earth. Second Corinthians 2:14 ESV, says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

It’s clear to us now, even though it wasn’t clear to the disciples at that moment, that the Kingdom Jesus was ushering in was a spiritual Kingdom that could only be spiritually discerned. Until the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, there were truths they could not perceive.

Even with the Holy Spirit living in us, are there mysteries of God that we do not perceive because we have our own ideas, agendas, perceptions, and beliefs that block us from having eyes to see and ears to hear?

Lord Jesus, help us to lay down any perceptions and beliefs that keep us from clearly seeing and understanding Your Word and Your purposes and plans on the earth today. Don’t let your truths be concealed from us.

Devotional Easter Prayer Thoughts on Faith Uncategorized

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