THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, AKRON, IOWA

I (Jesus) do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You , Father, are in me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17: 20-21).

The lovely and gracious Helen and I have had to deal with the estates of relatives and loved ones.  In sorting through the possessions of those who have passed on, one is confronted with the task of deciding what to keep and what to throw away.  The legal matters are obvious, but the legacy and family history issues are not.  Helen is a good archivist, so she sees value in things I do not. I tell you this so that as I share with you the Last Will and Testament of the Akron Church of Christ, I will be "painting with a broad brush."  It is not my purpose to go into detail.

The history of the First Church of Christ in Akron, Iowa spans some 120 years.  In its history there have been many victories.  Every person that came to know Jesus Christ and surrender to Him is a victory to be savored and remembered!  However, there have been many failures and mistakes too.  It serves no constructive purpose to recount those except to admit them, understanding that the church is a hospital for sinners and bringing healing can be a messy business.  The memory of those failures can be "flushed" because we have a gracious God and Savior (1 John 1:9).

The legacy the Akron Church of Christ can leave the community is this, "what it means to be simply a Christian."  "We do not claim to be the only Christians, but we do claim to be Christians only."  Unity is an extremely important topic these days !  The Church at large is facing challenges like it has not seen since the first century when there was no Christian consensus.  We simply do not have the luxury maintaining our little denominational kingdoms!

Another legacy slogan of the fellowship of Christian Church and Church's of Christ that is a recipe for unity is this, "No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no name but the Divine, no law but love."

1.  Christianity is about Christ, who he is and what he has done.  He is the one in whom we believe, he is the one in whom we trust, he is the one we follow.  Creeds tend to perpetuate division.  It is upon Christ that the Church is to be built! (Matthew 16:15-17).

2.  Our teaching comes from the Bible,  Our people need to be taught the Bible so that they, too, can "accurately handle the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

3.  We wear no name other than the name of the one we serve.  Human names tend to perpetuate division too.  Throughout history slaves customarily wore the names of their masters.  Not only are we slaves of Christ, we are children in the family of God, we wear his name! (Acts 11:26). We have a new name.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ, not cousins!  Our adversary, the devil, wins when he can keep us confused as to our identity!

4.  We are bound by no law but love. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET, and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10).  Love is to be the motivator of Christian living.  Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments.  Without love, meticulous law-keeping gains nothing (I Corinthians 13:1-7).

These principles are the matters the Akron Church of Christ leaves to the Akron Christian community at large.  As churches find the need to unite their efforts in an increasingly secular and pagan culture, may they serve as guiding principles for that effort.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

WORSE THAN BABARISM

Permit the children to come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Luke 18:16).

Barbarism is the thinking and acting of barbarians.  The simple, backwards and cruel ways of barbarians are the ways of radical Islam, but there is something worse than the barbarism of radical Islam and that is the cold-blooded sophistication of the Planned-Parenthood doctor.  The recently released videos of the Planned Parenthood doctors, sipping wine, eating salad, discussing Lamborghini's all while negotiating the price of baby body parts are absolutely repulsive!!!

The justification of the use of baby body parts is medical research.  It must be noted that Dr. Michelle Cretella, of the American College of Pediatricians, has pointed out that like embryonic stem cell research, fetal tissue research has failed to produce a single successful treatment for human disease.  Adult stem cell research, however, has yielded treatments for 73 different diseases.  Adult stem cells do not require the killing of innocent human life.

Democrats favor abortion at any time, virtually to the time of birth, all in the name of the woman's right to choose.  Almost all of these baby body parts come from later-term abortions where baby has a beating heart and can feel pain.  How is this different from the Nazi's medical experiments on Jews and gypsies?  One can use medical research to justify the most horrible atrocities.

Worse, if the American public accepts this as business as usual, the self-destruction of America accelerates.

Tom

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW 2

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord ( 2Peter 1:2ff).

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What will man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Yesterday I very briefly discussed the spiritual blessings with which a Christian is blessed--they are worthy of much more discussion!  I asked the question, "How do these spiritual blessing help us make a living that will satisfy a nagging spouse and complaining children?"

Most likely one can never satisfy a nagging spouse and complaining children.  In most households there is never enough money to satisfy every one's wants.  This kind of household has a spiritual problem.  It reduces life to the material, to the flesh.  For Christians God has promised that He would never leave us or forsake us.  Money is not the solution, God is.  A nagging, complaining family needs a spiritual education.

As long as we live in bodies of flesh we will have material responsibilities.  God has promised that He would be our helper.  One thing we must remember is to ask God's blessing on the things that we have--food is more nutritious with God's blessing, cars last longer with God's blessing and regular maintenance, clothing is more durable and attractive with God's blessing.

If we ask God's blessing on our labors we know that they will be done better than otherwise, and we will be more productive.  Asking God's blessing on our lives and labors assures us of His Grace & Peace.  Isn't Grace and Peace the foundation of a more productive life?

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3; Read through verse 14).

Praise is due to the One who has blessed us with all good things!  First and foremost among those good things are the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.  In Christ we are God's chosen to be holy and blameless.  In Christ it was predestined that we would be adopted as sons of God.  In Christ we are redeemed, our trespasses being paid for, and we are forgiven.  We know the mystery of God's will in that all things are summed up in Christ.  In Christ we are not like orphans, we have an inheritance of hope and the Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of that inheritance.

You might say, "Yes, we have all these spiritual blessings, but how does that help me to put a roof over my head and buy groceries for my family?"  We will discuss that tomorrow.

Grace & Peace,
Tom

PEACE

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  The Lord be with you all (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

This morning is one of those rare mornings in northwest Iowa where one can step out on the deck with a cup of coffee in his hand and sit, enjoy the beauty of the flowers and trees, and listen to the birds sing.  That environment of peacefulness inspires reflection and prayer.  The chaos and conflict of our times do not seem so troublesome right now.

In our war with the evil one we need the "peace that passes understanding" to sustain us in faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

COMMUNION PROCLAIMS

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes . . . But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11: 26 &28)).

Taking communion is a proclamation of faith.  Taking communion is a proclamation of belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Taking communion is a proclamation of the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was buried and rose from the grave.  Taking communion is a proclamation of our faith that Jesus Christ is coming again.  Taking communion is a proclamation of our faith in Christ, that He is our righteousness in the Day of Judgment.

Communion is a backward look at what Jesus has done for us.  Communion is an honest and inward look at our personal lives, recognizing our sinfulness.  Communion is a forward look to the return of Christ.  Why would taking communion ever become a common thing?

Our Father's Love,
Tom

A PICTURE OF THE MEN OF PROVERBS

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead (Proverbs 21:16).

As with the women of Proverbs, what differentiates between the wise and the foolish men is the fear of the Lord (1:7).  Even though a man might be highly skilled, he is still a fool if he does not fear the Lord!

The real men of Proverbs seem to have some common characteristics that are worth noteing:
1.  He has an excellent wife (12:4).  Real men are wise about the selection of a wife.
2.  He has regard for the life of his animal (12:10).
3.  Fools are not his companions (13:20).  As Pasquinel said in Centennial, "Bad companions bring bad luck" (James Michener).
4.  The Lord makes the Godly man's enemies be at peace with him (16:7).
5.  He leaves an inheritance to his children's children (13:22).
6.  He has good friends in quality, but not a great number in quantity (18:24).
7.  He is strong enough to sharpen those around him (27:17).
8.  He helps the poor (28:27). " He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses."
9.  The pursuit of wealth is not his most important pursuit because there are somethings that money cannot buy (28:22).

I'm sure there are other characteristics of Proverbs that I haven't listed, but these are the beginning of a good portrait of the real man of Proverbs.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

THE WOMEN OF PROVERBS

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1).

The primary author of Proverbs was Solomon.  Solomon asked God for wisdom and God granted Solomon's request.  Much of Solomon's wisdom was the ability to discern wisdom in others and make it known along with his own wisdom.  Chapter 24:23 speaks of the proverbs as being the sayings of the wise.   Chapter 30 is credited to Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle.

The wisdom of Proverbs was for the young, especially boys--it was their text book for social science.  One of the topics of study for these young scholars was women. (I found a note pad of my grandfather's that was titled All of What Men Know About Women.  Every page was blank.)

One kind of woman mentioned by the Proverbs is the contentious woman.  She is mentioned 4 times in the book.  "It is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman" (Proverbs 21:9).  The contentious woman is the one who nags, is argumentative and complains.  Watch out for this kind of woman!

The woman of folly is another kind of woman the Proverbs warns about. "The woman of folly is boisterous, she is naive and knows nothing" (9:13).  One of the keys to interpreting all the kinds of people Proverbs talks about is 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  This foolish woman knows nothing because she does not fear the Lord!  The wise woman is wise because she fears the Lord.  The virtuous woman is virtuous because she fears the Lord: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised" (31:30).

The Proverbs speak truly of human nature.  Proverbs doesn't degrade woman, in fact it lifts them up.  Wisdom in chapter 8 is used in the feminine voice, suggesting that women are not second class citizens in regard to wisdom: "For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her" (8:11).

Our Father's Love,

Tom

BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN

A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel (Proverbs 12:10).

Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice . . . 

A lot can be learned about a person's character by how he, or she, cares for their animals.  It is a matter of understanding the animals that one has the responsibility of caring for, much as understanding the children in his care.  Proverbs 22:6 tells us that if a child is trained up in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.  It is also true of animals and pets.  Whether children, pets or animals, if one takes on the responsibility of having them, then it is required that one works at understanding them so that they can be given what they need.  Without understanding even compassion can be cruel.

The Carpenters sang "Bless the Beasts and the Children" in the early 1970's.  It is a very moving song and I wondered why the pro-life movement didn't make use of it.  Having said that, the very first line of lyrics expresses very well God's intentions for our relationship with animals and children.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

SHADES OF WISDOM

A wise man (person) will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel (Proverbs 1:5).

The book of Proverbs was written for the young and the naive (1:4) to give them wise counsel and to help them develop the skill of discernment and discretion. 

The most-used term as a definition for the wise in the book of Proverbs is skillful.  How does one develop skills?  By learning from a teacher, which, in its self,  is often tedious and hard work.  It has been said that there is no teaching, only learning, so the fool will not put in the effort to learn and develop the skills that are needed to succeed.  The wise of the book of Proverbs are those who are skilled in honest occupations from those who labor with their hands to those who are skilled at teaching and counseling and laboring with their minds.  Those who are skilled in dishonesty are the worst kind of fools.  Unfortunately, there are way too many of the skilled dishonest, so it is important to develop the skill of discernment so that one doesn't become their victim.  It must be added that this kind of wisdom includes women as well: "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands" (14:1).  Women can be just as skillful as men and just as destructive and depraved as men too.

A second word for the wise in the book of Proverbs is one who considers carefully: "A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding (is wise) than a hundred blows into a fool" (17:10).  As well: "He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father" (28:7).  Many people are driven by their emotions.  They do not stop to think and take time to consider all the issues involved.  Our genetics and family systems do play a role in our ability to think critically, but they are not determiners.  The ability to think critically can be developed if one is willing to learn!

A third word for the wise in Proverbs has to do with substance: "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous . . . (2:7).  The word is in the feminine gender so that it means the opposite of girls gone wild, but rather girls gone wise.  This kind of wisdom is not the kind of popular culture based on the breezes of popularity, but the kind of understanding that has stood the test of time. It has substance. It is true, not trendy!

Finally, the last word for the wise in Proverbs is sakal.  There is overlap as to how these words are used, but what makes this word different is that it is active. a sakal person is one who acts circumspectly, prudently and wisely so that others may see and learn.  Sakal is used five times in the book of Proverbs and wise action seems to be the consistent thread in its use: "A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully . . . " (17:2).  Some will never learn from an other's example, nevertheless, we should live lives of wisdom to inspire others.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

WHAT KIND OF FOOL (am I?)

Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will also be like him (Proverbs 26:4).

What kind of fool am I, who never fell in love?  It seems I'm the only one I have been thinking of . . . (Sammy Davis Jr. made this song a hit in 1962).

It is an appropriate question to ask because there is a little bit of foolishness in all of us.  The book of Proverbs lists four different kinds:

1)  The naive, simple and unsophisticated.  "The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps (14:15).  The positive of the naive is that they are teachable, something that is probably not characteristic of the other kinds of fools.  Proverbs was written to give prudence to the naive (1:4).

2)  The evil fool is characterized in 1:7,  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction."  This kind of fool lacks sense, he is emotionally driven, "A fools anger is known at once . . . (12:16).  "The way of the fool is right in his own eyes." (12:15).  This kind of fool is dangerous because not only is he emotionally driven, but he never sees himself as being wrong or doing wrong.  Be careful around this kind of person!

3)  The sensual fool is described in 10:23: "Doing wickedness is like sport to the fool . . ."  13:19 says: ". . . it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil."  The desires of the flesh come before the will of God and what is right.

4)  The scorning fool or empty fool.  Psalms 14:1 tells us that this kind of fool says in his heart, "there is no God."  Also, in 1 Samuel 25 is the story of Nabal and Abigail.  Read 25:24-25.  There we find that Nabal means fool and certainly, this Nabal was a fool!  This kind of fool has respect for neither God nor man.  Proverbs 17:21 says of this kind of fool, "He who sires a fool does so to his own sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy."

Each one of these kinds of fools is a different Hebrew word in Proverbs.  Proverbs places a lot of emphasis in understanding fools because fools can be very dangerous; one needs tho understand what his is dealing with!  "He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence who sends a message by the hand of a fool" (Proverbs 26:6).

Our Father's Love,
Tom

THE BEGINNING OF A HEALTHY LIFE ( contrasting the wise and the foolish)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7 NASV).

Every person is biased.  We all have our presuppositions that form the foundation of our world view.  Some believe that God is not; He doesn't exist so human existence must be explained in "natural" terms.  Others believe in gods or the True God of the Bible.  The truth is that we live out our world view, we live out what we truly believe in.  What a person does is way more important than what he says.  How we live and the priorities that we have are a clear testimony of the things in which we believe.  Reverence and respect for God form the foundation for a healthy life.

Our Father's Love
Tom

METRICS OF BEAUTY

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti (Esther 2:17). 

HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS! (Romans 10:15).

The Bible specifically describes Abraham's wife, Sarah and Isaac's wife, Rebekah as being beautiful. Oddly enough, the same Hebrew word that describes Sarah and Rebekah as beautiful also is used to Describe David.  Sarah must have kept her good looks well into old age because there were a couple of kings that wanted her even when she was old.  While the above text does not say Esther was beautiful it certainly leaves us with the impression that Esther was way above average in looks and grace.  She was the total package, being both graceful and good-looking.

Though there are some facets of beauty that are cultural, like weight, length of neck, size of feet and body ornamentation, there are some factors that are recognized universally as being beautiful.  As early as 8 months of age babies gaze much longer at symmetrical faces than asymmetrical faces.  Clear skin is universally recognized as being essential to beauty.  Though the roundness of a woman may be valued differently in different cultures, it is universally recognized that a waist-to-hip ratio of .70 is a metric of physical beauty in a woman.  It appears that most of the women of Fox News fall into these physical metrics.

Debrahlee Lorenzana was fired from her position as a business banker for being distractingly attractive to her male colleagues (Psychology Today, 2-14).  Because of our highly sexualized culture, being an attractive woman has to be difficult in the work-place, but it also has its advantages.  A wise woman will, like Esther, use her beauty in such a way as to bring grace to the work-place.  She has to learn how to 'express confidence and competence, to speak with certainty and demonstrate an ability to listen and be present' (PT, Flora, 2014).

Beauty can become ugly if it represents a lot of difficulty.  The landscapes of America were not recognized as being beautiful until the railroads could easily carry passengers through the mountains. Prior to the railroads, mountains were obstacles that had to be conquered.  As well, a beautiful woman without discretion will not keep her beauty.  Forest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does," would also agree that beauty is as beauty does.

This is as true for men as it is for women, one can improve his/her looks a whole lot by cultivating the attitudes and actions that help and bless others.  A rather plain-looking person becomes very attractive when grace is shown in her/his life.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

NEUROPLASTICITY OR REPENTANCE?

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).

In my recreational reading I came upon the term "neuroplasticity."  Neuroplasticity has to do with the ability of the mind to reorganize its self when it is pushed to do so.  The brain is moldable and flexible like plastic not static and unchanging like stone.  There are some areas of the brain that even generate new cells to compensate for the death of old ones or to help in the necessary reorganization tasks placed on the brain.  The science of neuroplasticity has become very important to stroke recovery and even in the area of self-improvement.

It is this area of self-improvement that made me think about repentance.  Metanoia is the Greek word we translate into the English word "repentance."  Literally translated, metanoia  simply means, "change of mind."  I'm not sure that Paul had the science of neuroplasticity in mind when he spoke of repentance in the above text, but one thing is sure, if God is God and Jesus is the Judge then we all need to reorganize our thinking.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS IS HISTORY AND HOPE

In as much as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so 
that you may know the exact truth about the things which you have been taught (Luke 1: 1-4).

Luke MD, being a professional, was not easily persuaded that a dead person could raise from the dead, he had seen too much of it, but in his gospel he proclaims just that, "He has risen" (Luke 24:6).  The resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, which was caused by His crucifixion, was the most essential fact that was to be believed by a Christian--if there is no resurrection, there is no Christianity (1 Corinthians 15: 16-19).

The Christian religion is a faith that is based in history.  If the history is not true, neither is the faith; it has been presented that way from the beginning.  There was a historical Jesus of Nazareth who performed miracles.  There was a historical Pontius Pilate who ordered Jesus' execution on a cross. There was a historical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  If the record is not true on one of those points, the faith is not true.  Though the credibility of the Biblical record has been attacked, the credibility of the witnesses has been attacked, the attacks have failed because the Bible is true!

The faith stands true and that is why, still today, Christians are willing to die for their faith.  The One who conquered death has conquered death for all believers assuring us of eternal glory.

A word of warning for non-believers, God is now declaring to all men that all people  every where should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man  whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17: 30,31).  While the resurrection means eternal life for some, it means eternal punishment for those who refuse to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Father's Love
Tom

THE WOMEN'S WITNESS TO THE RISEN CHRIST

Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord . . ." (John 20:18).

Bill O'Reilly ends his Killing Jesus  with the empty tomb.  On this matter there is not much disagreement among historians.  The disagreement begins with the explanation as to why the tomb was empty.  O'Reilly's ending satisfies Christians who believe Christ's resurrection to be the "cornerstone" of the Christian faith and non-believers who believers who believe there are other explanations for the empty tomb.

The location of Jesus' tomb was known to both friend and foe alike.  There was a guard posted at the tomb so there was very little opportunity for mischief.  The eleven disciples were not acting very courageously at this time.  The most courageous were the women.  One of the details on which all of the gospels agree is that the women were the first witnesses to the risen Christ.  If the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written to "trick" people into becoming Christians, they would not have recorded that women were the first witnesses.  Back in Jesus' day women were not highly thought of a witnesses--men were the legal witnesses.  To report the women* as being the first witnesses was embarrassing, which is evidence for the credibility of their testimony.  Very often God uses that which is counter to conventional wisdom to make His point.

An empty tomb without a risen Christ is the death of Christianity.  Tomorrow, will consider other evidence for the risen Christ.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

 

THE INTENTIONAL KING

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself  by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on my own initiative, I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This commandment I received from My Father (John 10:18, Jesus is speaking of His life,).

Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.  If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation" ( John 11:47-48)

As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." (John 19:12).

Therefore when Jesus had receive the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!"  And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (John 19:30).

The Scripture references cited above are only a few of many that could have been cited about the intention of Jesus.  Jesus was not a victim of circumstances!  Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus will be aired on national television on Palm Sunday evening.  O'Reilly has done a fine job of setting forth the religious, social and political dynamics of the time of Jesus the Christ, but it would be a mistake to conclude that Jesus was a victim.  He knew from the beginning where His ministry would take Him. He knew how His triumphal entry into Jerusalem would be interpreted because He directed it.   He knew how the zealots, the Herodians, the Sadducee's, the Pharisees and the Romans would react to His ministry, but He did not change course.*  Each faction played a part in killing Jesus.  It also must be understood that Jesus' death on the cross was not a great tragedy, but the greatest blessing we will ever receive because He paid the price for our sins!  That was the primary purpose of His ministry and the reason He could say, It is finished!

Our Father's Love,
Tom

*Relatively early in Jesus' ministry, Mark chapter 3 records a Sabbath healing, the pre-planning of how to kill Jesus had begun.  Jesus continued on undeturred, knowing his hour had not come and his work was unfinished.  Jesus laid down his life when the time was right and his work was finished.

JESUS, THE WILLFULLY MISUNDERSTOOD KING

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel."
Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, "Fear not daughter of Zion; Behold, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (John 12:12-15).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you;  He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey, even a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; and the bow of war will be cut off.  And He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:9-10).

Jesus was, and still is, the willfully misunderstood King.  The timing of Jesus birth and life on this earth was accurately prophesied by Daniel.  There were many people, like Anna and Simeon, who studied the Scriptures and knew that the time of the promised Messiah was at hand.  When Jesus began to do miracles his disciples began to comprehend who is was.  At the raising of Lazarus from the dead many more began to follow him, so much so that the religious and secular leadership of the Jews convened a meeting.  They were alarmed.  They said, What are we doing?  For this man is performing many signs.  If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation (John 12:47-48). 

The religious and political leaders of Jesus' day valued their jobs, their power and prestige much more than the will of God.

On the other hand, there were the common folks who were taxed to death* and had little to any voice in the day-to-day affairs of their lives.  They lived under both Roman rule and the corruption of the religious leaders who colluded with the Romans.  By and large, they were poor and angry.  They wanted a King who would defeat the Romans.  Jesus was not that kind of king and so it would be easy for them to say just days later, Crucify him! crucify him! 

The Kingdom of the Messiah is the Kingdom of peace not of war.  The destruction of Rome  would have been child's play for Jesus.  Jesus came to win the war against sin for our salvation.

Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a horse, a symbol of war and conquering, he came on a donkey, a symbol of kingship, peace and humility.  Thus, Jesus was, and is, the misunderstood king.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

*The people of Jesus' day in Palestine not only paid taxes to the Romans, but also, to the Herods and the Temple tax.  Their anger was understandable, but it was one of the factors which prevented them from recognizing the King of kings and Lord of lords.

When Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, announcing who he was, he stopped and wept over Jerusalem and prophesied the destruction of the city and the temple because, "you did not recognize the time of your visitation" (This is only recorded in Luke 19:41-44).  A willful misunderstanding has its consequences.  Prejudice and hate can blind a person to the truth.  It must be understood that a person bears the responsibility for his prejudice and hate.

JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS

He sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.  "If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has need of it.' " (Luke 19:29-31).

. . . the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting; "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."  But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:37-40).

There are critics of all different kinds who have asserted that Jesus never claimed to be the King, but those assertions are false.  Jesus certainly orchestrated the timing of his announcement.  His kingship was far different from what the Jews expected, so the timing of his announcement was extremely important.  The events of the last days before the Crucifixion reveal how this King was received.

What is clear from the testimony of the Bible is that Jesus organized and directed this triumphal entry.  He intended it to be the first announcement that he is King.  He purposely presented himself to be the promised Messiah,  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you;  He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9, Prophesied 500 years before Christ.).

The symbolism of the palm branches*, of his mount, the donkey**,  and the testimony of his disciples reveal  fully what Jesus intended to communicate, he is the King, the Messiah!

If Jesus is the King, what will you do?

Our Father's Love,
Tom

*Palm branches symbolize royalty and victory in ancient history and the Bible.  Revelation 7:9 says that the multitudes who surround the Throne have palm branches in their hands.

**The donkey was the mount of a king riding in peace among his people.  The horse was a symbol of war and conquering.  False messiahs rode horses, but the Prince of peace rode a donkey, symbolic not only that he was the Messiah, but also the nature of his kingdom.

JESUS = LIFE

Jesus said to him, "I am . . . . . . the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Jesus is the creator of all things, including all living things.  There would be no life without Him.  As John's gospel says it, "All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made (1:3).   Jesus is life because He created life in all its diversity.  The infinite size of the universe, the vast array of its wonders and the mind-boggling diversity of life all testify to the power, beauty and love of God, Jesus the Christ.

Jesus is the way of life.   Jesus gave His life as a ransom for us.  We were on "death row" with no way of escape.  Jesus died in our place and now we are able to walk free--the prison cell was opened and now we walk free.  We were doomed to certain death, now we have life in Christ.  If you are not in Christ, you are still on "death row!"  One of the end-time events of which the Bible clearly speaks is the wrath that is to come.  There is no escape apart from Christ.

Jesus is also the way of life because when one follows Him one is not investing in futility.  How quickly life passes by.  My wife, the lovely and gracious Helen, is the family history archivist.  The family pictures testify to the speed of life's passing.  Many pass through life investing only in what makes them feel good, following the desires of body and mind in the present, not investing in eternity.  In a few short years they are forgotten and nothing is left.  In Christ there is the life of salvation, which is an adventure in itself.  It is in the life of salvation that Christ brings us into wholeness.  Christ is not the way of the safe life, but He is the way of the life that is eternal not futile.

When I was a boy, my mom place a plaque on the kitchen wall that I, and I am sure my siblings, still remember.  It said, Only one life will soon be past.  Only what's done for Christ will last.


Our Father's Love,
Tom