Tag Archives: why?

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHY? – 57

Bible Study, ,

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHY? – 57

“For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was arrested, tried, and found guilty in a Jewish court, handed over to a Gentile, Pilate, to carry out their sentence. Why did Pilate declare Him innocent after questioning Him but sentence Him to death anyway? 

Did Pilate act according to his findings, according to the truth, according to his conscience? Why did he have an innocent man flogged to the point of death? Was that justice? Was that the way the representative of Rome governed in a Roman colony?

Why did Pilate cave in to the demands of the Jewish leaders and the Jewish public? Who was really in charge? Was he afraid of the people, concerned about saving his own skin, worried about  the consequences if he released Jesus…a riot, an insurrection, the collapse of law and order? Was he in danger of losing his position if the situation got out of hand?

So, Pilate’s decision was, in the end, all about himself. 

He was known to be a cruel and ruthless man.

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It seems that Pilate’s dealings with the Jews do not paint a picture of a just man or a wise ruler. So, could anyone expect anything different from him in Jesus’ case? His defence of Jesus was weak and unconvincing… even his wife warned him but he ignored her…and he quickly absolved himself of guilt, and to get rid of his problem, by washing his hands of his own decision. 

Does this mean that Jesus was crucified because of Pilate’s bad judgment ? 

If we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, we will see that the guilt was never Pilate’s alone. We can trace the reason for Jesus’ death right back  to Genesis 3. From the moment the first pair changed allegiance from their Creator to the deceiver, and the whole human race with them, it was for the sin of the whole world that God demanded the death penalty, and the mercy of God that chose to pay the price Himself.  

So, God orchestrated Jesus’ death…and the way it would happen…but, at the same time, He holds humanity responsible for the choices that brought about His Son’s death. 

This is the mystery of God’s sovereignty! Centuries before, Isaiah prophesied…

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and Peter confirmed, on the day of Pentecost…

“This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why, then, did Jesus suffer in such a terrible manner? Why did Pilate have Him flogged, and condemn Him to death, when he knew that Jesus was innocent? Why did the Roman soldiers drive nails through Jesus’ hands and feet and a sword into His side? Why did the naked body of the sinless Son God have to hang on a Roman cross in the blazing sun for all to see?

For us! We put Him there. The Jews, the Gentiles, the whole world put Him on that cross for one reason… we owed a debt we could not pay…and Jesus chose to pay it for us. 

Those who carried out the sentence were the hands and feet that did it for the whole world so that the whole can share in the blessing of forgiveness and the new life Jesus’ death provides for those who believe. 

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHY? – 14

Bible Study, ,

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭46‬-‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How true to human nature!  We hear…we listen…we agree…and then we carry on with our lives as though the counsel was never heard! No wonder then, that Jesus asked the question that has no answer…

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

We respond like someone who has been warned that there is a precipice ahead but continues on to disaster because he did not heed the warning. 

Jesus told His story on the grounds, not that storms might happen to us in life but that they will happen. No human is immune from the disasters that are an inevitable part of life. The issue is…what have we done to prepare for such events? We cannot start building strong foundations for our lives in the middle of a storm!

The stability of the superstructure depends on its foundation. To change the metaphor, a huge tree depends on the depth and strength of its root system to survive storms. 

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ NIV

The roots of our lives, the strength of a building, depends on what lies beneath the surface. Our foundation must be far deeper than mere “faith”. Some people use the expression, “Have faith…” as though faith in itself is sufficient protection against adversity. Faith must have a solid, immovable structure to which it clings to be of any benefit. 

Jesus made it clear that our trust must be anchored securely to Him and centred in what He has taught us. 

“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.”

On one occasion, He said to some who had believed in Him…

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ teaching is the solid, immovable truth to which we must anchor our faith. His teaching, in turn, is the utterance from His mouth and has its source in who He is. His words, in turn, are the words of the Father, above whom there is no greater authority, who speaks the words that Jesus speaks. 

With such a solid foundation, no storm can ever destroy a child of God. His promises support and protect us against every threat and every catastrophe, and we, His children become witnesses to His grace. 

To be continued…

One Take, the Other Left

Christian life, Christian Life, , ,

ONE TAKEN, THE OTHER LEFT

“‘On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing — one taken, the other left. Two women will be working in the same kitchen — one taken, the other left.

“Trying to take this all in, the disciples said, ‘Master, where?’

“He told them, ‘Watch for the circling of the vultures. They’ll spot the corpse first. The action will begin around my dead body.'” Luke 17:34-37 (The Message).

The ‘left behind’ theory, that it will be the unbelievers who will be left behind to be destroyed with the earth by fire, has captured the imagination of Christian writers, producing a flood of novels and teachings that bring this theory to life for the reading public. It may be an interesting subject for a good story but is it true to Scripture?

There are two aspects to the teachings of Scripture that we must examine. Firstly, who will be ‘left behind’ and why? This is tied up with God’s intention for the earth and for the human race. Is it His intention to destroy the earth and start all over again?

God created the earth as a perfect dwelling place for man. His intention was that He would come and dwell with humans, blending heaven and earth together in a union of perfect love and harmony where men would rule the earth under God.

Man was put on probation to see whether he would worship and obey God because he loved Him. Man was lured away by the temptation to be his own boss and set up his own rules. This disrupted the unity between him and his Creator and resulted in the introduction of chaos on the earth.

This chaos and the wickedness of men increased until God had no option but to put an end to it. What did He do? He caused a flood which did not destroy the earth; it destroyed the entire wicked human race except for eight people who were kept alive in a boat, together with the animals that would reproduce and replenish the earth.

Why did God not just wipe out everything and start again? Because that was not His way. Because of who He is, He did not abandon His original purpose but set in motion a plan of redemption, when Adam rebelled against Him in the beginning, that would reveal to all of creation the greatness of His mercy and grace.

He rescued Noah and his family through the very waters that destroyed the rest of the human race. The ark that Noah built was the means of their salvation, sheltering them from the wrath of God as a picture of Jesus in whom we are sheltered from the wrath of God that will fall on disobedient mankind. God did not take Noah and his family out. They were ‘left behind’ when He took out all the wicked through the flood.

Secondly, how will the earth be ‘destroyed’? This is how Peter describes it: “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:12b, 13 (NIV).

At face value, it seems as though Peter is talking about literal fire and literal destruction. However, we must understand this in the context of God’s power. God works by the power of His word. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6 (NIV). His word is not only creative but destructive – “‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces.'” Jeremiah 23:29 (NIV).

We must also examine meaning of the word ‘elements’ – ‘the elements will melt in the heat.’ Paul uses the same word in his letter to the Galatians (4:9b) which is translated ‘weak and miserable principles’ and in Colossians 2:8 ‘hollow and deceptive philosophy’.
Both Peter and Paul are speaking of the godless philosophies by which people live rather than the truth which Jesus came to reveal.

When we put this together, it throws a different light on what has been written about the ‘end of the world’. When Jesus returns, He will purify the earth, by the power of His word, of all those who refused to submit to Him and believe the truth He came to bring. The earth will be purged of the corruption that came with Adam’s rebellion and will be renewed to its original perfection. God will make His dwelling with men in perfect unity and man will rule over the earth in obedience to Him.

One Taken, The Other Left…

Christian Life, , ,

ONE TAKEN, THE OTHER LEFT

“‘On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing — one taken, the other left. Two women will be working in the same kitchen — one taken, the other left.

“Trying to take this all in, the disciples said, ‘Master, where?’

“He told them, ‘Watch for the circling of the vultures. They’ll spot the corpse first. The action will begin around my dead body.'” Luke 17:34-37 (The Message).

The ‘left behind’ theory, that it will be the unbelievers who will be left behind to be destroyed with the earth by fire, has captured the imagination of Christian writers, producing a flood of novels and teachings that bring this theory to life for the reading public. It may be an interesting subject for a good story but is it true to Scripture?

There are two aspects to the teachings of Scripture that we must examine. Firstly, who will be ‘left behind’ and why? This is tied up with God’s intention for the earth and for the human race. Is it His intention to destroy the earth and start all over again?

God created the earth as a perfect dwelling place for man. His intention was that He would come and dwell with humans, blending heaven and earth together in a union of perfect love and harmony where men would rule the earth under God.

Man was put on probation to see whether he would worship and obey God because he loved Him. Man was lured away by the temptation to be his own boss and set up his own rules. This disrupted the unity between him and his Creator and resulted in the introduction of chaos on the earth.

This chaos and the wickedness of men increased until God had no option but to put an end to it. What did He do? He caused a flood which did not destroy the earth; it destroyed the entire wicked human race except for eight people who were kept alive in a boat, together with the animals that would reproduce and replenish the earth.

Why did God not just wipe out everything and start again? Because that was not His way. Because of who He is, He did not abandon His original purpose but set in motion a plan of redemption, when Adam rebelled against Him in the beginning, that would reveal to all of creation the greatness of His mercy and grace.

He rescued Noah and his family through the very waters that destroyed the rest of the human race. The ark that Noah built was the means of their salvation, sheltering them from the wrath of God as a picture of Jesus in whom we are sheltered from the wrath of God that will fall on disobedient mankind. God did not take Noah and his family out. They were ‘left behind’ when He took out all the wicked through the flood.

Secondly, how will the earth be ‘destroyed’? This is how Peter describes it: “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:12b, 13 (NIV).

At face value, it seems as though Peter is talking about literal fire and literal destruction. However, we must understand this in the context of God’s power. God works by the power of His word. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6 (NIV). His word is not only creative but destructive – “‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces.'” Jeremiah 23:29 (NIV).

We must also examine meaning of the word ‘elements’ – ‘the elements will melt in the heat.’ Paul uses the same word in his letter to the Galatians (4:9b) which is translated ‘weak and miserable principles’ and in Colossians 2:8 ‘hollow and deceptive philosophy’.
Both Peter and Paul are speaking of the godless philosophies by which people live rather than the truth which Jesus came to reveal.

When we put this together, it throws a different light on what has been written about the ‘end of the world’. When Jesus returns, He will purify the earth, by the power of His word, of all those who refused to submit to Him and believe the truth He came to bring. The earth will be purged of the corruption that came with Adam’s rebellion and will be renewed to its original perfection. God will make His dwelling with men in perfect unity and man will rule over the earth in obedience to Him.