John 20: 1-18 He Called My Name!

As the women walked to Jesus' tomb to properly anoint His body, Mary somehow reached it first.  She noticed that the large stone had been rolled away.  Her first thought was that the body had been stolen, so she ran to find Peter and John.  Returning, Peter and John entered the tomb and saw the grave-clothes, still interlaced with burial spices, lying like a collapsed cocoon.  

They saw and believed, "but they did not yet understand that Jesus must rise from the dead."  Peter and John left but Mary stayed behind.  She then saw two angels inside the tomb.  Turning around, she came face to face with Jesus!  He called her name!  Then He told her not to hold on to Him, but to go tell the disciples what she'd seen.  That changed everything for her! 

Jesus, I thank You for showing Yourself to me as well, in spirit.  Thank You for making it abundantly clear that You are definitely in charge of my life.  Help me to show others!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 19:31-42 The New Creation Is Done

The Jews just couldn't have the nastiness of three dead bodies outside their capital city during the major religious holy day of the year, so they went back to Pilate and asked that their deaths be hastened by breaking the legs of those being crucified.  Pilate agreed and the Roman soldiers followed their orders on the other two men, then noticed that Jesus had already died.  He had dismissed His Spirit, because the bones of the Passover Lamb were not to be broken.

"The Roman soldiers did not do what they were commanded to do -- break the victim's legs -- but they did do what they were not supposed to do -- pierce the Savior's side!  In both matters, they fulfilled the very Word of God! ... Our Lord's bones were protected by the Lord.  His side was to be pierced ..."

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea got permission to care for Jesus' body.  They also had somehow gathered 75 pounds of spices to be used when the body was wrapped in linen cloth.  A newly-hewn tomb had also been secured.  These two men had been secret disciples, yet they now stepped up and did what others may have been too afraid to do, with no fear of their fellow Jewish authorities.

"The Sabbath was about to dawn.  Jesus had finished the work of the "new creation", and now He would rest," my commentary said.

Father, I can't imagine the bleakest day in human history!  Thank You for going through it all for us!  Such love!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 19: 17-31 His Crucifixion and Death

My commentary made note of some important facts surrounding Jesus' crucifixion and death.  "The bearing of the cross was a mark of guilt, and Jesus was not guilty ... Pilate wrote:  'This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.'  The chief priests protested the title, but Pilate refused to change it.  It was his final thrust against the Jewish religious establishment.  He knew that the priests and elders envied Jesus and wanted to destroy Him.  A shrewd politician like Pilate well understood the workings of the Jewish religious establishment.  He knew that his placard would insult and embarrass them, and that is exactly what he wanted."

"Mary was experiencing the sword that had been predicted years before (Luke 2:35)" as she watched her son die on the cross.  "Her silence is significant, for if anyone could have rescued Jesus, it was His mother.  All she had to do was announce that His claims were false -- but she said nothing!  What a testimony to the deity of Christ!"

"Jesus' death was not an accident; it was a divine appointment.  He was not murdered in the strictest sense:  He willingly gave His life for us.  His death was an atonement, not just an example.  He actually accomplished the work of redemption on the cross."

Father, despite everything these people did to trip up Your Son, You were totally in control.  I cherish Your sovereignty and power and I am so glad You are in control of my life.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 19: 8-16 Blinded Leaders

The Jewish leaders had told Pilate that their law said Jesus must die because He said He was the Son of God.  Being familiar with the Roman pantheon of gods, it's very likely that Pilate became quite afraid, my commentary said.  And when we're afraid, we often try to appear strong.  Pilate tried to pull that with Jesus to get Him to talk, saying, "Don't you know I have the power to set you free and power to have you crucified?"  And Jesus answered confidently, "The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God."

Pilate apparently tried multiple times and multiple ways of freeing Jesus, but at every turn the Jewish leaders hemmed him in, finally saying he was no friend of Caesar's if he did free Jesus!  It is stunning to see these religious leaders of that time trying everything in their power to use their oppressors to get rid of Jesus!

Father, please keep me from ever being blinded again in this way.  Thank You for not giving up on me and for bringing me back into Your fold.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 19:1-7 It's Not About Moral Influence

My commentary has much to say about these seven verses.  There was a "moral influence theory" Pilate seemed to be employing, thinking that if he caused Jesus to be beaten, the Jewish and Gentile crowds would be moved to turn from sin and not want Him killed ... It takes more than human sentiment to bring the lost sinner to salvation.. If sinners who actually saw Christ in His suffering did not repent, what hope is there for people twenty centuries later who only read about His agonies?"  We're not that humane.

"The cross involves much more than an exhibition of innocent suffering.  On that cross, the Son of God paid the price for the sins of the world and thereby declared the love of God and defended the holiness and justice of God.  We are not saved by feeling pity for Jesus.  We are saved by repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus, the sinless substitute.  If Christ was not actually doing something by His death, then we are confronted with a piece of showmanship, nothing more."

"We must not confuse sentimentality with true spiritual emotion.  It is one thing to shed tears during a church service and quite something else to sacrifice, suffer, and serve after the meeting has ended.  We do not simply contemplate the cross; we carry it."

Father, I know that I felt true spiritual emotion when You led me on the long journey to adopt and raise my sons.  Help me now to separate sentimentality from true spiritual emotion in the future.  Lead me not to just contemplate the cross, but to carry it. 

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 18:28-40 Echoes In America Today

I can't help but compare the Jewish leaders at that time to what's going on right now in American politics.  But as you read this, understand that I am not comparing our president to Christ.  I am only comparing those attacking him to these Jewish leaders.

Those leaders saw Jesus as a political rival who would most likely unseat them from power, so they began surveillance to gather any shreds of evidence.  They looked for ways to somehow play all the good He was doing as somehow sinful, such as His healing on the Sabbath.  

The official charges they'd brought to the Romans were that "He had led the nation astray, He opposed paying tribute to Caesar, and He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah and king," my commentary said.  "He had not subverted the nation, either politically or religiously ... Jesus had blessed the nation and brought them new hope.  As for opposing paying tribute to Caesar, He taught just the opposite!  'Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.'  He did claim to be King but not in a political sense."

"The Jewish religious leaders were groping for any piece of evidence they could find on which they could build a case, and they were even willing to secure false witnesses."

Sounds like Washington, DC today.  My commentary was published 12 years ago, but the individual commentaries for each book go back prior to the 1990's!  How prescient that we read, "But when a mob is manipulated by crafty leaders, in an atmosphere of patriotic fervor, it loses itself and starts to think with its feelings instead of its brains.  Their condemning vote said nothing about the Son of God, but it said a great deal about them."

Father, only You know the whole truth about our country's problems today.  Please lead us to remove from power, through only the ballot box, anyone who cares more about their own jobs and power than they do about our nation.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 18:15-27 The Fire

My commentary said that in these verses fire is a symbol of denial.  "Peter followed the crowd when he should have been fleeing.  Had he gone his way, he would never have denied the Lord ... he walked right into temptation.  This is what Jesus had warned him about in the garden."

As Psalm 1:1 mentioned, my commentary concluded, "First, Peter walked in the counsel of the ungodly when he ... went into the high priest's courtyard.  Then he stood with the enemy by the fire, and before long he sat with the enemy."  Three times he was asked if he was one of Jesus' disciples and three times he said no.

Amazingly, "the crowing of the cock was assurance to Peter that Jesus was totally in control of the situation, even though He was bound and being harassed by the authorities.  By controlling one bird, Jesus affirmed His sovereignty," my commentary explained.

Father, though I'd read this before, it didn't hit me like it does now.  I'm blown away by the fact that Jesus was enduring everything the authorities did to Him and still was well aware of what Peter was doing outside and that He caused the cock to crow at just the right moment!  Help me to be assured that You are in control of my own life to that degree!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

John 18:10-14 Peter's Attack

Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, as the soldiers made ready to arrest Jesus in the garden.  My commentary brought out some interesting observations:

"Peter's sword symbolizes rebellion against the will of God.  Peter should have known that Jesus would be arrested and that He would willingly surrender to His enemies.  Peter made every mistake possible!  He fought the wrong enemy, used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive, and accomplished the wrong result.  He was openly resisting the will of God and hindering the work that Jesus came to accomplish."

Father, please take me out of Your way if You find me doing something against Your will.  Show me how You want me to serve and enable me to do so correctly.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford