Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 2
Miraculous Moments
In Christ there is all of God in a human body.
Colossians 2:9 (TLB)
Jesus was not a godlike man, not a manlike God. He was God-man.
Midwifed by a carpenter.
Bathed by a peasant girl.
The maker of the world with a bellybutton.
The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.
Heaven's human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, double-blink, what's-wrong-with-this-picture? moments like these:
A cripple sponsoring the town dance.
A sack lunch satisfying five thousand tummies.
What do we do with such moments?
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?
One thing is certain, we can't ignore him.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1 It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death. 2 They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.
3 Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said. "I handed over a man who is not guilty."
"What do we care?" they replied. "That's your problem."
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "It's against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man's death." 7 So they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field. People from other countries would be buried there. 8 That is why it has been called The Field of Blood to this very day. 9 Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, "They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. 10 They used the coins to buy a potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me."—(Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1?13; 32:6?9)
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
11 Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
12 But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the charges they are bringing against you?"
14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.
15 It was the governor's practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 16 At that time they had a well?known prisoner named Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.
21 "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.
22 "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23 "Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
24 Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. "I am not guilty of this man's death," he said. "You are accountable for that!"
25 All the people answered, "We and our children will accept the guilt for his death!"
26 Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
27 The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. 29 Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. "We honor you, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again.
31 After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
32 On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull. 34 There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it.
35 When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 They sat down and kept watch over him there.
37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, ~this is jesus, the king of the jews.=
38 Two robbers were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.
39 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads 40 and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42 "He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He's the one who said, 'I am the Son of God.' "
44 In the same way the robbers who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus Dies
45 From noon until three o'clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46 About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"—(Psalm 22:1)
47 Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, "He's calling for Elijah."
48 Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50 After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.
51 At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. 52 Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.
54 The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, "He was surely the Son of God!"
55 Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. 56 Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Jesus Is Buried
57 As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.
61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.
The Guards at the Tomb
62 The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first."
65 "Take some guards with you," Pilate answered. "Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Genesis 2:16-17
16 The Lord God gave the man a command. He said, "You can eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden. 17 But you must not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you can be sure that you will die."
Genesis 3:1-8
Adam and Eve Fall Into Sin
1 The serpent was more clever than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden. 3 But God did say, 'You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.' "
4 "You can be sure that you won't die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God."
6 The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it.
7 Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
July 2, 2009
The Choice
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READ: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-8
Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. —Genesis 2:16-17
I watched as a young mother tried to get her 2-year-old child to make a choice. “You can have fish or chicken,” she told him. She limited his choice to just two because he was too young to understand beyond that. Choice often allows a wider variety of options, and it also must allow the person to reject the choices.
Adam and Eve were in the best possible environment. God had given them freedom to eat of all the trees in Eden. He drew the boundary lines around only one tree! They had a choice, and it should have been a no-brainer to choose wisely. But their choice was tragic.
Some blame God for what they see as His restrictions. They may even accuse Him of trying to control their lives. But God gives us a choice, just as He did Adam and Eve.
Yes, God draws boundary lines, but they are for our protection. David understood this. He wrote, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . . I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word” (Ps. 119:98-101).
God cares so much about us that He gives us boundary lines so that we will choose what is right. — C. P. Hia
Lord, help us to obey Your Word,
To heed Your still, small voice;
And may we not be swayed by men,
But make Your will our choice. —D. De Haan
God’s commandments were given to fulfill us, not to frustrate us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 2, 2009
The Conditions of Discipleship
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READ:
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has "poured out in our hearts" the very "love of God" (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Spare Parts - #5864
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Okay, let's use our imagination. I'm going to buy a new car, and I'm going to pay for it with cash in full. That's lots of imagination we're talking here. I pay Mr. Dealer $20,000 for the new car, and he tells me it will be there in two weeks. Those two weeks crawl by like a turtle, but finally the day comes when I can show up for my hot new wheels. I shake hands with the dealer, and he says, "Hey, I'll be right back!" A few minutes later he comes out, carrying a big box. He sees my bewildered expression. He says, "Here it is. Go ahead. Open the box." I do, and inside I find inside two new hubcaps, a new carburetor, and a new steering wheel. This dealer and I have a problem! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Spare Parts."
I'm going to tell that dealer in no uncertain terms, "I paid the whole price! I should get the whole product, not just your spare parts!" Jesus knows that feeling. A lot of us have tried to fulfill our commitment to Him by giving Him the spare parts of our life that we don't really care that much about. But He paid the whole price for us when He poured out His life for us. He should get what He paid for.
And Jesus isn't any more impressed with getting spare parts than we are. You can tell from our word for today from the Word of God in Malachi 1, beginning with verse 6. God's people in that day worshiped Him by bringing spotless livestock as atonement for their sin. And God says, "'It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My name.' But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for Your name?'...'When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?'" God goes on to tell them that they might as well shut the temple doors and that all their religious exercises are (in God's words) "useless."
It's very clear that God isn't impressed with sacrifices that cost us nothing with the spare parts of our life that don't matter that much to us anyway. But far too many of us try to get by with what I call selective Lordship. We may sing, "I surrender all," but we live, "I surrender some." And while the Christians around us may be impressed with our spirituality, God says, "You're giving me your spare parts and you're holding on to the important things for yourself."
And honestly, that is an insult to Jesus - the one who held back nothing as He paid your eternal death penalty. He paid for all of you. Are you hanging onto your business, your finances, your love life, your entertainment, that wrong relationship, or that sinful attitude or way of doing things? What parts of your life can't Jesus have and why? Because you love it more than you love Jesus? Because you don't think you can trust Him with the stuff that really matters; you can't trust the Man who gave His life for you?
When David had a chance to get for free the land that God commanded him to acquire, he said to the owner, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" (2 Samuel 24:24). David knew you don't try to get off cheap with God, because cheap is basically worthless when it comes to giving to the Lord our God.
So what's it going to be in your relationship with Jesus Christ, your spare parts, or your whole life? Jesus paid the whole, awful price for you. Shouldn't He get all of you?
