Why did Jesus not want to go to the Cross?

Do you know why Jesus did not want to go to the cross? This is not a trick question. I'm not purposefully trying to mislead. There's no extra semantics behind these words. I'm asking if you understand why it was that Jesus did not want to go to the cross.

On the night before Jesus died He and His disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane. In that garden Jesus went away from His disciples, so that He could pray. As it is recorded in the Word of God, there is only one thing Jesus prayed that night. We read about it in the gospel of Matthew where it says, "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will"" (26:39). Jesus prayed this same prayer three times (Matthew 26:42, 44). The gospel of Luke writes about this same prayer describing the anguish and the physical pain in which Jesus was, as He prayed. We read in Luke chapter 22 from verses 39 to 44:

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

The name Gethsemane means "to press," and it was in that garden
where Jesus was pressed so much His blood dripped out.

Jesus prayed in such anguish that His Father sent an angel to comfort Him. He was so distraught by what was about to happen that He began to sweat blood. This is a rare medical condition known as hematidrosis, and studies state it occurs in someone when their "fight or flight" instinct is deeply triggered; when someone is warring against their urge to escape from turmoil. What turmoil did Jesus struggle to face? It was the cup that He prayed would be taken from Him (Mark 14:36). It was His death that He prophesied (John 12:31-33). It was the cross.

Why did Jesus not want to go to the cross? If we think about the cross as simply the way in which Jesus died, this question doesn't make much sense. Jesus Himself said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25), so it seems bizarre (even somewhat hypocritical) that Jesus would not want to die. He knew that His death would not be the end of His life, because "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16), and who could have believed in Jesus more than Himself? Jesus even spoke through parables that when a righteous man dies they are immediately brought up to heaven (Luke 16:22), and Jeus knew after He died He would be going to heaven (Luke 23:43). Moreso it appears foolish for Jesus to be afraid of His death to the point of wanting to not suffer, as it was Him who said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). So, what's going on here?

What's going on is that Jesus was a human; fully God and fully man (Hebrews 2:17). Humans are afflicted with temptation, and every temptation appeals to a human's sinful desires, the desires of the flesh. Scripture says, "the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want" (Galatians 5:17), and Jesus' flesh and Spirit were in conflict that night. His flesh wanted so much to run away from the cross and not look back, but His Spirit warred against those earthly desires for the sake of His Father's desires, for "it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer," (Isaiah 53:10a). Understand it was God's will for His one and only son to not only die on a cross but suffer every last torment and blow Jesus endured all through the night, into the morning and then to conclude on the afternoon of Good Friday. Thank God that His will was accomplished that day. Praise the Lord and Savior of the world that He did not run away, but instead conquered the desires of His flesh so that He could stay and endure all the pain, evil and anguish of His death until at last He could cry, "It is finished," (John 19:30).

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

- The Seldom Scene

Because Jesus did not flee from the cross, what did He suffer? You see, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was like no other death in history (past, present or future). Even if someone were to endure the same physical pain that was unjustly brought upon Jesus (which includes being flogged (Matthew 27:26), having His head pierced with thorns (John 19:2), having His bones pulled out of joint (Psalm 22:14), being stricken so much that His bones were visible (Psalm 22:17)), they still would not, nor could they ever endure what was the true nature of all of Jesus' pain. It is written in the Scriptures that anyone who hangs upon a cross is cursed (Deuteronomy 21:23), and the curse Jesus faced was like no other.

The pain Jesus suffered on the cross had no word for it at the time,
so a new word was created to describe Christ's suffering, and that
word is excruciating, which in Latin means "out of the Cross".

To understand the true curse Jesus was under on the cross, we have to examine the cup that Jesus prayed would pass from Him. This cup did not first appear in the Biblical texts at Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane. It appeared hundreds of years before back in the Old Testament. There was a prophet named Jeremiah to whom the LORD spoke, and one day He told Jeremiah, "Take from My hand this cup filled with the wine of My wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them" (Jeremiah 25:15-16). Jeremiah writes that he did take that cup to all of the kings of Israel and the neighboring nations, yet none of them could drink it. The kings knew to drink it would "make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn, a curse," (Jeremiah 25:18). God said that anyone who did not drink it, would be told to drink it and if they did not drink it they would not go unpunished (Jeremiah 25:27-29). It is written in the Scriptures, "In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; He pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs" (Psalm 75:8). None of the kings to which the cup was given could drink it, and so all the nations were punished.

That cup from God's hand was God's wrath against sin, and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Following death those who are wicked will be sent away from the goodness of God and into a place known as hell (Luke 13:28). God does not turn a blind eye to sin, and so it is wise to say, "God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed," (Ecclesiastes 3:17). Whoever God judges a sinner is one who will be under His wrath, as surely as it is written, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness," (Romans 1:18). We are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We all deserve God's wrath. We all deserve to drink God's cup, yet none of us can.

It was the Father's will that the cup of His wrath should be given in full
to His son, so that no one else would have to drink it, which is
mercy and grace like none of us could ever know apart from God.

Who is it who has drank this cup, so that no one else will have to? Who is it who suffered the fullness of God's wrath, so that no human will have to endure it? What man took on such pain, torment and anguish that no man has ever experienced nor will ever experience? Who did this, so that we could be set free from our sin debt to God? Who is it?

It is Jesus the Christ who died to take upon the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), so that anyone who believes in Him shall never be under the punishment of God (Romans 8:1-2). It was for our sake that "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God," (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is Jesus Christ alone!

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live.

- Stuart Townend

Believe in Jesus Christ's life and sacrifice for you, so that you may live. Know that "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them," (John 3:36). This is the love God has shown us through the cross. It is written, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (Romans 5:8-9).

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Got Questions: The Cup Jesus Drank
• WebMD: Hematidrosis
• That the World May Know: Gethsemane Meaning
• Johnny Cash: Were you There
• Truth Chasers: Excruciating
• Open Bible Info: God's Wrath Poured out on Jesus
• Newsboys: In Christ Alone

John 12:13 "Hosanna!"

 

John 12:13

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, “Hosanna!”

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the King of Israel!”

In the time when Jesus lived on earth, He was adored and well known by many people (to say the least). After His multiple year long ministry of preaching, healing and performing miracles, Jesus and His disciples made their way to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. When Jesus entered in through the city gates, He was riding on a donkey and many people came to see Him. They laid down palm branches and their cloaks before Jesus (Matthew 21:8). The massive crowds going before and following Jesus shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" (Matthew 21:9). The crowds were so loud and massive that the entire city of Jerusalem was stirred and everyone was asking who it was who had entered into their city (Matthew 21:10). The crowds answered these people, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee" (Matthew 21:11).

This is a beautiful historical image; one that we find in all four of the gospels. What a glorious sight it must have been to see the crowds singing praise to Jesus. What a marvel it must have been to hear them all shout blessings to Him. What power their words must have had to stir up every single person in the city. What a display it must have been.

So, why did all of this happen? What does it mean?

To understand the significance of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we have to look further back into history; hundreds of years back. Long before Jesus was born, there was a priest living in Judah in the time after the Babylonians returned the Jewish people to their shambled homeland. This priest was Zechariah. He received prophecies from the LORD. One of God's most famous prophecies given through Zechariah is found in the book of Zechariah in chapter 9 from verse 9 to 13:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your King comes to you,

    righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will take away the chariots from Ephraim

    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,

    and the battle bow will be broken.

He will proclaim peace to the nations.

    His rule will extend from sea to sea

    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you, because of the blood of My covenant with you,

    I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;

    even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow

    and fill it with Ephraim.

I will rouse your sons, Zion,

    against your sons, Greece,

    and make you like a warrior’s sword.

When the Jewish people living in a distraught post-exilic Israel heard this prophecy, various phrases likely stood out to them. They would have rejoiced to hear that a new King from the line of David is coming to them (9:9). All they have to look for to recognize Him is that He will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey; particularly a young newly born (likely never before ridden). The Jewish people would have also taken note that this King will take away every nation's cries for battle (9:10a). This King will make peace between every nation with a limitless rule (9:10b). The people of Israel to whom God was faithful would see their prisoners set free and all their captive warriors would return back to Israel's fortresses (9:11-12). Lastly, God was going to raise up their nation for battle; their nation of Judah was going to be used like God's bow and all of Israel would become God's arrows in His quiver (9:13). God said He would sling these arrows against Greece; the foreign kings in control of Judah and Israel. God promised the Jewish people that He would make them like a sword and use them to take on the entire nation of Greece (Who do you think would win in that fight; men or God?). 

This is a powerful prophecy given by God, and The Jewish people knew that God is faithful to His word. God has told Israel time and time again, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen" (Isaiah 14:24). What God says will happen is going to happen. Even Zechariah told Israel that the LORD does as He determines to do (Zechariah 1:6b). This prophecy will come true.

Jump ahead hundreds of years to a morning marking the start of the week leading to Passover (the most important celebration to the Jewish people). Jesus was with His disciples and He sent two of them to a nearby village to go "find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her," and Jesus told them, "Untie them and bring them to me" (Matthew 21:2). Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and He will send them right away.” (Matthew 21:3). 

You can imagine how the people who saw the disciples coming to them for a donkey and her colt responded, when they were told that the Lord needs them. They might have thought, "Well, the Lord means our King, and the last time we were told that our King would need a young colt would be to ride on into Jerusalem. And if our King is about to ride into Jerusalem on a colt, then that means that He will be a son of David, which means He will come to fulfil all of the prophecies Zechariah mentioned about a great ceasefire and battling Greece and Rome and... I gotta get to Jerusalem right away!"

In modern day Jerusalem many believers gather on Palm Sunday in large crowds
 at the place where the city gates once stood in celebration of Jesus' Triumphal Entry.

Word spread fast about this joyous news, and soon massive crowds (plural) were gathering outside and inside Jerusalem. The people in the crowds brought palm branches and their cloaks to lay them down before their King as He entered into Jerusalem, just like their ancestors did with the Jewish kings of old (2 Kings 9:13). When they saw Jesus really arriving into Jerusalem definitely riding on a young never before riden colt (you could tell it was so young, because its mother was with it), they started to shout praises saying, "ὡσαννά!" (hosanna), which is a phrase of adoration meaning, "Oh, Save!" or "Save us now!" The Jewish people were crying out to Jesus saying "Save us!" and they knew Zechariah's prophecy so they mainly meant, "Save us from our enemies of Greece and Rome!"

Again, I will say to have been a part of this moment must have been overwhelming and beautiful...and yet...yet it was rather hollow.

You see, the Jewish people praising Jesus saw Him as their next King from the line of David (Matthew 1:17). They saw Him as their new powerful ruler; an unconquerable one at that (John 10:17-18). They saw Him as their savior from their enemies of the earth (Psalm 57:6). They saw Him as the one who would raise them up to be an unstoppable army (John 1:5). All that is true; it's absolutely Biblically true... but the people who believed only these things missed sight of the greatest thing Jesus had come to do; something that would make all of those wonderful things infinitely more glorious.

Many who saw Jesus did not recognize His true reason for coming,
 because their hearts and minds were blinded by God (John 12:40).

The Jewish people back then, like us believers, were fond of appreciating one part of Scripture but also separating it from its surrounding verses. To read Zechariah's prophecy from chapter 9 alone misses the greater context and meaning behind it. If you read the first section of Zechariah in chapter 1 from verses 2 to 6 you will be able to read what God Himself says is the context behind His words in the book of Zechariah:

"The Lord was very angry with your [Judah's] ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to Me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the Lord. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not My words and my decrees, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?"

What we read here from the mouth of God is that the prophecies of Zechariah were given because God was angry with His people, because they did not listen to His prophets and they did not obey His commands. Instead God's chosen people chose to commit evil practices, sin. Following this, Zechariah writes down the visions He receives: God measuring Jerusalem, the priests receiving clean garments, bowls representing God's Word, and a flying scroll signifying a curse on the house of anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD (Zechariah chapters 2 through 5).

What does all this mean? It means the King is coming. He is coming, because His holy city of Jerusalem does not measure up to His standard of perfection; it is filled with sin (Ezekiel 9:9). He is coming to clothe those who follow Him in righteousness, so that they will not have their sins on them anymore (Revelation 22:14). He is coming to proclaim His Word and the words of God to all people (John 12:49). He is coming so that those who blaspheme His name will be put under a curse (John 15:22). The King is coming to save His people not just from their enemies (Matthew 6:13). He is coming to save people from their sins (Romans 6:23).

Make a way for the King

The King is coming

- Newsboys

Yes, Jesus is our King, a son of David, an unconquerable ruler, and the one who raises up His people to be an unstoppable army for His namesake, but above all of this Jesus is our Savior, the Messiah.

You see, it was not impossible for any other human entering Jerusalem on a donkey to be a son of David who would someday become king, appear to be an undefeated force, rule with power making peace between the nations and rise up and defeat the Greeks and the Romans. If God willed it so that a human would have the right heritage, courage, power and tenacity to do all that, then that would have happened. That was not God's desire though. God's desire was to do something impossible by human means. God could not have willed any man, any born sinner under the curse of Adam (Romans 5:12), to come to Jerusalem and be the one who could save and forgive sins, but it was God's desire for the world to be forgiven. No man can forgive sins; no ordinary man can save us from the unimaginable weight of our guilt before God. Only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:10), and that is who came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. He was the one who would bear the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:6). He was God in flesh (Isaiah 7:14). He was and is our Messiah.

Jesus came to Jerusalem the first time on a donkey,
 but the next time will be on a white horse, and all those
 He has saved will be with Him (Revelation 19:11-16).

This is the great magnificence and beauty behind Jesus' fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy. Israel, which includes those living in Israel and those who have been saved through Christ (Romans 2:28-29), should rejoice when they see Jesus enter Jerusalem, because it proves that He has victory over the power of sin (Zechariah 9:9). He will be faithful to His people and He will free them from the waterless pit of hell (Zechariah 9:11). He will make His people like a sword against the evil in this world (Zechariah 9:13), so that they may go to the far reaches of the earth and fight the lofty sinful opinions (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) of those opposed to Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of sins (1 Corinthians 2:2).

On Palm Sunday we believers cry out to God, "Hosanna!"; "Save us now!" We cry out knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ is our Messiah; the Savior from sin. We sing praise and worship God in the highest with our voices, because we know it is assured, "If we confess our sins [to God], He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Hosanna!, hosanna!

You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises

Hosanna!, hosanna!

Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

-Brenton Brown

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• BibleStudyTools: 30 Verses on Palm Sunday
• BibleHub: Hosanna
• OpenBibleInfo: Jesus Saves us from Sins
• Newsboys - The King is Coming
• WWUTT: Has the Church replaced Israel?
• Brenton Brown - Hosanna (Praise is Rising)

What does the Bible say about Understanding Emotions?

When the world attempts to explain any unseen aspect of humanity, count on the world utterly botching up their explanation. Those who are in and of the world have such a limited and hopelessly flawed understanding of what they cannot see, because they refuse to understand what is unseen through the lense of the God who sees everything. They instead try to wrap their infantile minds around things outside of their understanding, without consulting the wisdom and love of their much older Father in heaven. Doing this not only breaks God's heart, but it also breaks things down here on earth.

Here's an example of the broken world failing to understand the unseen: There's a trailer that came out a few days ago for the next installment in an "adult" video game franchise. Before I continue this post, my personal request is that my readers not play any of this franchise's games. (The first one was all about normalizing feelings of hopelessnes, especially through the "christian" character who commits suicide. The second one romanticizes what is an abomination to God. Leave these games alone.) In the trailer for the next installment in this video game franchise, the main character says that they have a secret super power; something supposedly only they can do. According to the trailer, The main character has the incredible, uncanny super powered ability to... "know what other people are feeling."

Really? That's a super power? Oh sure, when the girl in the game senses other people's feelings they have a colored aura around them, and she can see stylized images of strange things, but the main gist of her power really is, "I know what other people are feeling." I'm sure to the depraved world understanding another person's emotions is a wild fantasy, but to the children of God it's not a dream. In fact, it's part of a command.

Understanding other people's emotions might seem like an abstract concept
to the world, but it's not so bizarre to the Christian mindset.

Biblically speaking, understanding another person's emotions is a part of being a Christian. Taking an interest in another person's emotional state is known as empathizing, and the Bible strongly encourages empathizing. Paul wrote to believers that they should "rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). How could we do that, if we could not understand what other people are feeling? We, as Christians, are called to emotionally connect with others. When we connect emotionally with someone so much that we begin to feel what they are feeling, that is known as sympathizing with someone. Paul wrote to believers that they are to sympathize with others, which is to "carry each other’s burdens, and in this way [they] will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Understanding another person's emotions is a prerequisite to obeying God's law.

So, do we gain the ability to understand another person's emotions through peculiar and unexplained means? No. There's a logical explanation behind the "power" of understanding emotions. You see, when someone becomes a follower of Christ, they receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). Through the power of the Spirit of Truth, a Christian, will be able to understand what is true. Scripture says that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit will have their eyes and ears opened (Isaiah 35:5). Anyone who is not in Christ is spiritually blind and deaf, and they have no hope on their own of being able to understand what is right in front of their nose. Those who follow Christ can understand the unseen things of heaven as they are written down in the Bible. They can also better understand things on earth; in the case of this post, emotions.

Those who have received the Holy Spirit and have had their eyes
opened to the Truth are indeed filled with great joy and gladness (Hebrews 1:9).

If someone wants to empathize or sympathize with another, they need to understand the truth behind what someone is feeling. In order for someone to understand truth, they must have the Spirit of Truth in them. If Truth is not in someone, then all that person can do when talking about what is unseen is spout lies; lies they don't even understand (John 8:44). To someone who does not have the Spirit of Truth, many things of this world seem vague and unexplainable. To those who are in Christ, the world is not such a complicated place, thanks to the help from the Holy Spirit.

Now, maybe you are a Christian and yet you have a hard time discerning other people's emotions. You're not alone there, but you're also not without hope. You don't need to be able to see an aura or weird images to "know what other people are feeling." God made a better way to know what others are feeling. He created external ways for humans to express their emotions. The Scripture says "a happy heart makes the face cheerful," and a cheerful face is recognized by a smile (Proverbs 15:13). The Bible also illustrates that tears are often a sign of someone being sad (John 11:32-35). Right there are two physical expressions (smiling and crying) that God created to help people understand what others are feeling. Jesus even said that you can get an understanding on whether someone's heart is full of light or darkness by looking at their eyes (Matthew 6:22-23). God made plenty of ways for people to understand what others are feeling, so we can better empathize  and sympathize with others.

God made everyone's face, and He also made
a way for each face to express emotions in a universal way.

Maybe looking at people's eyes is hard for you, or you have a hard time discerning facial expressions. Remember that you, as a believer called to empathize, are not on your own. You are with other believers, and we are all called to "make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" in the Body of Christ (Romans 14:19). If you're struggling with empathizing with others, reach out for help from other believers. Likewise, if you are fellowshipping with a believer who you notice is struggling to understand your emotions, explain your emotions clearly (I'm happy, I'm sad, etc.) so that they can better understand and sympathize with you. This is one way we, as Christians, build up each other in the Body of Christ.

It is not good for a person to be alone (Genesis 2:18), so be with others. Share emotions with others; laugh, cry, smile, cheer, mourn, dance together. Peter urges believers to "be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble" (1 Peter 3:8). Paul says christians must always "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing" (Hebrews 10:24-25). The only way we, as believers, will be able to do any of this is through meditating on God's Word. Before we can best understand one another, we must first set our minds on understanding what God says. So, as Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossi, "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts," (Colossians 3:16).

God delights in His children gathering
together and joyfully singing worship unto Him (Psalm 147:11).

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Life is Strange: True Colors Trailer
• OpenBibleInfo: Emotions
• KnowingJesus: Building Each Other Up

Revelation 3:20 (I Stand at the Door and Knock)

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.

Knock knock. Can you hear Him, Christian? Is the Son of God knocking on your door? Have you let Him inside, or have you been ignoring His call? The Son has knocked on everyone's door, so where does He stand compared to yours? Is He with you, and the two of you will never be seperated as long as time endures? Have you barred yourself from Him, and chosen to leave Him be? You cannot be idle about this. Jesus has entered through your door or He has not. Where is He? Do you know?

These same questions were posed to a church back in ancient Rome. In a vision from the Son of God, the disciple John was told to write to the church of Laodicea that they were not a Godly church. Through John's written words, God told the church, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16). God is describing this church's ministry, their deeds, as a beverage (likely water as Laodicea had a notably abundant yet poor quality water supply). God says that the work this church is doing does not satisfy someone like a hot drink that settles an uneasy stomach or like a cool drink that refreshes a parched throat. The ministry of the church of Laodicea is not healing nor is it refreshing. It's room temperature and bitter. It's a waste of a drink, so God says He will spit it out of His mouth. What God has done  is tell a church that what they are doing is worthless to Him.

For someone to be told by God that what they do in their ministry is despicable is intense. Perhaps we, as believers living in these days, would not expect God to say something so bold to disgrace and reject someone; let alone a church. Yet, God has this to say about how He speaks to those He loves, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent" (Revelation: 3:19). Do you see that God disciplines and speaks strongly to those whom He loves? He will rebuke anyone, even His own children, who do not follow and serve Him well; those who do not seek Him earnestly and repent of their sins.

After God issues His rebuke on the church of Laodicea He issues this ultimatum, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me" (Revelation 3:20). This is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords saying He is knocking on the door of those who say they believe in Him, and yet they have not opened their door to Him. How does a king knock? When a king demands entrance into someone's home, their request does not go unnoticed. Kings knock on doors with authority and strength. They have the right and the power to ask for entrance from their subjects. As God is a good and perfect King, no one has any valid reason to not let Him in through their door. 

How much grief will someone bring on themselves, if they do not answer God's call? God is the creator of everyone, so the door on which He knocks is one of His own making; the one He desires to enter is one He lovingly formed. How prideful can someone be to deny their own maker entrance? Think about this, because at one point in our lives we all were that prideful. That is how everyone is to God, before they let Him enter through their door. Scripture says everyone is as a sheep who has gone astray and decided to live life on their own away from God (Isaiah 53:6). The Master of Masters is calling out to all sheep of the earth, and all of His sheep will hear His voice. For Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one"  (John 10: 27-30).

In how much joy does someone partake, when they open their door to Jesus? If you have not done so, unbar your door and let in your King, so that He may dine with you and be the ruler of your life. He is a good and just King. He has said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," (Matthew 11:28) and here in Revelation we read He is even willing to make house calls. If we refuse to come to Him, He will come to us, and He will stand at our door and knock. He is a good shepherd who will travel far to save even one lost sinner (Matthew 18:12-14). No one is out of His reach, and those who open their door to Him will experience His blessings. They will live the beautiful life of one as described by king David in Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

     He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

     He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

    for His name’s sake.

 Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

    for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff,

    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Biblegateway blog: Lukewarm in Laodicea
• WWUTT: Does Jesus stand at the Door?

Is the Trolley Problem Biblical? (Temptation)

 

Don't stop me if you've heard this one: You're a trolley runway switch operator. A trolley is coming down the tracks. It's breaks are shot, and it's not going to stop. The trolley is going down a set of tracks that leads to five people tied down to the track. There is another track parallel to that one where only one person is tied down to the track. Pulling the switch will divert the trolley from its current course and it will run over and kill one person. If the switch is not pulled, the trolley will stay its course and runover and kill five people. What color are the trolley runway switch operator's eyes?

Was that not the riddle you were expecting me to give? Maybe you thought I might ask you, "Do you pull the switch and kill only one person or not pull the switch and kill five people?" I could ask you that, but it wouldn't be practical. Why? Because you're never going to face a situation where you will have to choose between sinning and sinning.

If you were the trolley runway switch operator in this made-up (unsolvable) moral riddle, then whatever happens on that runway would be on your head. You couldn't just stand by and say you were a bystander. You would be responsible for what happens on that runway the same way Adam was responsible for his wife Eve. The Bible says, "Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner" (1 Timothy 2:13-14). The Bible also says the first sin that entered into the world is on Adam's head and not Eve's, because Adam was responsible for Eve (Romans 5:12). Just as Eve's deception was Adam's responsibility, so too would you be responsible for your failure to stop any preventable murder on your trolley car tracks. Everyone will be held guilty for their actions, and will be responsible for their sins. God's Word says, "The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them" (Ezekiel 18:20).

If you would have killed all six people in the trolley problem, then you would have
demonstrated your approval of sin, and anyone who approves of sin deserves death (Romans 1:32). 

Well, with the trolley problem you'd face as the runway switch operator, you'd have no choice but to sin in your position. You could murder five people, or you could murder one person, but either way it would be murder. Committing that murder would be a sin on your head; a sin that came about from a situation where you had no choice but to sin. Would God allow such a situation like that to exist? No.

When you enter into a situation where you will have the opprotunity to sin, you enter into what the Bible would call a moment of tempatation. "Temptation" in the original Greek text is πειρασμός (peirasmos), and it means a prooving of, or an experience with something (namely evil) desinged to discipline by implication or adversity. To shortten that up; "Temptation" is testing, or being tested. When you face "temptation," you face a moment where you you will be tested on your understanding of good and evil (right and wrong). To fall into a "tempation" is to decide to do evil, when you could have done good. To be delivered (or rescued) from a "temptation" is to decide to do good, when doing evil was a more appealing option. This is what is meant in the Lord's prayer where we, as Christians, are commanded to pray to our Father in heaven "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). The evil one is the devil, and it his schemes and wickedness that causes everyone to be put into moments of "temptation". Even Jesus faced temptation from the evil one, but He never fell and was always delivered out of "temptation". He relyed on the Word of God over any evil thing the devil offered Him, and so He was able to resist the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). As God promises His people, if you submit yourself to God and His words, you will "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

So, with the trolley problem you would be hypothetically placed in a moment of "tempation" wherein your only options would be to committ murder (sin) or committ murders (sin). According to the holy Scriptures, you'll never be in a situation like that. The Word of God says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). What that means is that every "tempation" you face on earth will not be a no way out situation. You will always have the option when faced with committing sin to not have to committ sin. God will not let you be tested by a trick question. If you are in Christ, then He has provided you with His Word to give you right knowledge on good and evil, He has provided you with brothers and sisters in Christ to give you strength, and He has given you a trustowrthy relationship with Him to keep you from doing evil.

Rest assured, you will never face "tempation" that you cannot fall into. Know, though, that you will face "temptation" that will be hard to overcome on your own. It's not always easy to do the right thing. Even Jesus when faced with the "tempatation" of going to the cross and suffering as no one has ever suffered prayed to God that He would not have to endure something so terrible. He prayed that twice (Matthew 26:39, 42). Yet, He also prayed to God that not His will be done but God's will be done. It would be a sin for Jesus to not go to the cross according to God's will, but Jesus knew the Scriptures, received comfort from His angels (Luke 22:43) and was given strength from His Father to face His last "temptation" on earth and be delivered from it.

The choice was to flee and not suffer, or glorify His Father and save you.
He chose His Father and You (Hebrews 12:2).

That choice Jesus made was the ultimate sollution to the greatest moral riddle ever posed in history. One man tied Himself down to the tracks, pulled the switch Himself to divert God's wrath from crushing not just five people but all of humanity so that it could instead crush one man, the Son of God. Jesus laid down His life for everyone, so that everyone who puts their faith in Him will never die but will live forever (John 3:16). It is written, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13). That is exactly what Jesus did. He chose to die, so that no one else will ever have to.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

- Elvina M. Hall

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Wikipedia: The Trolley Problem
• Bible Hub: Temptation
• Newsboys: Jesus Paid it All