The Declarations of Pilate (John 19)

1. Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 4
2. Behold the man! 5
3. Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. 6
4. I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 10
5. Behold your King! 15
6. JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. (What I have written I have written.) 19, 22

Telly Savalas was one of the consummate players of Pontius Pilate on the silver screen. He was of Greek Orthodox heritage. When his mother heard of his being cast for the part, she pleaded with her son, "Telly, please go easy on Jesus this time."

Indeed, Pilate did have the power to condemn or release Jesus, but because of his love for that same power, he acquiesced to the wishes of the vociferous crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders and had Jesus taken away to be crucified.

Never-the-less, his declarations were telling of a few things:

a. that he had an inkling that Jesus was no ordinary man.

b. that he needed to straddle the fence so as to try to please common sense, his conscience, his wife, the people, Caesar and whatever "Higher Power" there might be. Fact is, you have to choose whom you are going to please and go for it. Mugwampers always lose.
Definition: Mugwamper; one who has his mug on one side of the fence and his wamp on the other.

c. that there are some truths that cannot be suppressed. Jesus was "The Man," "The King," and there was no fault to be found in Him.

d. that self-preservation always takes the lead for those who are in the flesh.

Folks, you cannot please the Lord with your lips when your heart is far from Him.

The Questions of Pilate: (John 18)

1. What accusation bring ye against this man? 29
2. Art thou the King of the Jews? 33
3. Am I a Jew? 35
4. What hast thou done? 35
5. Art thou a king then? 37
6. What is truth? 38
7. Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 39

We know that answering questions with questions can sometimes be a very effective method of teaching and learning. Jesus employed this tactic to perfection. Pilate, on the other hand, used it to deflect responsibility. He had a responsibility to the truth, to himself, to God and to his subjects, yet he shunned it with whimsical questions designed to deflect and save face.

Some obvious things:
a. Pilate had more questions than answers.
b. He really didn't care about the answers.
c. He wasn't much of a leader.

The Filling of the Holy Spirit vs Swimming in Peanut Butter

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All Christians are indwelt by the Spirit of the Lord. Romans tells us that if we don't have the Holy Spirit, then we are none of His.

However, being filled with the Spirit is another thing. There is ONE baptism of the Holy Ghost, but MANY fillings.

Few Christians that I know concern themselves much with being filled with the Spirit. They are content to swim in peanut butter rather than be empowered by God's Spirit. Have you ever driven an old vehicle without power steering? It was real work to turn that car or truck. But now, with power steering, one finger can easily turn the wheel. That is a decent analogy to living life without the Spirit or being filled with Him. Life is simply easier lived in the power of the Spirit.

I use the acronym C DAT U (imagine a Chicago mobster saying to one of his cohorts, "See dat you?" :<) to help people remember how to be filled with the Spirit.

C-Confess. God won't fill a dirty vessel. Get cleansing for your sins so that God can fill you up.
D-Desire. He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled.
A-Ask. If a wordly father is glad to give good gifts to his children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask Him?
T-Thank. Thank God, as an acknowledgement, for the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. It is only decent to be grateful for such a wonderful gift.
U-Utilize. We are filled with the Spirit for many reasons, chiefly, to win others to Christ. Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me..."

What I have just written you is life-changing. I beg of you, right now, bow your head and get filled with the Holy Ghost of God. You won't believe the difference. Or...continue swimming in peanut butter.

Treading Water

Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Joh 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
Joh 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

How hard was it for Jesus to stay still in the same place for two days?

He loved Lazarus, who was dying. He had the power to bring him back from the brink. He knew that His best friends, Martha and Mary, would grieve terribly when their brother passed. He know that the disciples were antsy about their schedule because of the death threats to Jesus and His followers.

Several valid reasons could have moved Jesus to Lazarus' bedside.

Yet, He abode unflinching in the place where He was for two excruciating days. He was content to tread water. Bethany was where the action was, where He could do a miracle, see His friends. Bethany means “House of dates.” It seemed He had a date there, but He was content to tread water.

I find myself in a situation where I pray for the Lord to move mightily to remedy the issue. But, it seems He is content to let me tread water.

I know several people who face similar circumstances. Health, finances, family issues, etc., could use the Lord's immediate attention.

Yet, the Lord remains silent in heaven.

But, when all seems lost, Lazarus passes away, multitudes grieve, people question, "why?" It is then that the Lord shows up, He weeps over the plight of His loved ones and then does the greatest, unimaginable miracle of all. He raises Lazarus from the dead! How is that for a grand turn-around?

Can you relate to Martha and Mary? You trust God, you believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the life, but….

Maybe you can relate to poor Lazarus! You are the sick one! And the sickness drags on and on. All you need is some relief, and frankly, death would be a relief.

The thing is, child of God, that you are also one of His dear loved ones. He holds you very near and dear. He is, in no way, unconcerned about your plight. He is just treading water, awaiting just the right time to show up and do something beyond your wildest imagination.

There is a song that says of this situation with Lazarus, "Even when He is four days late, He is right on time."

The key thing we need to remember is what Jesus said at the very beginning of this miraculous ordeal, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

The Lord has a plan for you. That plan contains all the elements of what is best for you and what will bring glory to Him. You remember what He said to Jeremiah? Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

And how could we ignore what Paul says in Rom 8:28? And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.

So, I am trusting my Lord in the status quo (the fix I's in) and I beseech you to do the same. Just keep doing what you are supposed to do, keep trusting, be faithful as He seems to be treading water.

Unbelieving Brothers

Joh 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
Joh 7:2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
Joh 7:3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
Joh 7:4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
Joh 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Jesus' own brothers, after knowing Him for over 20 years, did not believe in Him at this time. Thankfully, at least 2 of them would later. What a heartbreak this must have been to His mother.

You have to wonder if this caused some serious sibling rivalry problems in their home. They had already been witness to a number of things:

1. His character - sterling, impeccable. His light probably showed up the darkness that was in them, therefore, it may have caused some resentment. Can you imagine how many times the younger siblings must have heard, "Why don't you act more like your older brother?"

2. His miracles. They were at the wedding in Cana also. They saw empty water pots miraculously fill to the brim with the best wine ever tasted.

3. His dedication. They were among the caravan that had to go back to Jerusalem, only to find their 12 year old brother about His Father's business in the temple.

These and many other things did Jesus' little brothers witness of Him. Yet, they were still blinded by unbelief.

It causes me to shudder when I think about all those raised in Jesus' house, the church, who will never believe. Their 1st hand witness of changed lives, reunited families, saved souls, incredible miracles and powerful, God anointed services have put them off rather than turned them on.

They really have no one or nothing to point at, not the hypocrites, not the preacher, who is just as human as they are, not the "rules" laid down by the church - no one or nothing to point at but their own unbelief.

May God allow the scales to fall from their eyes so that their eternal souls may find rest in the Christ Who has been there for them their entire lives.

Whose House?

Jn 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
Jn 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

There are to be 4 temples: Those of Solomon, Cyrus, Herod and the Beast. Imagine that, 3 of the temples are built by the ungodly. Yet, Jesus cleanses Herod's temple and calls it His father's house! Isn’t that thought provoking? A temple refurbished by that wicked Herod, who slew all those innocent Bethlehemite children, who sought to slay Jesus, who forced his family into exile in Egypt, Jesus call, “My Father’s house!”

Fast forward a couple of millennia and try to imagine some IFB preacher even deigning to look upon such a place as a legitimate church. Perish the thought!!!

I think of the preacher who resigned from a good church because he became aware that it was started by a preacher who had been divorced and remarried. He thought, therefore, that it was not a legitimate church. Strange, this same pastor who judged a predecessor so harshly could not meet several of the bishop qualifications himself, yet he deemed this church "illegitimate."

I think of pastors who disallow performance tracks for their singers because those tracks may have been produced by lost musicians. There are a host of other such inconsistencies that I have witnessed, no doubt, a few of my own.

But then I think of the Lord's words to His apostle who claimed, "I have never let anything unclean pass though my lips." The Lord said, "That which I have cleansed, let no man call unclean."

Let us be about the business of encouraging those trying to serve the Lord, a bit imperfectly, yet wholeheartedly, rather than nitpicking about our standards which are obviously higher than God's. Oh, the preacher’s general caveat? “It is better to err on the side of caution.” No, it is better to judge righteous judgment and not to err at all.

He is Among You

Joh 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
Joh 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Joh 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Joh 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
Joh 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

There are a few things contained in this passage that I find both comforting and exciting.

Apparently, Jesus was on hand as an observer before He came forth the next day to be baptized. As the messengers of the Pharisees asked John about his credentials, John told them he was the forerunner of One Who was standing among them Whom they knew not.

It was the next day in which Jesus came, once again, to the river to be baptized of John. This time, John made his official declaration, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

However, we see that, for the third consecutive day, Jesus came to John one more time. Again He was announced, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

Here is what I gather from this sequence:

1. Jesus is often involved in a preparatory work unbeknownst to us. He is among us, observing and working, yet unannounced. This ‘behind the scenes’ presence of our Lord is as important as His subsequent appearances, but without any fanfare or pretense. When you think He isn't, He is! He is here, He is working, He is building, He is active.

2. He then comes on the scene, properly announced. Angels bow and fold their wings. Saints acknowledge His Sovereign presence and worship Him in spirit and in truth. How wonderful it is to bow before Him, worshiping at His feet, glorying in the presence of the Holy Hero of Heaven.

3. He comes again, this time to call us to a specific service, as He did two of John's disciples. The second day was all goose bumps and liver-quivers, but now it is time to break the huddle and run the plays. God has work for us to do and it requires haste.

This is the cycle we go through time and again. We look for the unseen Saviour, even when He is already present. Then He shows Himself and we enjoy a time of worship. Finally, He appears and calls us to go to work.

Whichever part of the cycle you are experiencing today, know that He is present and will never leave nor forsake us.