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(This morning’s devotion is based on the Easter message: Jesus Wins! (CLICK HERE)

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Is Easter over?

Last evening my wife and I went over to church and packed away the Easter decor from our church’s Easter celebration.  The special table decorations and chair coverings now are in a box in the attic of the church.  The special banner inviting the community to worship on Easter morning and the thematic flags we had flying, folded and put away for the year.  As we walked out the door, I quipped, “Well, I guess Easter is done for the year.”

Of course I was saying it “tongue-in-cheek” but there is probably some truth to that in our lives.  Preparations, special celebrations and visits by family are now a thing of the 2023 past and captured in our memories and in our phone photo storage.  It’s easy to move on.

But not so fast.

Easter which marks the resurrection of Jesus is not just an event and a day on the calendar, it is to be a transformative reality each and every day.

Yesterday, we highlighted the reality that we live forgiven.  Today, we live with power!

Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead…

I can’t even imagine or begin to grasp the power that was used to raise Christ from the dead.  Is it measured in an amount of TNT explosives?  Is it measured in the amount of horsepower?  Is it measured in the number of things it can overcome in a short period of time?  What is this power?

We often think of the great “powers” of this earth.  In fact we have labeled countries like the United States “Super powers.”  This is more of an economic and military term.  However, there is a realm that we often lose sight of or don’t think about.  It’s the power of darkness that manifests itself as evil and darkness in the world around us.  The power that we need is not a political power, a positional power, or an explosive power.  We need power to overcome the spiritual forces of darkness that lurk in our own heart and the tragedies they bring.

What are those? Sin. Death. Devil.

The power that raised Jesus from the dead was the same power that overcame the condemnation of sin, the sting of death and the power of the devil.  This power equips us for spiritual warfare against all that would want to separate us from the Lord and lead us to live for ourselves and our own selfishness.

The Apostle Paul said it this way, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

This is the power that is at work in you today.  So get ready for the battles you will face today…but do so with the confidence you have the power to say no to sin, stare down death with confidence it will not win and very clearly tell Satan to “Go to hell” and stop bothering you.

The power that resurrected Jesus is the power of God at work in you!  

Have a great day! 

Apply: What spiritual battles do you anticipate fighting today?  What new confidence can you have as you face those battles knowing the power that raised Jesus is the power that is at work in you as you have placed your trust in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your power that is at work in me.  Allow me to use this power with precision to disarm any spiritual attack that comes my way today.  AMEN.

(This morning’s devotion is based on the Easter message: Jesus Wins! (CLICK HERE)

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Today’s Monday, the day after Easter.

Perhaps you have the day off.  Perhaps it’s back to school or back to work.  Perhaps it’s a travel day back home after spending the weekend with family or friends.  Perhaps it’s a clean up and catch up day after a busy weekend.

I guess the question is, will Easter matter today.

To be honest, as a pastor there are moments when the busy routine of the last week is done when it’s easy to think, “I’m glad that’s over.”  I hate to admit it, but the thought floats through my mind.

But it’s not over.  And I ask forgiveness for even thinking that.

But do you feel the same at times?  Just glad the busy weekend is over.

Unfortunately, Easter can be “put away” to be “resurrected” again next year.

But let’s not do that. 

The victory that Jesus won and the victory he gives to us as a result are worthy of being part of every day.  In fact, the victory of Jesus is key to win every day!

We get to live as winners each day because of what Jesus accomplished by rising from the dead.  Like a come-from-behind win at the last second, Jesus came out of the tomb alive after it seemed like death had won and the game was over.  When the buzzer went off, the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive.

So what does that mean for your Monday?

Perhaps reflect on this point.

Today you can live with peace in your heart that you are fully forgiven and your relationship with the Lord is secure.  Why?

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Jesus went to the cross because of our sin.  The death he experienced was the consequence our sin deserved.  He willingly endured the cross for you and me.

However, if he would have stayed dead, sin would have won.  He was raised to life for our justification.  

To be justified is to be declared “not guilty.”  It’s a legal declaration that has binding effects.  Even though the evidence may point against us, Jesus comes between us and the Judge and gives us his perfect life even as our sin is put on his shoulders.  The Judge, God himself, then declares us “not guilty.”  The resurrection of Jesus is the proof that his payment on the cross was sufficient for sin.  So sin was punished, just not in you or me.  Yet, we are given the status of “not guilty.”

What does that mean for you today?  If your conscience torments you about something you have done in the past, or struggling with today and your conclusion is that God cannot love you and will never forgive you, look into the empty tomb.  If you know that your wrong doing has affected people you love and care about and you can never forgive yourself, look into the empty tomb.  If you are facing death and are fearful that God will never accept you into heaven because you haven’t been good enough, look into the empty tomb.

Jesus won and gives you his victory.

Live today as a winner…fully forgiven and right with God…because Jesus lives!

 

Apply: What sin of the past does Satan love to bring back into your mind?  When it comes simply say, “the tomb is empty.  I am forgiven.”

Prayer: Lord thank you for raising your Son from the dead as full assurance his death on the cross was payment in full for all of our sins.  Help us to live today as winners, confident we have been declared not guilty and that declaration stands.  AMEN.

He’s not going to need them anymore.

Any rational person would have thought the same.  It had happened hundreds of times before.  A criminal who was crucified had no need of his personal belongings after the crucifixion.  It wasn’t normal practice to let a person come off a cross alive.

A dead man does not need his clothes.

The soldiers knew this.

So, they divided the plunder…except Jesus’ clothes were not separable.  The garment he was wearing wasn’t a patchwork of pieces, but rather a piece woven from top to bottom.  Instead of ruining the piece, the soldiers did this.

John 19:23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

Matthew’s Gospel chimes in:

Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.

The garment wasn’t folded up and given to Mary in honor of her son like we would a flag at the burial of a military veteran.  The clothing wasn’t placed over the shoulders of one of the disciples like Elijah passing the leadership baton to Elisha.  The cloth was lost to history at the hands of the Roman soldiers.  We don’t even know who won the casting of lots.

So why the detail?  What does the fate of Jesus’ clothing have to do with the significance of his crucifixion and work of salvation?  

1. The detail of prophecy is matched by the detail of fulfillment.

Jesus didn’t speak from the cross and say, “Hey soldiers, I almost forgot, but could you do me a favor and cast lots for my clothing?  There’s a prophecy in the Psalms that I have to fulfill in order to get them all in and someone needs to cast lots for my clothing.”  Nope.  Pagan soldiers were just doing their job and getting a little extra payment for serving on the crucifixion detail.  Fulfilling Scripture was the farthest thing from their mind.  Yet God knew lots would be cast.  The Gospel of John records and proves the truth of God’s Word and the person of Jesus to the very smallest detail.

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. (Psalm 22:18)

So this is what the soldiers did.

1. The Priest becomes the sacrifice.

One commentator noted that a seamless garment was the garb of the high priest.

The first century Jewish historian Josephus stated in his book “Antiquities (History) of the Jews” that the temple’s high priest had to wear clothes (a vestment) colored blue. This clothing was not made by pieces of cloth sewn together, or even two large pieces. It was, instead, one long vestment that was parted along the breast and back.*

Is it a subtle way the Lord communicates that Jesus who serves as our High Priest now placed himself in the role of sacrifice?  Perhaps…

1. No one expected Jesus to live again.

Not one of the soldiers quipped, “Hey, we can’t take this guy’s clothes.  He’s going to be alive again in three days.”  No one around challenged the soldiers or tried to get possession of Jesus’ clothes so he could use them again in three days.  Everyone there knew the end result of Jesus’ crucifixion was death.  He wouldn’t swoon, faint, or pass out.  He would be dead.  And dead people don’t need their clothes.

So the soldiers cast lots for his clothing.

It was all part of God’s plan to carry out every detail, fulfill every promise, and assure every person the price of death was paid for every sin.  

Today we remember.  Jesus died for you.

Apply: What detail of Good Friday stirs your soul today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for humbling yourself and becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross…for me.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: A Regime Change (CLICK HERE) 

A jar of water.

If I would ask you, “What two occasions in Holy Week does a jar of water play a significant role?”

Perhaps the jar of water isn’t the “main character,” but with the jar of water we gain insights into our Savior Jesus.  

The first jar is probably the one that gets forgotten.  It was a jar being carried by a man near the entrance to the city of Jerusalem.  It was the image given to the disciples by Jesus as the distinguishing mark to follow that man to the home where preparations were to be made for the Passover meal.  The man carrying the jar wasn’t the owner, but evidently worked at the house and had the task of getting water for the household. 

While this water jar may pass us by, the detail isn’t just the clue that leads to the upper room where Jesus celebrated the Passover and gave the Lord’s Supper, it is a detail that communicates the truth with which Jesus spoke.  

Here’s how Luke records the events:

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

The disciples didn’t have to go back to Jesus and say, “We never saw a guy with a water jar.”  The left and found things JUST AS Jesus had told them.

The water jar wasn’t a big deal, but it was a big detail to verify the fact that Jesus always speaks with truth.

Here’s an interesting conjecture.  Was this the water jar that Jesus pours from to wash his disciples’ feet?  

When we think of water during Holy Week, we think of Jesus’ washing his disciples feet.  Until writing this devotion, I hadn’t considered the possibility that the very jar of water that the man carried back to the house was the jar of water from which Jesus poured to wash his disciples feet.  Could be…

A jar of water was important for many household chores, including the washing of travelers feet. Whether the second mention of the jar of water is a continuation of the first or simply a second jar of water, it’s significance and detail is important.

From this jar of water Jesus showed his servant heart.  The jar held the water Jesus used to wash his disciples feet.  Perhaps the man carrying the water jar should have also been the one to wash the disciples’ feet.  But Jesus stepped into his role in order to serve his disciples.

3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Details.  Who knew a jar of water could validate the truth with which Jesus spoke and the heart with which Jesus served.  But it did.

Apply: What details of the Passion catch your attention?  Share if you’d like to pastorgeiger@gmail.com.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using details to catch our attention and validate the truth of your words and the heart of your actions.  AMEN.

 

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: A Regime Change (CLICK HERE) 

Why not 18?  Why not 32?  Why 30?

In seeking the answer to this question myself, I found this article.  Finding it well written, I offer it for your reflection today:

 

They counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. — Matthew 26:14-16

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted? Perhaps even a friend? Using words like trust, betrayal, and friend in a sentence doesn’t paint a comforting picture. Yet, our Savior was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver. Today when we hear the phrase, it immediately brings to mind a traitor or someone who would sell out a friend. There is also a level of curiosity that surrounds the coins. What exactly did Judas receive to betray Jesus? Was it worth it to him?

The Deeper Meaning Behind 30 Pieces of Silver

In the weeks leading up to Easter, we find an interesting story nestled in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 26:6-13, we find Jesus in Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper. As he reclines, a woman enters the house with a repentant heart, praise, respect, and adoration of Jesus. She proceeds to break customs and approaches Jesus with an expensive jar of Alabaster perfume. She pours it over his head and washes his feet with her tears.

All the men attending the event are in shock. How dare Jesus let a lowly woman touch him. And how dare she waste an entire jar of rich perfume. The disciples are said to be indignant that this extravagant gift was being wasted when it could have been sold and used to help the poor. Yet, as Jesus heard their words, he turned and commended the heart of this woman when he explained she had poured out the perfume for his burial as she spared no expense to honor him.

In the very next verse, Matthew reveals Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus was secretly negotiating and plotting with the Chief Priests for Jesus. Judas was willing to be paid just 30 pieces of silver for the betrayal of his Rabbi and one true King.

One woman, a sinner who was so aware of her iniquities, spared no expense in honoring Christ. Yet, a disciple and a few men who thought they were righteous—not in any need of saving—plotted his death for the price of a slave’s burial according to Mosaic Law.

In the Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). In order to compensate for a slave’s death and burial, it was written into law that 30 pieces of silver would account for the cost.

Where Else Are 30 Pieces of Silver Mentioned in the Bible?

There are two other places in the Bible where thirty pieces of silver are mentioned. The first passage is found in Zechariah which contains a prophecy that is later fulfilled and linked to the book of Matthew.

In the book of Zachariah, God had the prophet play the part of a shepherd and care for a flock that was “doomed to be slaughtered,” (Zechariah 11:4-14). God wanted to his life as a way to illustrate what judgment would look like against Israel when they crucified their Savior. It also predicted the fall of Israel in AD 70 and how the nation was scattered.

There are several elements we need to pay close attention to in this passage that point to the prophecy about Jesus.

1. Zechariah says he “got rid of the three shepherds” of the doomed flock (verse 8).

The “three shepherds” is a likely reference to the three religious offices during Jesus’ day that worked to condemn Jesus. These are the scribes, the chief priests and the elders (Matthew 16:21).

2. Zechariah breaks his two shepherding staffs.

The first one is named Favor. It is broken to symbolize the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant for those who disobeyed God and how God then set aside His favor of His people to allow judgment to come upon them (Zachariah 11:10). The second staff named Union is then broken. It represented the breaking of the nations by Roman rule.

3. Zachariah is paid 30 pieces of silver after working as a shepherd.

Those whom Zachariah worked for paid him what they thought he was worth – enough for a slave’s accidental death. When they gave him the 30 pieces of silver, his response was full of sarcasm and called it “a handsome price” because it was so little (Zachariah 11:13). However, the employers had meant to insult Zechariah purposely, and in return, God tells him to “throw it to the potter,” which Zechariah tossed the money into the house of the Lord in order for it to be given to “the Potter.”

Why Is This Meaning Significant?

The events that unfolded in Zechariah are a prophecy of what was to come with Jesus’ death. Jesus was willing to die a save’s death to sin for the sake of you and me. And Judas fell into the hands of the enemy so that Christ would pay our debt.

When Judas Iscariot bargained with the leaders of Israel for the betrayal of Jesus, he asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” The leaders then counted out a mere “thirty pieces of silver,” (Matthew 26:15). They considered the cost of Jesus’ death to be that of a slave. Later, when Judas was overcome with guilt for betraying Jesus, he fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy and threw all he was paid into the temple (Matthew 27:3-5). Then the leaders used the money to buy a field from a potter as Zechariah had predicted (Matthew 27:6-10). After that, Judas went to that field and hung himself.

In considering the real price that was placed on Jesus it is important to look at the words from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:5-11.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Notice how in verse seven, Paul describes Jesus as taking on the form of a servant, some versions use the term bondservant. Paul uses the Greek word, “doulos” which literally means slave. The significance of the 30 pieces of silver ties the Old Testament to the New Testament and reveals how Jesus was willing to humble himself and offer himself up upon the cross, to purchase what we could never afford. He was the only worth price for our forgiveness in the eyes of God. Judas sold Jesus for the price of a slave as Christ laid down his life as the ultimate give for you and me.

No wonder the woman with the alabaster jar poured out that expensive perfume. She knew what everyone did not and did what she could to honor him as worthy of and as our Savoir, Lord, and King.

(This article originally written by Heather Riggleman and posted at: https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/the-meaning-behind-the-30-pieces-of-silver-that-judas-received.html) 

Prayer: Lord, while the price put on your head was 30 pieces of silver, we marvel at the priceless value you have given to us as a result of a 30 silver piece payment.  Thank you for becoming a servant for the benefit of all of us.

This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: A Regime Change (CLICK HERE)