Herod Antipas Mocks the King of Glory!

For I My that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
— Luke 23:11

In that day when Jesus refused to meet Herod’s expectations, Luke 23:10 tells us the chief priests and scribes were so infuriated that they stood up and “…vehemently accused him.” That word “vehemently” means at full pitch, at full volume, strenuously, or vigorously. That means those men must have been screaming like crazy maniacs who were totally out of control! They were most likely saying something like, “Some miracle worker! You have no power! You’re a fraud! If You can work miracles, why don’t You work one right now? You’re nothing but a charlatan!”

Once the screaming match stopped and the volume of their voices was turned down enough for Herod’s voice to be heard, Herod gave the official order for himself and his men of war to deliberately humiliate, mock, make fun of, and heckle Jesus. Suddenly the people in that room in Herod’s residence turned into a booing, hissing, mocking, laughing mob, with all their venom directed toward Jesus. Luke 23:11 tells us about this event, saying, “And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.”

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Notice that Herod was gathered there that day with “his men of war.” Who were these men of war, and why were they at Herod’s side when Jesus stood before him? The word for “men of war” in Greek is strateuma. This Greek word could signify a small detachment of Roman soldiers, but most likely it suggests that these men were Herod’s personal bodyguards, selected from a larger group of soldiers because they were exceptionally trained and prepared to fight and defend if called upon — thus, the reason the King James Version refers to them as “men of war.”

The Bible informs us that Herod, with the assistance of his bodyguards, took Jesus and “set him at nought.” This phrase is developed from the Greek word exoutheneo, a compound of the words ek and outhen. The word ek means out, and the word outhen is a later form of the word ouden, which means nothing. Taken together, it means to make one out to be nothing. It can be translated to make light of, to belittle, to disdain, to disregard, to despise, or to treat with maliciousness and contempt.

Jesus had already endured the insane yelling and screaming that the chief priests and elders unleashed on Him. But now Herod and his bodyguards entered center stage to start their own brand of humiliating Jesus. Luke uses the word exoutheneo to let us know that they were malicious and vindictive and that their behavior was nasty and ugly. Then Luke tells us that Herod and his men “mocked him.” This gives us an idea of how low they sank in their ridiculing of Jesus.

The word “mocked” is the Greek word empaidzo, the same word used to portray the mocking behavior of the soldiers who guarded Jesus before He was taken into Caiaphas’ high court (see April 15). The word empaidzo meant to play a game. It was often used for playing a game with children or to amuse a crowd by impersonating someone in a silly and exaggerated way. It might be used in a game of charades when someone intends to comically portray or even make fun of someone.

Herod Antipas was a Roman governor — supposedly an educated, cultured, and refined man. He was surrounded by finely trained Roman soldiers who were supposed to be professional in their conduct and appearance. But these men of war, along with their king, descended deep into depravity as they began to put on quite a show impersonating Jesus and the people He ministered to. They probably hammed it up, acting as if they were healing the sick; lying on the floor and quivering as if they were being liberated from devils; groping around as if they were blind and then pretending to suddenly be able to see. It was all a game of charades intended to mimic and make fun of Jesus.

Then Luke tells us, “…they arrayed him in a gorgeous robe….” The word “arrayed” is the Greek word periballo, which means to throw about or to drape about, as to drape around one’s shoulders. The words “gorgeous robe” are the words esthes and lampros. The word esthes describes a robe or garment, while the word lampros depicts something that is resplendent, glistening, or magnificent. It was frequently used to depict a garment made of sumptuous, brightly colored materials.

It is doubtful that this was the garment of a soldier, for even a bodyguard of Herod would not be arrayed in such resplendent garments. In all likelihood, this was a garment worn by a politician, for when candidates were running for public office, they wore beautiful and brightly colored clothes. More specifically, however, this was almost certainly one of Herod’s own sumptuous garments that he permitted to be draped around Jesus’ shoulders so they could pretend to adore Him as king as part of their mockery of Him.

Although Herod apparently enjoyed this maltreatment and abuse of Jesus, Luke 23:14,15 says he could find no crime in Jesus worthy of death. Therefore, after the conclusion of these events, Herod “…sent him again to Pilate” (Luke 23:11).

When Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, he sent Him clothed in this regal robe. One scholar notes that since this garment was one usually worn by a candidate running for office, Herod’s decision to send Jesus to Pilate in this robe was the equivalent of saying, “This is no king! It’s only another candidate, a pretender, who thinks he’s running for some kind of office!”

When I read of what Jesus endured during the time before He was sent to be crucified, it simply overwhelms me. Jesus committed no sin and no crime, nor was any guile ever found in His mouth; yet He was judged more severely than the worst of criminals. Even hardened criminals would not have been put through such grueling treatment. And just think — all this happened before He was nailed to that wooden Cross — the lowest, most painful, debasing manner in which a criminal could be executed in the ancient world!

Before you do anything else today, why don’t you take a few minutes to stop and thank Jesus for everything He went through to purchase your redemption? Salvation may have been a free gift to you, but purchasing salvation was not free for Jesus. It cost Him His life and His blood. This is why Paul wrote, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

And here’s one more suggestion for you: Rather than keep the Good News of Jesus Christ to yourself, why don’t you find an opportunity today to tell someone else all that Jesus did so he or she  can be saved? God’s Spirit might use you to lead someone to a saving knowledge of Jesus this very day!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to take this moment to say thank You for everything You went through for me. It is amazing that You loved me so much that You were willing to endure all of this for me. I know that my salvation was purchased with Your blood and that I could never pay for my salvation. But I want to tell You that I will serve You faithfully for the rest of my days as a way to show You my gratitude! Jesus, thank You for loving me so much!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! God loved me so much that He sent His only begotten Son to take away my sin, my sickness, my pain, my lack of peace, and my suffering on the Cross. Because of Jesus, today I am forgiven; I am healed; I am free of pain; I am filled with peace; and I am a joint heir with Him!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. What did you learn new from today’s Sparkling Gem?

2. Have you ever felt mocked for your faith? If so, how did you respond to those who mocked you?

3. Can you think of someone you can share the Gospel with today? If your answer is yes, who is that person?

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
— Luke 16:11

One of the biggest issues people face — and one that people pray to get victory over in their lives — is in the financial realm. If getting your finances into shape is one of your desires, I’m certain this Sparkling Gem will be very important for you.

As we first saw in the January 5 Sparkling Gem, how you handle your finances is a very spiritual issue. According to Luke 16:11, your finances — how you manage and respect them — is a test God uses to assess whether you’re ready for higher levels of blessing, prosperity, responsibility, and greater authority. In this verse, Jesus clearly taught that God watches how you manage your money, and that is what helps Him determine if you are ready for promotion. This is precisely what Jesus meant when He said, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

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It is very important for you to understand what Jesus is telling us in this verse. In the Greek, the word “faithful” is the word pistoi, which expresses the picture of a person who is known to be faithful, responsible, conscientious, and trustworthy. This is in comparison to a person who is impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and therefore not trustworthy. Therefore, this verse could be taken to mean: “If you are impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and untrustworthy with unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

Whatever this “unrighteous mammon” is in this verse, it is so important that managing it unwisely has the power to disqualify us from receiving true riches from God. So it is very important that we understand what the “unrighteous mammon” is that Jesus is speaking about in this verse!

The word “unrighteous” comes from the Greek word adikia, which in this verse is used to convey the idea of something unspiritual, common, worldly, or something that belongs to the realm of human beings. The word “mammon” is the word mamonas, a very old Greek word that denotes money or wealth. When these words “unrighteous mammon” are used together as they are in this verse, it denotes common, worldly money, along with all of its buying power in this earthly sphere.

Furthermore, when Jesus referred to “true riches,” the word “true” is the Greek word alethinos, which means real, bona fide, genuine, indisputable, or authentic. You see, money, which seems so powerful in this earthly realm with all of its buying power, is nothing compared to the power of God. Heavenly power and heavenly riches far surpass the power and authority of money. For those who have proven themselves faithful and reliable, God will upgrade the level of spiritual power and authority that operates through them. But according to Jesus’ words in Luke 16:11, before God upgrades this level of spiritual power and authority in a person’s life, first He watches to see how he or she manages money — that’s the big test!

In other words, if you are not faithful, responsible, conscientious, and trustworthy with money — which is a lower form of power in this earthly realm — why would God promote you to greater levels of spiritual power, responsibility, and authority?

How you manage your money and what you do with it is far more important than you may have ever realized. It’s good that you want to get your finances in shape and get out of debt, but you need to know that how you handle your money is a big test. If God finds you faithful with money, the lowest form of power in the world today, He will know you can be trusted with real spiritual riches that are unequaled in power.

Taken together, a correct interpretative translation of Jesus’ words in Luke 16:11 could be rendered:

“If you are impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and untrustworthy with regular ol’ money and all of its buying power in this earthly realm, who will commit to your trust the indisputable, true, bona fide riches?”

By listening to the Spirit of God, using common sense, exercising self-control, and planning your purchases in advance, you can live a life that is more debt-free than the way you’re living right now. It will take determination to do it, but if you really want to become free of debt — and remain free forever — it is possible to achieve it.

But most importantly, you need to know this: If your spending habits are so out of control that you don’t tithe and cannot give to other works that the Holy Spirit prompts you to support, you’re failing the test God uses to determine whether you’re ready to be promoted into higher realms of spiritual power, responsibility, and authority. Your money is the big test that God uses to determine if you are ready for that next big promotion! Since this is what Jesus meant in Luke 16:11, doesn’t it make sense that you should take a fresh look at how you’re using and managing your money?

So let me ask you this question: Since God is looking at how you manage your money, do you think He finds you faithful and therefore ready for a big promotion — or do you think God finds you lacking and therefore not ready for the next step up in His good plan for you?

Most of the world — including the Christian community — longs for more financial freedom and less debt. Especially at this time when so many people have been hit across the world with financial crisis, God’s people are asking Him for wisdom and resolutions to very pressing financial challenges.

The fact is that most of the world is in some sort of financial debt. This means there are very few people who are financially free. Nations, families, and churches are all in debt. But just because the rest of the world has fallen into this trap, and lives like this doesn’t mean you have to fall into this same pattern and become trapped by debt that dominates your life. You can make the decision once and for all to be financially freer than you’ve ever been before. If you will stick with your decision, God will help you reach your goals and make that freedom a reality in your life.

And by proving yourself faithful with “unrighteous mammon,” God will know that you qualify for higher levels of spiritual power. It may seem to be a very simplistic view about money and divine power, but this is exactly what Jesus taught!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I take a fresh look at how I handle my finances. It is not Your will for me to be in bondage to anything — including and especially to debt. I make the decision once and for all to be financially freer than I’ve ever been. Holy Spirit, I ask You to reveal to me the ways I can exercise more wisdom and restraint in financial matters, so that you can count me trustworthy with the true riches of Your Kingdom.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that from this day forward, I will give more attention to listening to the Spirit of God, using common sense, exercising self-control, and planning my purchases in advance so I can live a life that is more debt-free than the way I’m living right now. I desire to be and to remain completely free from any financial hindrance so I can give and go without hindrance. In all my affairs, especially in the area of my finances, I commit to making choices that prove me to be a faithful steward of the natural power and influence God has entrusted to me so I can be trusted with true spiritual riches for the glory of God and the blessing of others!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. If you were free of debt, what are the ways you would be able to allot more money to the Gospel and to meet the needs of others?
2. Do you struggle in obeying God with your tithe and offerings? Do bills and credit card interest payments affect whether or not you give your tithe and offerings to the Lord? If so, what specific changes do you need to make to assuage any guilt you might be carrying in your soul because you know you’re robbing God (see Malachi 3:8)?
3. If you are handling your money wisely, can you see how it would show Jesus that you had reached a level of maturity that would mean you could be entrusted with true riches?

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
— John 9:4

Several years ago when I lived in downtown Moscow, I frequently used to walk to the local coffee shop in the morning to get a cup of coffee to start my day and to read the Russian newspaper. As I sat at a small table on the sidewalk just outside the coffee shop, I always watched the masses of people who walk by on this street. As they passed by, I couldn’t help but ponder the fact that vast numbers of those precious people were going to hell, yet they were completely blind to their dire predicament.

Because of the former Communist government’s long-term and violent suppression of the Christian faith, it’s most likely that the majority of Moscow’s huge population is uninformed about the very real hell that awaits them if they don’t accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. For them, a storm is definitely coming with eternal ramifications, and it absolutely breaks my heart that so many don’t even know it.

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Think of it! Billions of unsaved people from every corner of the world don’t realize that they are sitting directly on the brink of eternal judgment. Clueless to the consequences of sin, they blindly go about their lives as if nothing is amiss — eating, drinking, and taking care of their daily affairs while living a life separated from Jesus Christ. This is a very sad and sobering thought because the Bible plainly states in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” And if nobody warns these people, eternal death assuredly awaits them in their future.

This is the primary reason Denise and I moved to the former Soviet Union with our family so many years ago. We were commissioned by God to proclaim the Gospel to this lost Russian generation — to warn them in advance that, if they receive the Lord, they can escape the judgment that ultimately awaits all unsaved humanity. We constantly proclaim this message on television, in books, in literature, in evangelistic meetings, and in church services. And we are so thankful that we have seen literally millions of people come to Christ through our ministry and thereby seal their eternal destiny with the Lord!

However, there are still millions and millions of lost people to reach who have never heard the good news that Jesus saves, and our job will never be complete until we have reached the largest number of souls possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This problem is not specific to the former Soviet Union; the same is true in every nation of the world, including the United States. Each and every unbeliever needs the saving message that saved and transformed your life and mine, and it is our job to warn them in advance so they can flee that judgment and find safe harbor in Jesus. It is imperative that we use the time given to us now to reach the lost and to work while there is still time to work!

In John 9:4, Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” This verse is incredibly important because it contains a strong admonition for every serious Christian. The attitude of Jesus expressed in this scripture must be our attitude as well.

Notice first that Jesus said, “I must work….” The word “must” is the Greek word dei, which always carries the idea of an obligation or a necessity. This reveals that Jesus urgently and strongly felt that there was no option in the matter. It was imperative, essential, and compulsory that He properly use His time to reach souls. Thus, the first part of the verse could be translated: “For Me, there is no option; what is before Me is certainly compulsory.…”

Then Jesus went on to say, “I must work the works.…” The word “works” comes from the Greek word ergadzomai, which is a form of the word ergos that by itself simply means works. However, when the word ergos becomes the word ergadzomai, it depicts intensified work or something that is completely energized. This is not a light matter; it is something that completely consumes one’s thoughts, attitude, and actions. Thus, when Jesus said, “I must work the works…,” this phrase really carries this idea: “I must give myself completely to the task before Me and do it enthusiastically and passionately.…”

But there is one more very important point. Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me.…” The word “sent” is from the word pempo, which means to send as a messenger or to send on a specific mission. This means that Jesus was no haphazard messenger. He was purposely sent by the Father for a specific reason, and He was accountable for how He performed His mission. This part of the verse, then, actually carries this idea: “I was sent specifically for this mission, and I will answer to the One who sent Me for how I carry out this assignment.”

Taken together, Jesus’ statement could be paraphrased as follows:

“For Me, there is no option, for what is before Me is certainly compulsory. I was sent specifically for this mission and this moment, and I will answer to the One who sent Me regarding how I carry out this assignment. Therefore, I must give myself completely to the task before me and do it enthusiastically and passionately.”

Jesus was also very conscious of the fact that His time was short and that He had to give Himself wholeheartedly to the task assigned to Him while the opportunity was available. He said, “I must work…while it is day….” The word “day” is the Greek word hemera, and it describes the daylight hours when it is possible to see and to work without hindrance. Jesus went on to explain that “…night cometh when no man can work.” The word “night” is the Greek word nuktos, and it describes the darkness of night when it is impossible to see clearly and therefore impossible to work.

Jesus knew that the opportunity before Him was limited. This is true of most opportunities God places before us. If we delay or hesitate too long, the opportunities God gives us will pass us by. It is urgent that we — like Jesus — make the decision to esteem every God-given opportunity as a special gift that cannot be wastefully squandered. Time is a precious gift, and opportunities for the Kingdom are open doors provided by God Himself. Therefore, if God has given you a space of time when you can freely work without hindrance, you need to embrace it as a God- given gift and fervently seek to fulfill what He has called you to do.

Think of how many people you know who were given a remarkable opportunity to do something tremendous, but failed to take advantage of the moment. Because of laziness, hesitation, fear, or a “take it easy” mentality, the opportunity given to those people slipped away and was lost. Don’t let this describe you! If God has given you a moment when you can work to achieve something tremendous — or if an exceptional prospect stands before you that will enable you to make a difference in someone else’s life — then like Jesus, you must give yourself enthusiastically and passionately to the task that lies before you. These kinds of opportunities are usually short-term, so you must seize the moment now while it is still day!

This is exactly how Denise and I feel about our work in the former Soviet Union. Right now the door is wide open for us to work without hindrance, and we fully comprehend that we must work passionately and enthusiastically during this time we’ve been given. Denise and I are not here on a vacation or a pleasure trip. We were purposely sent by the Father to win souls while it is still day, and we know that we will give account to Him for what we do with this precious opportunity He has given us.

Souls are precious to God — so precious, in fact, that He sent His only Son to the earth to redeem people with His blood. Since people are that precious to God, they must be precious to us as well. Therefore, let’s use the God-given opportunities we have, regardless of where we live, to warn people that a life lived apart from Jesus will result in serious eternal consequences. Let’s do all we can to bring them into the safe harbor we have all found in Jesus Christ!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, wherever I may reside, I am on a mission field. I was sent when Jesus said: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” You have given me many opportunities to make Christ known through my words, the works of my hands, or the associations You have brought across my path. Each window of opportunity You opened before me was time-sensitive. Some I seized in swift obedience; others I let close through procrastination, laziness, or plain disobedience. Father, I repent for wasting time and opportunities because souls were affected or neglected by my choices. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me be sensitive to the spiritual needs of others and to obey You quickly when You prompt me to release Your love and truth into people’s lives. I make a fresh commitment to worship You by working to reach, warn, and rescue as many lives as possible so they can have eternal life in Jesus Christ!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will place first things first. I will reverence God and esteem what He values. People are precious to God; therefore, people are precious to me. Daily I will thank God for the gift of my salvation through Jesus Christ. I will also show Him my appreciation daily by doing all I can do to tell as many people as I can that there is a Heaven to gain and an eternal hell of never-ending torment to shun. I will not hesitate. I will not draw back. I am compelled to work while it is day, before the window of time closes and the hour comes when no man can work.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you ever think about the vast number of unsaved people you know? If you were one of them, wouldn’t you want a good friend to tell you the truth about Jesus and thereby help you avoid eternal judgment?
2. Do you have a prayer list for people that are unsaved? Who is on that list? How often do you pray for them? If you were unsaved, wouldn’t you want someone to be praying for you?
3. Are you sensitive to opportunities that the Holy Spirit gives you to share Christ with those who are unsaved? What is a recent opportunity that the Holy Spirit gave you to share Christ with someone?

Herod Finally Meets Jesus!

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
— Luke 23:8

After Pilate discovered Jesus was from Galilee, the jurisdiction of Herod, the Roman governor quickly sent Jesus off to see Herod. At that time, Herod was in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover with the Jewish people. But before we get into Herod’s excited anticipation to meet Jesus, let’s first see which Herod this verse is talking about.

Several men named Herod ruled in Israel over the years. The first and most famous was “Herod the Great,” who was made the first governor of Galilee when he was twenty-five years old. His kingship was launched by the order of Octavius and Marc Antony — the same Marc Antony who had a famous relationship with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. Flavius Josephus, the well-known Jewish historian, recorded that Herod the Great died in 4 BC.

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After the death of Herod the Great, his territory was divided among his three sons. These three sons (also named “Herod”) were as follows:

Herod Archelaus

Herod Archelaus was made governor of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea in 4 BC when his father died, and he ruled until approximately 6 AD. This makes him the Herod who was ruling when Mary, Joseph, and Jesus returned from their flight to Egypt (see Matthew 2:22).

When Herod Archelaus ascended to the throne in 4 BC, things almost immediately went sour for him. The first problem he confronted was a rebellion incited among Jewish students by their teachers. Because the Ten Commandments forbid graven images, these teachers encouraged their students to tear down and destroy the imperial golden eagle that Rome had ordered to be hung on the entrance to the temple. As punishment, Herod Archelaus ordered these teachers and students to be burned alive. The massacre continued until three thousand Jews had been slaughtered during the Feast of Passover. Soon Herod Archelaus journeyed to Rome to be crowned by the Emperor Augustus. However, fresh riots ensued in his absence, resulting in more than two thousand people being crucified.

The Gospel of Matthew indicates that Joseph and Mary were troubled about settling in the territories ruled by Herod Archelaus and therefore made their home in Galilee (Matthew 2:22). Herod Archelaus was so despised that the Jews and Samaritans, usually foes, united together and corporately appealed to Rome to request that he should be removed from power. In 6 AD, Herod Archelaus was banished to Gaul (modern-day France) and died before the year 18.

Herod Philip

Herod Philip was educated in Rome, along with his brothers Herod Archelaus and Herod Antipas. When his father, Herod the Great, died in 4 BC, Herod Philip became governor of the distant regions in the northeast territories of his father’s kingdom. These territories included:

•  Gaulanitis — known today as the Golan Heights.
•  Batanaea — the territory east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.
•  Trachonitis and Auranitis (or Hauran) — the southern part of modern-day Syria.

The Jews were a minority among Herod Philip’s subjects. Most people under his rule were of Syrian or Arabian ancestry, but he had Greek and Roman subjects as well, usually living in the cities. Herod Philip died in the year 34 AD after having ruled his kingdom for thirty-seven years. Since he left no heir, the Roman Emperor Tiberius directed his territories to be added to the region of Syria.

Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod Philip was moderate and quiet in the conduct of his life and government. When Tiberius died in 37 AD, his successor, Caligula, restored the principality almost in its entirety and appointed Herod Philip’s nephew, Herod Agrippa, as the new ruler — but he’s another story that we won’t get into today!

Herod Antipas

This leads us to the third son of Herod the Great — Herod Antipas, the same Herod before whom Jesus appeared in Luke 23:8 and who had long desired to personally meet Jesus. What do we know of this Herod?

Herod Antipas was assigned tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea (located on the east bank of the Jordan). The Roman emperor Augustus affirmed this decision, and the reign of Herod Antipas began in the year 4 BC when his father died.

The name “Antipas” is a compound of two Greek words, anti and pas. The word anti means against, and the word pas means all or everyone. Once compounded into one word, it means one who is against everything and everyone. This name alone should tell us something about the personality of this wicked ruler.

In the year 17 AD, Herod Antipas founded Tiberias, a new capital he built to honor the Roman emperor, Tiberius. However, the building of this city caused an enormous disturbance among his Jewish subjects when they discovered it was being constructed on top of an old Jewish graveyard. Because these graves had been desecrated, devout Jews refused to enter Tiberias for a very long time.

Herod Antipas tried to style himself in a way that would appeal to the Jewish people, even participating in national Jewish celebrations. But the people were not convinced by this act and viewed him as an insincere fraud. Even Jesus compared Herod Antipas to a fox — an animal that was considered to be the epitome of trickery and that was usually unclean and infected with sickness. In other words, when Jesus called Herod a fox, it was the equivalent of saying he was a sneaky, lying, deceiving, dishonest, infected, and sick individual. Those were pretty strong words for Jesus!

Herod Antipas’ first marriage was to the daughter of an Arabian leader. However, he divorced this woman so he could marry the ex-wife of his half-brother, a woman named Herodias. Taking the ex-wife of one’s brother was not uncommon, but Herodias was also the daughter of another half-brother, Aristobulus. In Roman law, marriage to one’s niece was also permitted, but marriage to a woman who was both one’s sister-in-law and one’s niece was most unusual. This unusual marriage drew the attention and criticism of John the Baptist. The Gospel of Mark records that John the Baptist died because of the public stand he took against Herod Antipas’ second marriage.

In the year 37, Herod Antipas’ new wife, Herodias, disagreed when her brother Agrippa became king in place of Herod Philip. She thought that the royal title should not be given to Herod Agrippa but to her husband and made plans accordingly for Herod Antipas to be appointed king. Adamantly disagreeing with Herodias, the Roman emperor exiled both her and her husband to live the rest of their lives in Gaul, which is modern-day France.

Luke 23:8 tells us that Herod Antipas was eager to finally meet Jesus: “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.” Notice this verse says “And when Herod saw Jesus.…” The word “saw” is from the Greek word horao, meaning to see; to behold; to delightfully view; a scrutinizing look; or to look with the intent to examine.

This word horao paints a very important picture for us of exactly what happened when Jesus finally stood before Herod Antipas. It conveys the idea that Herod was excited and delighted to finally behold the miracle-worker he had heard so much about. Once Jesus stood before him, Herod literally looked Him over, scrutinizing and examining every detail of the Man who appeared before him.

The next part of the verse confirms the exhilaration and jubilation Herod Antipas felt about seeing Jesus. It says, “he was exceeding glad.…”  The Greek text uses two words, echari lian. The word echari is from the word chairo, the Greek word for joy. The Greek word lian means much, great, or exceedingly. These two words together suggest extreme excitement or someone who is ecstatic about something. In other words, Herod Antipas was so “hyper” about having the chance to meet Jesus that he was nearly jumping up and down on the inside!

This should tell us how well known Jesus had become during His ministry. If Herod Antipas was this excited to meet Him, it’s no wonder that the scribes and elders were apprehensive about His widespread popularity. Even the nobility longed for a chance to see Jesus’ miracles!

That’s why the next part of the verse says, “…for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him….” The word “desirous” is the Greek word thelo, which means to will or to wish. However, the construction used in this Greek phrase intensifies the wish, making it a very strong wish or desire. According to this verse, Herod had this strong desire for “a long season” — a phrase taken from the Greek words ek hikanos chronos. The word hikanos means many, considerable, or much. The word chronos means time, such as a season, epoch, era, or any specified duration of time. These words together could be translated for many years, for a long time, or for many seasons.

Why had Herod Antipas longed to see Jesus for many years? The verse says, “…because he had heard many things of him….” Jesus was a name that the Herod household had heard for years! I’m sure all three Herod boys — Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas — heard tales about:

•  Jesus’ supernatural birth.
•  The kings from the east who had come to acknowledge Him.
•  The attempt of their father, Herod the Great, to kill Jesus by ordering all the babies in Bethlehem to be murdered.
• Jesus and His parents slipping into Egypt and waiting for the right moment to come back into Israel.
•  The ministry of Jesus touching the nation with healing and delivering power.

Stories of Jesus must have been very familiar to the Herod household. Herod Antipas had longed for a chance to meet this famous personality for many years. Jesus was a living legend, and now He was standing in his presence!

At the end of this verse, we discover the reason Herod Antipas was most excited to meet Jesus. The verse continues to tell us, “…he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.” The Greek word for “hoped” is elpidzo, meaning to hope, but the construction used in this verse is similar to the word thelo, noted above, which means to wish. Just as Herod’s wish to see Jesus was a very strong wish, now his hope to see some miracle performed by Jesus was a very strong hope or an earnest expectation.

Herod was expecting to “…have seen some miracle done by him.” The word “see” is the Greek word horao, the same word used in the first part of this verse when we are told that Herod was excited to see Jesus. Now this word is used to let us know Herod was euphoric about his chance to see some “miracle” done by Jesus.

The word “miracle” is the Greek word semeion, which is a sign, a mark, or a token that verifies or authenticates an alleged report. It is used in the Gospels primarily to depict miracles and supernatural events, which means the purpose of such miracles and supernatural events is to verify and authenticate the message of the Gospel.

But Luke 23:9 tells us that Jesus did not work miracles on demand for Herod, nor did He answer the large number of questions that Herod put to Him that day. As a result of His silence, the following verse tells us, “And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him” (v. 10).

Notice that the chief priests and scribes followed Jesus from Pilate’s palace to Herod’s residence. When Jesus performed no miracle for Herod, the scribes and elders, most of whom belonged to the sect of the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the supernatural, seized the moment to start screaming and yelling uncontrollably. The word “vehemently” is the Greek word eutonus, meaning at full pitch, at full volume, strenuously, or vigorously. In other words, these religious leaders weren’t just slightly raising their voices; they were what we might call “screaming their heads off”! Most likely they were screaming accusations right in Jesus’ face, saying things like, “Some miracle worker You are! You have no power! You’re a fraud! If You can work miracles, why don’t You work one right now! You’re nothing but a charlatan!”

That day Herod was left with the impression that Jesus was nothing more than a spiritual fraud. Because Jesus didn’t perform on demand as Herod wished, this governor’s expectations were dashed, causing him to unleash his rage against Jesus. In the short time that followed, Jesus took the full brunt of this wicked ruler’s wrath.

I’m sure you’ve been in situations when you’ve been railed at because you failed to meet someone’s demands. Can you think of a time when something like this happened to you? How did you respond? Did you yell and scream back at that person when he vented his anger at you, or were you able to remain quiet and controlled as Jesus did that day before Herod Antipas and the chief priests and elders?

Life will occasionally take you through difficult places. One of those hard places is when you discover that people are disappointed with your performance. If you find yourself in this kind of predicament, remember that Jesus failed to meet the expectations of Herod Antipas (although that was probably the only person whose expectations Jesus ever failed to meet)! When you find yourself in such a place, go hide yourself away for a few minutes and call out to the Lord. He has been there; He understands; and He will help you know how you must respond! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me control myself when a project into which I’ve put my whole heart and soul goes unappreciated and rejected by my boss, my parents, my pastor, my fellow workers, or my friends. Help me take advantage of moments like these to learn how to be quiet and controlled. Please use these times in my life to help me mature and to learn how to keep my mouth shut. I know You understand the emotions that accompany this kind of disappointment, so who else can I turn to but You to help me in these kinds of ordeals?

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am self-controlled when people get angry or upset with me. Even when others vent their anger by yelling and screaming, I don’t yell and scream back at them. In these moments, the Spirit of God rules my heart, mind, and emotions, and I am able to remain quiet and controlled. When I find myself in this situation, I hide myself away in prayer for a few minutes and call out to the Lord. He helps me understand the right way and the right time to respond.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you recall a time when after putting forth your very best efforts, you discovered that those efforts weren’t appreciated or considered acceptable by those you were trying to please?

2. When those you were trying to satisfy informed you about how displeased they were with your performance, did you graciously listen and learn, or did you put up a fight in your self-defense?

3. Looking back on that situation and knowing what you know now, how would you respond differently if you could turn the clock back and do it all over again?

Pilate Looks for a Loophole

When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
— Luke 23:6,7

Pilate had never had a problem with causing bloodshed in the past, so it seems strange that he balked at the thought of crucifying Jesus. As governor and the chief legal authority of the land, Pilate had been invested by Rome with the power to decide who would and wouldn’t live. This Roman governor was infamous for his cold-hearted, insensitive, and cruel style of leadership and had never found it difficult to order the death of a criminal — until now.

There was something inside Pilate that recoiled at the idea of crucifying Jesus. The Bible doesn’t state exactly why Pilate didn’t want to crucify Him, but it makes one wonder what he saw in Jesus’ eyes when he interrogated Him. We do know Pilate was shocked at the manner in which Jesus carried Himself, for Matthew 27:14 tells us that Pilate “marveled greatly” at Jesus.

The words “marveled greatly” are from the Greek word thaumadzo, which means to wonder, to be at a loss of words, or to be shocked and amazed. A man like this Jesus had never stood before Pilate before, and the governor was obviously disturbed at the thought of murdering Him.

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In fact, Pilate was so disturbed that he decided to probe deeper by asking questions. He was looking for a loophole that would enable him to escape this trap the Jews had set both for Jesus and for himself as well. Indeed, the Jewish leaders had carefully schemed a trap with three potential results, all of which would make them very happy. The threefold purpose of this trap was as follows:

1. To see Jesus judged by the Roman court, thus ruining His reputation and guaranteeing His crucifixion, while at the same time vindicating themselves in the eyes of the people.

To ensure that this happened, the Jewish leaders falsified charges that made Jesus appear to be a bona fide political offender. These were the charges: 1) that He had perverted the whole nation — a religious charge that was the responsibility of the Sanhedrin to judge; 2) that He had commanded people not to pay their taxes to Rome; and 3) that He claimed to be king (see Luke 23:2). According to Roman law, Jesus should be crucified for claiming to be king. If these charges were proven true, Pilate was bound by law to crucify Him. If this is what followed, the first purpose of their scheme would have worked.

2. To see Pilate wiped out and permanently removed from power on the charge that he was unfaithful to the Roman emperor because he would not crucify a man who claimed to be a rival king to the emperor.

Had Pilate declined to crucify Jesus, this rejection would have given the Jewish leaders the ammunition they needed to prove to Rome that this governor should be removed from power because he was a traitor to the emperor. News would have reached the emperor of Rome that Pilate had permitted a rival king to live, and Pilate would have been charged with treason (see John 19:12).

It is interesting that this same charge was brought against Jesus. It was a charge that most assuredly would have led to Pilate’s own death or banishment. If Jesus was allowed to go free by the Roman court, the Jewish leadership would have been thrilled, for then they would have had a legal reason to expel Pilate from their land. Thus, the second purpose of their scheme would have worked.

3. To take Jesus back into their own court in the Sanhedrin if Pilate would not crucify Him, where they had the religious authority to stone Him to death for claiming to be the Son of God.

The truth is, the Jewish leaders never needed to deliver Jesus to Pilate because the court of the Sanhedrin already had the religious authority to kill Jesus by stoning for claiming to be the Son of God. Even if Pilate refused to crucify Jesus, they fully intended to kill Him anyway (see John 19:7).

So we see that the trip to Pilate’s court of law was designed to turn Jesus’ arrest into a political catastrophe that would possibly help the Jewish leaders get rid of Pilate as well. But if Jesus had been freed by the Roman court, they intended to kill Him anyway. This was the third part of their scheme.

The solution to this mess was easy! All Pilate had to do was crucify Jesus; then he would have happy Jewish elders on his hands; no charges of treason leveled against him in Rome; strengthened ties to the religious community; and a guarantee of remaining in power. Pilate just had to say, “CRUCIFY HIM!” and this political game would be over. But he couldn’t bring himself to utter those words!

Instead, Pilate gave Jesus three opportunities to speak up in His own defense. But Jesus said nothing. Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV) says, “…As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” According to the law, Jesus should have automatically been declared “guilty” because He passed up three chances to defend Himself. But this time Pilate simply could not permit himself to follow the due course of judicial process. He sought instead to find a way out of this dilemma.

As noted above, perhaps Pilate saw something in Jesus’ eyes that affected him. Maybe Jesus’ kind and gracious behavior grabbed Pilate’s heart. Others have speculated that Pilate’s wife may have secretly been a follower of Jesus who told her husband about His goodness and the miracles that had followed His life. Matthew 27:19 reports that Pilate’s wife was so upset about Jesus’ impending death that she even had upsetting dreams about Him in the night. She sent word about her dreams to Pilate, begging him not to crucify Jesus.

As Pilate probed deeper in his interrogation, he discovered that Jesus was from Galilee. At long last, Pilate could breathe a sigh of relief. He had found the loophole that shifted the full weight of the decision to his old enemy, Herod! Galilee was under the legal jurisdiction of Herod. What a coincidence! Herod just “happened” to be in Jerusalem that week to participate in the Feast of Passover!

Pilate promptly ordered Jesus to be transferred to the other side of the city to the residence where Herod was staying with his royal entourage. The Bible tells us, “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him” (Luke 23:8). However, it didn’t take long for Herod to get angry with Jesus and return Him to Pilate!

What do you think went through Jesus’ mind as He stood before first a Roman governor, then a Jewish king — only to be shipped back to the Roman governor again? Have you been feeling knocked around and passed from one authority figure to another at home, at church, in the workplace, or in the governmental system? If so, you can feel free to talk to Jesus about it, because He really understands the predicament you find yourself in right now!

Hebrews 4:15,16 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Since Jesus understands your dilemma, I advise you to speak freely to Him about the emotional ups and downs you feel as a result of your situation. His throne is a throne of grace — a place where you can obtain mercy and find grace to help in your time of need.

So go before God’s throne today. He will hear you, answer you, and give you the power and wisdom you need to press through this time in your life!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so glad You understand when I feel confused about the person I am supposed to report to and to whom I am supposed to be accountable at work and at church. Sometimes I feel like my leaders send me back and forth, not knowing what to do with me or to whom I am supposed to report, which makes it hard for me to do my job. I know that those who are over me have their own challenges, so I want to be helpful to them, not judgmental of them. Please give me the wisdom to know how to behave in a godly manner in this environment.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have the mind of Christ for my situation. I am not in confusion; rather, I walk in peace in every situation. Because Jesus has been in my same place, I go to Him to tell Him about my situation, and He gives me all the mercy and grace I need to be successful in this place where He has called me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you feel like you are knocked around from one authority to another at your job or in your position at church? Are you confused about whom you are really supposed to be accountable to?

2. Have you ever asked for clarification regarding this matter? If you didn’t understand what you were told, did you seek further clarification to avoid confusion?

3. If you’ve done all you can to properly report to the authorities who are over you and they still don’t like the way you are reporting to them, have you prayed and asked the Lord to help you become what your authorities need you to be?

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest thou that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
— Matthew 5:23-24

Have you ever been hurt or offended, but tried to deal with the problem by pretending nothing was wrong? You made an effort to smile, regardless of whether you felt like it or not, and then forced yourself to put on a bright, shining, happy face as though nothing was bothering you. You smoothed the wrinkles out of your forehead, unfurrowed your eyebrows, and prayed that people didn’t see reflected in your eyes the conflict that was raging in your heart.

You inwardly surmised, If I can keep up this facade, no one will ever detect my disgust! However, in spite of your efforts, the bottled-up hurt and offense inevitably surfaced. Perhaps you ran into the offender at church and said hello, but the other person didn’t reply exactly as you thought he should. Maybe he simply didn’t have time to talk because of a previously scheduled appointment, or maybe he was just being plain rude. In either case, your flesh slipped into a silent mode of self-justification, mud-slinging, and name-calling. Inwardly you may have thought poisonous thoughts like: That’s exactly what I expected from that person! I don’t know why I even try! He’ll never change!

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Suddenly you were consumed with negative feelings you couldn’t control. You became a prisoner to your own emotions. Those negative thoughts kept rolling around in your heart and soul, tearing you up on the inside. By not bringing those wounded emotions into the light, you allowed them to fester in darkness and wreak destruction in your life. And to top it off, your inner ugliness revealed that you are just as “in the wrong” as the other person!

Learning how to deal with these conflicts, resolve them, and move in the love of God is key to achieving victory in our relationships and in our lives. We must deal with our hearts and then make sure our outward actions reflect a walk of love. Part of those outward steps may be going to your offender to confess your hurt — or acknowledge his or her hurt — and make your relationship right both with that person and with God. You might say, “But, oh, this is so hard and embarrassing to do.” The truth is, doing the right thing is not always easy.

Our need to confess our hurt and make things right usually comes to our minds when we are in worship. In fact, that’s the essence of what Jesus said in Matthew 5:23,24. In those verses, He told us, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest thou that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Let’s look at this verse and see what Jesus commanded us to do.

Jesus was saying that as you bring a gift to the altar — whether it’s a financial gift, an act of worship, a prayer, or simply your decision to draw nearer to God — you may “remember” suddenly, in a flash of a moment, that there is an issue between you and another person. If an issue has suddenly been quickened to your mind when you come before God in prayer or worship, it is likely the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart in order to bring an issue to your attention.

Maybe it is something you were not aware of, or maybe it is something that you’ve tried to ignore or just didn’t want to face. But when the Holy Spirit quickens it to you, that is a game-changer. It makes you personally responsible for whatever He has revealed to you. And Jesus said that if you suddenly remember your brother has “ought against” you, it is your God-given responsibility to put forth the effort as quickly as possible to make it right.

In Greek, the word “ought” is the little word ti, which means anything at all. In other words, this doesn’t have to be something that you would deem a major issue. If the Holy Spirit brings anything to your mind that wrongfully exists between you and a fellow believer — regardless of what it is, how big it is, or how small it is — Jesus commands you to leave your gift at the altar, go find that individual, and be “reconciled.” It may seem like a minor issue. But if the Holy Spirit has quickened it to your mind, you need to treat the situation seriously and immediately get “reconciled” with that individual.

The word “reconciled” in Matthew 5:24 is the Greek word diallassomai, which refers to mutual concession after mutual hostility. The idea of concession is giving up an argument, surrendering a point, conceding to someone else, or letting something go and refusing to let it be an issue. In other words, even though the issue is not totally agreed upon, you have at least agreed to be “right” with each other.

The sad fact is that most of the problems that people hold on to and allow to wreak havoc in their lives are truly insignificant. Many people are sent reeling into a maze of emotions over meaningless issues, which they subsequently magnify and exaggerate in their minds to a point of absurdity — literally making mountains out of molehills. We’ve all been guilty of this from time to time.

If I were to ask everyone reading this to send me stories of silly conflicts they’ve experienced, I could fill pages and pages with their testimonies. We could sit and roar with laughter over the silly things that upset people and see just how foolish we all can be. If we then magnify our personal experiences by those of thousands of other people, we’ll begin to catch a glimpse of how many hours of people’s lives are dominated by senseless, meaningless, unimportant debate.

Most of life’s conflicts fall into this category. They are small, temporary, ridiculous, emotional flare-ups that can later be seen in their true light — perhaps humorous or even stupid, but certainly not worthy of getting upset about.

However, these trivial conflicts can easily become serious when we refuse out of pride to admit our error, apologize, and let go of our offense. When pride comes into the picture and someone gets offended, a minor incident that should be laughed off will quickly become a wall that separates. Anytime something small becomes a major issue, we need to back up and reexamine what we are thinking and feeling. Therefore, look inward and ask yourself, Is this problem really so serious, or are we letting this matter get way out of hand?

Once you’ve done what the Holy Spirit has told you to do — and you’ve done all you know to do to clear the air and to make wrongs right — the last of verse 24 tells you what to do: “…Then come and offer thy gift.” Hopefully, the other person has received you, but even if he or she doesn’t, at least you can rest knowing you’ve done your best. You’ve done what is necessary to keep a clear conscience and a clean heart before God. Now it’s time to enjoy sweet, unhindered fellowship in the presence of the Lord.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, here in Your light, I see the light of Your truth shining on the reality of the nonsense I’ve allowed to become a dividing wall of offense. I acknowledge my part in this, and I repent of thinking and responding contrary to the love of God. I will not ignore the situation any longer or harden my heart in pride. In obedience to Your Word, I will humbly go to my brother with the sincere desire to make this right. This may be difficult and somewhat embarrassing, but a clear conscience and unhindered fellowship with You means more to me than anything. As I seek to make peace, I entrust the outcome to You, Lord.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I keep a clear conscience toward God that is void of offense toward any man. I keep myself in the love of God as I continually seek peace and pursue it. I refuse to make mountains out of molehills and allow petty nonsense to escalate into an offense that will produce bitterness in me or in others. I am quick to repent and also quick to forgive. Holy Spirit, I ask You to quicken my heart any time I need to make things right with anyone for any reason. I commit to You that I will do what You tell me to do so I can live peaceably with everyone and enjoy unbroken fellowship with You at all times.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever been in a time of worship when suddenly your mind became aware of a relationship that needed to be made right — and that you needed to take care of it before you could proceed with anything else in your life?
2. Is there someone who has “ought against” you right now? Or who is that person whom you have “ought against”? Based on today’s Sparkling Gem, what is Jesus asking you to do about it?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
— Romans 12:1

It is no secret that the desires of your flesh are often in direct contradiction with God’s plan for your life. When God calls for moderation, the flesh strongly cries out for excess, and it will fight tooth and nail to get its way. That is why the apostle Paul began Romans 12:1 by intensely pleading and commanding you to hear and follow through with obedience to his message. He wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

I especially want to draw your attention to the word “beseech” at the beginning of this verse. In Greek, it is the word parakaleo, which is a compound of the words para and kaleo. The word para means alongside, and the word kaleo means to call or to beckon. When these two words are compounded, the new word depicts a person who comes alongside someone else, as close as he can get, and then begins to passionately call out, plead, beckon, or beg another person or group of people to do something. In fact, the sense of pleading is so strong in the word parakaleo, one expositor has suggested that this verse figuratively shows the apostle Paul on his knees, pleading with his readers to hear what he is saying and to do what he is requesting. This is no mere asking; it is Paul prayerfully pleading for his readers to hear his petition and obey it.

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However, it is important to note that the word parakaleo actually holds another layer of meaning. In New Testament times, this word was also used to describe military commanders who would passionately address their troops before sending them into battle. In this context, the word parakaleo means to exhort, and it depicts a leader urging his soldiers to take action, prepare themselves for a fight, and then brave the imminent battle with courage and a commitment to win, regardless of the difficulties that might lie ahead. This is no suggestion — it is a command! Thus, Paul’s use of the word parakaleo in Romans 12:1 reveals that in addition to earnestly pleading with his readers, he was commanding them as a leader and exhorting them to obey his request. What Paul was about to convey to his audience would require great fortitude and commitment on their part, so it was vital that they entered this spiritual battle with great strength of courage.

What was this difficult and monumental task Paul was urging us to intentionally engage in to fully accomplish? It was to present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God.

Paul continued, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice….” The phrase “ye present” is a translation of the Greek word paristemi, and it means to present a sacrifice or to dedicate something to the Lord. In fact, it is the same word used in Luke 2:22 to describe the moment when Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to God and dedicated Him in the Temple. The verse states, “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.” The word “present” in this verse is paristemi — the same word used in Romans 12:1. Just as Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to God and fully dedicated him to His service, Paul was exhorting us to present and dedicate our human bodies to God.

Because of his choice of language, there is no doubt that Paul was referring to the human body when he urged his readers to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1. The word “bodies” is the Greek word soma, which specifically refers to the physical body. Paul was calling on believers everywhere to surrender their physical bodies to the service of God — to put their bodies on the altar and dedicate them to God as “a living sacrifice.”

Paul knew this endeavor would be difficult because the human body by its very nature does not want to be laid on the altar. Flesh desperately desires to be in full control of itself and will actively resist God’s cry for surrender. So like a military commander, Paul exhorted his audience to take charge of their physical bodies and to surrender them to God regardless of what their flesh was telling them to do.

Paul’s language in this verse is peculiar, because in New Testament times, there was no such thing as a living sacrifice when it came to the sacrifice of animals. All sacrifices were dead and thus had no voice or ability to resist. When a sacrificial animal was killed on an altar, the act was final, and the animal couldn’t protest or scream out after the fact that it didn’t want to be sacrificed. Yet in Romans 12:1, God calls on us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. He seeks living human beings who belong wholly to Him and who choose to stay on the altar of their own free will. In other words, we are to be completely surrendered to Him, fully dedicated to His purpose, and living entirely for Him — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

So take a moment to ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you struggle with surrendering your body to the Lord and remaining a “living sacrifice”?
• What do your physical habits reveal about the current state of your surrender to God?
• Does your body call the shots, or is Jesus the Lord of your body?

These questions may be difficult to acknowledge, but they are vitally important. If you find that it’s difficult to keep your body dedicated to God, don’t be too shocked or disappointed in yourself. Realize it’s a challenge for everyone, but don’t give yourself any slack! Make a quality decision today to continually recommit the ownership and lordship of your body to Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice.

As we’ve seen, it’s what your Heavenly Father asks for — the total surrender of your body, its habits, and its actions. He wants you on the altar, and He wants all of you. He knows that it is as you willingly choose to adopt that position of utter surrender to Him that His Spirit will be able to work in you and through you to become everything He created you to be.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, Jesus asked us why we call Him Lord, yet fail to do what He tells us to do. The one I obey is the one I truly serve. Today I see areas where I have allowed the voice of my flesh to call the shots. Instead of mastering and subduing my flesh into silence, I have silenced the voice of my spirit that calls for me to present my body as a living sacrifice in obedient surrender to You. Father, I humble myself beneath Your mighty hand, and I repent for the ways I have indulged the carnal mind, which is not subject to You. I judge that as rebellion and I refuse to give it place any longer. Father, I thank You for Your great mercy in opening the eyes of my understanding to see this as You see it. I choose to submit to You and to resist the devil’s attempts to exploit my flesh to gain access to my life. You alone, Lord Jesus, have the right to lead me and conform my thoughts to Your will.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I make a decisive dedication of my body and my faculties to the Lord. I choose to follow the example of my Lord Jesus, who learned obedience through the things He suffered by walking in continual obedience to the will of the Father. I choose to make a continual commitment to refuse to live life according to fleshly dictates. Although this may be the biggest fight of my life, I decide and decree that this is a fight that will be won as I yield to the power of the Greater One inside me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Has there been a concrete moment you can recall when you presented your body to Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice? If yes, when was that moment? If no, why not do it today before you do anything else or go anywhere else? It will change your life!
2. In what areas of your life do you battle with surrendering your body to the Lordship of Jesus? What steps can you take to make this process of submission easier?
3. Why don’t you make a list of the areas that you still need to surrender to the Lord? At least if you have a list, you’ll be aware of what areas you need to present to the Lord and work on committing to Him.

Being Confident of God’s Plan

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
— Matthew 27:2

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt like you were surrounded and besieged by control freaks who were obsessed with keeping everything that moved under their monitoring control? If you’ve been in a situation like this before, you know how hard it is to function in that kind of environment.

Well, at the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth, Israel was overwhelmed with scads of leaders who were obsessed with the notion of holding on to the reins of power. This paranoia was so epidemic that it had spread to both the religious and political world. The high priest, along with his scribes and elders, were suspicious and paranoid of anyone who appeared to be growing in popularity. The political leaders installed by Rome to preside over Israel were just as paranoid, looking behind every nook and cranny for opponents and constantly struggling every day of their lives to keep power in their grip.

Israel was under the enemy control of Rome, an occupying force that the Jews despised. They hated the Romans for their pagan tendencies, for pushing Roman language and culture on them, for the taxes they were required to pay to Rome — and that’s just a few of the reasons the Jews hated the Romans.

Because of the political turmoil in Israel, few political leaders from Rome held power for very long, and those who succeeded did so using cruelty and brutality. The land was full of revolts, rebellions, insurgencies, assassinations, and endless political upheavals. The ability to rule long in this environment required a ruthless, self-concerned leader who was willing to do anything necessary to maintain a position of power. This leads us to Pontius Pilate, who was just that type of man.

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After Herod Archelaus was removed from power (see April 18 to find out more about the three sons of Herod the Great), Judea was placed in the care of a Roman procurator. This was a natural course of events, for the Roman Empire was already divided into approximately forty provinces, each governed by a procurator — a position that was the equivalent of a governor. It was normal for a procurator to serve in his position for twelve to thirty-six months. However, Pilate governed Judea for ten years, beginning in the year 26 AD and concluding in the year 36 AD. This ten-year span of time is critical, for it means Pilate was governor of Judea throughout the entire length of Jesus’ ministry. The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, noted that Pilate was ruthless and unsympathetic and that he failed to comprehend and appreciate how important the Jew’s religious beliefs and convictions were to them.

In addition to the normal responsibilities a procurator possessed, Pilate also ruled as the supreme authority in legal matters. As an expert at Roman law, many decisions were brought to him for final judgment. Because of this high-ranking legal position, he had the final say-so in nearly all legal affairs for the territory of Judea. However, even though Pilate held this awesome legal power in his hands, he dreaded cases having to do with religion and often permitted such cases to be passed into the court of the Sanhedrin, over which Caiaphas the high priest presided.

Pilate lived at Herod’s palace, located in Caesarea. Because it was the official residence of the procurator, a military force of about 3,000 Roman soldiers was stationed there to protect the Roman governor. Pilate disliked the city of Jerusalem and recoiled from making visits there. But at the time of the feasts when the city of Jerusalem was filled with guests, travelers, and strangers, there was a greater potential of unrest, turbulence, and disorder, so Pilate and his troops would come into the city of Jerusalem to guard and protect the peace of the population. This was the reason Pilate was in the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion.

As a highly political man, Pilate knew how to play the political game. The Jews he ruled were also well-versed at playing the political game with him. In fact, so many complaints had been filed in Rome about Pilate’s unkind and ruthless style of ruling that the threat of an additional complaint was often all that was needed for the Jews to manipulate Pilate to do their bidding. This no doubt affected Pilate’s decision to crucify Jesus.

That day the high priest, the Sanhedrin, and the entire mob, insisted that Jesus be crucified. Pilate wanted to know the reason for this demand, so they answered him, “…We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He himself is Christ a King” (Luke 23:2).

Pilate knew the Jews were jealous of Jesus. But politically the charges they brought against Jesus put him in a very bad position. What if the news reached Rome that Jesus had perverted the nation, teaching the people to withhold their taxes and claiming to be a counter King in place of the Roman emperor? It would be political suicide for Pilate to do nothing about that kind of situation. The Jewish leaders were well aware of this when they fabricated these charges against Jesus. They knew exactly what political strings to pull to get Pilate to do what they wanted — and they were pulling every string they held in their hands.

The Jewish people loathed Pilate for his cruelty and inadequate care of his subjects. The kind of brutality that made him so infamous and hated can be seen in Luke 13:1, where it mentions that Pilate slaughtered a number of Galileans and then mixed their blood together with the sacrifices. Appalling and sick as this act may sound, it is in accordance with many other vicious actions instigated under Pilate’s rule as procurator of Judea.

Another example of Pilate’s callousness can be seen in an incident that occurred when a prophet claimed to possess a supernatural gift that enabled him to locate consecrated vessels, which he alleged had been secretly hidden by Moses. When this prophet announced that he would unearth these vessels, Samaritans turned out in large numbers to observe the event. Pilate, who thought the entire affair was a disguise for some other political or military activity, dispatched Roman forces to assault and massacre the crowd that had gathered. In the end, it became apparent that nothing political had been intended.

The Samaritans felt such great loss for those who died, they formally requested that the governor of Syria intervene in this case. Their complaints of Pilate became so numerous that he was eventually summoned to Rome to give account for his actions before the Emperor Tiberius himself. But before Pilate could reach Rome to counter the charges that were brought against him, the Emperor Tiberius had died.

Outside the Gospels, Pilate is not mentioned again in the New Testament. Historical records show that the procurator of Syria brought some sort of accusations against Pilate in the year 36 AD. These indictments resulted in his removal from office and exile to Gaul (modern-day France). Eusebius, the well-known early Christian historian, later wrote that Pilate fell into misfortune under the wicked Emperor Caligula and lost many privileges. According to Eusebius, this man Pilate — who was ultimately responsible for the trial, judgment, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus and who had ruled Judea ruthlessly and mercilessly for ten years — finally committed suicide.

With this history now behind us, let’s look at Matthew 27:2. It says regarding Jesus, “And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” The word “bound” is the Greek word desantes, from the word deo, the same word that would be used to describe the binding, tying up, or securing of an animal. I am confident that this was precisely the connotation Matthew had in mind, for the next phrase uses a word that was common in the world of animal caretakers.

The verse tells us that they “led him away.” These words come from the Greek word apago. The word apago is used for a shepherd who ties a rope about the neck of his sheep and then leads it down the path to where it needs to go (see April 13). Just as the soldiers had led Jesus to Caiaphas, now they slipped a rope about His neck and walked the “Lamb of God” to Pontius Pilate.

The Bible says that once Jesus was in Pilate’s jurisdiction, they then “…delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” The word “delivered” is the word paradidomi, the same word we saw when Jesus committed Himself to the Father who judges righteously (see April 13). However, in this case, the meaning would more likely be to commit, to yield, to transmit, to deliver, or to hand something over to someone else.

This means that when the high priest ordered Jesus to be taken to Pilate, he officially made the issue Pilate’s problem. The high priest took Jesus to Pilate; delivered Him fully into Pilate’s hands; and then left Pilate with the responsibility of finding Him guilty and crucifying Him.

Matthew 27:11 says, “And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.” Pilate asked a direct question, but Jesus refused to directly answer him. Matthew 27:12 goes on to say, “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.” So for a second time, Jesus refused to answer or refute the charges that were brought up against Him.

Matthew 27:13,14 tells us what happened next: “Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.” Notice the Bible says Pilate “marveled greatly” at Jesus’ silence. In Greek, this phrase is the word thaumadzo, which means to wonder; to be at a loss of words; to be shocked and amazed.

Pilate was dumbfounded by Jesus’ silence because Roman law permitted prisoners three chances to open their mouths to defend themselves. If a prisoner passed up those three chances to speak in his defense, he would be automatically charged as “guilty.” In Matthew 27:11, Jesus passed up His first chance. In Matthew 27:12, He passed up His second chance. Now in Matthew 27:14, Jesus passes up His final chance to defend Himself.

At the very end of this time of interrogation, Pilate asked Jesus, “…Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it” (Luke 23:3). John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus added, “…My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). After hearing these answers, “then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4).

As you will see in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, Pilate searched diligently for a loophole so he wouldn’t have to kill Jesus. John 19:12 says, “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him.…” But nothing Pilate could do was able to stop the plan from being implemented. Even Jesus passed up His three chances to defend Himself, because He knew the Cross was a part of the Father’s plan.

When Jesus finally answered Pilate’s question, He still didn’t defend Himself, knowing it was the appointed time for Him to be slain as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. But Pilate didn’t want to crucify Him. In fact, the Roman governor began looking for a loophole — for some way out of putting this Man to death.

But Pilate’s search for a way out was in vain; the plan couldn’t be changed because it was time for the Son of God to offer the permanent sacrifice for sin. As Hebrews 9:12 says, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Are you certain of God’s plan for your life? Consider whether or not you are able to say with conviction: “I know what God has called me to do, and I’m willing to go where He tells me to go and pay any price I have to pay. My greatest priority and obsession is to do the will of the Father!” If you are not able to say this yet, ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow to the point where doing God’s will, regardless of the cost, becomes the most important thing in your life. Even if the life of obedience takes you through hard places as it did with Jesus, the end result will be resurrection and victory!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to be so confident of Your plan for my life that I refuse to let anything move me! Just as Jesus refused to be swayed away from Your plan for Him, I want to be fixed and committed to do exactly what I’ve been born to do. Help me know Your plan for my life — and once I really understand it, please give me the strength, power, and conviction to stand by that plan until I see it come to pass in my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that God has a wonderful plan for my life! God’s Spirit is revealing that plan to me right now. I am willing to do what He’s called me to do; I’m willing to go where He tells me to go; and I’m willing to pay any price I have to pay to accomplish the life-assignment God has preordained for me! My greatest priority and obsession is to do the will of the Father! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are you able to verbalize or write down God’s plan for your life? If so, try right now to speak out loud or write out plainly on paper what God has put in your heart about His plans for you.

2. Do you believe you possess the fortitude you need to stand firm in the face of any hardship or opposition that might come to challenge you as you follow God’s plan?

3. What steps do you need to take right now so you can grow strong enough spiritually to overcome any pressures that might try to coax you into giving up God’s plan for your life?

But as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
— Romans 8:14

It was the early 1990s — a time when supernatural doors were flying open for our TV ministry in nearly every corner of the Soviet Union. But one area that remained closed was Baku, Azerbaijan. Since this was a Muslim city, I had been strongly advised not to go there to negotiate for television time. Plus, the country of Azerbaijan was in a serious military conflict at the time. But despite what people were advising me to do, I sensed a strong leading of the Holy Spirit to go there. I simply knew that if I would put my feet on that land, God would open doors for us to broadcast the teaching of the Bible there.

We watched the news day by day to monitor what was happening with the military developments that were largely based around the capital city of Baku — where the largest TV tower in that part of the world was located. This tower was so huge, its signal covered not only Azerbaijan, but it reached all the way into the heart of Iran. For a door of this size to open would definitely require the supernatural grace of God — and it would also require divine courage to go there in the middle of an escalating military conflict!

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A single day came when a temporary cease-fire had been declared, so we quickly purchased plane tickets for two team members and me. We called to set up an appointment with the director of the national TV station, and we raced to the airport so we could board our plane to Azerbaijan. Hours later, we landed in the capital city of Baku. After being vigorously searched at the airport, a private car picked us up and drove us directly to the broadcasting company of that nation.

When we entered the broadcasting building, we were escorted to a sitting area to wait for our meeting with the TV director. We were told that we would need to be patient because the cease-fire had been broken at almost that exact moment, and there was heavy machine-gun fighting all around the TV facility. A secretary asked us if we’d like a cup of tea, and we sat drinking our tea while we could hear gunfire at the other end of the hallway adjacent to the area where we were seated! At one point, a group of soldiers carrying machine guns ran hurriedly past us, disappearing through the door to an area outside where all the action was taking place!

Soon the door opened to the national TV director’s office, and we were invited in for our scheduled appointment. To my surprise, the director was a woman. She held an unusual, very powerful position in a Muslim society. When I made my presentation about our TV programs, she responded, “Maybe you don’t understand. We are a Muslim republic. Your programs can’t be broadcast here. Plus, our signal reaches Tehran, and if we run your Bible teaching programs, it could offend our partners in Iran.”

But this broadcasting endeavor had been on my heart a long time. So rather than take no for an answer, I insisted, “We’ve come a long way today. Will you please just look at one of our programs?”

The director kindly consented. It just so happened that the random program she chose to watch was part of a series on what the Bible teaches about how husbands should treat their wives. As we watched, I could see the Holy Spirit was touching her heart with answers she had been seeking for her own marriage.

When that program ended, she asked if we had Part Two of that series with us and could show it to her. By the end of the second program, the Holy Spirit had totally melted her heart.

She said, “How often would you like to broadcast these programs and what price would you like to pay?”

Right before our eyes — with machine guns firing rapid-fire in the background — God opened a door that would not have opened if we had not had the courage to go to Baku at that critical moment in history.

That day I learned once again that it takes courage and confidence if you want to walk through a door that has never opened for anyone else. It also takes the leading of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who led us there on that very day — the day a great door flew open for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

In Romans 8:14, we are promised, “But as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” I want to examine this verse in today’s Sparkling Gem.

The Greek word for “led” is the word ago, which simply means to lead. But it must also be pointed out that this word forms the root for the Greek word agon, which describes an intense conflict, such as a struggle in a wrestling match or a struggle of the human will.

This illustrates the fact that although the Holy Spirit wants to lead us, our human will doesn’t like the idea of being led. You see, it’s the nature of the flesh to want to go its own way. Thus, when we choose to walk in the Spirit and let Him dictate our lives, His leadership over us creates a struggle of our will with our flesh.

An example of this kind of intense struggle is that dangerous trip to Baku. The Spirit of God inside me was telling me, “Go now — there is an open door for you today.” But the flesh ranted and raved, “You’re putting your life in danger! Don’t do what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do.”

Maybe that’s how you’ve been feeling about your own life. You want to obey God and be led by His Spirit, but your flesh is interested only in self-preservation and going its own way. However, as a child of God, you must learn to walk with Him and stay in your place — behind the Holy Spirit, following His lead. You have to defeat every fight the flesh puts up to stop you from obtaining the supernatural results the Lord wants you to have.

If you really want to live a supernatural, Spirit-led life, there is no way around it. You have to deal with your flesh! The flesh wants to control you, so you must mortify, or defeat, the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. The struggle may seem great, but it’s the only way to live a fruitful Christian life.

I’m so thankful for that day many years ago when God empowered me by His Spirit and gave me the courage to get on a plane and fly to Baku. God knew what I didn’t know — that a great open door was waiting for me. When we arrived and found the cease-fire had been broken, we could have turned around, gotten back on the plane, and headed home immediately. But we were certain the Holy Spirit was leading us. By God’s grace, the fight with the flesh was won, and a great event occurred before our very eyes.

As we do the will of God in life, we must listen to natural advice, but we must never forget that the leading of the Spirit is the prime factor in yielding supernatural fruit and obtaining a Heavenly outcome.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I now recognize that every time I have ever struggled to do what You asked me to do, the reason behind the struggle was that I had allowed fear and carnal reasoning to hinder me. Father, I repent for yielding to the pull of my own flesh instead of to the direction of Your Spirit. I want to live a fruitful life. Holy Spirit, right now I yield to Your strength, and I receive the courage I need to step out by faith and follow Your leading so I can obtain a heavenly outcome to the glory of God!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I obey God and I am led by His Spirit. I put to death all self-interest and every fleshly thought to make decisions based on self-preservation. I belong to God! My life is His, and His strength is mine! I refuse to allow my flesh to stop me from obtaining the supernatural results the Lord wants me to have. I choose to do the will of God. I declare right now that in those moments when the struggle to stay on track with His plan seems great because I’m tempted to let natural reasoning pull me off course, I will not fall short but will fulfill all the will of God without wavering! Greater is the courage of God within me than any fear that rants against my mind or any opposition that rises against me in this world!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever been directed by the Holy Spirit to do something that made no sense to your natural mind? When was that? How did you respond? What was the result of your obeying what He instructed you to do?
2. Have you ever been in a place that seemed filled with danger, but God told you to be there, and it ended up bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God? When was that experience? What happened as a result of your obedience?
3. What is God asking you to do right now that is requiring a greater measure of spiritual fortitude for you to obey Him? Have you asked Him to give you the courage and inner strength to obey what He is asking you to do?

Playing Games at Jesus’ Expense!

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
— Matthew 26:67,68

And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
— Luke 22:63,64

If we’re going to get the full picture of what happened in Caiaphas’ chamber that night when the religious leaders were spitting on Jesus and striking Him in the face with their fists, we need to pull all the pieces of this picture together from both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Luke 22:63 says, “And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.” I want you to particularly see the word “mock” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word empaidzo, which meant to play a game. It was often used for playing a game with children or for amusing a crowd by impersonating someone in a silly and exaggerated way. For instance, this word might be used in a game of charades when someone intends to comically portray someone or even make fun of someone. This gives us an important piece of the story that Matthew didn’t include in his Gospel account.

Even before He had to endure the spitting and vicious beating of the scribes and elders that night, Jesus was also severely beaten by “the men that held” Him. This doesn’t refer to the scribes and elders, but to the temple police and guards who kept watch over Jesus before Caiaphas examined Him.

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In addition to everything else that was going on that night, these guards decided they would take advantage of the moment too. The Bible doesn’t tell us how these men mimicked and impersonated Jesus that night, but the use of the Greek word empaidzo categorically lets us know that these men turned a few minutes of that nightmarish night into a stage of comedy at Jesus’ expense. They put on quite a show, hamming it up as they almost certainly pretended to be Jesus and the people He ministered to. Perhaps they laid hands on each other as if they were healing the sick; or lay on the floor and quivered, as if they were being liberated from devils; or wobbled around, acting as if they had been blind but now could suddenly see. Whatever these guards did to mock Jesus, it was a game of charades to mimic and make fun of Him.

When they were finished making sport of Jesus, Luke tells us that these guards “smote him.” The word for “smote” is from the word dero, a word used frequently to refer to the grueling and barbaric practice of beating a slave. This word is so dreadful that it is also often translated to flay, such as to flay the flesh from an animal or human being. The usage of this word tells us that even before the scribes and elders got their hands on Jesus, the guards had already put Him through a terrible ordeal.

Immediately after the guards were finished playing their charades and brutally beating Jesus, the scribes and elders began to spit in His face and whack Him on the head with their fists (see April 14). But the elders didn’t stop there. They blindfolded Jesus and began to strike Him on the head again, taking their humiliation of Him to the next level. This represented Jesus’ third beating.

If we only read Luke’s account, we might conclude that this third beating was also at the hands of the guards. However, when we compare and connect Luke’s account with Matthew’s account, it becomes clear that by this time Jesus had already been transferred into the hands of Caiaphas and his scribes and elders. What we read next in Luke 22:64 occurred after these religious leaders had already spit on Him and hit Him (Matthew 26:67).

Luke 22:64 says, “And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” The word “blindfolded” comes from the Greek word perikalupto, which means to wrap a veil or garment about someone, thus hiding his eyes so he can’t see. We don’t know where the blindfold came from. It could have been a piece of Jesus’ own clothing or a garment borrowed from one of the scribes and elders. But by the time they finished wrapping Jesus’ head in that cloth, He was completely blinded from seeing what was happening around him.

Just as the guards played charades at Jesus’ expense, now Caiaphas with the scribes and elders played blindman’s bluff at His expense! Once Jesus was blindfolded, “they struck him on the face.” The word “struck” is from the Greek word paio, which describes a strike that stings. A more precise translation might be “they slapped him on the face.” This is the reason the Greek word paio was used, for it referred to a slap that caused a terrible sting.

After slapping Jesus, the scribes and elders would badger Him, saying, “…Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” Here we find that these so-called religious leaders got so caught up in their sick behavior that they sadistically enjoyed the pain they were putting Jesus through. They slapped Him over and again, telling Him, “Come on, prophet! If You’re so good at prophesying and knowing things supernaturally, tell us which one of us just slapped You!”

Finally, Luke 22:65 tells us, “And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.” The word “blasphemy” is from the Greek word blasphemeo, meaning to slander; to accuse; to speak against; to speak derogatory words for the purpose of injuring or harming one’s reputation. It also signifies profane, foul, unclean language.

When Luke says they “blasphemously spake,” he is talking about Caiaphas with his scribes and elders! Once these religious leaders “took off the lid,” every foul thing that was hiding inside them came to the top. It was as if a monster had been let out, and they couldn’t get it back in its cage!

Jesus had told these religious leaders earlier, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleaness” (Matthew 23:27). In the end, the death and uncleanness in their souls came raging to the top as they screamed and yelled at Jesus using profane, foul, unclean language.

I’m sure that if the people of Israel had been allowed to sneak a peek into that room that night, they would have been horrified to see their supposedly godly leaders slapping Jesus, spitting on Him, slapping Him again, and then screaming curses right in His face! Here these leaders were — all dressed up in their religious garb, but inwardly so rotten that they could not hide their true nature anymore.

So let me ask you two questions:

•  Are you serious in your relationship with Jesus Christ, or are you, like those who held Him that night, simply playing games with Him?
•  When other people start playing around with your mind and emotions, are you able to follow Jesus’ example by holding your peace and loving them in spite of the torture they are putting you through?

Let’s covenant together from this day forward to never be like the backslidden religious leaders in this story. How terrible it is to outwardly look beautiful but to inwardly be so ugly! To avoid this scenario in our own lives, we must make the commitment to be serious in our relationship with Jesus and absolutely refuse to play games with God.

And should you ever find yourself in a predicament similar to the one Jesus faced — in other words, if people are emotionally abusing you or taking advantage of you — then call out to God to strengthen you! He will give you the wisdom to know when you should speak, when you should be quiet, and exactly what steps you must take. When you find yourself in this kind of tight place, just be certain to guard your mouth and to let the Holy Spirit dictate your emotions so you can demonstrate the love of God to those whom the devil is trying to use against you.

Jesus is the perfect Example of how we must behave in all situations. Although He was blasphemed, reviled, and cursed, He never fought back or allowed Himself to be dragged into a war of words. For this reason, Peter exhorted us to follow in Jesus’ steps: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:21,22).

Today you can make the decision to come up to a higher level in your commitment to Jesus Christ. You can refuse to play games with God or to deceive yourself any longer about your own spiritual condition. The truth about what is in you will eventually come out anyway, so take an honest look at your soul now to make sure there are no hidden flaws that will later come rising up to the surface!

Why don’t you open your heart right now and let the Holy Spirit shine His glorious light into the crevices of your soul? Allow Him to reveal those areas of your life where you need to get to work!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I never want to play games with You. I am asking You right now to forgive me for any time that I have lied to You and to myself, deceiving myself into believing that things were all right in my life when, in fact, they were not inwardly good at all. Please shine Your light deep into my soul to show me any areas of my life that need immediate attention. And, Lord, I also ask that You give me a strong desire to read through all four of the Gospels so I might better know the life of Jesus and how I can be more like Him.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that God gives me the wisdom to know how to respond when I am in a difficult predicament. I know when I should speak, when I should be quiet, and exactly what steps I must take. When I find myself in a tight place, I don’t give way to my emotions. Instead, I guard my mouth and let the Spirit dictate my emotions so I can demonstrate the love of God even to those whom the devil is trying to use against me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you have areas in your life where you are playing games with God and deceiving yourself about your own spiritual condition? Isn’t it time for you to get honest with God and with yourself about these problem areas?

2. Have you ever experienced times when the monster in your flesh that you hadn’t yet dealt with came crawling to the top, causing you to behave in a way that was shocking even to yourself?

3. Since reading the Gospels is the best way to learn how to become more like Jesus, don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to carefully read all four Gospels from beginning to end?