Sign Guestbook

View Guestbook

Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008
All Rights Reserved.

Campbell Chapel
Free Will Baptist Church
1709 Campbell Drive
Ironton, Ohio 45638

Contact Webmaster

Journey to the Cross

Day 15 – Day 22

 Wednesday, March 14, 2007

 Bob Bradley

 

 

The Trials of Jesus

 

Today I was reading some things while getting prepared for tonight and there was one little verse that I did not remember.  I had read it many times over the years, but today that verse just jumped out at me.  It is amazing what God can do.

 

Hebrews 12:2

 

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Our lesson in our study is for day 15 through day 22.  We are going to look at the trials of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes we really do not think much about these things.  We think that Jesus was God; that He was, but we think that He did not have any problems, He didn't feel pain, or He didn't feel like that way we feel; but He did.

 

These events are going to happen from late Thursday night to early Friday morning.  He is going to die on Friday morning.  Think about what has been going on.  The disciples did not understand what was going to happen; even though He had told them on many occasions that He was going to die.  Men were going to betray Him “into the hands of sinners.”  The disciples did not understand that. 

 

They could not picture Jesus Christ, knowing that He was the Messiah, they could not picture in their minds that He was going to die on a cross.  However, Jesus knew very well that He was going to die, when it was going to happen and yet He continued.  They have had the Last Supper.  He washed the disciples’ feet.  They had a discussion on who was going to be the greatest.  Already, Judas has gone out and made his deal with the chief priests and scribes to betray Jesus for the thirty pieces of silver. 

 

Day 15 - The Disciples Fell Asleep

 

Mark 14:37-42

 

38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

 

They have left the upper room and came down the Kidron valley into the garden.  It was probably a very pretty place.  There were vineyards on both sides of the path where they were walking.  It was probably a very beautiful place to be. 

 

He is in the garden of Gethsemane and He knows that in a matter of minutes that they are going to come, get Him and lead Him away.  He tells the disciples to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. 

 

Did you ever think why He told them that? 

 

Jesus knew what was coming.  The disciples did not know what was coming, but Jesus did.  He knew that they needed to pray because of the things that they were going to be facing in a matter of moments. 

 

Many times in our lives, when we are saved and living where we need to be, God will speak unto us about praying.  We need to stop and pray, and we need to do some things for Him, because God knows what is coming. 

 

He knew that the soldiers were going to come and all the things that were going to happen.  Not only that, but I think that as we look at what He is telling the disciples here to watch and to pray; so many times we forget about watching and praying. 

 

Many times if you and I would be more watchful, more alert of what is going on around us, then we would not fall into so many temptations.  We are not alert sometimes and we are just gong through the motions. 

 

He makes the statement that we need to watch and to pray that you enter not into temptation.  The disciples are sleepy and tired.  It has been a busy week, but Jesus Christ knew what was going to happen.  As you read the context here, you will find out that He goes down into the garden, He stops, He takes Peter, James, and John with Him, and they go a little farther away from the group.  As we read, you will find out that He says, “Stay here, I'm going to go yonder and pray.”   We know that He did that.  He said:

 

36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

 

Even though Jesus knew what was going to come, He knew that His Father's Will is what He came here to do.  He comes back to where the disciples are at and He finds them asleep. 

 

Sometimes in life, we get tired and we sleep.  There is nothing wrong with that physically.  However, what I think that we can think about here tonight is how many times we go to sleep spiritually.  How many times that God has said, “Hey, you need to do this.  This is what I want you to do.  This is what my will is for you; today, this week or this month.”  Somewhere along the line, we just fall asleep.  Maybe you have never done that.  However, I think that if we would all be honest that there have been times in our life that we have just simply fallen asleep.  We went to sleep as far as things concerning the gospel and things that are concerning Christ.  That gets us in trouble. 

 

We know that He prays here.  Focus on not only His agony that He is going through while He is here, but also the Bible said that as He prayed His sweat became as great drops of blood.  He was praying intensely.  He wasn't just whispering or uttering a few words but His prayer was very intense and was very serious because He knew what He was about to face. 

 

Let us remember something.  What He was doing, what He was about to endure, the journey that He was on; He knew where it was going to end up at.  He also knew something else.  He knew how bad, how serious, and how much that you and I needed to watch and to pray. 

 

When we are first saved, I know that there may be some question in our mind about what God wants us to do.  As we get older and as we mature, as we seek the face of God, and God reveals His will unto us then we need to do that.  We need to do that whether we like it or whether we do not like it.  Let us not give up.  Let us not quit.  Let us not go to sleep because when we go to sleep, we get into trouble.  We miss a lot.  When we go to sleep spiritually then we are unconscious to the things that are going around us even though we may come to church, even though we may do all the motions; if we are asleep spiritually then we just really miss everything that God is trying to do in our life.  Let us remain awake and alert.

 

Day 16 - The Betrayal and Arrest

 

Luke 22:45-54

 

He is in the garden.  He is praying and the disciples are there with Him.  This is probably happening somewhere around eleven or twelve o'clock at night.  As I read this story many times over the years, I can pretty well picture where Jesus was at and where the soldiers were coming from.  They would be coming down a bank, but they were coming at night.  They were coming with swords, staves and with torches.  The Bible does not tell us how many were there, but I think that there was a whole bunch of people there.  I have thought many times, about how that He knew what was coming and how that He could look up the hill side and see the torches that were there.  Maybe He could hear the commotion of all the people walking.  Maybe He could hear the conversations and the ruckus, but He knew that they were coming to get Him.  He knew they were coming, yet He did not take off and abandon us.  He did not abandon His disciples.  He was there for me and for you.  That should touch our hearts. 

 

This is talking about the betrayal in Luke 22:45-54. 

 

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

 

Judas has already made his deal with the chief priests, scribes and elders sometime prior to this.  They had been looking for a way to entrap Him.  They had been looking for a way that they could catch Him and arrest Him without causing uproar in the city.  There were probably a million or two people in the city of Jerusalem and around Jerusalem at this particular time because it was Passover season.  A great number of people came into the city to worship and celebrate Passover.  They and the religious rulers are trying to figure out a way to arrest Him without causing a big uproar. 

 

Judas goes and agrees with them for thirty pieces of silver and He is going to tell them where Jesus is or will be.  It was not a big deal that Judas knew where Jesus was.  Jesus spent a lot of time here praying with His disciples.  Judas comes down leading the band; leading several hundred soldiers, rough rugged guys, mean guys, probably some of the toughest that they had.  He comes down leading this band to get Jesus Christ, a fellow that has never done anyone wrong.  A fellow that has never harmed anyone yet they are coming to get Him as if they would a common criminal.  As they come down, and they get to where Jesus is.  Judas goes over and kisses Jesus on the jaw.  He has already told the chief priests, scribes and elders; the person that I kiss; that is Him. 

 

The sad thing about all this is that even though the soldiers were coming to get Jesus; probably a lot of them did not even know what He looked like.  Had they known who He was Judas would not need to kiss Him; Judas would not need to point Him out if they really knew who He was.  Yet they come down and Judas kisses Him.  Jesus makes the statement:

 

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

 

A kiss was a sign of friendship, or greeting a friend.  Yet, Judas is betraying the Messiah, the Son of God with a kiss. 

 

Many times in life, we abandon our faith.  Sometimes many folks abandon their relationship with Jesus Christ for money, and/or for things. 

 

Judas was going to gain thirty pieces of silver - which was money - to buy things.  However, it did not work that way.

 

In our lives, we forfeit and we sacrifice a lot of companionship, fellowship, and friendship with Jesus Christ all in the name of trying to gain something.  I know that we all have to work and I know that we have jobs that we have to work a lot more than we want to work.  I know some have to work on church nights; I understand that.  I am not talking about that.  When they come up and say, do you want to work and it is a Sunday night or Wednesday night; a lot folks just jump and break their neck to get overtime.  We look for things to keep us from coming to church.  We put off jobs at home until Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night then say that we have to do this or that when all along we could have done it any other time.  We make all kinds of excuses for why we do not do things.  We think that God does not know, but God knows.  God knows when I have to be somewhere and God knows when I want to be somewhere. 

 

Here Judas is betraying Him.  Judas thought that he was going to gain some money.  However, the thirty pieces of silver that Judas gained did not do him any good.  As you read the lesson, when Judas comes and kisses Jesus.  We know that when they begin to lay hands on Jesus, He asked them, “Who are you looking for?”  They said, “We are looking for Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus said, “Here am I.”  The Bible says when He said that, they fell backwards on the ground.  Jesus asked the question again.  They said the same again. 

 

Peter drew out his sword in an attempt to kill Malchus, but he did not get close enough and only cut off his right ear.  Jesus told Peter to put up his sword into its place because, “He who lives by the sword is going to die by the sword.” 

 

Peter, the one who only an hour before this, when Jesus said that one was going to betray me; it was Peter that stood up said that, “They may put me in prison and they may do all kinds of things, but I'll never forsake you.”  Jesus told him, “…Before the cock shall crow that Peter would deny Him thrice.”  Peter meant that. 

 

Here he cuts off Malchus ear and Jesus Christ just picks up the ear, puts it back on his head, and just heals him.  That would be an awesome thing to see.  However, it would have been an awful thing to be if you had been Malchus and you know that your ear is lying on the ground.  Jesus just reaches down, picks it up, and puts it back on his head and everything is fine.  That would have been an awesome thing to see. 

 

Day 17 – John 18:12-24

 

Trial Before Annas

 

Jesus is not only going to have a trial before the religious leaders, but He also is going to have a trial before the governors of the Roman Empire.  We know that Pilate is the governor of Judea.  We know that Herod is the governor of Galilee.  We know that when they come to get Jesus, they take him to Annas' house.  Annas is the father-in-law to Caiaphas.  Annas had been the high priest but he had retired and his son-in-law Caiaphas was now the high priest.  They take him from the garden to Annas' house first.  Our reading here comes from John 18:12-24, but in verses 20 and 21 it says:

 

20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

 

Annas was part of the religious authority in the land of Israel.  What they were doing here was illegal.  If they were going to have a trial for anyone, it had to be held in broad daylight.  They could not have a trial in the night; at dark.  It was illegal.  They took Him to Annas' house even though Caiaphas was the high priest; Annas was still yet in charge.  He still yet was a man of influence.  From Annas' house, they took Him to Caiaphas' house. 

 

They switched Him around backwards and forwards inside the temple area here.  They were doing this at night to try to stop a riot among the people.  John the Baptist was beheaded not too long before all these events were taking place.  No doubt, that had caused a big problem for many people.  However, they are trying to have their trial and get Him condemned while it is dark and while people are asleep, so that people cannot come around and protest what they are doing. 

 

They are doing all these things while all along the chief priest that should have known who Jesus was.  He was their Messiah.  He was the one that when they opened up Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms; when it spoke about Messiah, He was the one in which it was talking.  They are the highest religious leaders in the land of Israel.  They should have been the most educated, the most influential, the most spiritual people there, but they were about to pronounce Him guilty and sentence Him to die, yet He was their Messiah.

 

I think sometimes in life that we fail to see the things that Jesus Christ is doing.  We want to blame everything on the devil.  Many of the problems that we are having are all from the devil.  Many times in life, God does things to try to get our attention.  He does things to us and allows things to happen to us simply to try to get our attention.  That we might be able to see Him and who that He really is and what His mission in us, through us, and for us is all about.  Sometimes we get so busy doing church things and all kinds of activities that we forget that He is right in our midst and that He is very near.  We don't really see Him.  God does things for us, and tries to show us things and we want to blame it all on the devil, but if we would just listen to some of the things that He was trying to tell us, things would change and could see Him in a different light.

 

Day 18 - Matthew 26:57-68

 

Jesus Before Caiaphas

 

64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

 

Now He is before Caiaphas.  They shift Him back and forth.  All of this is happening at night, under the cover of darkness.  Everything they are doing is illegal. 

 

The world does not care what they do.  They do not care how they go about it.  They do not care what avenues they have to travel.  If they can do anything to harm us or stop Christianity, they will do it.  They do not care about what is right or wrong.  The world does not care and we need to be aware of that. 

 

Jesus is before Caiaphas and they are questioning Him trying to find some charge to stick on Him so that when they bring Him to Pilate in a few hours, that they can actually condemn Him to die.  They could not do it because He had not done anything worthy of death.  He had not done anything wrong. 

 

Sometimes we forget that aspect of things.  He loves us very much and He cares about us.

  

Day 19 - Luke 22:54-62

 

Peter Denies Jesus

 

61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

 

Do you remember what is happening here? 

 

They have Jesus on the inside.  They are questioning Him.  Jesus had told Peter, “...Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice...”  They have brought Jesus inside.  John and Peter stayed outside.  After a while, John goes inside.  The high priest knew John and they knew who John was.  After a while, John goes out and brings Peter in. 

 

They are waiting for the verdict.  The Bible says that Peter is standing outside with the soldiers.  They were standing by a fire that they had built because it was cold outside. 

 

Peter just hours before that said, “Lord, I'll never deny you...”  He was the one that defended Jesus with a sword.  Now he is denying that he ever knew who Jesus Christ was.  A little maiden came along and said that he was one of His disciples.  Peter said, “No. I'm not one of His disciples.”  Another fellow came along and said, “Hey, aren't you one of His disciples?”  Peter said, “No. You have got me mixed up with somebody else.  I'm not one of His disciples.”  The third time - they come along and said, “Hey, you are a Galilean.  You are one of His disciples.  Your speech betrayeth you.”  Peter begins to curse and to swear, “I don't know this man.  I don't who He is.”  As Peter says these words, a rooster starts to crow.  Jesus hears the rooster, but somebody else heard the rooster also.  Peter heard it in his own ears. 

 

Could you imagine being Peter making all the professions about never denying Jesus?

 

Yet Jesus made the statement, “You are going to deny me.”  As you read the scripture, you will find out that as the cock crows Jesus looks at Peter and Peter looks at Jesus. 

 

Can you imagine how he felt?  The Bible says that he goes out and weeps bitterly.  

 

How many times in life have you ever done that? 

 

You say, “Lord, I will never do that.  Lord, I would never get involved in that.  Lord, I would never do something like that.”  Yet we do the same thing.  Many times in life and on the job we deny that we know Him by our actions when we sit and listen to dirty jokes.  We listen to people with their filthy talk.  When we are standing there, listening, laughing, and doing all those things we are denying Him. 

 

I know that there are times that we just cannot walk away.  We may be in an area that we cannot walk away from a machine or job.  However, there are times that we can.

 

Many years ago, I was on a job, men and women both.  We were having a big meeting one day, and the boss was giving everybody a tearing.  It started out pretty good, but after a few minutes, he started screaming, hollering and cussing.  I just turned and walked away.  There was a big pond right out from where everybody was at and I went over there and started throwing rocks in the pond.  I knew that when it was all over with that he was going to fire me, but I kept throwing rocks in the pond.  After awhile the meeting broke up. 

 

He came over to me and said, “What are you doing?”  I said, “Sir, I appreciate you and I appreciate working here, but I am not going to listen to your mouth.  I do not have to listen to your mouth.  If you want to jump on me and tell me about my job or that, I am doing it right; then I will be glad to listen to you.  But if you are going to scream, holler and cuss then we are going to part ways today.”  We had a good talk there.  He was not a Christian and He said, “Well, we are going to let this slide this time and you go back and do your job and everything is going to be fine.”  A few years later, we were pastoring over in Wurtland and he came to church.  He gets saved and he began preaching.  I would say that he never forgot that day.  I know that I never did. 

 

There are times that we can take a stand for Jesus Christ.  There are times that we cannot leave our position that we might not be able to walk away and get away from some of that stuff but there are times that we can.  Let us not deny Jesus Christ.  Let us not deny knowing Him.  Let us not deny that we are His disciples.  You are going to do the same thing that Peter done; you are going to weep bitterly on down the road.  If you really love Him, there is going to come a time that is going to come back to your mind and that is going to cause you to do some weeping and it is going to be a sad time for you.  We do not need to deny knowing Jesus Christ. 

 

 Day 21 – Matthew 27:1-10

 

Judas Hangs Himself

 

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

 

When Judas saw what was going on and how they were treating Jesus, he was very regretful.  Judas was sorry and he regretted what he did, but he did not repent.  He simply brought the thirty pieces of silver back and threw it down to the chief priest.  He said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.”  They said, “What’s that to us?”  The Bible says that they had a discussion on what they were going to do with the money then they bought the potter's field in which to bury strangers.  The Bible calls it “The Field of Blood” unto to this day.  For thirty pieces of silver, Judas betrayed Him.  Judas then goes out and hangs himself.  This is a sad end for a man that spent three and a half years with Jesus Christ.  He saw Him heal people and saw Him do all kinds of magnificent things.  He knew beyond any doubt that He was the Son of God that He was the Messiah, yet he betrays Him.  He comes to a horrible end in his life because of his sin.  Sin brings us to that end, and it is a horrible end. 

 

Day 22 - Luke 23:1-7

 

This begins the trial that is before Herod.  The chief priest, the scribes, the Sanhedrin; they could not condemn anyone to die.  They could not kill anyone.  It had to be by the Romans because they were in charge here. 

 

4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

 

They have brought Him there and they say that He is guilty of death.  We have heard Him blasphemy, He says that He is the Son of God.  They brought Him to Pilate and Pilate said, “I don't find any fault in this guy.”  Pilate buckled under the pressure.  His wife even came to him and said, “I've suffered many things in a dream because of this man.”  Pilate takes a pan of water and goes out before them all and he tries to wash his hands, but it does not come quite that easy.  Water does not wash away your sins.  It takes the blood to wash away your sins.  In the trial, when Pilate hears that Jesus is from Galilee, he sends Him to Herod. 

 

Herod is willing to see Him because he wanted to see Jesus do some miracles.  Jesus did not say a word there.  Herod sends Him back to Pilate.  Pilate condemns Him to die.  That is going to happen.  He is going to die just here shortly. 

 

Jesus asks us to do many things.  As you read this lesson, you will find out that the disciples were sleepy and tired.  They fell asleep while in the garden; when He was praying. 

 

Jesus commands us to go on. 

 

Pilate gave up when he saw that he could not convince the people to let Jesus Christ go; Pilate gave up and gave in. 

 

We do not need to give up and give in. 

 

As you go on down through here and read; we know that Judas gave up.  Judas goes out here and hangs himself.  No doubt, Judas thought that he had been too bad and too mean, what he had done was just horrible and he could never be forgiven (he thought).  Judas goes out and hangs himself. 

 

God commands us to go on; to never give up. 

 

Not only that, but Peter denies Him.  Peter here gives up and does some horrible things.  He collapses under the pressure of all those that were around him by the fire.  He just caves in. 

 

Jesus Christ is commanding us to go on. 

 

We can be like the disciples, like Herod, like Pilate, or Judas; we can go that route.  However, we need to follow Jesus Christ and we need to carry on.  We need to go on.  The journey that we are on today is going to end up in heaven if you and I continue to be faithful. 

 

He is commanding us to continue to move forward. 

 

Back • Up • Next

|  Home |  Pastor  |  Sermons  |  Testimony |  Salvation  |  Sunday School  |  Youth  |  Men  |
|  Ladies  |  Classes  |  Photos  |  Choir  |  History  |  Contacts  |
|  Sign Guestbook  |   View Guestbook   |

EXIT to CalvinEvans.org