prayer in the beautiful place

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 26:36-46

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be distressed and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very distressed, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; but do not do what I want, do what you want.”

40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay alert for me one hour?

41 Stay alert and pray that so you may not be tempted. The spirit indeed wants to do this, but the flesh is weak.”

42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, may what you want be done.”

43 And again he came and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.

44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

prayer in the beautiful place

The big three (Peter, James and John) are again singled out to be with Jesus during a special event. Last time, Jesus had been transformed before him at the mountain, and these disciples saw him in his coming glory, chatting with Moses and Elijah. This time, he is in a garden called Gethsemane, getting ready for the suffering and humiliation of the cross. Last time, they lifted their eyes and saw Jesus only. This time, they close their eyes and nod off. This time, he speaks only to the Father. His suffering began there – in the beautiful place. His prayer to the Father there gave him strength for the ordeal he would face later. The disciples were not praying. They would not be prepared. Their courage would leave them, and they would leave their Savior.

Prayer can strengthen us, and get us ready for what we are to face. Neglecting time alone with the Father is unwise. We just do not know what we might be facing from day to day. That is one reason why we need to pray.

LORD, give us the wisdom to prepare for life by spending quality time with you.

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the symbolic supper

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 26:26-35

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ” all of you, drink from it,

28 because this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

30 And when they had sung praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me tonight. Because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Honestly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny knowing me three times.”

35 Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

the symbolic supper

Did the disciples realize the significance of the bread and wine they had that night? The ritual of the Lord’s Supper is repeated often by his followers today. Do we dare dwell on the terrible suffering and death of our Savior? We must. That event was the turning point in a universe which had veered out of control. Like the Passover before it, the Lord’s Supper represented the promise and certainty of a rescue that the LORD was accomplishing for his people. The symbols would be pondered for ages to come, but the significance was found in a bruised, bloody body dying on a cross. The firstborn gave up his life so that all of us would have a chance for God’s promised future. The sinless sacrifice would go to the altar, even as his own disciples scattered in fear.

Come to the table often. Eat that bread, and drink from that cup, and be thankful that he chose to sacrifice himself for you.

LORD, thank you for taking that cup of suffering. Thank you for laying your life down so that we can have a future eternal life.

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the curse of omniscience

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 26:17-25

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'”

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.

21 And as they were eating, he said, “Honestly, I am telling you, one of you will betray me.”

22 And they were very distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.

24 The Son of Man goes like the writings predict he will, but tragedy will come to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

25 Judas, who was going to betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have spoken.”

the curse of omniscience

We can take courage in life from the fact that we do not really know what is going to happen. We can always hope for the best, even in trying circumstances, because we know no better. It is a blessed ignorance. But Jesus had no such blessing. He knew everything about his future. He knew where he was going to have Passover, and he knew who was going to betray him. He knew that he was only days away from a horrible, violent death at the hands of a cruel bunch of soldiers, and a vicious mob.

But Jesus faced that knowledge with boldness and calm. He not only faced the threat of death, but the absolute assurance of its certainty. And he did it for us, not himself.

LORD, thank you for taking the cup of suffering and death – for us.

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the last straw for Judas

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 26:1-16

1 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,

2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who is called Caiaphas,

4 and they conspired together in order to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

5 But they said, “Not during the feast, because there would be a riot among the people.”

6 So when Jesus was staying at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster container of very expensive cologne, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at a table.

8 And when the disciples saw it, they were offended, saying, “Why this waste?

9 Because this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, being aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? Because she has done a beautiful thing for me.

11 Because you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.

12 When she poured this cologne on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

13 Honestly, I am telling you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

14 Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15 and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.

the last straw for Judas

Matthew places this incident immediately after Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats, where the nations are judged on the basis of how they had treated the needy. Perhaps Judas thought that Jesus was acting the hypocrite then, when he accepted the gift of the anointing with perfume by this woman. At any rate, for Judas, he had found his limit. He had come to the last straw.

Where is your breaking point in your commitment to Jesus? You expect him to bless you if you stay committed to him, but what if the blessings stop? Do you have a limit beyond which your faith is not willing to stay faithful? If so, be prepared for that faith to be tested. The Lord will stretch you at the point in which you are prepared to break.

LORD, make us strong in our commitment to you, and limitless in our acceptance of your sovereignty.

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demonstrating faith

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

35 Because I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will reply to them, ‘Honestly, I am telling you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the fire prepared since ages past for the devil and his angels.

42 Because I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

46 And these will go away into permanent punishment, but the righteous into permanent life.”

demonstrating faith

The sheep and goats will be separated by how they have treated others. How does one reconcile this passage with those passages which say that believers in Jesus are the ones who will inherit eternal life? {John 3:15-16; 6:40; 20:31; 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12; Hebrews 6:12 1 John 5:13}. Jesus is not saying that the basis of salvation will be one’s treatment of others. He is saying that the proof of a believer’s authenticity will be his treatment of others. Authentic faith produces the fruit of healthy, helpful relationships. That is a major theme throughout Matthew’s Gospel. The religious elite in Jesus’ day served as the antithesis of that thesis.

LORD, may we treat others with the care and respect that demonstrates our relationship with you – by faith.

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investing grace

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 25:14-30

14 “Because it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his property.

15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.

18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’

21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will appoint you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’

23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will appoint you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

26 But his master answered him, ‘You sinful and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed?

27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

29 Because to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And throw the useless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

investing grace

It is very hard not to get works oriented when thinking about the parables in this chapter. Each of them compares some who will be ready for the Lord’s return with some who will not. Each of them compares what the prepared do with what the unprepared fail to do. So, is there no grace in this message?

Yes, there is grace, and it is best seen right here in the parable of the talents. The master endowed each servant with a gift before he left. When he returned, each was accountable for what he had done with the gift.

All we have or ever hope to have is a gift from the God of grace. This includes our disciples and descendants as well. Those original eight talents represent God’s investment in us, which he expects us to use in investing in others, loving them as our Father does, bringing them into his coming kingdom, showing them how to do the same. Since the Master showed grace to us, we are to invest that grace in the lives of others.

LORD, thank you for your grace – your investment in us. Show us how to invest ourselves in the lives of others in order to gain them for your eternal kingdom.

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oil shortage

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom from the sky will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were thoughtless, and five were intelligent.

3 Because when the thoughtless took their lamps, they took no oil for them,

4 but the intelligent took flasks of oil for their lamps.

5 Since the bridegroom was overdue, they all became sleepy and dozed off.

6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the thoughtless said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

9 But the intelligent answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’

12 But he answered, ‘Honestly I am telling you, I do not know you.’

13 So keep alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

oil shortage

Jesus’ had just taught his disciples not to be caught unprepared for the second coming. Now, he illustrates that teaching with the parable of the ten virgins. There was going to be a wedding, and they knew that they would have to wait a long time for the bridegroom to show. The intelligent ones prepared themselves for the wait. They brought extra oil for their lamps, so that the bridegroom would recognize them, and invite them to the feast. The thoughtless ones did not bring extra oil. When the oil for their lamps ran dry, they had to run off to the market to replenish it. That is when the bridegroom came, and they were not allowed into the party.

There has been a lot of speculation about what the oil represents in the parable. But Jesus had already taught in chapter 24 how believers are to prepare for his second coming. We prepare for him by loving and caring for the people around us.

LORD, give us the kind of intelligence that loves the people you put in our path, so that we are always prepared for your coming.

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business as usual

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:36-51

36 “But no one knows the day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

38 Because as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

39 and they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

42 Therefore, stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But be aware of this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the authentic and intelligent servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

47 Honestly, I am telling you, he will appoint him over all his possessions.

48 But if that sinful servant says to himself, ‘My master is overdue,’

49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware

51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

business as usual

Noah’s days were normal days, and there were a lot of them. For 100 years, Noah preached the coming of the flood to an apathetic and distracted people, and was completely ignored. The people kept up with their business as usual lives until the flood came and destroyed them all. That is the picture Jesus uses as a comparison to answer the specific question in verse 3 about the sign of his coming.

Jesus’ advice to his disciples is not to be caught unprepared for that coming. He speaks of pairs of people in ordinary activities when the coming occurs. One of the pair is “taken” and the other “left.” Some see this as a reference to the rapture, others see those “taken” as taken in judgment. It is not clear which Jesus intended. What is clear is that the coming is going to be a surprise to both individuals. Any preparation will have to be done now, because there will be no time to prepare just before Christ returns.

Jesus says that the way to be prepared for his coming is to take care of his other servants. We have an obligation to our master to take care of his household until he returns.

LORD, show us how to make taking care of our brothers and sisters in Christ our business as usual – until you return.

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the fig tree generation

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:32-35 .

32 “From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

34 Honestly, I am telling you, this generation will not pass away until all these things begin to take place.

35 The sky and the land will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

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the fig tree generation

By mentioning the fig tree, Jesus was drawing the attention of his listeners back to the present. He had just cursed a fig tree, causing it to wither before their eyes. It was a symbolic judgment upon that generation because it (like the fig tree) was in full bloom, but had not produced the fruit of righteous living. So, when Jesus referred back to “these things” it did not have anything to do with the second coming. It referred to the same thing “these things” referred to in the disciples’ question in verse 3. It was the events surrounding the predicted fall of Jerusalem and the temple buildings.

Jesus’ prediction here is exact. Within this generation – that is, within the lifetimes of those standing there listening to him – Jerusalem will fall. His prediction was spot on. In AD 66 a Roman army ransacked and trapped Jerusalem. What followed was years of battle and starvation for the inhabitants of the city. It finally ended in AD 70, with the destruction of the city and the entire temple complex – exactly as Jesus had predicted.

LORD, help us to be a generation known for its faithfulness and fruitfulness. Keep us from the wickedness of pretense.

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lightning and vultures

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:23-31.

23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false christs and false prophets will emerge and perform great signs and miracles, so as to lead off course, if possible, even the chosen ones.

25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27 Because like the lightning which comes from the east and shines as far as the west, that is how the coming of the Son of Man will be.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29 “Immediately after the misfortune of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.

30 At that time will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will express grief, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

31 And he will release his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

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lightning and vultures

Every generation there is a new teaching cropping up that insists that we are living in the very time the Lord will return. Jesus told us not to believe any of them. There will be NO SIGN before the coming of the Lord. The only signs Jesus mentioned in specific answer to that question were lightning and vultures.

1. Lightning speaks of the sudden, unexpected nature of the coming. Before you know what is going on, Jesus will break through the clouds.

2. Vultures show up after the prey is dead. Likewise, the sign of the Son of Man is the Son of Man himself.

3. The point is that there will be no getting ready just before the event. We have to be ready now.

LORD, prepare us for your coming by giving us the wisdom to represent you to a world that needs you now.

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