February 11
Ex 32:1-33:23 | PS 33:1-11 Pro 8:33-36 | Matt 26:69-27:14
In our flesh we always enjoy the hero in which "might makes right". In the movies or on television, at the climax, the hero often faces impossible odds only to turn the situation around and prevail in the midst of insurmountable odds. In the 1970's there was a television show called "Kung Fu" in which David Carradine, this meek and seemingly impotent man would be picked on and surrounded in practically every episode. When it seemed impossible and he was surrounded, he would turn and the bodies of all of his attackers would be sprawled all over the floor. The same holds true in the movies. Movies like Braveheart, Gladiator, etc. the hero prevails, even if he falls in the end, in seemingly impossible situations. Then comes Jesus. The ultimate hero. But, He is unlike any other hero. For though He is God, and is seemingly trapped according to human standards, He does not fight back physically. In the end of this scene, He is killed and those who attack Him appear to win. But this is with a human lens. Most heroes see visible opponents, Jesus faced the opponents of conquering sin and death for all mankind. Most move forward in human strength. Jesus moves forward in humility and submission. Most prevail to the throngs of cheering crowds. Jesus prevailed and most of the world did not recognize it. When Jesus rose from the grave and ascended, He returned to glory. As we live our lives may we model ourselves on Jesus, and the model that He established for us.
We see the drama unfolding in Matthew 27:11-14, " Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him. Jesus replied, “You have said it.” But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise." No fancy maneuvers. Mo tricks up His sleeve. But we see our Hero as prophesied in Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." He is then brought before the next one who appears to be in charge in Luke 23:8-11, " Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate." None of them could see it, as we read in John 19:9-11, "He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”"
It is so hard to grasp things in our world the Jesus way. He modeled what being a true hero is. We live in a world in which evil is rampant. The godless appear to have the upper hand over those who follow God. They seemingly have the power as our nation and our world is being transformed into something which sounds like the situation in the "Days of Noah" from Genesis 6. It is easy for those of us who have placed our hope in Jesus to be dismayed, and from a human perspective it appears beyond repair. Many of us secretly hope for that "might makes right" moment in which the seeming underdogs prevail and the villains are revealed for who they are. But then again, our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. We are merely God's ambassadors here. Our hero, Jesus, does not fight according to the same playbook as the world does. Unless we spend time in His Word, the Bible, daily and in prayer, we will succumb to the wrong mindset. It is not might that makes right, it is the blood of our Hero on the cross which makes right. This world will one day be gone, but Jesus and His kingdom will last forever.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: