Gems from William Jay

William Jay (1769-1853) ministered in Argyle Chapel, Bath, for more than sixty years. As well as being a link between the the ministries of the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield and the early ministry of CH Spurgeon. He was close to some of the most influential Christians of his era including John Newton, William Wilberforce, Thomas Chalmers and Rowland Hill. His writings, particularly his morning and evening devotions for the closet are overflowing with insightful, challenging and comforting thoughts.

 “ ‘And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.’ Let us sit by them and contemplate. There lies in that rock He that made it. There are sealed up the lips which said, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. There are closed, the eyes which always beamed compassion, and wept for human woe. There, cold, are the hands which were laid on little children, to bless them, and that delivered the window’s son to His mother. There lies the Life of the world, the Hope of Israel. He was fairer than the children of men – He was the image of the invisible God – He went about doing good – He was rich, and for our sakes became poor.

‘Come ye saints, and drop a tear or two,
For Him who groaned beneath your load,
He sheds a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of richer blood’

On the tombs of mortals, however, illustrious, the humbling sentence is inscribed, ‘Here he lies’. But I hear the angel saying, ‘Come see the place where the Lord lay’. He was dead – but is alive again – and because He lives, we shall live also.”

William Jay
Morning Exercises, April 5th

THE SOLDIER - FAITH UNDER THE CROSS; Near the Cross (5)

 

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God  (Mark 15:39)

Roman centurions are portrayed in an exceptionally good light throughout the New Testament.  

It is amazing that they should be depicted in a positive manner considering who they represented; an army of occupying forces who had stolen the liberties of Israel.  These portrayals of the centurions speak highly of the honesty of the New Testament, untainted by the nationalistic and political philosophies which dominated Judaism. 

These portrayals also speak highly of the men themselves; open-minded, gracious and generous while at the same time firm, brave and loyal.  Historians record that the centurion was the backbone of the Roman military machine, the very reason why the empire expanded and survived for long.  They were fighting men, yet at the same time men of integrity who saw the value of winning the respect of the indigenous populations whom their soldiers had subjugated.

A centurion based in Capernaum is a case in point, of whom Jesus said that He had not found a faith so great in all of Israel.  This centurion was a compassionate man who cared greatly for a sick servant, a man who was described by the elders in Capernaum as one who loved Israel because he paid for the building of a new synagogue.  

The humanity and spirituality of this carefully chosen group of men is also exemplified by Cornelius of Caesarea who has the distinction of being the first Gentile convert to Christianity.  He was a devoutly religious man who was seeking after God and to whom the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle Peter.  Cornelius gathered his household which included family and servants to hear God’s servant and a Christian fellowship was established in his home.  

Other examples of this noble race are the centurions with whom Paul was acquainted during his rescue from the Jerusalem mob and his subsequent journey as a prisoner to Rome.  The dignity and respect that Paul received speaks highly of his guards. 

Today, on Good Friday the centurion who captures our imagination is the one responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  All of the commendable characteristics which were instilled into this group of men are manifested by the one who looked on the form of one who died as no man man had ever died and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Being one of army officers stationed in Jerusalem during Passover was a delicate business.  He was a man of tact and diplomacy who was well acquainted with the customs and traditions of the people he was working among.  At the same time his position required a certain ruthlessness capable of controlled and disciplined brutality.   This strange mixture of terror and humanity would stand him in good stead as he commanded one hundred troops in a city with a population of close to a million of devout, zealous and at times fanatical pilgrims.

On the morning before the Passover Sabbath he received his orders which had come directly from Pontius Pilate, the Governor - three men to be crucified; two thieves and a man called Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah.  His was not to question, he was not the judge - obeying orders he set about his grim and gory task.

But these were orders he would never forget. In a distinguished military career this was his stand out moment.  Whatever battles he fought, whatever honours he received he would never forget the day he crucified Jesus Christ.

No man looked into the eyes of the crucified Jesus so closely as the centurion.  He oversaw the flogging in the torture chamber, his soldiers platted the crown of thorns, beat it into the skull of Jesus, draping the purple mocking robe upon his shoulders.  He stood beside Jesus as Pilate pleaded for his innocence.  That in itself must have provoked great thought in the mind of an intelligent man - a judge in the hands of a mob pleading for the acquittal of a condemned man.  This ran contrary to his concept of Roman justice.  It was the knowledge that he by following orders was performing an injustice must have struck a raw nerve in the centurion’s conscience.

 Therefore, he maintained a close watch upon this rather unusual prisoner.  Was his seizing of Simon from the crowd to bear the cross an act of kindness, where normally he would have forced the weakest of men to carry their burden?  How amazed was he at the dignity and grace of Jesus when experiencing the pain that his soldiers inflicted upon him?  There were eyes of love and kindness looking through him despite the hammer blows.  He could feel that love.  Where others hated and cursed this man was different.

Underneath the shadow of the cross the centurion was the foremost eyewitness of the unfolding events.  

He heard every word spoken by the crucified Jesus.

Words of forgiveness for His tormentors.

Words of compassion for His mother.

Words of hope for one of the thieves with talk of a kingdom and paradise.

He permitted one to give Jesus the gall filled with vinegar, to numb the pain a little as Jesus cried “I thirst”, underneath the rising sun as the burning dehydration began to take effect.  Another act of mercy from this thoughtful man.

The three hours of darkness hushed the crowd that assembled on Calvary’s hill.  Even the soldiers were subdued and silent; there was a strange chill in the air.  As the light returned the cry of agony from the middle cross would not forgotten; “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me”.

As death came the words of Jesus became triumphant as he declared His work was finished and as He commended His soul into His Father’s hands.

Where the legs of the other men were broken to hasten death that afternoon, Jesus was already dead.  Crucifixion often meant long lingering painful deaths; yet this man surrendered His spirit.

As Jesus died the earth trembled and the rocks were dislodged from their hillside refuges tumbling to the ground below.  But another earthquake was causing the centurion to tremble in spirit as he pondered the enormity of what had taken place.

With a mixture of amazement, wonder and faith this eyewitness of Christ’s death humbly confessed:

Truly this man was the Son of God

The Gospel record grants us a view of the cross through the eyes of this centurion.  We observe the most amazing death in the history of humanity; the sacrifice of one who died for our sins.

The centurion encourages us to look with faith and love and to stand forgiven at the cross because

Truly this man was the Son of God

THE THIEF SAVED ON THE CROSS; Near the Cross (4)

 

Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom...Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42-43)

The hill we call Calvary was also known by the Jews as Golgotha which meant the place of the skull; a suitably grotesque name for the gruesome place where public executions were performed.  

Being just outside the city wall near one of the gates of the old city, Golgotha was in close proximity to a main route. The Romans had a purpose in this barbaric and savage madness.  They executed their victims with extreme cruelty with maximum visibility as a warning; to reinforce Roman rule.  

The prophet Jeremiah many centuries earlier sat nearby lamenting for the Holy City which had been destroyed by the crushing force of Nebuchadnezzar.  As the travellers looked across at the ruins of what had once been a glorious place the weeping prophet wailed “Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by”.  On the sad day that Jesus died the travellers stopped to look and gaze upon three crosses standing side by side carrying three condemned men, with the centre cross occupied by the Saviour of the World.  They looked on oblivious to the greatness of the transaction that was occurring before their ignorant eyes.

There were three crosses occupying Golgotha on that tragic day.  On either side of the perfectly lovely Lord Jesus hung two thieves.  These men were consumed with the madness of their agony.  As the crowd gathered hurling their obscenities at Jesus these thieves cast the same in His teeth according to Matthew’s record.

But one of the thieves saw something or heard something in Jesus which transformed him completely as he hung dying, consumed with terrible pain.  He had looked into Jesus’ eyes as they struggled to carry those heavy timbers up to the brow of Golgotha.  He saw nothing contemptible in this man.  He saw a very different man from the man that he was.  As he cursed and screamed as the nails were driven the man occupying the centre cross was silent, serenely dignified.  Becoming convinced of the righteousness of Jesus the dying thief summoned up enough energy to shout out to his partner in crime:

Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

What changed his mind?  Whatever this thief saw that was righteous and innocent he ultimately saw love glowing and shining through the persona of the dying Lamb of God.  

It was this love that caused this man, in the dying embers of a misspent life, to cry out, turning his neck painfully towards Jesus:

Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

He now believed in the afterlife...that there was a kingdom to be gained beyond death, that Jesus was a King presiding over a Kingdom with the power to forgive and give hope to an old dying thief.

This man had learned more in those hours hanging beside the cross of Christ than the Priests and the Pharisees had learned after years of study.  He certainly understood more than the passing throng who watched without heart on that momentous day.  

This is the place to which we must come.  This understanding is essential learning for humanity.  Beyond death there is eternity and the prospect of entering into Christ’s Kingdom.  But to receive that Kingdom there must be the acknowledgment of our guilt and our need forgiveness.  The prayer of the dying thief is a good prayer:

Lord, remember me

The response was a promise of paradise.  This paradise would be instant, on that very day.  Death would herald a bright new future; paradise or as St Paul would later describe it -“with Christ which is far better.”

At Golgotha there was a distinct burning smell.  Just beyond the walls of Jerusalem was the Valley of Hinnom known as Gehenna.  Since the days of King Josiah this had been the public rubbish tip.  All of the waste was disposed in this foul place, where the fire never went out.  The smoke was continually rising, the smell of burning; a burning which included not only human waste but the carcasses of animals and the bodies of people, the criminals, the outcasts whom no-one cared for.  The Lord would use Gehenna as a vivid illustration of the torments of hell and the fire which would never be quenched.

It is almost certain that when the body of Jesus was lovingly and tenderly claimed by Joseph of Arimathea, the bodies of these thieves were taken down and thrown into nearby Gehenna.  By that time one man had already opened his eyes in Hell, like the rich man in the story related by Jesus.  The other thief, however, was in paradise.  The awful burning end that his body received bore absolutely no relation to the paradise of glory that he continues to enjoy.

Everything about the cross is awful beyond words.  Crucifixion represents the worst of humanity.  Therefore the cross signifies the curse...the ultimate representation of a cruel and broken world.

For the thief who repented, however, this place of pain and cruelty was transformed into a place of hope...the very gate of heaven for his soul.

It was for this very reason that the Apostle Paul gloried in the cross and preached Christ crucified to a baffled world which recoiled in fear before this symbol of cruelty.  The grace of God transformed the cross from a place of the curse to a place of blessing.  

It was on that that hill two thousand years ago Jesus Christ took our curse, our pain and our suffering.  While the bodies of the thieves would be cast into Gehenna His soul felt a greater fire during the three hours of mysterious and dreadful darkness...the burning wrath of God for the guilt of our sin that we like the thief might be liberated.  He was made a curse for us because He took our place upon that cross.

Therefore from the cross comes the same promise, a promise purchased by blood for all who look by faith towards the Lamb of God, a promise received by all who repent:

thou shalt be with me in paradise

2nd Chronicles 12; A Tragic Commentary on Rehoboam's Wasted Years

 

"And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord"

2nd Chronicles 12:14

Rehoboam's reign commenced badly with a revolution and the division of the Kingdom.  Nevertheless, he showed great resolve and wisdom in leading a recovery and establishing Judah as an independent nation.  The eleventh chapter details a King who is leading the nation in the right direction both spiritually and practically.  He showed grace in listening to the Word of God, he was prepared to make changes and for three years knew a measure of the blessing of God.

An elderly servant of God who frequented our home often when I was a boy talked about the failures of God's people in old times with the comment, "Its not how you start, its how you finish".  When we come to the end of Rehoboam's reign the sad and tragic comment is that, not only did he finish poorly, he was as a man who "did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord."

Where did it all go so very badly wrong for the grandson of David and the son of Solomon?

1:    Forgetfulness in Prosperity

Chapter 12:1

After three years of progress Rehoboam forsook the law of God.  He deliberately chose to forget the Lord as he became absorbed with self.

Blessings can be dangerous times because they have the knack of leading us into proud places where we glory in self and where we neglect our need of grace.  As Moses lectured the Israelites prior to his departure we must constantly "beware lest we forget the Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:12).  

We need to fear complacency.

But Rehoboam's neglect of God began in his soul.  His heart was not right, therefore he harboured a secret rebelliousness that in time manifested itself openly.  

As Rehoboam forsook the Lord, all Israel departed with him.  Rehoboam was now becoming a power for evil in the land and sadly the faith of many was about following the King rather than God.

2:  Chastening from God

Chapter 12:2-12

Refusing to allow this situation to persist God raised up Egypt to come against Jerusalem and occupy the land.  In the short term the people were deprived of their freedom.  In the long term they became servants of the Egyptians and they lost much of the treasurer that was found in the temple.  The Chronicler is clear that that this took place because the land "had transgressed against the LORD."  The prophet Shemaiah in bringing a word from the Lord told the King "Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Sishak".

God never allows His people to persist in sin.  There will be interventions and there will be chastening. As in the case of Rehoboam, he sometimes hands us over to the enemy as a judgment.  The church at Corinth was commanded to hand an erring brother over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh" (1st Corinthians 5:5). 

Nor will God allow a nation to persist in a course of rebellion.  Wickedness will never prosper.  There will be a day of reaping for this season of apostasy and wilful neglect of the Word of God.

We must learn that God and His law are inseparable.  When we wilfully break God's law we are openly defying the person of God Himself!  And God is not mocked.

3:    Shallow Spirituality

Chapter 12:6-7,12, v14

As a result of the ministry of Shemaiah, at a time when the threat posed by the Egyptians was at its greatest, the King and the princes of the realm humbled themselves.  Their words are noteworthy; "The Lord is righteous".  They were huddled together waiting the final crushing blow from the Egyptian forces when God's word delivered an even more formidable blow and induced a humbling of the King and his arrogant princes.  God's Word never fails to arrive at the right moment.

This humbling saved Rehoboam's life and prevented the destruction of Jerusalem.  Judah was defeated, humiliated but saved as a result of God's goodness.

Despite this encouraging sign the postscript attached to the end of his reign was that "he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord."

His humbling was about outward external reform, a religious display but it was never about a heart that sought after God.

This explains the flop-flop nature of Rehoboam's spiritual life.  There was little depth.  As the son of Solomon he could employ the language, he knew the truth but he did not experience the reality in his soul.  His fundamental flaw was an unregenerate heart.

May God deliver us from shallow, nominal and formal Christianity!

4:    Ungodly Influences

Chapter 12:13

The inspired historian draws our attention to the mother of Rehoboam; Naamah the Ammonitess.  Therefore, this woman, one of Solomon's Gentile wives had an influence upon her son that seems to have lasted beyond the death of Solomon himself.  This may explain Rehoboam's rebellion and shallow religion.  There seems to be some significance in the mentioning of this fact as his reign came to a close.

The importance of being a godly influence for the future generation weighs heavily upon us.

 5:    Continual Weakening

Chapter 12:15

As Rehoboam's dies after seventeen years upon the throne the historian simply says "there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually".  

The division that had festered during Solomon's reign and which caused the revolution at the start of Rehoboam's reign had weakened Israel and caused a continual state of war.  This was part of the judgement of God on account of the sins of Solomon.  

It is a happy thing when brethren dwell together in unity but with sin comes devision and with division comes weakness.

Let us take these things to heart and learn the sombre lessons. 

SIMON CARRYING THE CROSS; Near the Cross (3)

 

“And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon  by name: 

him they compelled to bear his cross.”

Matthew 27:32

Simon of Cyrene was at the end of a gruelling journey from North Africa to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem.  Perhaps he had been resident in the Holy City for a few days and business took him beyond the walls into the country on the eve of the Passover.  Perhaps he had been delayed in his journey only arriving at Jerusalem a few hours before the sacred festivities began.

But whatever Simon’s circumstances, he reached the gate of the old city just as a rather cruel and barbaric procession was exiting.  He could hear the shouts and the obscenities of the soldiers and he could see the beleaguered victims, crosses upon their backs being forced through the narrow streets towards the gate and upwards to Calvary.

He reached the gate just as three condemned men were being pushed through the opening.  Just then one of the men staggered.  It was obvious his blood loss was considerable.  His back bore the deep cuts inflicted by the lictor’s whip that morning.  His face was pummelled and bruised.  His brow has been pierced by something sharp; Simon didn’t know it then but we know that these were the marks of the crown of thorns.  The man could go no further with such a cruel weight pressing upon the torn and the raw flesh. 

A rough arm hauled Simon from the crowd, the cross was laid upon his back and suddenly this unassuming bystander was given a prominent place as an eye witness of the greatest event in world history.

Simon turned his head and he saw His eyes.  

Eyes filled with pain and pity, eyes that were clear and kind and true.  

How could Simon not have been moved as he carried the burden of the cross and walked step by step up Calvary with the Saviour of the World?

As the execution place was reached Simon was pushed roughly back into the crowd.  

He was there when they crucified my Lord.  

He heard the dull blow of the hammer swung low as they nailed my Lord to the tree.  

He watched as the cross was raised up, exposing the Son of God to the laughter and mockery of the callous crowd.  

But as Simon watched the horrific drama unfold he did so as  the man who carried the cross of Jesus.

Chance encounters do not happen.  God works to an orderly plan.  Simon was placed at the gate on that eventful morning because he was chosen to bear the cross.  He was chosen to be identified with Jesus Christ in His greatest agony.

Encounters with Jesus Christ take place today.  Sitting in a church service, listening to a radio programme, reading a Gospel tract, being engaged in conversation, experiencing a time of suffering or bereavement or reading this article...Jesus comes and looks on you...And you feel the power of that look...Eyes that suffered for you out of love are fixed on you today.

Your calling is to see His cross as your cross.  This is what it means to bear the cross.  It is to understand that He died for you, that He took your suffering, your torture and your Hell.  

St. Mark, when recording the life of Christ for the believers in Rome many years later referred to Simon of Cyrene as the father of Alexander and Rufus.  Obviously the readership in Rome knew Alexander and Rufus as being members of their fellowship; at least I can think of no other reason why Mark would record this detail.  This is a comforting indicator that the cross carrier became a follower and he won his boys for Jesus.  

He never forgot the encounter at the gate of old Jerusalem and the day he carried the cross.

Westminster Commissioning Abortion Services in Northern Ireland; Comment for the Tyrone Courier

As a Christian minister I hear about the plans to commission abortion services in Northern Ireland with horror and incredible sadness.

I believe the proposal to decriminalise abortion should have been considered by our representatives within the Northern Ireland Assembly, health being a devolved matter.  Likewise the intended commissioning of these services should be a matter solely for the devolved administration.  The Northern Ireland Executive’s division on this matter reflects the divisions within Northern Ireland society on this profound issue.  

The politicians from within the Northern Ireland Assembly and at Westminster who advocate abortion wilfully ignore the hundreds of thousands within this part of the UK who object, as the consultative process last year demonstrated.

I object to abortion and the intention to commission abortion services in Northern Ireland most vociferously.

My grounds for objection is based upon the humanity which the foetus has inherited from conception; a humanity which the unborn shares with those who have been born.  If killing of children after birth is a crime, then killing prior to birth is also a crime.  Biblically and morally there is no distinction between the humanity of a foetus and a new born baby apart from the fact that the foetus is enclosed and nurtured within the safety of the mother’s womb.

Abortion is often packaged as a being a health care matter for women.  From the moment a woman becomes pregnant she becomes a mother.  Therefore it is not in the interests of a woman’s health for her to abort her baby.  There are psychological and moral implications when a mother chooses to terminate her pregnancy. 

Abortion is described as pro-choice…that a woman has the right to decide what happens to her own body.  This is a red herring.  Do any of us have the right to mutilate our own bodies?  It would be entirely unethical for the NHS or a private health practice to assist us in self harm.  Therefore no-one has the right to do what they please with their bodies if it is harmful or injurious.  On this logic it is equally wrong to choose to deprive the growing infant within the womb, of the most sacred of all rights - the right to life.  I often reflect upon the enormous loss to society…the thousands and millions of people deprived of life with talents and energy and commitment which they could have offered to all of us.  But abortion has tragically and cruelly robbed both them and us.  

I call upon all our politicians with pro-life convictions to bring a motion before the Northern Ireland Assembly to prohibit abortion.  If the motion is lost then I appeal to them to continually bring this matter before the legislature as often as the procedures allow.  This is the greatest moral crusade of our generation.  Where a past generation was defined by opposition to slavery this generation must be defined by a campaign to give our children not yet born the freedom to live and to be protected within the womb.  

Among David Livingstone’s last writings, recorded on his tomb in Westminster Abbey is the description of Africa, on account of the slave trade, as being “the open sore of the world”.  He longed for the healing of the open sore and we are grateful to be living in an age when society is slowly being healed of the curse of racism.  

But discrimination against children in the womb continues.  Abortion is the open sore of the world in this 21st Century.  Our lawmakers have turned our proud and noble NHS into a killing factory with the implementation of abortion.  Society is horrified when children are murdered, trafficked and abused yet we are numb to the plight of the babies in the womb when the pregnancy is ‘terminated’.  The world continues to be traumatised by the Nazi death camps as those deemed weak and unfit for life were exposed to the ‘final solution’, yet we turned a blind eye and many chose to justify the slaughter of the innocent known as abortion.  

I have the greatest of sympathy for women who feel that this is their only option.  It is our lawmakers, our medical ethics and the attitude of millions in society which have made this tragic choice possible.  Abortion is a societal issue and as a society we share in the collective guilt.  But to those women whose circumstances are bringing them to the place where they feel this tragic choice must be made I say - STOP…there are other options…there is help and support…there is a positive, loving and caring alternative BUT abortion is not the solution…not for you and not for your baby.  

To those who are living with this tragic choice feeling and experiencing the guilt - I bring a message of comfort.  Bring your confession to God, He is forgiving, He will hear you and bring peace to your troubled soul.

I pray for God’s mercy and for an end to this cruel practice.

Peter McIntyre

23rd March 2021

BARABBAS SAVED BY THE CROSS; Near the Cross (2)

 

Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas.  Now Barabbas was a robber.

John 18:40

I don’t know if Barabbas ever looked into the eyes of the crucified Christ.  Perhaps he did and saw the love of one who died in his place.  But even if he didn’t no man alive at the time ever owed so much in a physical sense, to Jesus Christ, as this pardoned criminal.

Barabbas had spent a restless night chained in a dark dungeon.  His years of crime had come to a sad end.  The morning light would herald the day of his death.  He knew enough of the torture of crucifixion to understand the intense pain and suffering that lay ahead of him.

Unknown to this tragic prisoner an intense debate was ongoing at the Jerusalem residence of Pilate, the Roman Governor.  With the crowd baying for the blood of Jesus and with Pilate recognising His innocence Barabbas is introduced as a bargaining chip.  With the Romans traditionally pardoning a condemned prisoner at Passover Pilate presented the crowd two prisoners and one would be released; Barabbas the criminal or Jesus the miracle worker.  

As lighted flooded Barabbas’ dungeon the guards unclamped his chains and announced that he was free to leave.  Piece by piece he established the story of his freedom.

Did Barabbas make his way to Calvary and watch those three crosses being raised up?

Did Barabbas offer a simple prayer of prayer of gratitude for the man on the middle cross who died for him?

No man owed as much to the cross as Barabbas because Jesus died in his place.

Like Barabbas we are condemned.  

Teaching Nicodemas sometime earlier Jesus said that those who do not believe are condemned already.  The sinner sits in death row awaiting the sentence of eternal death.  By nature we deserve the condemnation of God for all eternity in the darkness of hell.

But let us today stand in Barabbas’ shoes, gaze upon the middle cross because Jesus died for us.  As darkness descended upon that lonely hill at midday He would pass through the wrath of God for our sins.  

He did more than die for us.  He took our judgement, our condemnation, our hell.  We owe more to the Son of God than ever we could realise.

As Barabbas walked away that day a free man there is a message of liberty for all those that look by faith to the middle cross, accepting Christ as Saviour.

Is he your Saviour?

Are you saved by what Christ did for you on that cross?

He died for you!

PILATE ORDERING THE CROSS; Near the Cross (1)

 

“Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified” 

Mathew 27:26

Pilate the Roman Governor of Judaea was anxious.  He was tasked with keeping order in one of the most troublesome of all the Roman territories.  He was entering Passover time when hundreds of thousands of Jews were flooding into Jerusalem.  Nationalistic fervour would be at its highest and mixed with religious energy this was a heady cocktail.  He was aware of the stories of a Messiah, the great deliverer whom the Jews longed for.

As day broke on the eve of Passover Pilate was approached by a delegation from the Sanhedrin.  However much he despised these Jewish leaders he could not ignore them.  If unrest broke out during Passover his soldiers would never be able to hold back the mobs and he would lose his credibility.  These Priests and Pharisees were demanding that Pilate execute a man who claimed to be the Messiah, the miracle worker called Jesus who hailed from Nazareth.

Knowing the Sanhedrin as he did, Pilate recognised their jealous motivation and the innocence of Jesus.  On interviewing Jesus Pilate became increasingly convinced of His innocency.  All that morning he laboured to find a way to set Jesus free.  He offered another prisoner to the people, a murderer called Barabbas thinking that the choice would be for Jesus.  But the demand from the increasingly angry mob was that Barabbas must be released that Passover.  He remonstrated but his words could not prevail.  His wife had a disturbing dream and warned her husband against executing this just man.  Cleverly, the Jewish leadership threatened the Governor by the warning him that acquitting Jesus would put him at odds with Caesar; in other words ‘there will be a heavy price to pay for going against us’.  Pilate finally made his fateful decision washing His hands in a public show of defiance passing the guilt onto the Jews.  

But still it was him that made the choice.  He crucified Jesus.

He crucified Jesus after looking into his eyes of love and pity.

He crucified Jesus after seeing the pain his soldiers had already inflicted in the torture chamber.

He crucified Jesus sinning against his conscience and pressurised by the crowd.

And so Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified.

Just as Pilate is defined by his tragic choice so men and women in their millions are eternally defined by their response to Jesus Christ.  Some accept Him as Saviour while others reject Him.

What is your choice?

Can you look into those eyes of love, can you look into the face of one who embraced

 that fearful death for you and refuse Him as your Saviour? 

Don’t make the tragic choice which Pilate made!

Accept Christ as your Saviour today.

2nd Chronicles 11; ESTABLISHING JUDAH AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION

Studies in Chronicles

2nd Chronicles 11

 ESTABLISHING JUDAH AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION

Having lost the majority of his Kingdom almost as soon as he was crowned, Rehoboam was tasked with the rather sad duty of consolidating Judah's new position as an independent nation.  This was a responsibility he did not relish nor was it one that he chose but reality dictated that he must must face this circumstance and provide good and wise leadership.

As a result of God's judgement and providential dealings we too are called to face situations which we would have rather avoided but from which we cannot run away.  We are called to serve God and be a light in a society which has become increasingly dark and ungodly.  Like Rehoboam we must face reality and play our part for the good of our people.

1:    Listening to the Voice of God    

Verses 1-4

Rehoboam's instant reaction was to go to war.  He amassed an army of 180,000 warriors to fight against Jeroboam with a view to reclaiming the ten tribes under the headship of David's lineage.  

Rehoboam's 'gut' reaction seemed to be the right the thing to do, yet it was rash and thoughtless.  He did not consider the immense loss of life and the further weakening of the nation.  Above all he never considered that this division of the kingdom was part of God's plan even though it was most damaging.

Sometimes we react to situations according to what seems and feels right at a given point in time.  We do not consider the effect of our words and actions together with the long term consequences.  We can build up a logical argument as to why we are behaving appropriately yet we fail to reflect upon the will of God and how He would have us to respond.

Many people have acted and spoken in the name of God without the blessing of God, like Peter who rashly severed the servant's ear!

Rehoboam, however, was blessed with a man of God called Shemaiah who had the courage to tell the King to stop because this war was not of God.

At this point Rehoboam had the grace to accept his circumstances and the army was stood down.  This was an act of great humility which makes me think rather highly of the young king.

It is a blessing to take advice, to change course, to act with humility.  It is a blessing when God gives us a Word and when he presents us with advice, which is faithful and true, even if goes against what we are planning.

2:    Attending to the Defence of the Realm

Verses 5-12

Rather than go to war Rehoboam spent his energy, time and money fortifying the borders of Judah, therefore protecting his people against attack.

The defence of any nation is a serious business and is one one that governments dare not take lightly.

The defence of the church against backsliding, error and apostasy is a more serious nature which weighs heavily upon the spiritual leadership of the church.

For protection against backsliding and error we fervently preach the Word, attend to means of grace including the place of prayer, we exhort, rebuke, we listen to the Word by responding positively with humility and we administer fair and godly discipline. These aspects of church life are our spiritual bulwarks given to us for our protection.  Let us not tare them down.

Against the onset of apostasy we have erected the bulwark of doctrinal standards, as embodied in the Westminster Standards and our Articles of Faith.  These are statements articulating the principles and truth of Scripture which cannot be shifted.  To do so would be to render us guilty of apostasy, which is total departure from the faith.  We must gather behind these fortifications abiding within the safety of truth.

By the grace of God let us be determined to maintained these bulwarks for our spiritual protection in a wicked day.

3:    Making Jerusalem a Spiritual Centre for all Israel

Verses 13-17

Rehoboam seized an opportunity which was presented to him by the influx of Levites who came to Judah having been unable to remain in the northern territory. These priests of God populated Judah and enabled Rehoboam to establish Jerusalem as the spiritual centre of all Israel.

The Levites under the terms of settlement under Joshua were not given a specific territory.  They were rather dispersed throughout the entire nation.  

When Jeroboam, established the ten tribes as as one nation, known as Israel, he cast off the Levites and in so doing abandoned the worship of Jehovah according to the principles of the Law.  He ordained priests of his own choosing who conducted pagan worship in two centres, which revolved around the worship of golden calves.  No-one in Israel was encouraged to go to Jerusalem for worship because Jeroboam had two new very convenient temples in the north, Dan, and in the south, Bethel.

Jeoboam's unique and man-made religion was devised to create an identity for the northern kingdom which was separate from Judah.  This religion was a strange mixture between the worship of Jehovah and the pagan worship of the Gentile peoples.  It was a new way of doing things.  We must always beware of those who try to introduce new ways into the church of Christ. While we move with the times in terms of external things such as publications and broadcasting we must remain on remain on the same ground in terms of how we worship God and what we believe.  Modernism within the church has been a apostate curse.

Ultimately Jeroboam, afraid lest the lure of Jerusalem and the prestige of the temple would draw the people back to Rehoboam, employed this religious tactic for the preservation of his new kingdom.  Similarly within the evangelical church there are some who believe we must provide the innovations of unreliable translations of Scripture and of modern man-centred music and song into the church to appeal to the culture of this age.  I even heard the simple plain preaching of the Gospel described on one occasion as a 'hard sell'.  Let us never ever sacrifice truth for the sake of popularity! 

The Levites, however, being the spiritual cream of Israel, recognised these innovations as being an apostate religion of convenience. Being bereft of their ministry and purpose they made the journey in their thousands to Judah where Rehoboam welcomed them.   These exiled Levites teach us today regarding the importance of separating from error and putting our faith in God and our loyalty to His kingdom before all other affiliations.

I would suggest also, that these Levites, as a people who naturally had their affiliation  throughout the entire territories of the Hebrew people, were a spiritual bridge that joined the hearts of the faithful in the two nations.

Therefore in Rehobam's early years Jerusalem was established as the spiritual home of the entire nation.  Verse 16 records that many followed these Levites, coming to Jerusalem to offering sacrifices.  This remnant from the ten tribes had a positive effect upon Rehoboam's kingdom in the early years.  

In the following centuries, although there were days of backsliding and apostasy, the fact that the temple remained at the heart of true worship for everyone would in itself be a symbol of unity and a basis for the great revivals that periodically occurred.  This is a most encouraging outcome of the division of the kingdom - a token for good that God in wrath does not forget to be merciful. 

4:    Acting Wisely for his People

v18-23

The final verses of the chapter comment that Rehoboam acted with wisdom in his early administration of the kingdom.  Perhaps he learned the harsh lesson when he dealt so aggressively with the men of Israel at his coronation.  He learned never to take his supporters for granted.  It is a lesson that every leader must learn; that support is borrowed and never claimed as a right.  

Therefore Rehoboam rewarded those who supported him in those difficult days when Jerobam seized his kingdom such as his son Abijah the son of Maachah.  In so doing he prepared Abijah for the throne as his successor.  Although Rehoboam was only forty years of age on becoming King, he acted with considerable foresight considering the welfare of his kingdom.

He also dispersed his family throughout the nation in an effort to make the ruling family friendly and relevant to the people.  In so doing he promoted the unity of his nation.  We must cherish, consolidate and promote the unity of the church, ever fearing the tragic consequences of disunity.

Another example of Rehoboam's wisdom was his choice of wives.  Choosing brides from the House of David he took a different course than that which his father took in marrying Gentile women.  The very reason why the nation was divided was because of the influence of Solomon's brides.  Therefore, it seems that a lesson had been learned, to some degree.

Nevertheless, although Rehoboam learned from his father's sad choice of wives he did follow his father's example in the practice of polygamy.  Such immorality would never enjoy the blessing of God.

For three years Rehoboam did well, acted wisely and laid a decent foundation for future blessings.  But the corrupting influences were never far away.

So it is for each of us individually and collectively.  Let us be aware of our sin and our need of grace.