Sunday, March 23, 1997 In Your Absence:
In our lesson this week, which came from Matthew 27:11-26, we learned that many people have difficulty making Jesus the Lord of their life. Why do you think that this is so? Is it because we have a choice of whether or not to accept Him as Savior? Is it because we have a choice of whether or not to accept Him as Lord? Perhaps, both of these statements are true, but perhaps a bigger part of the problem is that we simply fail to realize Who Jesus is and then fail to see all that we owe to Him. An important conclusion of this week's lesson is that we need to see Jesus as the Son of God, sent to this earth to live and die for us, and then, we need to consider making Him the Savior and Lord of our life.
In the above verses from Matthew 27, when Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, His life was literally on the line, and this Council, because they had wanted to get rid of Him, found Him guilty of sedition and of leading a tax revolt. Of course, He was not guilty, but the members of the Council were so determined to get Him out of their life and land that they trumped up those phony charges to try to do so. They failed to realize that before them stood the King of Kings and the Creator of the Universe. They also failed to realize that they, just like you and I, needed to have a personal relationship with this very One Whom they were wanting to be very far from. Often, we fail to see and accept Christ's true identity, and many times, we, too, turn and walk away. Always remember, though, that Jesus is the One Who loves you so much that He was willing to die for you.
After the Sanhedrin was done with Him, they sent Jesus to Pilate, hoping that Pilate would condemn Him to die. From there, He was sent to Herod, and then back to Pilate again. No one knew what to do with Jesus, but eventually, the leaders gave into the influence of the mob and had Him crucified. Another important conclusion of this lesson is that we should always resist the anti-God crowd of our times. There will always be those who wish to crucify Him again and again, but we should determine in our heart that we will never be found as part of such a movement. A final conclusion of this lesson is that we need to give Jesus the place in our heart and life that He rightfully deserves. He is the Lord, and He deserves to be the Lord of your life and mine.
Regardless of how your life may be challenged at this time, hold your head high and realize that the God Who created this world loves and cares for you. Make it your goal to serve Him as you go through this week, and be sure to tell others what He has done for you. Thank you, and I hope to see you in class soon.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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