Musings from My Sun Porch

                 Within a few short hours on that Friday morning, Jesus was betrayed by each of the twelve men He had done life with for the past three years.   They had been His constant companions, watching His miracles, hearing His teaching, and spending countless intimate hours trying to understand His message.   Yet, when everything seemed to be spinning out of control, they each, in their own way, betrayed Him.             Betrayal has consequences, not just for the one who is betrayed, but for the betrayer as well.   We see those consequences played out in different ways with the disciples.             Although Judas’ betrayal began sometime before that fateful night when he first conspired to deliver Christ to the Pharisees, it culminated in the infamous “kiss”.   The “kiss” was no surprise to Chri...

                 On Thursday evening, after He instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus led the Disciples to the Mt. of Olives and then on to the Garden of Gethsemane.   Eleven of them were with Him; only Judas was conspicuously absent.   He left eight of them at the gate and then took His inner circle of Peter, James, and John with Him into the garden.               It was not unusual for Jesus to go off by Himself to pray and spend time with His Father.   But on this night, He chose not to be alone.   Perhaps it was the human desire to be surrounded by friends and family as death approached that prompted Him to keep His Disciples close. It was probably also His knowledge of what lay ahead for them that caused Him to challenge them to keep watch and pray.   Unfortunately, the Disciples succumbed to their bodies' need for sleep.   It had been a stren...

                 When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, the death angel passed over their homes bringing death to the firstborn of the Egyptians.   Later God established the Passover feast as a yearly reminder of their deliverance (Deut. 16: 1 – 3).   It was to be a time of remembrance. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Christ instituted a new remembrance as He celebrated the Passover Feast with His disciples.               God knows that we have short memories, and without something to remind us, we often push aside even those good moments in our lives until something happens to remind us.   So, from the very beginning, He reminded us to “remember”.   “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy” (Ex. 20: 8 NIV84).   “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched...

                 Have you ever been betrayed?   I have, and I know it’s not a pleasant experience.   When you do life with someone, trust them, totally befriend them, and then have them do something with no regard for how it will affect you or your future, it arouses all kinds of emotions.   There is the initial disbelief that soon boils over into anger and finally, there is the hurt.   It’s almost like a physical wound to think that someone you cared about could be so cruel.               If you can relate, then you are in good company because our Savior was also betrayed and perhaps the worst part is that He knew from the beginning that Judas would ultimately turn his back on Him.   Still, Christ brought him into His inner circle, did life with him for three years, and even put him in charge of the finances, all the while knowing what the result woul...

                 On the day after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, we are confronted with a side of Christ that we seldom see in Scripture.   As He entered the Temple courts, He was filled with righteous indignation or to put it more bluntly:   He was angry!               During Passover, thousands of Jews traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of remembrance.    Rather than bring a lamb for the sacrifice with them, especially when they traveled long distances, it was easier to purchase a lamb in the city.   Since they were coming from distant lands, their money would be from their homeland.   Just as we need to exchange our American dollars when we travel to a foreign land, they needed to exchange their homeland currency for coins that would be acceptable in Jerusalem.   As a result, the sale of sheep and the exchange of money in...

                 It wasn’t every day that a King entered the city, so it was an exciting moment for the massive crowds that were gathered there to celebrate the Passover.   They had been waiting hundreds of years for their King to deliver them from the oppressive rule of those who governed them.   They were anxious to see him overthrow the rulers and restore the glory Israel had once observed.   Some of them journeyed with Jesus from Bethany where He had spent the night and many others poured out of Jerusalem to welcome Him.   Their anticipation and excitement were displayed in their shouts of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.   They laid down a royal welcome of palm leaves and cloaks.   They understood and misunderstood all at the same time.             It wasn’t by accident that Jesus returned to Jerusalem that day. ...

  In chapter five of the book of Daniel, God sent a human hand to write a message on the wall to King Belshazzar.   The King wasn’t thrilled with the message but something inside of us still makes us desire God to write a message on the wall for us.   We want Him to tell us exactly what step he wants us to take.   We want His wisdom in making decisions that will affect our lives for years to come.   Unfortunately, God doesn't write on walls anymore, but He still speaks.   The question is are we listening or perhaps, more importantly, how are we listening? After Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal, he was forced to run for his life as Jezebel had put a contract out on him.   In his exhaustion and fear, he began to whine to the Lord about his fate. In response, the Lord told him to get ready “I’m going to pass by.”   Elijah waited as a mighty wind tore through the mountain, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind.   Then, an earthquake shook the...

                 Last time, I wrote about the numerous times that the crowds were amazed by Jesus.   There are at least 25 times that the word “amazed” is used to describe the disciples and/or the crowds in the Gospels, but there are also three times when Jesus used the word “amazed.”             In Matthew 8 and Luke 7, the Gospel writers recount the story of the Centurion.   This Roman military officer came to Jesus begging Jesus to heal his servant.   He was a leader of over 100 men, but he humbled himself to come to a hated Jew to get help, not for himself, but for his servant. When Jesus quickly offered to go to his home, the soldier just as quickly said that’s too much to ask.   “I know what it is to have power and authority over men, so just give the word and I know my servant will be healed.”   In Luke 7: 9, Jesus was amazed and said, “I have not fo...

                 As I was reading my daily devotion this morning, I was struck by the word “amazed”.   Jesus had just healed a deaf and mute man, and the crowds were “amazed.”   According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word amazed is defined as “feeling or showing great surprise or wonder.”   As you read through the Gospels, you will find time after time where the people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching, at His command of the wind and the waves, at His healing power, at His command over the fig tree, at His ability to answer the Pharisees’ trick questions, and at His power over the demons.   They saw a man who did things they could not comprehend, so they were totally surprised.   Still, the fact that they were amazed is amazing.   After all, they had the word of the prophets who had told them that the coming Messiah would do great things like open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf a...