Life Lessons with Dr. Steve Schell

105 - Why Do We Weep

As Mary stood outside the tomb weeping it had already started. The miracle had begun. The first child had been born into the huge eternal family that the Father had always desired. The devil had tried to stop it, and for a time it appeared he had succeeded. He tempted the human creatures to sin and they did, and their sin would surely hold them in the grave. But now one had escaped. He had been sinless, so death couldn’t hold Him in its grip, and when He arose a secret was revealed. Before anything was created, God had decided that all who believed in this sinless One would be spiritually joined to Him so that when He escaped death He would carry them with Him out of the grave. But Mary didn’t know that. She thought He was still dead, so she wept bitterly. She thought everything had ended. But it hadn’t, it had just begun.

104 - The Empty Tomb

The disciples’ response to the empty tomb proves how little they understood about the most essential truths that Jesus had taught them. What He said was so different from what they had been taught as children, His words only confused and frightened them. He repeatedly told them He must suffer, die, be buried, and rise again on the third day, yet not one of His disciples responded with even the slightest trace of expectation. They simply didn’t believe He would physically rise from the dead until He stood in front of them and they were able to touch Him. After He was buried their response was to grieve over Him, and still love Him, but certainly not rejoice. Up until His death they had thought He was the Messiah, but after He was crucified they changed that opinion and assumed He was only a great prophet who had been martyred (Lk 24:19-21). Not one of the Eleven was waiting outside the tomb on Sunday morning, and they thought that those who said they saw Him were crazy.

That empty tomb exposed, not a lack of love nor a loss of respect, but a lack of understanding. They didn’t know why the resurrection was necessary. When John later commented on his own condition at the time, he said his problem was that he didn’t understand the Scripture that taught that Jesus must rise from the dead. Do you and I? Today, let’s join those disciples as they encounter the empty tomb. Let’s, first, try to see it through their eyes, and then let’s examine the Scriptures for ourselves so that we will understand why Jesus had to suffer, die, be buried, and rise again on the third day. When you and I consider that empty tomb we don’t want to hear Him say this to us: 
“O foolish ones and slow in heart to believe upon all things which the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah suffer these things, and to enter into His glory?” (literal) (Lk 24:25, 26).

103 - God’s Hidden Wisdom

Before God created the universe; before He breathed life into a human being; before the first man or woman rebelled against Him bringing death upon themselves and their descendants, there was already, hidden in God’s heart a plan to save us. He knew what we would do before we did it, and He knew what He must do in order to rescue us. But He didn’t tell anyone else exactly how He would accomplish His plan; not the angels, nor even the prophets to whom He dictated great portions of that plan. Listen to Peter: 
“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquires, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of the Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look” (1Pe 1:10-12).

For God’s plan of salvation to work it had to remain a secret because He must trick the enemy, who desired to destroy humans, into doing the very thing that would result in their salvation. Listen to Paul: 
“Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory; [the wisdom] which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…” (1Co 2:6-8).

Have you ever wondered why the devil so viscously and gleefully attacked Jesus if by that very act of killing Him he was making salvation possible for all humans? You would think that the devil was smarter than that. Surely, if he had understood the power of the cross neither he nor the people under his control would have done anything to further that plan. Yet he did to Jesus exactly what the prophets said he would do, and by doing so insured that Jesus became our Savior. He did all of that because God’s wisdom was hidden from him.

God hid some of His plan from everyone until Jesus’ work on the cross was finished, but He revealed many of the basic principles of His plan from Adam and Eve onward. No sooner had our first parents sinned than God promised them that the “seed” of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head (Ge 3:15), and animal sacrifice to atone for sin was begun by their children (Ge 4:4, 26). Abraham entered into a profound covenant with God in which God symbolically swore to him, “So be it to Me if you [or your seed] should break My covenant” (Ge 15:18-21). Abraham nearly sacrificed his only son of promise at the very place where God would sacrifice His Son two-thousand years later (Ge 22:1-19), and Abraham named that place “Jehovah Jireh” (Ge 22:14) which means “the Lord will provide” because the Lord would someday provide His own sacrifice in that place: His Son. The essential truths of God’s plan continued to be taught over the centuries by such things as the covenant ceremony God made with the nation of Israel, the sacrificial system of the tabernacle and the temple, and the prophet’s repeated call to repent and trust in the forgiving mercy of God. Listen, 
“‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool’” (Isa 1:18). 
“‘Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,’ declares the Lord God, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Eze 18:23).

So, the basic principles necessary to salvation have always been available, yet God explained those principles using words and symbols which would make sense only to a certain kind of person. To understand their meaning a person must first recognize their own sin and acknowledge that they need God’s mercy. Someone who is self-righteous would not understand because they would feel no need for such a sacrifice to be made on their behalf. Someone who is full of mental pride would find it foolish because it would not fit the image of God they had created for themselves. And someone who is rebellious would refuse to see it because such mercy would demand that they repent and surrender to the One who had been so kind to them. That’s why God didn’t need to hide His plan in a place where no one could see it. All He needed to do was present it in such a way that only the humble would understand it, which rules out the devil and his angels, ungodly religious leaders like Herod, Annas and Caiaphas, as well as everyone else who is unwilling to acknowledge the depth of their own sin or the greatness of God’s mercy.

Now that we know who Jesus is and what He did, we’re able to look back and see clues all through the Bible. We realize that God hid His plan in plain sight where everyone could see it, but because it came out of His own heart, because it expressed His character which is both just and merciful, and I think, because it required such a terrible sacrifice from Him personally, the devil simply couldn’t believe He would do it, and proud humans can’t believe their sin is so bad they would need it. To these it was and still is an incomprehensible mystery; from many God’s wisdom is still hidden.

102 - Fully Convinced

To someone who didn’t know the Bible well, what happened to Jesus that afternoon would have seemed to be nothing more than a tragic series of events. That person would have seen only an innocent man being badly mistreated. But if someone did know the Scriptures, he or she would have been shocked as they watched key prophecies being fulfilled in front of their eyes, especially the way Jesus’ body was treated after He died. Certain things were done to Him by people who had no idea of the spiritual meaning behind what they were doing, things that God, through His prophets, had described in detail hundreds of years earlier. Unknowingly, those soldiers fulfilled two prophecies which were such powerful testimonies about Jesus that John assumed that there would be people who suspected that he had put those events into his account, but that they hadn’t really occurred. After all, John is the only one of the gospel writers who mentions them, probably because neither Matthew, Peter (Mark’s source), or whomever Luke interviewed (Lk 1:1-3) had been close enough to the cross to see what John saw. So as soon as he finished describing what happened, he inserted these words, 
“…and the one having seen [these things] has borne witness, and his witness is true, and that one knows that he speaks truly, so that you may also believe. For these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled…” (literal) (v35). 
He’s saying that he saw the soldiers do those things with his own eyes, and if we trust his integrity as an apostle of Jesus Christ, we will believe him.

John wasn’t the only one that afternoon who saw those events and recognized the prophecies that were being fulfilled. Two of Israel’s top, religious leaders were also watching and understood the meaning of what they were seeing. They had memorized and studied the Bible since they were children, so when they saw the soldiers shatter the legs of the other two criminals but leave Jesus untouched; and then when one of the soldiers thrust a spear into Jesus’ side, they could hear in their minds the same statements John quoted for us: “Not a bone of Him shall be broken” (Ex 12:46; Nu 9:12) and “They shall look upon Him whom they pierced” (Zec 12:10). If they had been unsure of Jesus before the crucifixion, after the soldiers finished their gory work no doubt remained, and they knew what they had to do, and they knew they had to do it before the sun set.

101 - What John Saw

Even though Jesus was crucified like a common criminal, if someone knew what to look for there were signs all through that terrible event that pointed to the truth about Him. John alone among the eleven disciples was present at Jesus’ side while He was dying on the cross, so he personally saw and heard the events he reports. He also had the spiritual capacity to recognize those signs in the midst of all that horror. He knew that God was still bearing witness to His Son.

As Jesus was dying, the outward circumstances looked as if the Father had completely abandoned Him. It appeared that evil had triumphed, and Jesus had been defeated. And yet, time after time, in the most amazing ways, the glorious truth about Jesus was proclaimed. And that’s why in his description of the crucifixion, John chooses to tell us about certain events. Each one, in a different way, testifies that Jesus is who He said He is.

Today we will join John as he stood by the side of the cross. We want to see those events through his eyes. We want to hear Jesus’ words through his ears. It’s as though the apostle has pulled a veil aside and is inviting us to see the crucifixion from God’s point of view. He’ll show us things we might have missed. But once we see them they become obvious, and in the process we discover that he is not only teaching us about the cross, he’s training us to hear from God at a deeper level than we may ever have heard before. As we watch God testify to His Son during those hours of suffering, we learn how to recognize God’s voice even in the most difficult moments of our lives. Even when it seems that the darkness is triumphing over us, God will always be there, and He will not be silent.

100 - The Courage to Lead

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. He said so many times. And yet, in the end, the Roman governor sentenced an innocent man to death. Why? What was it that changed his mind? No new evidence was produced. Nothing Jesus said created suspicion. In fact, as the trial progressed Pilate discovered the truth: Jesus was there because the religious leaders were jealous of His influence. He could see for himself that God was with this Rabbi from Nazareth. That’s why huge crowds were following Him everywhere He went, and many believed that He was the promised Messiah. Pilate was a tough, shrewd soldier. The emperor Tiberius would not have assigned him to govern one of the most troubled regions in the empire unless he had already proven himself to be a skillful, if brutal, leader. Pilate had been given full control of the province and the army. He held the power of life and death. He could reverse a death sentence issued by the Sanhedrin, and all their decisions had to be ratified by him. He appointed the high priests and controlled the temple and its funds. He even kept the high priest’s robes and special garments (breastplate, turban, urim and thummim, etc.) and only released them at certain festivals (D.H. Wheaton, “Pilate” in The New Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas, ed., Eerdmans, 1971, pp.996-997).

And by the time of this trial, Pilate had already proven that he was willing to use the power he had been given. He had slaughtered large numbers of Jews and Samaritans. In fact, he had been so brutal that complaints had already been sent to his superiors. Yet that morning, when the high priests threatened to accuse him of disloyalty to Rome, his courage collapsed. And the moment it did he ceased to be the leader and fell under their control. He wasn’t willing to pay the price, but they were. By his failure Pilate teaches us a profound lesson. He shows us that in order to lead, in any capacity, we must first decide whether we’re willing to stand firm no matter what may come. Because if we don’t, those who have made that decision will rule us.

99 - The Right Question

People ask questions for different reasons. One person might ask a question as a way of attacking an opponent in a debate. That question is meant to confuse their opponent or expose their lack of understanding. Another person might ask a question because they genuinely want to know the answer. But there is also a third reason people ask questions. Someone might ask a question in order to help someone else discover the answer for themselves. At the right time the right question can lead someone in the right direction.

The passage we’re reading today is full of questions. Pilate asks most of them, and some aren’t sincere. But what is of real interest to us is the question Jesus asked Pilate. He used a question to expose Pilate’s heart. He actually reached out to His captor and gave him the opportunity to discover the truth that would bring him eternal life. In doing that Jesus was modeling something important. He was showing us how to lead someone toward God by asking the right question.

98 - Escaping the Trap

When we read the account of what happened to Jesus after He was arrested, we encounter an element that is very hard to explain. It’s the furious hatred some people felt toward Jesus. They hated Him with a ferocity that is just not reasonable. After all, He was a good man, the kind mothers want to have bless their babies. He wasn’t a violent criminal or a thief. He was a rabbi who taught in the synagogues and courts of the temple. He didn’t do things in secret. Anyone could come and watch and listen to Him, and it was a very normal part of His ministry to heal the sick and deliver people who were tormented by demons. So how does a person become uncontrollably angry at someone like that? It doesn’t make sense, at least, not until you look at the situation from a spiritual perspective. All normal people become angry at times. But what is it that causes a person’s temper to flare to the point where they become savage? What makes a person hate someone else so much that they are willing to lay aside all sense of justice, violate the very laws they swore to uphold, and arrange for someone to die as painfully as possible?

As we read the accounts of the pre-dawn trials to which Jesus was subjected, there is a horrible element of cruelty, of hatred that creeps into the picture and grows as the hours pass until we watch people spitting in His face, beating Him with their fists and slapping Him when He’s blindfolded and His hands are tied behind His back. It’s just not normal. Some force has entered in and seems to have taken control of them. And, yes, it shocks us all to read the sort of things that were done to Jesus, but if we’re honest with ourselves, that type of fury is not entirely unfamiliar to us. Human history is filled with examples of it. And if we’re really honest with ourselves, we don’t have to look back into history to find examples of that strange fury. Many of us have been the victim of it, and many of us have felt that fury come over us and propel us to do or say things we never thought we would.

Today we’ll follow Jesus through those pre-dawn trials at the high priest’s residence and watch as that strange fury enters into the situation and takes over. We’ll try to identify that force, and think of examples where we’ve seen it at work. But the main goal of our study will be to consider how that influence gains entry into our lives, and how to stop it from ever coming in again. We want to lock the door on that uninvited spirit.

97 - Failed Resolutions

There comes a time in most people’s life when they discover how weak they are. How soon that happens varies from person to person. Some learn the lesson when they are very young, others not until much later. Some discover it by a series of small events, others only after a massive failure. Some easily admit their weakness and seek help, others are deeply ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it. But the fact remains that all of us encounter temptations and situations which have the power to overwhelm us. No matter how much we desire to do the right thing, we find ourselves doing the very thing we promised ourselves we would never do.

Peter provides a great illustration of someone struggling with their weakness. Jesus had tried to warn him, but Peter refused to listen. He was so sure of his love for Jesus, and so unaware of the powerful forces which were about to attack him, that he actually defied Jesus, telling Him that His warning was unnecessary. He was absolutely confident that he would not fail, even if all the others did. And then, when those horrible events began to unfold, Peter frantically tried to keep his promise, and in doing so put the lives of all the disciples at risk. In the end he fled just as Jesus said he would, and discovered that he was as weak as Jesus said he was.

But Peter’s weakness that night did not mean he would always fail. In fact it was the discovery of his weakness that became an important step in his development as a disciple. It showed him the power of the forces arrayed against him. It showed him the difference between his flesh and his spirit. It taught him what to do in the future, so he needn’t fail again. And it certainly left him a different man: a humble man, whom Jesus could trust to strengthen others who were also weak.

Today, we’ll observe Jesus as He coaches Peter through the process. We’ll hear Him warn Peter, we’ll hear Him explain why He was so certain Peter would fail. We’ll hear Him assure Peter that he would be restored. And we’ll hear Him give a humbled Peter a new assignment.

96 - The Cup of Suffering

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to rescue people out of the darkness of this fallen world without suffering. Forces that hold people down won’t let them go without a battle, and people are wounded, and even die in battles. Which explains why suffering is necessary. But not all forms of suffering have the power to rescue people, only a certain kind. Most have no redemptive power at all, they are just the tragic fruit of our own wrong choices or of living in this sinful and broken world. Yet there are times when God specifically asks His people to suffer, because that’s the price that must be paid to bring someone out of bondage or unbelief. In those moments it is a believer’s love for God and hurting people that will constrain them to obey. God never forces a person to make that choice. He indicates His will, and then asks them to drink the “cup” He has placed in front of them. In this passage, John shows us the moment Jesus took that cup and began to drink from it.

Please notice: The suffering God asks His people to perform is not something He imposes on them against their will. It is something He invites us to choose because it is in our willing embrace of that trial that His power can be released. Suffering by itself helps no one, but suffering when it is done by faith and motivated by love, becomes a form of spiritual warfare.

We know that God can bring something positive out of any situation (Ro 8:28), including suffering. But that’s not the kind of suffering Jesus embraced that evening in Gethsemane. He was choosing to do what was necessary to save us. He put our needs ahead of His own, and as a result He provided a way of escape from eternal separation from God for every human who would believe in Him. That kind of suffering is not the misery of disease or injury; it’s not the darkness of depression, or the bruising left behind by demonic attack. Those forms of suffering are our enemies. They are, ultimately, the result of the devil’s war against the human race. They happen to both the guilty and the innocent. They come to all who live in a fallen world, and they aren’t God’s will. They are part of the miseries from which Jesus came to rescue us.

By the time John wrote this gospel, the other three gospels were already in circulation. He knew what Matthew, John Mark, and Luke had written. That’s why he didn’t repeat all the same descriptions of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. He didn’t need to retell what had already been told so well. But He did want us to see a very profound truth which was at work in the heart of Jesus during those events. He wanted us to understand that Jesus willingly went to the cross. Why? First of all, because it reveals His love for us. But I believe there is also another reason. I believe John wanted us to follow Jesus’ example. He was showing us that we too must choose to suffer to rescue others. Now, no one but Jesus could be the sacrifice for human sin. He performed a unique ministry on the cross that no other person, in all of history, could perform. But the fact that He willingly chose to suffer for us models an element of discipleship each of us must choose to follow. We can’t die for lost people; only He could do that. But in order for the power of His redemption to reach lost people, God’s people must be willing to suffer. And as He did with Jesus, the Father won’t force us to drink that cup. He’ll place it in front of us and wait for us to obey.