Betrayal and Arrest of the Sinless One

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 18:1-11

 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

(NKJV)

 

For those of us who know Jesus as our savior, it is difficult to understand why everyone does not accept the gift of God’s grace. The reason is that just as in the time of Christ, there is much misunderstanding over why Jesus came. Some believe it is important to renounce sin and begin living a sinless life before receiving salvation, while others believe one can continue in sin with God’s grace excusing them. We can find the truth of the Gospel in a balance between these two extremes.

 

After having dinner with the disciples and praying for them, Jesus takes His disciples with Him to a garden (John 18:1). Knowing this garden was where Jesus usually took His disciples, Judas receives a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees and takes them to Jesus with lanterns, torches, and weapons (John 18:2-3). Jesus knows all things and knows why these men are there with Judas and asks them who they are seeking (John 18:4). They tell Jesus they seek Jesus of Nazareth to which Jesus replies “I am He.” (John 18:5). When Jesus answered with “I am He”, the men drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6).

 

Jesus asks the men again who they seek, and they answer Jesus of Nazareth (John 18:7). Jesus tells them He already told them he was Jesus of Nazareth and tells the men to let the others go in fulfillment of the prophesy that Jesus would lose none of those given to Him by the Father (John 18:8-9). Peter reacts by taking his sword and cutting off the servant of the High Priest’s ear (John 18:10). Jesus reprimands Peter, telling him to put His sword away, reminding him that He must drink the cup the Father has given Him (John 18:11).

 

To complete God’s plan of redemption for fallen humanity foretold in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), Jesus is betrayed and arrested in another garden. Jesus lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21) yet willingly offered Himself up as the spotless Lamb of God to cleanse humanity of sin. The entirety of Scripture from Genesis till now has been building up to this point with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Messiah, about to complete the mission given to Him by God the Father. While the death of an innocent person is normally not a happy ending, this story has a happy ending with Jesus resurrecting from the dead (John 20:11-18). Some did not understand the significance of what was occurring, like Peter, who reacted by cutting off a servant of the High Priest’s ear (John 18:10-11). Later, an angry mob will call for the crucifixion of Jesus, many of whom might have been present when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. These individuals had nonbiblical expectations, believing Jesus as Messiah would march in and throw out their Roman oppressors, only to have Jesus go into the temple and throw out those desecrating His Father’s house (Matthew 21:1-17).

 

Those of us living today may observe Passover, but it does not come with the requirement that we travel to Jerusalem because we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has paid the price once and for all for our sins (Hebrews 4:14-15). However, just as it was in the time of Christ, many do not understand the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. Some adhere to legalism, believing one must straighten out the sin in their lives before finding salvation, while others, adopting cheap grace, believe they can continue in sin to demonstrate God’s grace. The truth is, we are saved by grace, not our works (Ephesians 2:8-9), with cheap grace condemned by Paul (Romans 6:1-2). The truth is a balance between these two extremes that the father demonstrates in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). The father gladly accepted back his wayward son, who repented of his sin and reprimanded his older son, who did not extend grace to his brother and instead touted his righteousness.

 

The truth of the Gospel is that salvation comes by the grace of God and not our works, with one accepting God’s grace finding salvation and seeking to please God for the rest of their lives out of love for what Jesus did for them. A believer lives to please God, not to find salvation, but out of love for God who extended grace to them through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and have never confessed your belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage anyone who has just prayed to find a church that is obedient to the word of God and teaches truth from the Bible. This way, you can grow in your knowledge and obedience to God. May God convict, challenge, and encourage everyone reading this post. 

God’s Holiness and Majesty and the Blessedness of Answered Prayer.

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 29-30

 

Psalm 30:11

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

(NKJV)

 

The Book of Psalms is the songbook of the Bible, containing emotional and heartfelt praise to God. The psalms of this test are psalms praising the holiness and majesty of God and the blessedness of answered prayer. David had many struggles and trials as the King of Israel but found comfort in praising God as his mourning turned to dancing. May we learn the power of praise when we experience struggles and trials in our lives.

 

Psalm 29 begins with David giving the Lord glory and strength that is due His name and worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:1-2). The voice of the Lord is over many waters with the God of glory thundering (Psalm 29:3). The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty (Psalm 29:4). The power of the voice of the Lord breaks and splinters the cedars of Lebanon, making Lebanon and Sirion skip like a young wild ox (Psalm 29:5-6). The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire and shakes the wilderness, even the wilderness of Kadesh (Psalm 29:7-8). The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forest bare, with everyone in His temple saying “Glory!” (Psalm 29:9). The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses them with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).

 

Psalm 30 begins with David extoling the Lord because He has lifted him up and not allowed his enemies to rejoice (Psalm 30:1). David cried out to the Lord and was healed, with the Lord bringing his soul up from the grave so he would not go down into the pit (Psalm 30:2-3). David tells the saints to sing praise to the Lord and to give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 30:4). The Lord’s anger is for only a moment with weeping enduring for a night, but the Lord’s favor is for life and joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

 

In his prosperity, David said he would not be moved, and by the Lord’s favor, his mountain stands strong with him troubled when the Lord hid his face (Psalm 30:6-7). David makes his plea and supplication to the Lord, for his blood has no profit if he goes down to the pit, for the dust cannot praise the Lord or declare His truth (Psalm 30:8-9). David pleads for the Lord to have mercy on him and to be his helper (Psalm 30:10). The Lord has turned David’s mourning into dancing and removed his sackcloth and clothed him with gladness (Psalm 30:11). To his end, David will sing praise to the Lord and not be silent, giving thanks to the Lord forever (Psalm 30:12).

 

David was a great King of Israel despite his faults with the Lord calling him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14). In Psalm 29, David praises the holiness and majesty of God. David, as a man after God’s own heart, knows that all holiness, majesty, and power belong to God, which is why his heart praises the Lord. May we all follow David’s example of praise and worship to God.

 

In Psalm 30, David praises the blessedness of answered prayer. David’s praise of the holiness and majesty of the Lord has enabled him to cry out to the Lord and receive healing (Psalm 30:2). David’s mourning has turned into dancing, as he removes his sackcloth and puts on the garments of gladness. Oh, the power of praise offered to the Lord. May none of us professing our belief in Jesus as our savior downplay the power of praise and thanksgiving to God, looking to David as a model worship leader with a heart of praise to God.

 

While it is great to have talented musicians and singers leading the congregation in worship in our churches, we must remember they are not performers but worship leaders. In the church I attend, the lyrics to the songs are up on the screen, not for the benefit of the worship leaders on the stage, but for the congregation to join them in praising the Lord. Even if we cannot carry a tune, the Lord wants to hear our praises offered up to Him, reminding us to make a joyful noise unto Him (Psalm 100:1-2). You can also speak the words of the song outload, thinking about what they mean, It is also not wrong to raise your hands in surrender to the Lord who has our best in mind (Jeremiah 29:11). In these psalms we see why David was a man after God’s own heart who had no problem with offering praise to God, knowing God heard and answered his prayers.

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed, confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I invite you to do so now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Your sins are now forgiven, and Jesus is your Lord and Savior. I invite you to find a local church that teaches the truth from the Bible, the word of God, so your new relationship with God can flourish. May God convict, challenge, and encourage everyone reading this post. 

The Lord’s Prayer

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 17:1-26

 

 

While the passage in Matthew 6:5-15 is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, it is actually a model of prayer in response to the disciples' request to Jesus on how they should pray. The passage in John 17:1-26 records an actual prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which He prays for Himself, the disciples, and all believers who will come to believe as a result of the disciples' witness. In this prayer, we see the love of the Lord for all who believe in Him and His desire that they have unity like He has with God the Father.

 

The Lord's prayer begins with the Lord praying for Himself. Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven and tells the Father that the hour has come for Him to glorify His Son so that the Son may glorify Him (John 17:1). Because God has given Jesus authority over all flesh, He is about to give all given to Him by the Father eternal life (John 17:2). Eternal life comes by knowing God the Father and His Son, Jesus whom He sent to us (John 17:3). Jesus has completed the work given to Him by God the Father and given Him glory with Jesus now asking the Father to glorify Him along with Himself with the glory They had before the world began (John 17:4-5).

 

Jesus now starts to pray for His disciples. This prayer begins with Jesus telling His Father that he has manifested His name to those the Father gave Him with them keeping His word and knowing all things given to Jesus by the Father are from the Father (John 17:6-7). Jesus has given the disciples the words given to Him by the Father, with them receiving them and believing Jesus came from the Father (John 17:8). Jesus does not pray for the world but for those given to Him by the Father, with Jesus glorified in the disciples (John 17:9-10). Jesus is about to leave the world with the disciples staying behind with Jesus asking God the Father to watch over the disciples (John 17:11). While Jesus was with the disciples, He kept them in the name of the Father, losing none but Judas (John 17:12).

 

Jesus comes to the Father while still in the world so the disciples can hear and have Joy in themselves with Jesus giving them the word of God the Father causing the world to hate them (John 17:13-14). Jesus is not asking God to take the disciples out of the world but for God the Father to take the disciples out of the world, but for God the Father to keep them from the evil one (John 17:15). The disciples are not of the world just as Jesus is not of the world and need sanctification or the setting apart through the word of God (John 17:16-17). Jesus is sending the disciples into the world, and for their sakes, Jesus sanctifies Himself so the disciples can be sanctified by truth (John 17:18-19).

 

Jesus then prays for all who would come to believe based on the words of the disciples so they too may be unified with God the Father and His Son (John 17:20-21). Jesus’ prayer is that these future believers would have unity like that He has with God (John 17:22). Jesus prays that they be made perfect with Him in them and God the Father in Him, showing the world God sent Jesus and that Jesus loves them (John 17:23). Jesus prays that these future believers would join Him in the glory of Heaven (John 17:24). The world does not know God but Jesus does with those sent to Jesus by God the Father also know God (John 17:25). Jesus concludes His prayer by saying He has declared His name to them and will continue to declare it so that the love of God the Father would be in them along with Christ in them (John 17:26).  

 

Jesus prays to God the Father in front of the disciples, praying for Himself, the disciples, and all who would come to believe through their words, which includes us. In His prayer for Himself, Jesus tells the Father that he has completed the work the Father sent Him to do and now asks that the Father glorify Himself in Him. In praying for the disciples, Jesus prays that the Father would keep them from the evil one. To keep them after He is gone, God will send them the Holy Spirit with instructions from Jesus not to leave Jerusalem until receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Jesus said the world hated the disciples just like it hated Him and He knew the persecution that was coming and that they would need the Holy Spirit to survive (John 16:33, 17:14). Before leaving Jesus gave believers a mission, to take the message of His death, burial, and resurrection to the world and make disciples (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20). All believers who are alive today have come to Christ because of the actions of the early disciples. We also have a call to continue the mission of making disciples, but how well is the present-day Church doing?

 

The work of Christ did not end with his departure from the earth, but accelerated with all who believe, carrying on the work. As believers in Christ, we are part of this work, but how are we doing? Is the church like the Church in Ephesus that started out on fire for the Lord but was later accused of leaving their first love (Revelation 2:1-7). Is the Church lukewarm like the Church of Laodicea that became obsessed with its wealth and prosperity and did not believe they needed anything else, including the Lord (Revelation 3:14-22). Or is the Church a faithful church with little strength, but has kept the word of God faithfully (Revelation 3:7-13).

 

If we look out over the Church of our time, we will observe churches of all three types. However, the standard the Church should meet is that of the Church in Philadelphia, which, while appearing weak, was strong in the word of God.

 

In keeping with the mission Jesus gave His Church, I want to invite anyone who has not prayed to have their sins forgiven by confessing their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10) to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage anyone who has just prayed to find a church that is obedient to the word of God and teaches truth from the Bible. This way, you can grow in your knowledge and obedience to God. May God convict, challenge, and encourage everyone reading this post. 

Declaration of Faith and Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 27-28

 

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

(NKJV)

 

To please God, we need to have faith (Hebrews 11:6). For David, it was his faith in the Lord as his light, salvation, and strength that helped him not fear his enemies. This faith in God led to assurance in God hearing and answering his prayers. In times when we are bombarded with news that can bring fear, we must have unwavering faith and belief in God, who hears and answers our prayers. The psalms of this text encourage us to have unwavering faith and confidence in God to answer our prayers to Him.

 

In Psalm 27, David offers an exuberant declaration of faith. It begins with a declaration of the Lord as his light, salvation, and strength that dispels fear (Psalm 27:1). David has seen his enemies fall and now has confidence that the Lord will bring victory, even if an army comes against him (Psalm 27:2-3). David then makes a request of the Lord, that he be able to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, his secret hiding place in the time of trouble (Psalm 27:4-5). David can now hold his head high and offer sacrifices of joy in the Lord’s tabernacle (Psalm 27:6).

 

David is then honest with the Lord, expressing fear that the Lord may not hear him when he cries out to him, for the Lord has told David to seek His face and that he has done (Psalm 27:7-8). David pleads with the Lord not to hide from him or forsake him, declaring that even if his father and mother forsake him, he has confidence that the Lord will not forsake him (Psalm 27:9-10). David then asks the Lord to teach him His ways and to lead him down a smooth path because of his enemies (Psalm 27:11). David does not want to be delivered to the will of his adversaries who breathe out violence against him letting the Lord know he would have lost heart without knowing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:12-13). David concludes by telling us to wait on the Lord and to be of good courage, for the Lord will strengthen our hearts (Psalm 27:14).

 

In Psalm 28, David rejoices in answered prayer. David cries to the Lord his rock and asks the Lord not to be silent to him fearing he may become like those going down to the pit (Psalm 28:1). He pleads with the Lord to hear him when he cries out and lifts his hands towards the Lord’s sanctuary (Psalm 28:2). David does not want to go the way of the wicked who work iniquity, speaking peace while evil is in their hearts (Psalm 28:3). He asks the Lord to give them what they deserve according to their wickedness because they do not regard the works of the Lord (Psalm 28:4-5). David blesses the Lord for hearing his supplications, for the Lord is his strength and shield, for he trusts in the Lord with his song praising the Lord (Psalm 28:6-7). David concludes by declaring the Lord as the strength and saving refuge for his anointed, asking the Lord to save, bless, and shepherd his people (Psalm 28:8-9).   

 

In these psalms, David presents a vivid picture of his unwavering faith in God and rejoices in answered prayers. His unwavering faith is based on the Lord as his light, salvation, and strength that gets rid of fear in his life (Psalm 27:1). From this foundation of faith, David has no fear of his enemies. Fear in one’s life is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7), with the fear of man, or what others think or say about us, a trap (Proverbs 29:25). Faith in God is the antithesis of fear and why David had confidence when facing insurmountable odds, like taking five rocks and a sling shot with him to battle Goliath. In fact, without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). This faith led to the expectation that God would hear and answer his prayers.

 

While Psalm 28 begins with David crying out to the Lord to not be silent (Psalm 28:1), it ends with David blessing the Lord for hearing him (Psalm 28:6). We can glean from this that David would have doubts God heard him because his prayers were not immediately answered, with him understanding God heard him when his prayer was answered. While we wish God would immediately answer every prayer we offer, waiting on the Lord renews our strength (Isaiah 40:31). Our earnest prayers, offered to God, will be answered, but in God’s timing.

 

Like David, we live in a wicked world and need unwavering faith in the Lord who hears and answers our prayers. In the digital age in which we live, we are constantly bombarded with news and opinions. These can cause fear that can cause our faith in God to waver. In fact, Scripture warns us that in the last days, the faith of many will grow cold with fear of what is coming (Luke 21:25-26). May the Church learn from Psalm 27 and Psalm 28 and have unwavering faith in God and the assurance that God hears and answers our prayers. Let us be people of prayer because our prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16).

 

For anyone reading this who has not prayed to accept God’s free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10), I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

‘

I encourage you to find a church that teaches the truth of God’s Word from the Bible, so that God’s Word can transform your life by renewing your mind. May God convict, challenge, and empower everyone reading this post.