Tag Archives: Example of Jesus

CHRISTIAN LIVING, JESUS CHRIST

JESUS GAVE IT ALL— JOSH ALLEN

An old article by William McCormack, entitled “Jesus Christ Gave All” lists numerous ways Jesus gave of Himself. I have adapted and expanded this list.

Jesus gave it all.

He gave His cheek to receive the kiss of betrayal. “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him” (Matthew 26:48-49). “But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’” (Luke 22:48)

He gave His wrists to be bound. “Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.” (John 18:12)

He gave His face to be spat upon. “They spat in His face…” (Matthew 26:67)

He gave His “other cheek” (Matthew 5:39) to those who would slap Him and strike Him repeatedly. “Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands” (Matthew 26:67, Cf. John 19:3)

He gave His tongue to silence. He made no defense before His accusers. He could have brilliantly defeated their arguments (Cf. Matthew 22:46) “But Jesus kept silent…” (Matthew 26:63, Cf. Mark 15:3-4)

He gave His back to the scourge. “So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.” (John 19:1)

He gave His shoulders to wear the robe of mockery. “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.” (Matthew 27:27-28)

He gave His brow to be pierced by thorns — “When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Matthew 27:29)

He gave His head to be struck. “Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.” (Matthew 27:30)

He gave His eyes to be blindfolded while evil men played a wicked game. “Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, ‘Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?’ And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.” (Luke 22:63-65)

He gave His legs to bear the weight of His Cross. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:17). Evidently, He struggled for “…they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross” (Matthew 27:32)

He gave His hands and feet to the nails of the cross. “Then they crucified Him” (Matthew 27:35)

He gave His clothes to His executioners. “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore the soldiers did these things.” (John 19:23-24)

He gave His forgiveness to those who hated Him. “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

He gave His ears to endure mocking, blasphemous cries. “And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ’ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.” (Matthew 27:39-44)

He gave His mother to His disciple. “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25-27).

He gave His lips to drink the bitter cup. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’…” (John 19:28-30; Cf. Psalm 69:20-21)

He gave His spirit into the hands of the Father. “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:46)

He gave His side to the spear. “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’” (John 19:31-37)

He gave His body to be brutalized. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

He gave His blood for redemption. “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Peter reminds us that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19). 

Jesus gave much more than one can ever imagine. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, Cf. Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus gave everything for everyone so that He might give everything to everyone. Jesus gave it all for you, and what does He want of you? He wants your all. 

“‘…And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.’” (Mark 12:28-30, Cf. Luke 9:23-25)

CHRISTIAN LIVING

JESUS PRAYED. DO YOU? — JOSH ALLEN

The apostles taught that Jesus is the Christian’s example in all things. To Paul, He is the pattern to imitate (1 Cor 11:1); to Peter, He is the Shepherd in whose footsteps Christians are to follow (1 Peter 2:21,25); to John, He is the Servant who led by example (John 13:13-17). Today, let us consider, He is our pattern in prayer.  

A survey of His life reveals Jesus was a prayerful person:

  • He prayed alone before His day began (Mark 1:35).
  • He prayed alone in the afternoon (Matthew 14:23; Luke 9:18, Lk 5:16).
  • He prayed with His disciples in the afternoon (Luke 9:28-29).
  • He prayed alone at night, all night (Luke 6:12).
  • He prayed in public (Matthew 11:25-27; John 11:41-42, 12:27-28).
  • He prayed before important decisions (Luke 6:12-13).
  • He prayed at pivotal moments in His life (e.g., after His baptism, Luke 3:21-22).
  • He prayed in moments of deep agony (Lk 22:42; Matthew 27:46).
  • He prayed before meals (Mk 8:6; Mt 26:26; Luke 24:30).
  • He prayed to teach others (Matthew 6:9-13).
  • He prayed for others (Lk 22:31-32).
  • He prayed for His disciples (John 17:6-19).
  • He prayed for His future disciples (John 17:20-26).
  • He prayed for children (Matthew 19:13-15).
  • He prayed for His enemies (Luke 23:34).
  • He prayed to heal (Mark 7:34-35).
  • He prayed with thanksgiving (John 11:41-42; Luke 10:21-22).
  • He prayed with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7).
  • He prayed the same prayer multiple times (Matthew 26:39,42,44).
  • He prayed short prayers (John 12:27-28).
  • He prayed long prayers (John 17:1-26; Lk 6:12).
  • He prayed while standing (John 17:1).
  • He prayed while kneeling (Lk 22:41).
  • He prayed while prostrate on the ground with His face in the dirt (Matthew 26:39).
  • He prayed according to the Father’s will (Mt 26:36-44).
  • He prayed with His dying breath (Lk 23:46).
  • He prayed before He ascended back to Heaven (Luke 24:50-53).

The prayer life of Jesus illustrates the command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus was continually prayerful. He placed a priority on prayer in His life. Do we?

CHRISTIAN LIVING

DO GOOD! – BOB PRICHARD

The headline for the million holiday leaflets printed by Russian charity Mercy Capital Foundation had a simple message: “Do good!”  Or at least that is what it was supposed to say. The printer made a typographical error, and the headline, in Russian, said not “Do good!” but “Exterminate Beavers!” The print shop refused to reprint the leaflets with the correct wording, because as they said, no one would notice the typo. Maybe “Exterminate Beavers!” and “Do Good!” are similarly spelled in Russian, but you could hardly get a more opposite idea, unless of course, it is your trees that the beavers are destroying (WORLD, October 29, 2016, p. 13).

You can’t go wrong with the admonition to “Do Good!” Surely that would please the Master. As Peter summarized the ministry of Christ to the household of Cornelius, he said that God was preaching peace by Jesus Christ, “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:36-38).

Would Peter describe your life as one of preaching peace and going about doing good?  Are you bringing people closer to the Lord and His church? Are you walking with Him or against Him?

After Zacchaeus demonstrated his repentance, Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). In the temple at 12, Jesus said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). And the Father’s business meant that He was going about doing good.

We must be doing good, even if the world does not appreciate us.

“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:14-16).

Ultimately, as we go about doing good, the purpose is not so that we may be glorified, but that God will be glorified. “Ye are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5: 14, 16).

Do good, and leave the beavers alone!