Post by theservant on Apr 13, 2006 16:38:09 GMT 10
Death is swallowed up in victory.
(1 Corinthians 15:54)
It is indeed amazing that Lord Jesus Christ knew that we would be celebrating the Last Supper today. Jesus Christ Himself declares that it is His last supper on the face of this earth along with His disciples. “If at all I have another supper with you it would be in the kingdom of heaven on the other side of the shore” (Luke 22:16,18). He must have said, ‘Last Supper’ with a broken heart. The reason being in a few hours from then, He would be leaving them.
Why was the last supper so sorrowful? It was a night of betrayal (John 13:21). He was greatly troubled in heart even as He said, “One of you would betray Me.” The thought of somebody betraying killed Him.
Julius Caesar is one of the best tragedies written by Shakespeare. The main character Julius Caesar is an emperor of Rome. There was a plot to kill him because of jealousy. The day of executing the plot came. A group of men fully armed entered his room to kill him. However, Julius Caesar was a mighty man. He threw them away with unarmed. Suddenly he saw one gentleman advancing towards him with a drawn sword. It was his beloved friend Brutus. He had great admiration for Brutus and considered him noble and trustworthy. On seeing his friend advancing towards him with a sword, he became a broken hearted man. He asked, “You too Brutus! Involved with this treacherous group? Then you better kill me. Let me die.” Caesar did not die of wounds but he died of a broken heart. The heart of our precious Lord was crumbling. With much trouble He said, “One of you will betray Me.” The fear of death also broke His heart.
Jesus Christ is none other than God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)
The Almighty God lives forever (Deuteronomy 32:40; Isaiah 44:6). It was a terrible thing for such a virtuous person to go through death. Yet, He did it (Hebrews 2:14-15). Just to pull you and me out of the fear of death. He tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). Death is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32). He could never digest that some day He would have to face death on the cross. Jesus Christ prayed for the cup of death to pass on in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 42-44). My dear Friend! He was indeed troubled by the fear of death.
Jesus Christ would go alone into the wilderness, places of solitude, cry with much tears and a loud voice saying, “Father! If it is possible please take this cup away from Me.” Let Me not go through this thing called death (Hebrews 5:7). For our sake, the fear of death tormented him. Nevertheless, He had to endure it.
A friend of mine visited various prisons, talked to the prisoners, distributed the Bible, taught them secular education and so on. Recently in one of the interviews, he told an amazing piece of information.
Condemned prisoners are kept in separate cells. A board outside their room indicated the number of days more for execution. Each day it would be erased and the day will decrease until it reached one. On the last day, even before the death sentence is executed, the fear of death would place its icy hands on them. They are supposed to be hard-core criminals who never value the lives of other people. The policemen who come early in the morning to carry out the execution order normally find such people in a horrible manner. Their eyeballs would be pushed to one side. Their limbs would be stiff as that of a paralyzed person. Even before facing death, it would have had a hold on them. Mere fear. Such people would be carried in a stretcher and then hanged.
On the other hand, there will be some condemned prisoners who would be reading the Bible. On the last day, they would walk out of the room to be hanged. Before stepping into the gallows, they would hand over the Bible to the warden of the jail. “Sir! I am going to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. This book told me about the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going to heaven and therefore I don’t need it anymore. Please give it to someone who does not know about Jesus Christ.”
This is the difference between a man who does not know, and the one who knows Jesus Christ. The one who does not know flounders gripped by the fear of death. While the one who knows Jesus Christ walks to the gallows with a smile with the expectation that he is going to meet the Almighty God in heaven. To give this hope the Lord Jesus Christ faced death.
Always remember that the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ was a night of mental agony and sorrow. Jesus Christ tasted death to set you free from the fear of death.
Prayer
Almighty God,
You who are not bound by time, allowed Your only begotten Son to traverse through the path of betrayal and also taste the bitter death for my sake. I firmly believe that there is life for me when I look at the crucified Lord. The struggles that I face on this earth is nothing when compared to His unconditional love for me. Whenever I face troubles and tribulations in this world help me know that my Saviour has already borne the pangs and stings of such betrayal and pain for me. I have nothing to offer in return for this great love. I humbly offer my self at Your feet.
In the mighty and matchless name of Your loving Son Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen
(1 Corinthians 15:54)
It is indeed amazing that Lord Jesus Christ knew that we would be celebrating the Last Supper today. Jesus Christ Himself declares that it is His last supper on the face of this earth along with His disciples. “If at all I have another supper with you it would be in the kingdom of heaven on the other side of the shore” (Luke 22:16,18). He must have said, ‘Last Supper’ with a broken heart. The reason being in a few hours from then, He would be leaving them.
Why was the last supper so sorrowful? It was a night of betrayal (John 13:21). He was greatly troubled in heart even as He said, “One of you would betray Me.” The thought of somebody betraying killed Him.
Julius Caesar is one of the best tragedies written by Shakespeare. The main character Julius Caesar is an emperor of Rome. There was a plot to kill him because of jealousy. The day of executing the plot came. A group of men fully armed entered his room to kill him. However, Julius Caesar was a mighty man. He threw them away with unarmed. Suddenly he saw one gentleman advancing towards him with a drawn sword. It was his beloved friend Brutus. He had great admiration for Brutus and considered him noble and trustworthy. On seeing his friend advancing towards him with a sword, he became a broken hearted man. He asked, “You too Brutus! Involved with this treacherous group? Then you better kill me. Let me die.” Caesar did not die of wounds but he died of a broken heart. The heart of our precious Lord was crumbling. With much trouble He said, “One of you will betray Me.” The fear of death also broke His heart.
Jesus Christ is none other than God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)
The Almighty God lives forever (Deuteronomy 32:40; Isaiah 44:6). It was a terrible thing for such a virtuous person to go through death. Yet, He did it (Hebrews 2:14-15). Just to pull you and me out of the fear of death. He tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). Death is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32). He could never digest that some day He would have to face death on the cross. Jesus Christ prayed for the cup of death to pass on in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 42-44). My dear Friend! He was indeed troubled by the fear of death.
Jesus Christ would go alone into the wilderness, places of solitude, cry with much tears and a loud voice saying, “Father! If it is possible please take this cup away from Me.” Let Me not go through this thing called death (Hebrews 5:7). For our sake, the fear of death tormented him. Nevertheless, He had to endure it.
A friend of mine visited various prisons, talked to the prisoners, distributed the Bible, taught them secular education and so on. Recently in one of the interviews, he told an amazing piece of information.
Condemned prisoners are kept in separate cells. A board outside their room indicated the number of days more for execution. Each day it would be erased and the day will decrease until it reached one. On the last day, even before the death sentence is executed, the fear of death would place its icy hands on them. They are supposed to be hard-core criminals who never value the lives of other people. The policemen who come early in the morning to carry out the execution order normally find such people in a horrible manner. Their eyeballs would be pushed to one side. Their limbs would be stiff as that of a paralyzed person. Even before facing death, it would have had a hold on them. Mere fear. Such people would be carried in a stretcher and then hanged.
On the other hand, there will be some condemned prisoners who would be reading the Bible. On the last day, they would walk out of the room to be hanged. Before stepping into the gallows, they would hand over the Bible to the warden of the jail. “Sir! I am going to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. This book told me about the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going to heaven and therefore I don’t need it anymore. Please give it to someone who does not know about Jesus Christ.”
This is the difference between a man who does not know, and the one who knows Jesus Christ. The one who does not know flounders gripped by the fear of death. While the one who knows Jesus Christ walks to the gallows with a smile with the expectation that he is going to meet the Almighty God in heaven. To give this hope the Lord Jesus Christ faced death.
Always remember that the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ was a night of mental agony and sorrow. Jesus Christ tasted death to set you free from the fear of death.
Prayer
Almighty God,
You who are not bound by time, allowed Your only begotten Son to traverse through the path of betrayal and also taste the bitter death for my sake. I firmly believe that there is life for me when I look at the crucified Lord. The struggles that I face on this earth is nothing when compared to His unconditional love for me. Whenever I face troubles and tribulations in this world help me know that my Saviour has already borne the pangs and stings of such betrayal and pain for me. I have nothing to offer in return for this great love. I humbly offer my self at Your feet.
In the mighty and matchless name of Your loving Son Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen