VENGEANCE IS HIS Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.…

THE AMAZING GRACE OF GOD! Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” But…

DON’T FOLLOW AT A DISTANCE! And Peter was following him at a distance… —Matthew 26:58             Peter thought he was somebody that he was not. He verbalized a willingness to follow Jesus even unto death. But, when it came right down to it that was not the case. After Jesus was arrested Peter followed Him “at a distance” into the courtyard of the high priest. When asked three times whether he was a follower of Jesus, Peter denied it.             How about you and I? Are we “following Him at a distance?” Do we verbalize things we are willing to do for Jesus, but when it comes down to it…

THE BETRAYAL OF JESUS Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. —Matthew 26:14 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written…

DEFINED AS A SHEEP OR GOAT “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ —Matthew 25:34-36 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into…

THE WORLD WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR OUR LORD’S RETURN For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. —Matthew 24:38-39 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. —Matthew 24:44 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the…

THE SIGN OF JESUS’ COMING Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” —Matthew 24:1-3           The disciples asked Jesus two questions. First, “When will these things be?”…

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH! Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. —Matthew 23:1-3             Do you “practice what you preach?” Wherever we hear the Word of God preached we are to apply the Word to our lives, even if the person is not doing so in their lives. God’s Word is God’s Word regardless if the person speaking it is faithfully applying it or not.             Now we do want to follow others who are faithfully following Jesus— “Follow…

OUR LORD GOD ALMIGHTY KNOWS MY NAME!  ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ —Exodus 33:12             The Lord knew Moses by name and He knows you by name! Not only does our Lord know our name, but He knows “what was in each person” (John 2:25). And just as He created, formed and summon Israel by name, so also He summons you by name (Isaiah 43:1). “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44). Even “the very hairs of your head are all numbered”…

CALLED AND CALLING For many are called, but few are chosen.  —Matthew 22:14             How many people have heard the gospel with their physical ears, but have not responded? Many… many… many… The gospel call goes out all over this world, but the only ones who will respond are those who are chosen. We do not know who those people are that will respond. We didn’t even know that we were one of them until we responded to the gospel call ourselves. Now it is our responsibility to call people to Jesus (Romans 10: 14-17). People are responsible for their response— whether they heed the call or not, whether they…