Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Stations of the cross.Crowning Him King.






Already celebrations are underway for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth.

What a magnificent monarch she has been. When she was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1952 she was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, representing 'The Lords Spiritual" in the realm of England. He then placed the priceless royal crown upon her head.

Her participation in that centuries old ritual represented her submission to Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.




Here is a picture of HIS coronation in Pilate's courtyard; a crown of thorns, a sceptre of reeds and the mockery of his "lords in waiting"

The marvel of these two monarchs,Elizabeth 2 and the Lord Jesus Christ, is that they have lived and reigned in harmony in the realm of England for sixty years. Him as monarch supreme and her as Queen regent.

May it continue to be for many years to come.

Ian

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Stations of the cross. The examination by scourging.



Once control has been handed over by judicial authorities to the mob, bad things happen.

Pilate released Jesus to his soldiers for what the Romans called
"an examination". This took place under the pavement of Gabbatha.

In reality it was an event of terrible brutality where Christ was stripped to the waist, bound to a wooden post and whipped with leather thongs tipped with lead.

God had given both insight and foresight into this torturous moment in the prophecy of Isaiah 52 and 53.

To contemplate this 4th station of the Cross this passage needs to be read.

The profound mystery of it all is summed up in the phrase,

"For it pleased the Lord to bruise Him."

I have stood at this station for many years and still don't know the answer as to why but John 3:16 gives us some special keys.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Jubilate.

Ian

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Stations of the Cross. Station three: Gabbatha




Here is the famous painting named "Ecce Homo" ( Behold the man)
by Antonio Ciseri.

Jesus is before Pilate for his second trial which was another travesty of Justice.

Pontius Pilate as procurator of Palestine was expected to be an instrument of Roman jurisprudence. Instead he capitulated under pressure from the Pharisees.

In his first examination of Christ,  Pilate the judge, said:

 "I find no fault in Him."

Later, Pilate the politician handed the verdict to the crowd who demanded a crucifixion.

So the man who found no fault in Christ signed off on His death sentence.

Here's a point of meditation:

Christ demands a verdict, He is either the Son of God or He is an impostor. This morning be courageous enough to give a  "Yes" or a "No". God does not deal in "Maybe's"

Jubilate.

Ian

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Stations of the Cross.



As we know from the Gospel accounts Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane and taken to the house of the High Priest.

Here He was subjected to His first trial. It was rigged.

At one point in the proceedings Caiphas blurted out "Tell us plainly, are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed?"
Jesus replied: "I am and you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven."

On that confession Jesus was condemned to death.

Twenty years ago a group of eminent Jewish theologians revisited the case of Jesus before the High Priest and declared what happened to be a mistrial.

Oh really!

In that case let us all embrace His confession and live our lives accordingly.

 In fact you can start right now by saying: "Lord Jesus, I believe indeed that you are the Christ the Son of God and I intend to live my life as true Christian."

If you have done that for the first time you have begun your journey to heaven.

Jubilate.

Ian

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Stations of the cross.



Established by Francis of Assisi the "Stations of the Cross" were points of contemplation for pilgrims visiting Jerusalem.
Others who stayed home were able to view the paintings on their church walls.

There were fourteen stations originally but I have taken liberty to remove those based only in tradition and add others found in scripture.

Station 1: Gethsemane.

"Gethsemane" means 'olive press' and it was in the oil press that Jesus prayed "Father take this cup from Me. Nevertheless not My will but Thine be done."
Our first point of meditation must surely be: 'What would have happened if Jesus had refused the death of the  cross and asked to to be taken back to heaven?'

There would have been no altar, no steeple, no pendants or paintings with a cross. There would have been no church, chapel or cathedral on earth; the course and destiny of humanity would have been irretrievably different.

But Christ DID decide for the cross and Gethsemane was the point of no return on that journey.

Stand in the station this morning and think about that.
Ian