The trials of Jesus leading up to His crucifixion can hardly be called trials. Travesty is a more fitting description than trial; breaches in justice were made at nearly every turn. The arrest of Jesus came through a bribe of thirty pieces of silver, blood money paid to Judas (Mt. 26:15; 27:3-6). No clear charges were pronounced to Jesus. Some said blasphemy (Mk. 14:64), or violating the temple (Mk. 14:58), yet the charges were changed to claiming to be king, causing social disruption, and refusing to pay taxes at His civil trial before Pilate (Lk. 23:1-2). These changes were made by the Jewish leaders so they could put Jesus to death (Jn. 18:29-31). His trial before the Jewish leaders began in the middle of the night on the feast day of Passover (Mk. 14); thus, the witnesses could be brought and a decision made while everyone slept, and in the morning plenty of travelers to the city, who knew little about Jesus, could be stirred into an angry mob to demand His death. The witnesses did not agree, even though they had the unfair advantage of testifying in the presence of each other (Mk. 14:56, 59). Physical force was used to try to intimidate Jesus (Jn. 18:22), and He was asked to incriminate Himself (Lk. 22:70-71); moreover, Jesus did not cross-examine the witnesses to show how fallacious their accusations were (Mt. 26:62-63). Jesus was convicted and executed the same day as His trial; the Jewish leaders hurried to get an innocent man crucified early, but had scruples about entering the Praetorium (judgment hall) because they did not want to defile themselves on the Passover (Jn. 18:28).

How could respectable religious leaders do such a thing? Why did they have no problem with bribery, fraud, and murder, but were conscientious about entering a Gentile house? They were chiefly concerned with maintaining their position over the Jewish nation, and Jesus posed a threat to their control (Jn. 11:48). Religion can be used as a means of self-aggrandizement. The Pharisees could list all of the things they did right to mask their glaring heart problems; even their prayers were used to put down others (Lk. 18:11-12). Having listed all the little things that made them appear pious in men’s eyes, they used their position to lay heavy burdens on the people, while making exceptions for themselves (Mt. 23:4). Control was their god, and they were willing to sacrifice anything for it. People in positions of power must be wary of this temptation. While many may get into these positions thinking they can wield a tremendous impact for good, if the heart becomes obsessed with living for one’s own glory and power then unjust means will be used to obtain that end. Having authority tries our hearts. Jesus told these people that justice, mercy, and faith were what they were lacking (Mt. 23:23); they exercised none of these when they put Him to death.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, yet he delivered Jesus to be crucified so that the people would not become mutinous (Mt. 27:23-24). He threatened Jesus with his power, but Jesus said the only reason Pilate had power was because God had given it to him (Jn. 19:10-11). If people in authority can really grasp that their power is given by God, then they could be more calm, secure, humble, and just. However, if they think it is through their own worthiness that they are in their position of power, they will persist in being fearful of losing control and cruel to any perceived threat.

-Mark Day

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• The Ethiopian was sincere, but sincerely lost until baptism (Acts 8:26-39). When Philip “preached unto him Jesus,” the eunuch wanted to be baptized immediately, because preaching Jesus equals preaching the necessity of water baptism for salvation (Acts 8:35- 36; Mk. 16:15-16). The Ethiopian did not rejoice at the point of belief in Jesus, but after obeying Jesus’ command to be immersed for salvation (Acts 8:39; Mk. 16:15-16; cf. Acts 2:38; 22:16).
• Saul of Tarsus was sincere, but sincerely lost until baptism (Acts 9:6,18-19; 22:16). Although Saul had been praying, fasting, and believing in Jesus after Jesus spoke to him, none of these things washed away his sins (Acts 9:9-11). Jesus told Saul that he would be told what he “must do” (Acts 9:6). Saul was not told to keep praying. He was not told, “You are already saved by God’s grace, because belief alone is enough.” Here is what he was told: “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Did you know that although Saul had gone three days without food or water, he did not even get a bite to eat before he was baptized? (Acts 9:9,18-19). He wanted his sins washed away as soon as possible! This same urgency regarding baptism is found in other passages also (Acts 2:41; 8:36; 16:33). Why were 3000 souls baptized on the same day they heard the Gospel? They all understood that it was “for the remission of sins”! (Acts 2:38,41).
• Cornelius was sincere, but sincerely lost until baptism (Acts 10:6,35,48; 11:14). Cornelius’ prayers did not save him. Like Saul, Cornelius was told that someone would tell him what he “ought” to do (same Greek word as “must” in Acts 9:6). Peter told Cornelius that to be accepted by God, he had to fear God and work righteousness (Acts 10:35). Cornelius did what he “ought” to do and “worked righteousness” when he obeyed Peter’s command to “be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48; cf. 2:38). Then Cornelius was truly accepted by God (Acts 10:35; Heb. 5:9).
• Lydia was sincere, but sincerely lost until baptism (Acts 16:13-15). After her baptism, she was “judged…to be faithful” (Acts 16:15; cf. Gal. 3:26-27).
• The Ephesians who had been “baptized” were sincere, but sincerely lost until they were taught correctly and baptized with a proper understanding (Acts 19:1-5; Jn. 8:32; Rom. 6:16-18). Being sincere and immersed for religious reasons is not enough, according to the Bible. Today, one cannot be properly baptized without understanding that immersion in the name of Jesus Christ is for salvation, for forgiveness of sins, to wash away sins (Mk. 16:16; Jn. 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 3:26-29; Eph. 5:25-26; Heb. 10:22; 1 Pet. 3:20- 21).
• What about you? Are you sincere? Do you believe in God and His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ? (Jn. 8:24). Will you repent of all past sins, deciding to live for God? (Acts 2:38; 17:30). Will you confess that you believe in Jesus as the Son of God? (Mt. 10:32; Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:10). Will you be immersed for the purpose of washing away your sins? (Acts 22:16). Will you try your best to be faithful in every way, following the New Testament pattern for worship and every aspect of life? (Jn. 4:23-24; Col. 3:16-17; Heb. 10:23-31; 1 Jn. 1:6—2:6; Rev. 2:10).

– Jason Patrick Hilburn

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“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Concerted attempts have been made in our day to blur distinctions between the sexes. Some identify as neither male nor female. Changes in legislation and education have been made to soften the line between male and female to the point that even gender specific pronouns are being discouraged by some. A few Bible translators some years back aimed to produce a “gender neutral” version by employing “inclusive language” regarding the sexes. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and Today’s New International Version (TNIV) are examples of such attempts.

Galatians 3:28 has for years been twisted by feminists to mean because Christ sees no difference between the sexes, women should be able to exercise all the religious leadership roles as do men, regardless of what passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 teach. Yet, Jesus Himself said, “from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female,” (Mark 10:6). God’s design for the reproduction of humans included a male and a female (Gen. 1:27). God told Noah to bring both male and female animals of each kind into the ark so propagation could take place (Gen. 6:19). Even today, those who work with animals recognize gender differences are not trained into the animals. Gender differences are part of God’s natural created order and no amount of surgery, legislation, or indoctrination will change this distinction. So what is Galatians 3:28 saying? God created the sexes. With all the focus on gender in today’s world, it is important to recognize what Galatians 3:28 is and is not saying about males and females. Let us consider how it appeals to this sense of gender equality so prominent in our culture, and yet does not condone the thrust of contemporary movements to flout one’s biological sex.

The context of Galatians 3:28 is not specific roles in the church, nor social conduct, but salvation. Paul was combating Judaizing teachers who required circumcision and keeping the law of Moses in order to be righteous before God (Gal. 5:2-4). He shows that there are no second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. Galatians 3 is about being children of Abraham and inheriting the promise God made to him. Because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous (Gal. 3:6). Abraham was told that through his Seed, all nations would be blessed; that Seed is Christ (Gal. 3:8, 16). Thus, those who have become children of God by faith, by being baptized into Christ, are blessed with Abraham (Gal. 3:7, 26-27). The chapter ends with, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). Thus, the longing for equality is provided by Christ. All people—regardless of race, social status, or gender—have equal access to being part of God’s family and inheriting salvation.

But while we are all allowed to be on God’s team, that does not mean we all play the same position. God has particular requirements for those who oversee His flock, among which are the requirements of being a man who is the husband of one wife and has obedient children (1 Tim. 3:1-5). God wants older women to teach younger women particular lessons about their role as women (Titus 2:3-5). All can equally secure the blessings that come from being in Christ, but in how each of us serve the Lord, He has made His will clear that there are different roles He intends for men and women.

-Mark Day

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The apostle of love, by inspiration, marveled, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). God’s love is so great that He gave His own Son so that we could be His children. John went on to write that this sacrificial love of Jesus Christ continues in each of us loving our brothers and sisters in Christ:

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:9-12).

Love is absolutely necessary for us if we are to be God’s people. A car may have an efficiently-designed engine that can turn out tremendous horsepower, but if it does not have oil, then the results will be disastrous. Likewise, we can have very talented people, who possess tremendous knowledge, working in well-designed programs in the Lord’s church, but if there is no love, then failure will follow. Consider the Father’s love for us and how it translates to our love for one another.

Discipline – Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Correction is an essential part of loving a child. There are no doubt cases of fathers who abuse children, just as there have been abuses of churches in their treatment of members. How should we react to this? When a good father hears of child abuse, he commits himself to lovingly disciplining his children, not allowing them to do whatever they wish. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” Hebrews 12:11). Congregations where members are allowed to live in sin without correction are not loving the souls of individuals with the long-term results of eternity as the emphasis (1 Cor. 5:1-5).

Forgiveness – After a statement on how far God has removed our transgressions, Psalm 103:13 says, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Our heavenly Father is merciful. He wants to see us be reconciled to Him; He is pictured as the father who runs to meet the son who has come back home, takes the son in his arms and kisses him (Luke 15:20). As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should desire reconciliation with each other (Matt. 18:15-20). We have too many important tasks to accomplish for the Lord to remain at odds with one another.

Encouragement – Paul wrote, “as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,” (1 Thess. 2:11). Paul was like an encouraging father to his converts (1 Cor. 4:14-15; 2 Cor. 12:14). Our Father in heaven has given us His word to build us up (Acts 20:32). Brothers and sisters in Christ should encourage one another daily to be faithful (Heb. 3:13; 13:22).  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Cor. 8:1). As we grow in knowledge of the Lord, we should help others grow by building them up in the faith.

Take some time this week to consider God’s word. Thus, you can be filled with the Father’s love for you, and let His love empower you to love in the true, biblical sense — through discipline, forgiveness, and encouragement of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

-Mark Day

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To the Pharisees, “who were covetous” (Luke 16:14), Jesus described what happened after death to the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In earthly life, the rich man had refused to help Lazarus, a beggar full of sores who was laid at his gate. The dogs did more than the rich man to help Lazarus, at least they licked his sores (Luke 16:21). Lazarus was not an able-bodied man trying to sponge off others; he could not work, but had to be carried to the rich man’s gate. He simply desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:21). Wealth is not inherently evil, nor is poverty inherently good; however, a self-absorbed life sets a course for the soul that leads to eternal ruin. In this part the book of Luke, Jesus has been speaking on neglect. In Luke 14:16-23, Jesus highlighted the neglect of responding to the invitation. Here he speaks of neglecting a man clearly in need whom the rich man could easily have helped.

After death the situations of these two are reversed, as Abraham, a great Old-Testament saint in paradise, explained to the rich man, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented” (Luke 16:25). This was a reply to the rich man’s request for Lazarus to be sent with water to cool his tongue (Luke 16:24). It seems that even in torment the rich man’s self-centeredness remains. He wants Lazarus to be his servant, to fetch water for him.

The rich man had made Mammon (wealth) his god (Luke 16:13). Unlike Lazarus, the rich man is never given a personal name in this account. Perhaps this hints at the fact that he had established his identity on his wealth. When he left all his wealth behind at death, he lost his sense of self as well. We ought to take heed that we base our identity on God, Who never changes, but will live with the saved eternally after this short life on earth is finished.

Even the rich man’s request on behalf of his brothers turns out to be self-centered. He still wants Lazarus to be his servant, sent to warn his brothers (Luke 16:27-28). His plea also smacks of self-justification by suggesting that he, along with his five brothers, did not have ample opportunity to know what should be done to avoid torment.  Abraham responds with, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). The rich man is quick to dismiss this with, “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent” (Luke 16:30). To dismiss the Law and the Prophets—the Scriptures that had been written at this time—is also to dismiss the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the Law and Prophets pointed to Christ (Luke 24:27, 44). The rich man demands something more than the clear warnings of the Bible. He wants an unavoidable sign such as someone speaking from the dead. Jesus, the one who rose from the dead, told us to go to what is written in God’s word to have eternal life (Luke 10:25-26; John 5:39).

There are many today who follow the rich man’s steps. Sadly, their blame-shifting blindness to their own spiritual need will lead to the same eternal destiny if they do not wake up and repent. Their self-absorption will lead them to choose torment, to be free from God who calls them to repent and think about someone other than themselves.

-Mark Day

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