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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Subjecta:Jesus Is Questioned by Pontius Pilate [1] Bible Verse:John 18:28-38 "Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” " Message:
Judea, the Roman colony that included the ancient Hebrew kingdom of Judah (the south part of modern Israel), was a “client state” of Rome. The Romans allowed the Hebrews to have their own government, their own religion, their own customs, and even, in some cases, their own king, as long as they paid taxes to Rome and did not rebel. A Roman governor — Pontius Pilate — and a garrison of Roman soldiers ensured that the taxes were paid and that Roman laws against sedition were followed. (At the time of Jesus’ death, Rome’s governor ruled more directly than during other periods.)
Painting of Christ crucified, by Sieger Koder
The Jews thus bring Jesus to be tried by Roman law, claiming that he is a “king.” That is, they try to show that Jesus is fomenting a political rebellion against Rome, for which Rome would execute him. But Jesus tells Pilate the truth — basically, he lets Pilate know that he has no desire to become what Pilate would call a “king,” even though he admits to having a “kingdom.”
Probably the best way to read Jesus’ somewhat cryptic statements is to read that “my kingdom is not from this world.” That is, unlike what the Romans or Jewish authorities would call a king, Jesus’ authority does not come from humanity. (And this is the literal interpretation of the Greek.) Is Christ the King of Earth? Well, yes and no. We can see that sin and evil, both within ourselves and from others, hold great power over the earth. But we know that we are in an intermediate stage of creation, and that Christ will come again and claim complete authority over it.
John’s account of Jesus’ trial is heavy with irony. The Jews, who are dragging the Son of God to be killed, do not want to make themselves “unclean” by entering a Roman household. Then, they want the Romans to execute Jesus for them, again, because they do not want to soil their hands with the sin of murder. They cannot kill Jesus because the high priests are supposed to be holy men, so with unmitigated hypocrisy, they arrest him and try to convince Pilate to convict him under Roman law, and do their dirty work for them.
Meditation : Prayer : I bind myself to you this day, oh Christ, in your truth and in your sacrifice. I give to you my anxiety and my fear, my depression and my doubt, for you have promised to take them if we only ask; and I take upon myself your burden, for it is light and your way is gentle. May I keep this in my heart and mind all this day.,....Amen |
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