What's Good About It?

What can possibly be “good” about Good Friday?

Not only did Jesus die on this day, He endured so very much along the way.

He was abandoned by those closest to Him.

He was beaten and made to wear a crown of thorns.

He was mocked.

He was made to carry His own cross.

He was then crucified – the most painful and cruel form of execution ever devised.

So what can possibly be “good” about Good Friday.

To begin with, He did this willingly for the entire world.

This was foretold centuries before.

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NET) - He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.

Jesus endured all of this for us.

Yet upon His death He knew He had fully accomplished the Father’s will

John 19:30 (NET) - When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Then, at the exact moment Jesus died… God did something incredible.

Matthew 27:51a (NET) - Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The physical barrier that separated sinful man from a perfectly Holy God was no more.

What a beautiful gesture on God’s part!

Of course, all this was but a prelude of what was to come.

On the third day, His tomb was found empty.

Luke 24:2-3 (NET) - They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

These things are what make this week the most important week in the calendar to Christians.

This year we will not be able to gather due to the pandemic.

But that in no shape, way or form diminishes the significance of what Jesus did!

Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be!

Jesus did exactly what He came to do!

Yet still we might wonder “what’s good about Good Friday?”

We might even wonder why God would allow a pandemic that would keep us from gathering at such an important time.

In the following days, may we find comfort in the book of Romans.

Romans 8:28-29 (NET) - And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 17, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 24, 2020

Simplicity

As human beings, we tend to overcomplicate things.

This is even true when it comes to Christianity.

We might occasionally think that it is complicated.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

God does not set out to confuse us.

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NET) - for God is not characterized by disorder but by peace.

What about the commandments and rules laid out for us in the Old Testament?

Surely it must be impossible to remember and keep them all.

Jesus tried to simplify things for us.

An expert in religious law once asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest.

Jesus gave him a two-fold answer.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Jesus understood that in keeping these two commandments we would be keeping them all.

Despite this, we still tend to overcomplicate things.

I once went to listen to a man with a doctorate in theology.

During his presentation, he spoke of two of the most common questions people asked him.

The first was: “How many people have you saved?”

His reply was that he has saved none because only Jesus can do that.

The second was: “When were you saved?”

He responded that it was on a Friday afternoon about 2,000 years ago.

People look for complicated answers when the simplest will suffice.

Perhaps that it why some of us find it difficult to share our faith with others.

In truth, all we need do is tell others about Jesus.

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NET) - For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

One of the most successful missionary movements took this to heart.

They took their message of Jesus to all parts of the world.

They succeeded where others before them had failed because their message was both simple and sincere.

Can salvation be as simple?

It is according to scripture.

Romans 10:13 (NET) - For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

You do not have to have a doctorate in theology to be saved.

You do not have to have one to tell others about Jesus.

C. S. Lewis put it this way: “One of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself.”

Faith is a journey, not a destination.

It is a journey that begins with a single step and continues for as long as we live.

We will meet countless people along the way who may feel as we once did.

They just need someone to simplify things.

Someone to point them in the right direction.

Someone willing to point them toward Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 17, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 24, 2020

We Must Forgive

It seems people are more easily offended with each passing day.

Assuming that we are on the receiving end, how are we to respond?

That depends on whom you choose to listen to,

The world tells us one thing.

It will tell us we need to stand up for ourselves.

It will tell us that we need to respond in kind and exchange hurt for hurt.

In stark contrast, Jesus tells us to forgive.

He does this in the Sermon on the Mount.

We might be tempted to say to Him, “But Jesus, You just don’t understand!”

“You don’t know what it’s like.”

Really?

Think again,

Jesus was often insulted, though not always to His face.

When the disciples were first called, Philip told Nathanael about his encounter with Jesus.

How did Nathanael respond?

John 1:46 (NET) - Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.”

Then there was the time Jesus was teaching in the synagogue,

Some heard His teaching and were amazed.

Others were offended.

Mark 6:3 (NET) - Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

In the male dominant society of the day, one can read the insult that was intended.

Finally, there was the matter of His crucifixion.

Crucifixion is perhaps the cruelest and most painful form of execution ever devised by man.

Prior to this he was beaten without mercy.

Throughout this ordeal, people hurled insult after insult at Jesus.

As an additional insult, Jesus was executed with common criminals.

Did Jesus retaliate?

No. Jesus forgave even as an angry mob continued to insult Him.

Luke 23:34 (NET) - But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus tells us to forgive and that in and of itself is sufficient reason for us to do so.

Beyond that we must ask ourselves one final question.

If Jesus forgave so very much, shouldn’t we be willing to forgive so very little in comparison?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 1, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, September 8, 2017

Just Look

People often expect God to do one thing only to find that He does something else.

Sometimes whet He does just does not make any sense to us.

We read in the book of Numbers of God’s people and their encounter with serpents.

Moses led the people in a direction that would take them around the land of Edom.

The people became impatient along the way and spoke out.

Numbers 21:5 (NET) - And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.”

In response, God sent poisonous snakes among the people.

Many people were bitten.

Many died.

It did not take very long for the people regret their rebellion.

Numbers 21:7 (NET) - Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The people expected God to simply make the snakes go away.

God had something completely different in mind.

Numbers 21:8 (NET) - The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”

Moses did as God instructed him and God was true to His word.

Numbers 21:9 (NET) - So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.

The people expected one thing and got another.

They expected God to remove the snakes.

God gave them something to do instead.

God’s response probably made little sense to them at first.

How was simply looking at a bronze snake hanging on a pole going to save their lives?

It probably did not take the people very long to see that God was true to His word.

They likely remembered its exact location at all times just in case they were bitten.

People often expect God to do one thing only to find that He does something else.

Today we look around and see all the problems there are in the world.

We would prefer that God would just simply make these problems go away.

God gives us something to do instead.

God gives us places to look as well.

He gives us a cross that no longer has an occupant.

He gives us a tomb that now lies empty.

I wish you a Blessed Easter.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 21, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, April 28, 2017

A Good Question

As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, one question bears considering,

“Who is Jesus?”

It is one thing to examine how this question was addressed by those who followed Jesus.

Examining how this question was addressed by others is another.

This is particularly true of individuals who were involved in one way or another with His crucifixion.

Pilate is but one example.

Chapter 19 of the book of John reminds us that Pilate initially tried to free Jesus.

Failing in this attempt, he had a sign affixed to the cross.

John 19:19 (NET) - Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”

The was written in several languages.

As soon as the chief priests read these words they appealed to Pilate to change them.

Pilate refused.

John 19:22 (NET) - Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

In Luke’s account of the crucifixion we are told of the mocking of Jesus.

One of those crucified with Jesus also mocked him.

The other crucified with him had a much better understanding.

Luke 23:40-41 (NET) - But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then there was the centurion who witnessed the crucifixion in Mark’s gospel.

The death of Jesus brought a deep and profound understanding to the centurion.

Mark 15:39 (NET) - Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Neither Pilate, nor the criminal nor the centurion were followers of Jesus.

Yet through His crucifixion they understood who Jesus was.

What about us?

How do we answer the question: “Who is Jesus?”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 7, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, April 14, 2017

No Favorites

God does not show favoritism.

Peter made this clear in the book of Acts.

Acts 10:34-35 (NET) - Then Peter started speaking: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him.

That is good news.

As people, we tend to allow our human biases to get in the way of what actually matters.

Our concept of fairness and God’s could not possibly be farther apart.

Here, Peter understood that a person who is in awe of God and does what He deems right is welcome.

It does not matter where in the world that person lives.

It does not matter how much money that person makes.

It does not matter how much power that person wields.

In the verses that follow, Peter speaks of who Jesus is and what He had done.

Acts: 10:36-38 (NET) - You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)— you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.

Peter also spoke of His crucifixion and what happened afterward.

Acts 10:39-43 (NET) - We are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. About him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

In a way, these words might seem contradictory.

How can God not show favoritism and still choose Peter and the others as witnesses?

Personally, I think part of the answer lies in how they were chosen.

Scripture tells us that those who saw Jesus after his resurrection did not recognize him right away.

When Mary went to the empty tomb, she thought Jesus was the gardener.

When John and those with him went fishing, they thought he was just a man standing on the shore.

As two of them walked on the road to Emmaus, they thought he was just another traveler.

Even Thomas doubted until he could actually see and touch His wounds.

In short, God chose them but they did not respond immediately.

Jesus had to be revealed to them.

Day after day, the real Jesus is revealed to more and more people.

Some we ourselves would choose.

Some we might not.

Sometimes we look at those chosen and think to ourselves, “That doesn’t seem fair.”

Fortunately, God’s concept of fairness and ours are not the same.

God sacrificed His Only Son for us.

That same Son willingly laid down His life for us.

Let’s be honest.

Would we honestly consider that fair?

As Jesus is revealed to others, let us not question.

Instead, let us rejoice.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 20, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, January 27, 2017