Monday, February 15, 2010

Completely Alone

You are not a hopeless case


Matthew 27:35-43  After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened to the cross above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Completely abandoned and left without a friend in the world that would be willing to say a kind word in his defense, Jesus is thrown to the savage Roman executioners where he is beaten and mocked, left all alone. It's not easy to read about Jesus not having a friend, I like reading about the crowds swarming around singing his praises, I like to see the quiet moments with his disciples. It is too sad to see a person friendless without anybody to stand up and say that they have worth. 
 
John 16:33  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
Sometimes we can feel like the world has trampled us like a shopper at a Black Friday sale at Walmart but for those of us that have a relationship with the one that has overcome the world it is encouraging to know that we will also overcome.
“Nobody who has truly seen the cross of Jesus Christ can ever again speak of  hopeless cases. -G. Campbell Morgan
 I need to help those that need to be encouraged, I need to defend those that are weak, they all need the hope that they can overcome the world.
 
Help us to remember Lord that we have hope in every circumstance, our Savior overcame the world and he promises the same future for us.