What Jesus Is Doing Now

WHAT JESUS IS DOING NOW

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” - Hebrews 9:24

We spend a great deal of time studying about what Jesus did during His earthly ministry two thousand years ago. We are correct in doing this. Four books of the New Testament give us insight into some of the things He did during His brief stay on earth. As Christians, we should learn from His teachings and seek to emulate His actions.

But what is Jesus doing now? According to the Scriptures, He ascended back to His Father and is sitting next to His Father. Our text says that He has entered, “...into heaven itself.”

Furthermore, He appears “... in the presence of God for us.” He is busy, even now.

Hebrews 7:25 says, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Notice two things that Jesus is doing: He is saving and He is interceding. This verses teaches us that He is making intercession for us. In a sense, He is praying for us. Let's focus on this more closely.

Our text explains it this way: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is a high priest, yet not a priest after the order of Levi. Instead, Jesus is a priest after the manner of Melchizedek. You see, the priesthood of Levi had a beginning and an end. The priesthood of Jesus is eternal.

As a high priest, He makes intercession for His people. If we define prayer as talking with our heavenly Father, then we must say that Jesus is still praying today.

Moses was instructed to build a sanctuary based on a model that God showed him. The priests would enter this tabernacle as part of their ministry. Old Testament worship was centered around this tabernacle. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, Jesus has not entered into a man-made tabernacle. Instead, He has entered into heaven itself. There, in the most holy place, Jesus serves as a priest, interceding on behalf of us.

The Bible says that Jesus is our advocate. Like an attorney defending his client, Jesus speaks on our behalf. The devil is the accuser of the brethren. He accuses us of many things. Yet we have an advocate who defends us. Jesus Christ is a better advocate than Perry Mason or Ben Matlock.

When we fail, the Lord is there to defend us. When we need help, He speaks on our behalf. In spite of the devil's accusations against us, our Lord defends us. Who could ask for better representation?

Our Lord has never lost an argument and He has never lost a case. Furthermore, His services come at no charge to us. How great it is to have Him speaking on our behalf!

When the disciples were with Jesus in the upper room, our Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32). The Lord specifically prayed for Simon as he faced the challenges that were to come.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne once said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”

How do you feel when you learn that someone is praying for you? What if you could hear them praying … and actually hear them mention your name? It is a blessing to have others pray for you. How much greater it is to know that Jesus Himself is interceding on your behalf!

Let me be rather honest. I need His intercession! What about you?

I'm glad Jesus is interceding for me. This also inspires me to pray for others. If we seek to be like our Lord, let us intercede for others when we pray.

When things go wrong, loneliness besets you, fear sets in, or grief overwhelms you, just remember that Jesus is interceding for you.

That's what Jesus is doing right now.

Our Lord's Dying Prayer

OUR LORD'S DYING PRAYER

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” - Luke 23:46

The last words of a passing leader are normally immortalized by a biographer. Whether it be a British monarch, an American president or a wealthy businessman, we like to read the final words spoken by famous leaders. How much more important it is read the final words of Jesus before His death. His final words were actually spoken in prayer.

I don't know of a better way to leave this world than to die praying.

Pastor and author Alistair Begg was once asked to explain the dedication page of his book, PRAY BIG. Begg dedicated the book to the memory of T. S. Mooney, “who remembered me daily at the best place.” Alistair Begg explained that many years before he became friends with Moonie, who was a Scottish minister. Early on in their friendship, Moonie offer to put Alistair Begg's name on his prayer list. When Moonie died, they found him fully dressed and leaning over his Bible --- and the prayer list was on top of the Bible. Mooney had died praying.

Jesus died praying. His final words from the cross were, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus placed everything at the care of His Father. He trusted the Father with His death and His resurrection.

There is much for us to learn here. We are all mortal beings. As humans, we are facing physical death. We don't know when that moment will come. Maybe in a few years, perhaps today. We have a human tendency to hold tight to this world and refuse to let it go. Up till now, this world is all we've know. We have possessions, friends and family still here. To part with them is very difficult. From a human perspective, death seems dark, gloomy and uncertain.

Yet the Bible teaches us that death is just a doorway leading to a new world. As followers of Jesus, we are following His footsteps. Yet His footprints will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. But His footprints go even further. His footprints lead us home.

If we're honest about it, we like the thought of leaving in the rapture. We like the idea of leaving here in the twinkling of an eye and cheat the undertaker of more business. This may happen. Yet we have no guarantee that Jesus will return in our lifetime. Whether He does or not, we need to be prepared to leave at any moment.

Just as we trusted God for our salvation, we are trusting Him when we face death. Our salvation not only covers the forgiveness of our past, it also insures our future. If we can trust God to save us from our sins, we can trust Him to take us safely home.

God's plan of redemption was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. The rough wood that He was nailed to became stained with His blood. That cross seems so repulsive to the world, but it is a glorious sight for us.

Jesus died for our sins on that cross. He completed salvation's work on our behalf. I am not saved by my works. I am saved by His work on the cross. I am saved because of His sacrifice. My sins are covered by His blood.

Now, we are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus. The cross was a place of execution. It was a means of death. We are called to die to sin and self and be surrendered to the Lord Jesus. In Galatians 2:20, Paul put it this way: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The future is not in my hands. It never has been and never will be. In fact, everything would be a mess if it were in my hands. Knowing the heart of God, I can trust Him with my future. I trust His Word to be true. I know He is in control. So I can trust Him with my life … and my death. While the future seems so cloudy and uncertain, I can trust Him with every moment that lies ahead. He is sovereign. He knows what is best for me. I trust Him with the road ahead. My future is in His hands.

Jesus used His remaining strength to utter a prayer. Knowing He was about to die, Jesus prayed, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

We can trust the Father with all we face today. Good or bad. Laughter or tears. Gain or loss. Life or death.

When the final moment comes, may God give us the grace to pray like Jesus, and say, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

Grace Under Fire

GRACE UNDER FIRE

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” - Luke 23:34

It is easier to talk about forgiveness than it is to practice it. It is impossible to determine the number of sermons that have been preached on the subject. Many books have been written about forgiveness. In spite of all this, forgiveness is practiced so little by professing Christians today.

We are humans. As humans we must communicate with each other. We make decisions, sometimes in a split second, that can impact others. As we talk, work and interact with other people, it can be easy to say something that can hurt the feelings of another. Sometimes we can be very insensitive about others. It is possible to offend someone without even realizing it.

I have found that those who are quick to demand an apology are often slow to offer one themselves. Some even enjoy being a “victim.” They seem to enjoy having others indebted to them. It is no wonder that forgiveness remains a major stumbling block for many. Some are demanding an apology they may never receive and others are too proud and stubborn to offer an apology.

All of us will be hurt from time to time. That is just the way relationships are. How do we respond when we are hurt and offended? In our text, Jesus was suffering in the deepest way possible. He was suffering physically. Yet His pain was not due to an accident or disease. Instead, men deliberately harmed Him. Men enjoyed watching Jesus suffer and die. An innocent man was dying because of the aggression of guilty men. In spite of the pain we've suffered in our lives, we've never suffered like Jesus did.

We've been studying the prayer-life of Jesus. Once again, we find Him praying from the cross. In the midst of His suffering, He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” From the cross, Jesus prayed for His persecutors. He could have prayed for their demise, but He didn't. He prayed for their transgressions to be forgiven.

This level of forgiveness should motivate us to forgive. The hurt we've suffered doesn't compare to the pain our Lord endured. As predicted, the disciples had forsaken Jesus. He faced a mockery of a trial. He endured the lashes of a whip. He wore a painful crown of thorns. He was forced to carry His cross to the place of execution. His physical condition had deteriorated to extent that they had Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross. Then there was the awful pain of the nails being driven in His hands and feet. All this was deliberately planned and accomplished by scheming, wicked men.

Yet Jesus prayed for their forgiveness. If Jesus could pray for the forgiveness of His enemies, what is keeping us from forgiving those who've hurt us?

As we think about our Lord's prayer from the cross, we must consider an undeniable fact. We were among those who crucified Him. He went to the cross because of our sins. We offended Him with our transgressions. We rebelled against His authority, trampled on His Name and abused His grace. We did Him wrong. Like King David, we can honestly say, “Against thee, thee only have I sinned.”

Yet love compelled Him to endure such a horrible experience. He willingly suffered and died to save rebels like us. He died for His enemies. He sought to save the very ones who hated Him and treated Him with such contempt.

Because of His sacrifice, we are saved today. He died that we may live. On the cross He secured our forgiveness.

There's not a better feeling that to know you've been forgiven. Since we have been forgiven such a great debt, we should forgive those who do us wrong. Ephesians 4:32 states: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” We are to forgive, “... even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven” us.

He didn't forgive us because we deserved to be forgiven. On the contrary, He forgave us in spite of our unworthiness. God forgave us, “for Christ's sake.” Now we are called on to be agents of grace, forgiving others “for Christ's sake.” The person who offended you may not deserve forgiveness, but you should forgive anyhow --- for Jesus' sake.

Jesus was going through the fire of affliction when He suffered on the cross. In the worst moments of His life, He showed grace under fire.

We should do the same.

Why?

WHY?

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” - Matthew 27:46

I am not an expert in any subject. Admittedly, there are some subjects I know better than others, but not to the extent of being called an expert. As I often say, I know just enough to get me into trouble. I have begun many projects with a great plan --- and ended up with disaster instead. I have found new and creative ways to fail. Furthermore, there are so many subjects that I know nothing about at all. Sometimes I will tell people, “I can say, 'I don't know,' better than anyone.” I've had a lot of experience at this, too.

In life, there are many things that we don't know. In spite of our emphasis on education here in America, there are important problems we can't solve. Think about this. The common cold has been around for ages, but there is still no known cure for the cold. The best we can do is take certain medications to slow down the process and build up the immune system, but we've never come up with medication that stops a cold completely and prevents it from returning.

The most important aspects of life have a certain degree of mystery surrounding them. There are certain marvels of nature that fascinate us because of the uncertainty of them. The National Weather Service still cannot predict when and where a tornado may touch down. The best they can do is issue a tornado watch for a large region and then issue a tornado warning once the signature of a tornado seems to form on a radar or is reported to be already on the ground. Of course, we cannot prevent tornadoes. We never will.

The mysteries of life, like everything else, are in the hands of God. He is in control of them. Uncertainty is part of life. Unexpected events can unfold in a split second. The cause of these events are often as mysterious as the events themselves. When such events directly impact our lives, we are tempted to ask God, “Why did this occur?”

When we ask, “Why?” we are in good company. Jesus asked the same question in prayer to His Father from the cross. When we suffer, we tend to look for reasons for our suffering. It is true that sin has brought suffering and death upon all mankind. Yet there are times we suffer self-inflicted pain because of the consequences of our decisions. When we reap what we've sown, we can suffer greatly. At other times, God's chastening can bring pain. When a Christian sins, God may take that person “to the woodshed,” for correction. Thus, when we suffer, it is healthy to examine our lives and prayerfully determine whether we are suffering because of our own foolishness and failures.

Yet most of the suffering that we see in the lives of believers are not due to personal sin. Yes, the fall of Adam is the root cause, but many of our painful experiences are not due to our own mistakes and sins. In these moments, we are tempted to ask, “Why?”

It is deeply painful when a close loved one faces great pain or even death. When we look at society, it just doesn't seem fair that Christians suffer while wicked sinners have few problems at all.

Yet here is the truth. The specific reason that you or a loved one is suffering may be a mystery you will never solve. Deuteronomy 29:29 states, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” The purpose behind our pain may remain obscure from us. We will never know the real reason for our pain until we get to glory.

From the cross Jesus asked the question, "why?" as He prayed to His Father. What prompted Him to ask this question?

On the cross, Jesus faced something that few of us understand. You see, He took our sins upon Himself. The Bible says, “The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” Jesus had never sinned, yet the face of the Father turned against Him as Jesus bore our sins on the cross. This level of alienation from the Father was something Jesus had never encountered before. That is an aspect of the cross we don't normally consider.

Jesus died as a man so that grace could be extended to men. He suffered the consequences that we should have faced. He died so we may live. He suffered the loss of fellowship with the Father temporarily so that you and I may enjoy fellowship with Father eternally.

The best thing we can do with the mysteries of life is to leave them in the hands of our heavenly Father. We are limited in our understanding. We don't know the complex details of His will. Like Jesus, we can bring our questions and uncertainty to the Father and leave them with Him.

We can trust Him to know what He's doing, even when it is a mystery to us.

The Hardest Prayer To Pray

 THE HARDEST PRAYER TO PRAY

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” - Matthew 26:39

In the past several weeks, my blog messages have shown how Jesus modeled prayer for us. Along the way, we've learned about His desire to pray, the locations where He prayed and the posture of His prayer. Additionally, we learned about the duration of His prayers and, at times, the content of His prayers.

As we meditate on the subject of prayer, we must confess that it is easier to pray at certain times more than at other times. For instance, it is easier to pray and give thanks when things are going well, but it can be tough to praise God in the dark valleys.

In our text today, we find Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. This is a dark time for Him. He is facing the cross. It seems like the weight of the world is on His shoulders. It is an emotionally draining time for Jesus. He takes three disciples with Him, yet there comes a point where He leaves them in goes further into the garden and prays.

Notice our text says, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed...” Have you ever fallen on your face and prayed? Praying on your knees is a posture of surrender. But to fall on your face is an indication of humility and worship. When Jesus fell on His face, He did so with great emotion and stress. There, on His face, He prayed. Perhaps we should do the same from time to time.

The prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden is what I refer to as the hardest prayer to pray. Knowing the painful events that would lie ahead, Jesus prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Jesus knew that He would drink from the cup of suffering, receiving the wrath that you & I deserved. It wouldn't be pleasant. Even though He prayed for this cup to be removed, He still followed that request with this simple, yet profound request, “... nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

I consider this to be the hardest prayer to pray. Surrendering everything to the Father is not easy. Knowing all that awaited Him at the cross, Jesus basically said, “Whatever you want is fine with me.”

In His humanity, He wanted the cup to pass, but knowing all that was at stake, He surrendered His human will to the Father. His purpose in coming to earth pointed to this one awful event. Yet He was willing to endure it for the sake of His Father.

I must confess that there have been times I have tried to set boundaries in which God could work in my life. I've tried to set my own terms as I have sought to serve God. My flesh wants an easy, comfortable life. Yet God's will often leads us out of our comfort zone into the growth zone. He tends to take us to dark areas, where we have to depend upon Him for each step we take. He wants to make us stronger. Yet no one gets stronger by living in a recliner.

It is difficult to pray, “Thy will be done,” when a loved one is at the point of death or the future of your career is uncertain. We want to want walk in the sunshine daily, yet the rain is also necessary for fruit to grow. We'd like to avoid the tough days, the deep valleys and personal pain.

Yet Jesus faced the cross without holding anything back. He went to the cross in humble submission to His Father's will. As His followers, we are called to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily & follow Him. We are challenged to pray and live as Jesus did --- totally surrendered to the Father.

I must confess that there have been times I've come to God with my fists closed, trying to hold on to something. God wants me to come with empty hands, leaving everything to His will. If I pray, “Not my will, but thine be done,” my flesh tends to fear that God will take something important away from me. That's a sad commentary, isn't it? God can be entrusted with all these things.

Prayer is not meant for me to change God's will so it will conform with mine. Instead, prayer should be a time in which my will melts away so only His will remains. This may mean the end of a dream or goal. It may lead to a different conclusion than I sought. The loss of my will is not nearly as devastating as I make it out to be. When my heart is aligned with His, my will is lost in His.

At the most critical moments of our lives, it is tough to pray, “Thy will be done.” Yet ultimately, it is best that His will be done, rather than our own.

The most difficult prayer to pray is the petition we need to express daily: “Not my will, but thine be done.”