King of the Jews

/in

King of the Jews

37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Matthew 27:37

What a title to be over Jesus when he died. In other gospels, the Jewish leaders tried to get that title changed. They wanted it to start with, ‘He said…’ or in other words, he is not our king but only claims to be. How true were their words. They had rejected their own creator, savior and king because they had developed a new understanding of the scriptures. They wanted a king that modeled their ideas and beliefs instead of modeling themselves after God. In doing this, their one chance at salvation and freedom was lost.

Is Jesus our king? Does our church model itself after what God wants and demands or do we mend the scriptures to agree with our ideals, beliefs and morals? Solomon said that there was nothing new under the sun. He knew that as a human race we are wired to repeat the same errors of the past. The Jews wanted to make their own God and today we must not follow in their example.

If Jesus is our king, what does that mean for our lives? As citizens of Canada, we have a Prime Minister instead of a King, though we still do have some connection to the British monarchy. As citizens of Canada, we are beholden to the laws of this land. We mold and shape our lives and possibilities based on those laws. They set guidelines and boundaries. They are in our lives everyday whether on the roads, in schools, work or even our own homes. The powers above us in this country are at least partly responsible for the ‘Canadian Culture’ that exists and makes us unique from other countries.

But if Jesus is our king, should that too not shape and guide us? Should Jesus’ laws not make a unique ‘Christian Culture’ in our lives? Sometimes we try and hide those characteristics. Sometimes we try and change them to suit our own tastes. I understand that we can have issues with temporal and human laws and governments but isn’t God’s laws different? Human governments are not perfect and therefore protests sometimes are needed as we see all over the world but isn’t God’s laws perfect? Should we really fight or protest them? Of course, there are many who will argue that we fight the human institutions, like churches, that shape those laws and there is a point there. But for your own personal life, when you read the Bible yourself and clearly see the Spirit guiding you in truth, should you fight that?

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Divided Garments

/in

Divided Garments

35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lot, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.” 36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

Matthew 27:32

Most scholars believe that the book of Matthew was directed towards the Jews of the day. This is because it quotes from the Old Testament more than others and also brings up many more prophesies about the coming Messiah. This is one such time where Matthew quotes from Psalm 22:18. Another reason that it is believed that this is pointing towards a Jewish audience is what Matthew does not quote from the same chapter:

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

Psalm 22:16-18

That is but a small piece from the entire Psalm but it doesn’t put Israel in a good light. You could argue that this was talking about the Romans but the words ‘congregation of the wicked’ is hard to point at anyone but Israel.

At the same time, Matthew knew that the Jews would recognize the quoted verse. He knew that they would know the full text but it is better to have the listener wrestle with truths than simply giving it to them easily.

The image of dividing the garments, besides being an actual event, also has a spiritual significance. There are many of us who are more interested in what Jesus has than Jesus himself. Many people want Jesus’ salvation but not Jesus the savior and Lord. Many times we too are like a distant relative waiting for a person to die to inherit something valuable while paying little attention to the person who died. Let our Christianity be more than just dividing Jesus’ garments. Jesus is much more valuable that what he has, even his eternal life. That is because eternal life without Jesus would be a nightmare as this world clearly illustrates. Jesus should be our goal. What he promises us should only be the icing on the cake.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Fake Worship

/in

Fake Worship

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Matthew 27:27-29

We were all guilty of Jesus’ death on the cross. All because we have all sinned and caused the need for a sacrifice. All because we carry the genetic sin of our earliest parents, Adam and Eve. All because it wasn’t just the Jewish and Roman leaders who were involved in the death of Christ but all sorts of people. Here we see soldiers, simple men with no religious stake in this matter and yet they still relished and actually enjoyed their role in the sacrifice. What they did was beyond their wimple duty as soldiers. With their minds filled with Satan’s thoughts, they paraded, mocked and hurt the creator of the universe. They mocked him as the King of the Jews not knowing he was so much more- the King of Everything.

30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:30-31

When Jesus used his spit, he healed the blind. It was filled with power for good. Now he was being spit on in anger and disgust. They struck his head with a reed as if an animal not obeying its master. They stripped his clothes off and finally gave him a cross to carry to his own death. This is how we treated our maker. This is only a part of his suffering but he did it without complaining. How little we need to complain- especially to Him.

Jesus deserved better and still does today. When we sin, we put him back here in this story. When we, out of our own desires and weaknesses, reject something as sinful or downplay its sinfulness, we put him back in this situation. When we hate others, we put him back again. Jesus deserved better and still does today.

Let’s remember the sacrifice that Jesus was willing to go through for our sakes. Let’s have more discernment in our actions and words. Let try to be better. Jesus has already suffered enough and doesn’t deserve any more.

Let us worship Jesus with a humble, contrite heart. Let us not give him fake worship or we’re no better than those soldiers.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

His Blood on Us

/in

His Blood on Us

22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”

Matthew 27:22-24

Pilate was in a difficult situation. He was holding a man that was obviously innocent and he tried to set him free but the Jewish leaders would not have it. No matter what he said, they demanded he be crucified. From the outside, you would think that Pilate was the one in charge and with the authority but he was actually powerless to the lies that the Jewish leaders could make. He knew very well that if they complained to Rome that Pilate was helping a man claiming to be the king that his own position and even life could be in jeopardy.

In the end Pilate just washed his hands of the matter. It was too much for him to figure out. He couldn’t find a compromise or better solution so he gave over to the loud voices opposing him.

25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:25-26

In the end, a bad man was released into the world and an innocent man was condemned to die. The most striking part of course of this story are the words of the Jewish leaders themselves. In a prophetic tone, they condemned themselves and their entire people. The death of innocent blood, of God’s Son no less, was now hungrily accepted by the Jews and history tells us just how high of a price those words ended up being.

When we only think about this world and the current moment, we can fall into the same error. When a person is starving they can do things that they never thought they could. When someone has no hope, morality often falls to the wayside. When you want something so badly, you can often be blinded by bad decisions.

Let us be wiser than this. Let our gaze be far reaching. Let us see the true goal that God has for us and not the daily ones we give ourselves.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Listen to Your Wife

/in
Listen to Your Wife

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do
with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the
chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy
Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release
to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”
Matthew 27:19-21

I have spoken with many people going through divorce as a pastor. It’s never an easy
thing because of all the raw emotions that exist during something like that. One thing that I hear
many times however is:

‘My parents and friends tried to warn me but I just didn’t see what they were seeing.’
It is amazing how often we find ourselves blind to what is going on right in front of us.
How many Bible stories have you read where you just want to yell at the people and their
choices which are so obviously wrong? How many times does that happen with the people
around you? It so easy to see when it’s in others and yet so hard when it’s ourselves.
The Bible says in James 1:19,

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
How much better could are lives be if we followed this rule. We should listen to those
around us. It doesn’t mean we’ll always do what they say, but we analyze their wisdom and
experience. Yes, we will still make mistakes, probably many, but we will also be saved many
times from the wisdom that God places in those around us.

However, we must also be wise with who exactly we listen to. Pilate chose to hear the
Jewish leaders, people who hated him, over his wife, someone who loved him. This is never a
good idea. We must surround ourselves with those who love us and want the best for us. We must
be surrounded by those who aren’t worried about telling it as-it-is even if it hurts. Our true
counselors will tell us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear.

God also speaks to us. The Bible is God’s word and it clearly tells us what is right and
wrong. Through its guidance, it can keep us safe from many downfalls. It is an ancient book but
one that has stood the test of time.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto

Barabbas

/in

Barabbas

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.

Matthew 27:13-14

So many times humanity had a chance to not kill its creator. So many times it failed to do so. Some could say it was prophetic and had to happen. Others might say that it was what the Father and Jesus wanted. Finally others might say that the Devil blocked all other ways out so that Jesus could suffer. Whatever the reason, Barabbas was by far the most obvious way out had it been possible.

Barabbas literally means ‘son of a father’. Barabbas represents all of us. He represents all those born of a father. He represents all the sinners of the world. He was notorious. In heaven and around the universe, so are we. The choice should have been an easy one. A horrible sinner with a list of evil deeds or a quiet man who not only did no wrong but actually healed, lifted up and even rose the dead. The most obvious choice would have been to kill the evil one but rarely do we seem to make the obvious choice.

Adam and Eve had every fruit of the garden. There was only one tree that they had to avoid. David had hundreds of wives and even more concubines and yet it was the one woman he couldn’t have that he strove for. Samson could have had any Jewish girl he desired but his eyes were only on the foreign ones. Solomon was the wisest man in the world, a gift given to him by God himself and yet even he was led astray by foolish choices. Our track record is not very good. If we were to look at our individual lives, I don’t think we’d fare much better.

But God still loves us. He still puts up with our foolishness and waits for us. He forgives our sins and gives us new direction in life. Jesus willingly took Barabbas’ place. He would have it no other way. Jesus took our foolishness and used it to save us. That is the God we serve.

Let us never lose hope even when we make mistakes. Let us look up from the soiled ground at his brilliant face. He did everything for us back then and he’s still doing it now.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

They Testify Against You

/in

They Testify Against You

13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Matthew 27:13-14

You will never be liked or accepted by everyone around you. You can be the nicest person. You can be kind and giving. You can even be perfect like Jesus and raise the dead and still you will find those who testify against you. Jesus said this much when he spoke in John 15:

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.

John 15:18

So what should we do? Should we fight back and curse those who curse us? Should we take a punch for every punch we receive? Should we lie about those who lie about us? The simple and Biblical answer of course is no.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45

It’s not easy but it is what God is asking from us. Jesus did it and so we should strive to do it too. You may feel like you will become the loser out of this. You may feel like it is unfair but if you look farther down the road you will realize that it is you who will ultimately win.

Don’t let the nay-sayers in your life rob you of your heavenly reward. Don’t let your enemies decide your future. You live the life that you know is right and just. Make God happy. Do this and you will always be the victor.

Let us love our enemies.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

King of the Jews

/in

King of the Jews

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Matthew 27:11-12

Was Jesus as a human on earth actually the King of the Jews? By human standards we would have to say no. There was never a coronation. Jesus was never crowned. He signed no documents or spoke no vows. So how can Jesus say that he was the King of the Jews? The answer is not found in the New Testament but the Old Testament.

What the Jews and leaders didn’t understand is that the human standing in front of them was the same voice, and God, who proclaimed himself King to them.

10 The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.

Psalms 29:10

Jesus is the Godly King which spoke and guided all the Jews from the very beginning. As the elders and scribes accused Jesus of Blaspheme you can only assume that they were busy quoting God from the Old Testament. What they were blinded too is that it was Jesus himself who spoke those very words to them originally.

The Jews had twisted the words of God so much that they could not see the one who spoke them. They made the Bible say what they wanted to hear and no more. They emphasized the verses they liked while ignoring the ones they didn’t.

Is Jesus your King? Do you accept all that the Bible says? Do you pick and choose the ideas and commands? Solomon said that there was nothing new under the sun. He meant that people are cursed to repeat many of the same errors as those of the past. The Bible itself calls our generation Laodicea- those who think they are rich, wise and faithful but who are really weak, poor and blind.

Let us not be like the leaders in these verses, who speak to Jesus and yet don’t recognize who he truly is. Let us study and read and really know the voice of God in our lives.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Blood Money

/in
Blood Money

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury,
because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s
field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Matthew 27:5-8

Judas is one of those people in the Bible that always brings a lot of emotion. He was a
disciple and then apostle of Jesus. He was one of the chosen few to be as close to the messiah as any
other human on earth. He saw all the miracles and heard all the sermons but something wasn’t right
in his heart. He was the one that brought the guards to arrest Jesus. He was the one that betrayed his
master with a kiss. He was the one that felt the silver in his hands; blood money that struck his soul.
In the end, he was the one that hung himself. He was so close to the savior and salvation but missed
out from one terrible mistake. Who knows what would have happened if he had stayed alive and seen
Jesus resurrected? Who knows if he would also have a talk with Jesus as Peter did? Who knows if he
could still be saved had he only held on a little longer?

In our lives, we will probably all end up with our own blood money someday. These are those
selfish decisions and choices we make that benefits us while condemning another. It can be an easy
thing to do but the consequences can be horrible. The guilt can be blinding and crushing.
Have you ever hurt someone to benefit yourself? Have you stepped on another to get up in
life? How many politicians end up slinging mud and tearing people down so that they can win? This
act is not only done in our world but actually encouraged in many cases and praised by many.
But blood money will always come back to haunt you.

9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty
pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel
priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the L ORD directed me.”
Matthew 27:9-10

Judas’ actions were foretold and seen by God before being done. The same can be said for all
of our sins and mistakes. What happens next is not really up to God but to us. God is always ready to
forgive and save but it’s our decisions that really determine our fate. Judas couldn’t live with the guilt
and hanged himself. He made the wrong choice. He never really new Jesus. Had he, he would have
known that Jesus could forgive him even of that betrayal. The real question is- do you know Jesus
well enough to have another outcome?

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto

Evil Thoughts

/in

Evil Thoughts

9 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:1-2

They just couldn’t understand Jesus. Their whole lives was guided by scheming, politics, backstabbing and the desire to increase and so when the religious leaders looked at this humble man, he was a mystery. And when you don’t understand something, you fear it and try to destroy it. That is what was happening here as they conspired to have Jesus killed.  They’re own sinful lives created a mistrust in Jesus’ honestly. They truly believed that he was there to destroy and undermine them. They had convinced themselves that only they could keep Israel to gather; only they could keep Judaism from falling. Their evil thoughts were covered in a false religious piety.

Could we fall into the same trap? Could we also believe that God needs our help in keeping the church from falling apart? In my years in the church, I’ve also seen scheming, politics, backstabbing and the desire to increase within the church at many levels. I’ve seen in in church elections and in board meetings. I’ve seen it in district, conference and union dealings. In almost every case, it was done with an idea that they were doing what was best for others and the church. The problem of course is that God doesn’t work within those means. That is the domain and work of the devil.

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Matthew 27:3-4

Judas was one that fell into that hole of self-deception. Only after seeing Christ taken away and realizing that he wouldn’t fight back but allow himself to die, did Judas understand his sin. In trying to help Jesus by forcing him to take the crown, he condemned him to death. He tried to fix his mistake but he went to the wrong people. Instead of going to God, he went to those he conspired with. They of course didn’t care about his guilt or anything about him. He was just a tool for them. In misery he left without his sins forgiven.

Many times when we make a mistake, we fail a second time in trying to fix it. How many times do people try and fix a lie with another lie? It’s not good enough to want to fix a mistake but you must know how to do it. God is the only one who can truly take away our sins and he is also the only one who knows the right plan to correct a misstep. Always go to Christ first.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto