Denying Christ?

/in

Denying Christ?

69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

Matthew 26:69-70

Imagine having one of your worst moments recorded in a book that would then be read by literally billions of people. That is the story of Peter. When you read the gospels, you would think that he was the most supportive of Jesus and willing to sacrifice whatever it took for his master but in this moment we see the real face of Peter. We do have to give him credit for at least staying close by from Jesus. He cared enough to stay at a distance and see what was going on but there was nothing in him to stand up or defend Christ.

71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

Matthew 26:71-72

The second time he is questioned the Bible says that he made an oath. As people question him, he digs himself deeper and deeper into his weakness and sin. How often do we as humans double down in our faults? How much easier would it be to just admit the mistake? It is on the third that we truly see the original Peter, pre-Christ, appear.

73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”

Matthew 26:73-74

Satan is really good at what he does. Even after spending years with Jesus, Satan is able to bring Peter to his knees in a matter of minutes. This of course is the danger of not completely committing to God. Peter was so close. While the others ran, except for John, he stayed close. He cut a man when they came to arrest Jesus. He wanted to believe and wanted to do what was right but without his whole heart in the game, he fell apart. The beauty of course is that Jesus still didn’t give up on Peter. Jesus kept working on him and the day came when Peter would not deny. Let us strive to give ourselves completely and also keep God’s amazing mercy always in our mind.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Who Struck You?

/in

Who Struck You?

67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

Matthew 26:67-68

How should a child of God behave? How should a religious leader behave? How should someone who claims to know and follow God’s law behave? I’m sure that everyone would have a slightly different answer to those questions but hopefully no one would say what is written in these verses. Even if the man they had before them was a thief, liar and blasphemer, a true worshiper of God would still not have behaved as these so called learned men. Not only do they unlawfully strike, mock and degrade Jesus but then they mock God by foolishly speaking of prophesying and calling him Christ.

It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to believe that Satan was within these men’s hearts and urging them to do what they were. Although it’s not specifically mentioned in scripture, their actions are clearly a sign of this. Which then gives us a big warning. It is possible to be part of God’s true church, which Judaism still was in this moment, and still be completely lost to the devil. Just because you sit in a church, doesn’t mean that you are suddenly immune to making bad decisions and going down the wrong path.

What truly troubles me is the steady increase of anger that I see not just out in the world but within the church as well. People, more and more, are not showing patience, love and empathy. Paul was right when he prophesied about our future.

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

1 Timothy 3:1-5

I don’t believe that these verses are pointing to the future anymore. We are living this reality. And so I then ask those first questions again. How should a child of God behave? Are you living up to the standard set by God or are you letting Satan blind your sin by appearing to make it seem as if you’re doing the will of God? These religious leaders, with all the knowledge of God’s Word, found themselves completely blind. They did Satan’s bidding while thinking they were doing God’s. Make sure you are not going in the same direction.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Deserving Death

/in

Deserving Death

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

Matthew 26:65

Jesus spoke the truth to people who knew the scriptures and the promise but he was still called a blasphemer. Similar to Job, who was also attacked by his friends even though they could never actually stick or prove any accusations against him, Jesus too was being attacked with baseless accusations. Jesus always had a biblical answer for everything they accused during his ministry. The biggest problem of course is that the Jewish leaders had becomes accustomed to the physical ‘real’ world and Jesus bringing in a spiritual and heavenly dimension was too much for them. They could neither compete with such a message and movement, not to mention that most couldn’t even fully understand it. The idea that heaven actually coming to them was not part of their religious beliefs or ideals. They were happy just leading and commanding sinful people. They enjoyed the power, money and influence that it gave them. They liked the feeling of being ‘better’ and ‘holier’ than everyone else. Jesus was putting all of that at risk.

What is most interesting is as the high priest accuses Jesus of blasphemy and going against God and His word, the man himself goes against God in his own actions. The Bible clearly says that he tore his clothes which was forbidden in the Scriptures.

10 ‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;

Leviticus 21:10

With this, one can’t but remember the parable of Jesus- take out your own plank before trying to take the speck out of your brother. All of these leaders were breaking and going against God in so many ways and yet they could only see the apparent ‘sin’ in Jesus. And what was their response?

66 What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

Matthew 26:66

This unfortunately is the character of sinful humanity. We see the faults in others but rarely in ourselves. We decree judgement and even death for others but don’t realise that our own words condemn ourselves. Let us not be so quick to judge as the Jewish leaders. Sometimes we may be on the wrong side of God.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Keeping Silent

/in
Keeping Silent

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men
testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I
put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
Matthew 26:62-63

The creator of the world was in court being judged by his creations. More than that, a perfect man
was being judged by imperfect sinners. The absurdity of this night cannot be overstated. Imagine if Jesus
had decided to play his hand. Imagine if he suddenly called a legion of angels and they appeared within
that place? Imagine if Jesus was to show his true glory to them as they sneered? Imagine if God the Father
were to spoke up in defense of his beloved son? But none of that happened. Those sinful, prideful men
were allowed to play their games and fulfil their schemes. Jesus kept quiet.

Not until they put Jesus under the third commandment of using the Lord’s name and setting Jesus
under an oath by the living God does Jesus finally speak. He doesn’t do anything to try and defend
himself, however, but instead seals his fate by telling the truth. In John 8 Jesus says that the truth sets us
free, but apparently not for Jesus.

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:64

I always wonder if those men’s hearts were full of fear. Deep down they must have known that
Jesus was truly the Messiah and that he was with God. They must have known that all of their actions had
nothing to do with the word of God but was instead about their own ambition and power. Did they fear or
was their hearts so darkened that they truly believed their own lies?

As human’s, it can be hard to know when to be silent and when to speak. We know so little of
God’s plan in our life that it can be a real dilemma. Part of the problem is that many of us don’t know our
purpose. Jesus did. He knew that it was the cross where his Father needed him. He could have spoken up
and defended himself but that would only disrupt his goal. When he did speak, they were words that made
his future sure. It was not a bright or happy short term future but he knew it was God’s will.
We must also struggle to find our purposes. If we know where God wants us to be, we will have
better insight in the words we speak and the actions we take. Let us strive to connect with God and know
his thoughts and plans for our lives.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto

False Witnesses

/in

False Witnesses

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

Matthew 26:59-61

This might sound odd, but I find these verses to be beautiful. The Jewish leaders had for a while now planned on killing Jesus. Plans were put into play, traps were set and people bribed. Up until this point, none of their plans had worked. Jesus had always outsmarted and out-explained the Holy Scriptures to them. He had always managed to slip away and avoid being stoned or killed. At every turn, Jesus simply explained that it was still not yet his time to die.

Things were different now. Judas was bribed and successfully delivered Jesus in chains to them. He could not escape at least not in human terms. Then the council members, those wise and studious leaders, began to try and develop an accusation against Jesus. They tried hard but nothing true that Jesus did could condemn him. With his perfect life unusable to them, they had to go to plan B. They began bringing in false witnesses who could say something about Jesus to condemn him and yet, amazingly again, they could not.

This is what I find beautiful. How very perfect was Jesus’ life that even liars and false witnesses could not trap him. There was something about his life that was so pure that even lies seemed to not be able to stick to him. How very different are we compared to him. I know that if people were to search hard enough, all sorts of negative and harmful evidence could be found against me and I’m sure against you as well. I always find it amazing that a politician’s previous life and actions so commonly come up in the news to disgrace or tarnish their name. I always wonder how they could chose such a public job knowing what their past is filled with. But truthfully, everyone has something in their past that they are ashamed of.

Not Jesus. They went through his entire life with a fine tooth comb and came up with nothing. Even evil lies were too out of character to be believed. What a beautiful life Jesus led.

Finally two men were found who could share some of Jesus’ actual words but twisted in a way to sound bad. They claimed that Jesus said that he himself was able to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days but Jesus actually said, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:19

Even with their own twist, it actually still wasn’t enough to condemn him but it was the best they could do. Jesus truly was too good for this world and yet he gave himself willingly for it. May we all strive for the same character and love that was found in Jesus.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Feeling Alone

/in

Feeling Alone

…Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. 57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Matthew 26:56-58

Just hours before, Jesus had asked his disciples to pray with him. He had a meal with them and washed their feet. Now they were all gone. This unfortunately is a common result when you rely on human beings. They will often let you down. How many times do you feel alone in this world?

Jesus gave himself willingly to his enemies. He did this because he knew that this was his purpose. The very people he was trying to save, the very families he had saved and delivered in Jewish history, were now trying to kill him. He would not fight it. He would also not rely on humans from this point on. He knew that what needed to happen next was for him alone.

There are many ways that he could have freed himself. He could have used his power but that would have been a failure to his mission. He could have groveled at the feet of the Jewish leaders or bribed them with power and influence, but that would only have helped him and no one else. Jesus wasn’t thinking about himself during this time but all of us whom he would be sacrificing himself for.

It must have been strange to stand before the High Priest of Israel. Jesus had created the position. He had set the rules and obligations. He had blessed the original High Priest; Aaron. Now he stood before this man who claimed to be the intercessor of God and yet Jesus knew that his heart wasn’t anywhere near God. The world had chosen an imposter and rejected the real thing.

Only Peter stayed close, and according to another gospel so was another apostle (John 18:15-16). Most say that it was John who was also there. Either way, none of them ever tried to help Jesus.

In all of our lives, there will be a moment when we feel alone. This is practically unavoidable because God needs us to depend on him even when we can’t feel him close. For our faith in him to grow, he must allow us to go through these events. What is important is to never forget that feelings and reality are often not the same. Just because we might not feel God close, doesn’t mean that he isn’t. Jesus promised that he would always be with us. This is where growth is truly done.

You might feel alone right now. I know many people are. Realize that Jesus went through the same thing in his life. He knows how it feels but he also got through it. You can to. Trust in him. He will never let you pass through more than you can take.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Swords at Night

/in

Swords at Night

55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a

robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Matthew 26:54

Jesus is always at his best in terms of wisdom when he’s asking questions. Throughout the gospels, Jesus asked questions. Her did this, not because he didn’t know the answers, but because he wanted to the very he was asking the questions to think in a new way. It is very easy for humans to get caught up in the moment. We know the power of mob rule and how people can be coerced into doing things they regularly wouldn’t only because there’s others around them. The internet is also a great place where the anonymity of the web causes people to write or express things they would never say out loud or to a person’s face. By asking a question, Jesus forces the people he is speaking with to think about their actions and ideas.

Have you come out against a robber? Why did you bring clubs and swords to arrest me? These questions bring to the forefront the irrational fear that those men had against Jesus. Jesus was, except for the scene at the Temple, a very calm and non-violent man. He never hurt anyone and never raised a weapon against another human being. Why would so many armed men be needed to arrest Jesus?

One possible answer is that they feared his disciples more than Jesus. Peter did take out a sword and masterfully kill an ear of a man. I guess you could put sword fighting besides fishing as talents that Peter seemed to be weak on. But this idea doesn’t hold much water once you realize that everyone runs away once Jesus is arrested. Jesus’ disciples weren’t fearless or intimidating it seems.

The most probably answer is that they wanted to take Jesus quickly and forcibly. They couldn’t risk that this mission could spread around the people. The leaders feared the masses. They feared the very people below them. Just like taking a band-aid, they wanted it to be fast. That is why they tried to do everything in a single night. Arrest, try and execute before anyone woke up- that was always the plan.

Trying to force something through, especially in secret, is one of the clearest signs that what is being done is wrong. When you have to try and conceal your actions, don’t convince yourself that you’re still doing God’s work. God is about bringing light into the world and not darkness.

When we act in this manner, we should keep our ears open because we just might hear Jesus asking us a question. If we are open enough to hear it we might just see the reality of our actions and thoughts.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto

Prophecy and The Word

/in

Prophecy and The Word

54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

 Matthew 26:54

The verse above in one that is commonly passed over or ignored. Most people focus on the verse before because it speaks of angels and the power and authority that Jesus had within himself. But verse 54 is actually a very interesting verse to think and meditate on.

We know that there are many prophecies in the Bible. Many of them are actually pointing to Jesus himself. It is these prophecies that Jesus is mentioning here in this verse.

What Jesus is saying is that he cannot save himself because the prophesies in the Bible say that it needs to go in this way. That sounds simple enough until you realize that Jesus himself, as the Son of God, is actually the force and mind behind those prophecies when they were made. It was God who inspired the prophets to speak those words. So the question then becomes, why does Jesus talk as if he were somehow trapped by those words?

He could have chosen any prophecy to give to the prophets. He could have inspired the Bible to say anything. God was never stuck in terms of what the future could be. So why does Jesus say those words of verse 54?

The crying at Gethsemane should help us here. Before Gethsemane, Jesus was very sure of his future. He would give up his life for us and then resurrect after three days. It was always very simple when he spoke about it but at Gethsemane, that changed. Suddenly, Jesus was scared of his future as the weight of sin and the separation it causes with God fell on him. Now we had a Jesus who was pleading for something else to happen instead of what was prophesied. This shows us the very human side of Jesus.

Going forward to verse 54 now, we see a Jesus who has once again decided and focused on the original plan- as stated in the prophesies. The reason behind that focus is different now however. Before Gethsemane, Jesus was sure of the plan because he was in constant contact with the Father who guided and assured him. After Gethsemane, seemingly disconnected from his Father, Jesus now depends wholeheartedly on the Word of God and the prophets. Jesus at this point is very much like us. All his faith is not in that constant voice of his Father but in the written words of God.

Jesus shows us here that the Bible truly does have power to give us strength and courage to continue moving forward. Let us always depend on God’s words just as Jesus did there in the garden.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Twelve Legions of Angels

/in

Twelve Legions of Angels

53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

 Matthew 26:5e

The first thing that I want to say is that it really looks like God has a thing for the number twelve. It is a number that is seen, not only throughout the Bible in various forms but also in nature and math. So I guess it’s no surprise that if Jesus was going to call several legions of angels to his aid, that he would make it twelve of them.

More importantly, he we get a real glimpse of the true sacrifice and battle that waged within Jesus’ heart and mind as he faced his death on the cross. While it would have been terrifying for anyone to go through, Jesus did so knowing full well that he could stop it at any moment. With a single word or even thought, al his enemies would die at his feet. The problem of course is that if Jesus were to use his power to save himself or even relieve his pain, Satan would claim that it was proof that God’s way of life was impossible to keep; even his Son as a human could not bear to live under it.

The results would be a domino effect that would all but end the world. If God’s way of life was too hard to keep, impossible even, that would make God himself a tyrant with rigid laws. His future punishment of Satan, his angels and those humans who rejected God would be seen as unfair. God’s very character and nature would be doubted and in turn the universe will begin to fall apart.

And this is where Jesus is now found between a rock and a hard place. The unfair punishment that he carries, along with the whole world’s accumulated sins, is leading his to a painful death while an easy escape means the destruction of his perfect heavenly universe. He had the power to decide but he left it in God’s hands: “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

That is the true love of Jesus. That act shows the true unity and trust that existed between the Father and Son. That is the type of character we must struggle to achieve here on this earth while there is still time. One day, we may find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Perhaps some of us have already been there or are there now. We must have a relationship with God and a trust that will allow us to put our decision in His hands as well.

If we know Him, then we will be assured that whatever the outcome may be, that our salvation is sure. Sometimes the outcome may hurt, even a lot, but just remember that it was painful for Jesus as well. There is nothing that God will not let us pass through that His Son did not pass Himself.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Perish by the Sword

/in

Perish by the Sword

51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

 Matthew 26:51-52

In Matthew’s account of the story, he leaves out who actually drew the sword from amongst the apostles. Perhaps he was trying to protect a friend from embarrassment or to keep his character intact, we don’t know. This of course wouldn’t make too much sense since we learn about Peter’s betrays of Christ just a few verses below. And of course we know it was Peter because John gives us that detail. What Peter does is a very common human trait. When we are put in a corner or scared, we react- many times with violence. Peter, you could argue, was only being human here. What Jesus says in regards to his act is very telling.

Let’s not forget that Jesus himself said to get a sword: Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Luke 22:36

Now many scholars and pastors will tell you that Jesus was talking about the word of God. I completely agree with this but also think that the apostles who heard at the time did not. Peter might have even been carrying a sword because of what Jesus said.

But now, as he is facing his arrest and betrayer, Jesus has a very different message. Those who use the sword will die by the sword. It’s a statement that has been used throughout history and has proven to be true time and time again. What was Jesus trying to say in the larger picture.

Outside of the obvious argument against violence, Jesus was really telling us to truly accept that new spiritual heart and change from our ‘just being human’. Peter could have been better, should have been better but instead moved in the lowest common denominator. How many times do we do the same?

Jesus wants us to be better but how many times do we just let our old self come through. Many people say ‘that’s just my nature’ or ‘I was born this way’ or even ‘this is just who I am’. That’s not good enough. Jesus demands more. Jesus expects growth from our old selves.

Yes, Jesus takes us as we are but the true Christian will never stay that way. And that is more than just changing what we eat or what we wear. It is a real, true, character and attitude change. That is what Jesus is looking from you today.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto