“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Mark 14:48,49
Is there anything more important than the truth? Jesus certainly thinks that truth is right there at the top of our priorities.
Jesus goes through the truth of where he’ been. What he’s done. What he’s said. He also reviews what they have not done. There have been many opportunities for them to confront him. Arrest him. But they choose the cowards way out. They were afraid of how the crowd might react. What they might say. What they might do.
But to Jesus, there is something more important than where he’s been and what people say about him. What could that be? That the scriptures, God’s word, would be fulfilled. Jesus was more interested and impressed that the prophecies would come true. He was more interested in God’s word and reputation than his own.
We go to extreme expense and effort to protect our reputations. To get to the truth. We’ll get up early and stay out late for the truth. We’re willing to sacrifice anything to get to the truth.
Part of getting to the truth is our desire to know. We think that the more we know, the greater handle we have on the truth.
That’s why our mobile phones go with us everywhere. Access to all human knowledge at the touch of a button. They give us immediate access to information, directions, truth.
The other day the light switch inside one of our paddle fans broke. This made it impossible to turn the light on. I took it down and started taking it apart to replace the broken part. When I couldn’t figure out how to get to the switch, I had two options: call a paddle fan expert or try it on my own. So, I immediately searched for a video to guide me. I looked at several, but none of them looked like our paddle fan.
After about an hour, I figured out that I couldn’t figure it out. So I called Jan the Fan. Since she was at her store, I immediately drove the 20 minutes, bringing along all the parts and pieces that I couldn’t make any sense of. She remembered selling us the fan and even knew the manufacturer, model number, and name of the finish.
I showed her the screws that I had been trying to turn, but they didn’t move. She explained why and then proceeded to remove them without any trouble. She then replaced the broken switch and gave me a most valuable tip on how to reassemble the light back onto the paddle fan.
It took her all of five minutes. Even if I had been able to open it up, the switch itself would have taken me hours. Hours filled with struggle. Frustration. Doubt. And, to top it all off, I probably would have ended up installing it backwards.
I returned home, put the fan back together. Lo and behold the lights worked. They worked first try. No redoing. Reworking. Putting together. Taking apart. Putting together again.
Funny thing, I wasted an hour without thinking about her, yet the person who sold and installed the fan was there all along. All I had to do was call on them. They were more than willing and able to understand my problem. Take it off my hands. Carefully and skillfully repair the brokenness.
That’s exactly who Jesus is. He more than understands your fear and anxieties. He’s been weak and afraid. He’s been taken advantage of by the rich and powerful. He’s been made fun of. Mocked. Verbally exploited. He’s even been beaten up, suffering at the hands of bullies and abusers.
That’s who Jesus was. And that’s who Jesus is.
One Sunday, Dr. S.M. Lockridge was preaching a message entitled "Amen." And at the end of his hour-long sermon, he went off script in what has become known as the "That's my King!”[1] message. It’s six-and-a-half-minute description of Jesus Christ. It was totally unscripted. Unrehearsed.
Yes, I understand that you’re busy. I get it that there’s so much on your plate that it’s spilling out all over the place. I know that you’re under tremendous pressures.
But I cannot think of a better use of six-and-a-half minutes than to listen to Dr. Lockridge and his cry, “That’s my King.” But he doesn’t end there, he asks the question, “Do you know him?”
And that’s my question too. Do you know him?
[1] https://youtu.be/VwQqQkdn_5Q?t=3
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