passionofchrist
Passion of Christ/Gethsemane
The Lord’s Supper/Jesus washes the feet of His disciples/Intercessory prayer and love of Jesus for His disciples/Jesus predicts Peter’s denial/Prayer in the garden of Gethsemane/Betrayal of Jesus by Judas/The Praetorium - "Hail, King of the Jews"
Afflictions of Christ and His body
Preparation for the Passover
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Jews killed the Passover lamb, the disciples of Jesus wanted to know from Jesus where they had to go and prepare that they might eat the Passover. Jesus asked them to go into the city and to follow a man who would carry a pitcher of water. As they were to follow him, they would meet the master of the house concerned and would ask him, “The Master saith, Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples? And He will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared; there make ready for us”
So His disciples went out and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them (Mark 14:12-16).
As we do God’s will in our life or ministry, we will find His abundant provisions or resources at our disposal. We need not strain our every nerve to get at His provisions for our lives or ministries. The resources will come our way. Money will come our way.
The same Jesus is with us today, giving us appropriate directions as we seek Him. As we follow His directions, we will find a large upper room furnished and prepared for us.
Today many of us do not ask Jesus for His guidance. The disciples of Jesus approached Jesus and asked Him where they should prepare the Passover. The Lord showed them the house and its exact location and also told them what to speak to the master of the house. They simply went into the city, followed the man with a pitcher of water and met the master of the house. Then they simply told him what the Lord had instructed them.
Today we put the cart before the horse. We have wonderful visions and prophecies. But we do not know how to fulfil the visions and prophecies. We hear the prophecies and appreciate them. But we do not proceed to make the vision a reality. We do not ask the Lord, “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?” We know that we have to go and prepare the Passover. But we do not ask the Lord what to do. Yes, the Lord wants to eat the Passover with us in a place of His choice.
The disciples knew that they had to arrange for the Passover celebrations. Had they gone on their own to find out the suitable place, they would have wasted their time and energy. However, they did the right thing. They asked the Lord, “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?”
When the disciples approached Jesus for His instructions, He deputed two of them to make the necessary arrangements. Only two disciples of Jesus are enough today for doing a ministry initially in accordance with His directions.
When evening had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve disciples. Jesus loved all His twelve disciples. He did not exclude Judas from the fellowship. These days, if we do not see eye to eye with some one in our church or fellowship, we tend to ignore that person or disassociate ourselves from him. Here, Jesus associated with a person who was about to betray Him.
Now as they were eating, He said to His disciples that one of them would betray Him. Upon hearing this, they were exceedingly sorrowful and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” Jesus said, “He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me”. Today it is only those who have close fellowship with us betray and cheat us.
Jesus further said, “The Son of Man indeed goeth as it is written of Him but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born”
Jesus did not become sorrowful about His crucifixion because it had to happen as it was written of Him. But His only concern was about His beloved disciple Judas whom He had to loose, when He said that it would have been good for that man if he had not been born.
Jesus did neither accuse Judas nor did He show His resentment towards him at any time because He loved him. He did not point His finger of accusation just to say, “It is you who will betray Me”. It was only when Judas himself asked Jesus, “Master, is it I?”, Jesus replied, “Thou hast said” (Matt.26:21-25).
As they were eating the Passover, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body”.
Today as we partake of the Lord’s communion, do we realize that what we partake of is the universal Body of Christ? Do we love the universal Church, scattered all over the world, irrespective of our denominational and national barriers? Secondly, we should remember the suffering members of His Body who undergo persecutions in many parts of the world. As we break the bread, we should also remember that the physical Body of Jesus was broken for us so that we, who are of His mystical Body, the Church, are united together in His one Spirit.
Jesus then took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it: For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
The Blood of the New Covenant is alive today. Through this Blood, all our sins are forgiven and all our sicknesses and diseases healed. Do you need healing today? Take a vessel full of water and say prayerfully, “This is the Blood of Jesus shed for my salvation and for my healing”. Then drink this water and go on doing so till you are healed. You will be definitely healed. Do you need deliverance from the evil spirits? Sprinkle the water on the head of the person possessed by the evil spirits. In case the evil spirits torment some one in his/her house, the water may be sprinkled around the house. I give below an incident in this regard.
There lived an evangelist, namely Vedapotham in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, South India during the early 20th century. He lived for 115 years. He was an evangelist used by God mightily with signs and wonders. God endowed him with the gifts of healing. One day, he was praying for the healing of some sick people. God was healing the sick through his hands when he took water and prayed for them, saying, “This is the Blood of Jesus Christ”. Some Hindu people created a furore in the meeting and accused him of cheating them through ordinary water. Vedapothagam took water in a vessel and said “This is the Blood of Jesus Christ” and then sprinkled water in front of them. As the water dropped on the floor, it turned into blood and dried. On seeing this miracle, many people accepted Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote in his epistle to Corinthians (11:23-34) that regarding the Lord’s supper, he received it from the Lord. When Paul was not amongst the twelve disciples who physically partook of the Lord’s supper, how did he receive it from the Lord? It was the Holy Spirit who taught Paul about the significance of the Lord’s supper. Paul was not one of the twelve disciples of Jesus who ate and lived with Jesus physically. But Paul received more of His grace, and suffered more than the other disciples. Paul did not know Jesus after flesh but knew Him in the Spirit. This shows the importance of the ministry of the Holy Ghost.
Paul further wrote that one should examine himself and then let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup because he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s Body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among us, and many sleep.
If many of us are weak and sick today, it is probably because we have eaten and drunk in an unworthy manner while partaking of the Lord’s table. Let us today examine ourselves and then go to the Lord’s table with a broken heart. Let us seek His forgiveness. As the Lord forgives us about our trespasses committed by us in the past either knowingly or unknowingly, we will surely be healed.
Whenever you take part in the holy communion service, you can pray for your healing, remembering the death of Christ on the Cross for delivering you from your sickness. You need not go all the way to some distant place to attend any healing crusade for receiving your healing. Just go to your local church and partake in the holy communion service with all the reverence and humility. While accepting the wine symbolical of the Blood of Jesus Christ, just confess through your mouth, "Lord, thank You for healing me". While accepting the bread symbolical of the Body of Christ Jesus which was broken for you, just confess through your mouth, "Lord, thank You for Your Body which was broken for peace in my family or for restoration of my restoration or for peace with my spouse". You can pray for a miracle in your life also. This is the place where you can submit your prayer requests to our Father in Heaven. Amen.
Jesus washes the feet of His disciples
After finishing the supper, Jesus, Jesus laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. When He came to Peter, Peter said to Him, “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter”. Even then Peter insisted on Jesus’ not washing his feet. Then Jesus told him very clearly that Peter would not have no part with Him. The emotional Peter immediately retorted that Jesus should not only wash his feet but also his hands and his head. Jesus replied, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all” Then Jesus washed the feet of Peter.
Jesus asked His disciples also to follow His example and to wash one another’s feet. H finally said, “The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him”
Jesus not only loved His disciples but also humbled Himself before them. Peter thought Jesus should not wash the feet of a sinner like him. What a paradox! The Master washes the feet of His disciples! The disciples are supposed to serve their master or to wash the feet of their master. In India, a guru (spiritual teacher) is served by his disciples i.e. sishyas. Jesus changed the normal human tradition.
In many churches, during the holy week, the priests wash the feet of the parishioners symbolically. Do they really humble themselves before the parishioners on the other days of the year and serve them? Do they do so just to make a show like the Pharisees? How can they wash the feet of their disciples so long as they do not consider themselves as servants? By remaining as the priests under the Levitical priesthood, they cannot wash the feet of the disciples.
Let us humble ourselves before the people to whom we serve in a true manner and not in a hypocritical manner.
Intercessory prayer and love of Jesus for His disciples
The wonderful prayer of intercession by Jesus for His disciples and for all those who would believe on Him applies to all of His disciples for all ages. His entire prayer to the Father may be read in 17th chapter of John.
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given; for they are mine “ (Vs.9) Today also the same Jesus makes intercession for us before the Father. He does pray for every one of us. When you seek the intercessory prayer of some person, he/she promptly replies, “Yes. I will pray for you”. However, that person tends to forget you in due course. May be, he remembers you occasionally or for a day or two. Whenever you remind him/her, she/he retorts promptly, “I pray for you”. It may be true or not. Only God knows. However, Jesus does pray for you. He remembers all of His people in various nations. Oh, we are graven on the palms of his Hands.
However, Jesus does not pray for the world or its peace. He does not pray for the people who have rejected Him. However, He does remember His chosen people because He is zealous of them. The Church is a people chosen out of the world. The world neither does want the Church nor does heed them. However, Christ needs His Church and wants to bless the world through them. The world has hated the Church because the Church is not of the world even as Jesus was not of the world (Vs.14).
He does not forsake His people. He does not allow them to be lost. None of His people is lost except the son of perdition, Judas Iscariot. (Vs.12). If one of them has backslidden, He will seek him/her as the one lost sheep. If he/she hardens his/her heart, He will not leave him/her but will chastise him/her. This is His eternal love for the Church.
Jesus does not pray that we should be taken out of the world but that we should be kept from the evil. The proponents of the theory of Rapture preach that the Church will not undergo great tribulation but will be taken away from the world. This is a false doctrine. However, the church would be kept from the evil. He keeps the Church under His wings.
Neither does Jesus pray for us alone but for them also who will believe on Him through our word “that they all may be one: as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (Vs.21).
Jesus does pray for those who would believe on Him through our word so that all of us including those who would join His sheep may be one, and may be one in the Father and the Son. So long as we do not give them the word of gospel, they will not join His sheep. The responsibility for preaching the gospel is laid on our shoulders.
He does not only for the unity of His people but also gives the glory, which the Father gave Him, to His people. He does not give His glory to individuals but to his Church, the Body of Christ, “that they may be one, even as we are one”. Jesus gives His glory to us so that we may be one. His glory unites us in His body. As He is in us and the Father in Him, we are made perfect (vs.23).
If we are with Him where He is, we “may behold His glory” which the Father has given Him. We have to be with our Lord, and we should not find ourselves in the company of the Antichrist and his world rulers If we remain in their company, we cannot behold His glory. By remaining in fellowship with one another in His body, we can behold His glory. If we behold His glory today, we will certainly behold Him when He comes again (Vs.24).
After the supper, Jesus and His disciples had sung a hymn then went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to them that all of them would be made to stumble because of Him that night for it was written, “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”. Then He added that after He had been raised, He would go before them to Galilee. Peter immediately replied, “Thou all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended”. Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice”. Peter replied, “Thou I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee”. Likewise also all the disciples said (Matt.26: 30-35).
That particular night was a time of stumbling for all disciples because of the word of prophecy, which had to be fulfilled at any cost. It was not because the disciples had not loved Jesus and were cowards. Though all the disciples except Judas were mentally prepared to be with the Lord during His suffering, and not to forsake Him, yet they had to pass through the fiery test. The disciples forsook everything to become His disciples. They lived with Him. All this shows their unfeigned love toward Jesus. During the suppertime, they knew that the time of His suffering was imminent. However, they had to forsake their beloved Master because it was God Who would smite the Shepherd, and not the Romans.
The disciples attached significance only to the truth of His betrayal and crucifixion, and not to the subsequent statement of Jesus that He would be raised and would go before them to Galilee. At times, we also do not know the entire truth from His word but only believe in some particular doctrines and relegate to the background the other side of the Word.
On hearing about the truth of stumbling based on the word of prophecy, Peter overreacted. He now compared himself with “all men” and said that though all of them stumbled, he would never be offended. He could have said that he would not stumble. When we face a time of fiery test in our life, we compare ourselves with others just to boast that we can do better than “all men”. This shows our self-reliance.
Even when Jesus pointed out that Peter would deny Him twice before the rooster crew, he still stuck to his gun and even added, “Thou I should die with thee…”. It was not only Peter, but also the other disciples said likewise. Peter was not an exception.
Let us note carefully, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matt.25: 56). Pointing our finger of accusation at Peter and the other disciples, we may preach from the pulpit that all the disciples of Jesus forsook Him, without considering the word of prophecy. We cannot find fault with the disciples of Jesus today. His disciples became emotional and told Jesus that they would not forsake Him. They hardly attached significance to the prophecies. Though Peter denied Jesus thrice as predicted by Jesus, the same Peter died as a martyr for the sake of His Name.
Let us today examine our lives and find out how many times we gave false assurances to our Lord that we would follow Him but subsequently denied Him through our lives.
Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, let us examine our lives today to find how many times and what occasions we have betrayed our Lord through our holy kisses and to find how many times and what occasions we have used our muscle power against our enemies. Let us repent and turn to Him with a broken heart!
Prayer in the garden of Gethsemane
After predicting that Peter would deny Him thrice that night, Jesus along with His disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. He said to His disciples to sit there while He wanted to go and pray. They He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee i.e. John and Jacob for prayer and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He asked them to say there and to watch with Him (Matt.26:36-46).
The first prayer
He then 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”.
Afterwards, He came to His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prepared Himself through prayer to face His suffering and crucifixion because He needed spiritual strength through prayers. He needed the fellowship of His close companions all the more at that point of time. He wanted them to watch with Him and to pray. But they fell asleep. When He came to His disciples for their words of comfort and of prayers, he found them sleeping. Similarly when we had needed the intercessory prayers of our spiritual companions during our times of trial, they failed to uphold us in our prayers. But they were found slumbering.
Jesus prayed the above prayer to His Father. He knew well that this cup would not pass from Him as it was ordained by His Father that He should drink it. Since Jesus was 100% human and was manifested in flesh, He had to experience mental agonies like you and me. At times, we pass through the furnace of afflictions, we pray, “Let this cup pass from me”. But we do not add, “if it be possible” of “not as I will, but as Thou wilt”.
Jesus told Peter who was about to deny Him that he should watch and pray with Him for one hour so that he might not enter into temptation. I have heard preachers say that if Peter had watched and prayed, he would not have denied Jesus. This is not correct. Jesus had already predicted that Peter would deny Him. Even if Peter had watched and prayed with Jesus, the former would have denied Jesus because the prophecy of Jesus that He would deny Him thrice needed to be fulfilled. Jesus revealed to Peter the secret of prayer that in order to overcome temptation, he needed the spiritual strength from God so that he might not enter into such temptation in his life. Jesus did not mean the temptation of Peter to deny Him at that particular time but the temptation Peter would face in his entire life towards the lust of the flesh and the lust of the world, especially after the ascension of his Master into the heaven.
Prayer prepares us in our spiritual life so that we may not enter into temptation at all. These days, we do not pray before entering into temptation but pray only after entering into temptation.
Luke writes in his gospel that an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnest. Then his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:43-44). Nobody else in this world could have prayed like this. Nobody else would also pray like this. Oh, this precious prayer of Jesus was not only for Himself but also for His Body, the Church. As we remember our Lord praying for us in the garden of Gethsemane, we get His strength in our life to overcome any temptation. In almost every Christian home, the picture of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane adorns the walls.
Similarly, in our life, as we pray earnestly during our trial, the angels do visit us and strengthen us.
The second and the third prayers
Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done”. And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
In this second prayer, Jesus yielded completely to the will of His Father, stating “Thy will be done”.
Then Jesus left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to his disciples and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray Me”.
Thrice He found His disciples sleeping. Today also, the same Jesus finds His Church sleeping as this world is passing through turmoil, violence and war. Let us today dedicate ourselves to prayer and fasting because the hour is at hand for the prophesies of Jesus regarding the end of this age to be fulfilled.
Having been denied justice at Gabatha, Barabbas, a condemned criminal was released in place of Jesus. Then our Savior was scourged by the soldiers of the governor Pilate. After scourging Him, Jesus was to be taken to Golgotha for crucifixion. Scourging was a part of the punishment which was a prelude to crucifixion. Even before He was brought to Gabatha for judgment by Pilate, the servants of the High Priest arraigned Jesus before Sanhedrin, an assembly of all the chief priests, the elders and the scribes began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say unto Him, “Prophesy unto us” and the servants did strike Him with the palms of their hands (Mark 14:65). Before He could be judged, the punishment was meted out to Him.
From the palace of Pilate, the soldiers took him to a hall, called Praetorium where the whole band of soldiers was summoned and gathered unto Him (Math.27:27). In this hall, the soldiers stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. Then they put upon His head a crown of thorns, and gave a reed in His right hand, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. They spit upon Him and bowed their knees worshipping Him. After they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him and put his own raiment on Him, and led Him away to Golgotha for crucifixion.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples that the Son of Man would be betrayed to be crucified. Then the chief priests, the scribes and the elders of the people assembled and conspired to kill Jesus (Matt.26: 1-5).
Satan entered Judas and he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Jesus to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. When Satan entered Judas, he became greedy for money. Jesus had chosen Judas as His beloved disciple along with Peter, John, etc. Judas lived with Jesus and shared His joy and sorry. Judas became the son of perdition and was lost “that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12). While praying for His disciples in the 17th chapter of Jesus, Jesus agonized in His heart because He had to lose one of His beloved disciples just to ensure that the prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus had to play his role and became an instrument in the hands of the Devil to betray Jesus.
Are we better than Judas is? Today we may all point our accusing finger at Judas. Judas was the treasurer for the ministry of Jesus. The weakness of Judas was his greed for money. He loved money more than Jesus when he handled money. Satan knew his weakness and then entered Judas.
Similarly, these days, there are many ministers of God. They had a very humble beginning. As the Lord prospered them materially, they began to amass wealth and to live lavishly. They gave the Devil a place in their life and he entered them. They began to love money more than Jesus.
Judas could have resisted the Devil at that time because he had seen Jesus cast out the demons before his very eyes. Alas! Judas could not overcome his temptation towards money.
Let us not sell Jesus just for money or wealth. Christian organizations in some poor nations, just to get US Dollars or foreign aid, exaggerate their evangelical work with data and thus sell the Son of God. Are we faithful to God in money matters?
Prophecy of Caiphas, high priest
Caiphas, one of the conspirators, was the high priest, for that year. They deliberated the consequences of killing Jesus. They also feared invasion by Romans. Caiphas said, “Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.” The Bible says that he spoke this not of himself but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and that not for that nation also, but also that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” Then from that day, forth they took counsel together for to put Him to death (John 12:49-53).
A prophecy about the great salvation for the people came not through the mouth of a prophet but through the mouth of the high priest of Jews who was none but a conspirator. God chose the high priest to give this prophecy, and not any of the contemporary prophets because the unbelieving Jews had not believed the prophets of the Old Testament who had prophesied on the ministry of Messiah.
God uses any person to prophesy when the people have not believed His prophets. It is not the speaker but the word of his mouth that matters here. These days, we attach importance to the speaker and not to the message of that speaker.
The Praetorium, or Pretorium, is the Latin version of the Greek word pronounced prai-tor-ion. The Romans used the term for a general's tent in an army camp, but later it also referred to a military headquarters in a city where the Roman governor or procurator also often resided. The Bible variously refers to the Praetorium as the "common hall," the "governor's house," the "judgment hall," "Pilate's house," and the "palace."
It was the hall of torture, physical and mental for our Lord. Let us see this hall through our prophetic eyes. The soldiers could have straightaway taken the Lord to Golgotha after scourging Him. Absolutely there was no need for them to take Him to this hall. This is not only a place of physical torture but also a place of great mental agony as our Lord was mocked by the soldiers. You might have seen this hall in the film of Mel Gipson. It is indeed a stony structure. The walls of this stony structure witnessed the sufferings of the King of Kings. All the disciples of our Lord had forsaken Him and fled when He was arrested by the soldiers. None of them could have witnessed what happened in this hall. The hall made with stones, bricks and mortar stood as a mute witness to the inhuman, illegal punishment meted out to the Savior of this world. All this illegal and inhuman acts took place in the Judgment Hall or the Governor’s house. The Son of Man was condemned to death by crucifixion according to the demand of their law. But he was subjected to mocking and other forms of tortures which could be in no way justified according to the law of jurisprudence.
The Praetorium was represented by Pilate, a governor who knew the truth but acquiesced in the travesty of truth which resulted in the denial of justice. Today we find in our midst a religious structure of Christianity that consists of many Christian leaders who are hobnobbing with the political or state powers of this world, sacrificing the truth and persecuting the universal Body of Christ in every nation. They read the Bible, worship the Lord and conduct crusades and prayer meetings. But they are a mute witness to the persecution and sufferings of the Body of Christ. They do not perceive the suffering and persecuted Body of Christ because they are interested in enlarging and protecting their individual kingdoms. They may have paid lip sympathy to the sufferings of the Body of Christ but do not identify themselves with this suffering Body of Christ. If they are part of this Body, they should feel the pain and agony of the other members of the same body of Christ. They are just a part of this stony Praetorium. They just witness but do not feel the agony. They just worship but do not see the One whom they worship. They just sing hymns in adoration of Him but do not love His Body.
The soldiers hailed our Lord, “Hail, King of the Jews”. Similarly, these Christian leaders who represent this Praetorium pay lip services to the King of Kings on Sundays or during their meetings. So long as they do not become part of the suffering and persecuted body of Christ, they are just mocking the One whom they pretend to worship.
Are you a part of this Praetorium? Examine your life today as we meditate on the Passion of Christ during this season. If you are a member of the body of Christ, surely you cannot be a part of this Praetorium.
Afflictions of Christ and His body
As we meditate on the passion of Christ, the passion of Christ will be incomplete if we do not consider the afflictions of the members of His Body. The members of His Body fill up in their flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the Church (Col.1:24). During the Lenten days, we meditate only on the sufferings of Christ and not on the sufferings of hundreds of the members of His body who either suffered martyrdom or suffered in many ways.
Though Christ suffered and died for our sins on the Cross, yet there is something lacking in his afflictions which needs to be filled up by the members of His body, the universal Church. Today, the Church is facing afflictions either due to persecutions or due to sufferings in other ways. If you are of the body of Christ, you will definitely feel the agonies of those undergoing afflictions in His body.
Paul in his epistle to Corinthians (2 Cor.11:23-33) described his great sufferings. Paul did not seek divine deliverance or angelic deliverances in all his afflictions. If you are minister of God, the Holy Spirit exhorts you to take time to meditate on the afflictions of Paul.
“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft,
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one,
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches…….”
When the governor was guarding the city with a garrison to arrest him, there was no angelic deliverance of Paul which had happened when Peter was imprisoned. Paul was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from the hands of his enemies.
Paul faced unbearable physical tortures by way of beatings with stripes and rods. He received 39 stripes from the Jews and that too, five times. Paul faced perils everywhere in the world. God even did not give him a favorable weather for his ministry. There was not a single place in his life-time which was without peril. He did not covet comforts for his body. He suffered hunger, thirst, nakedness, weariness and painfulness. Apart from these physical sufferings, the care of all the churches came upon him daily. Paul’s ministry was not on a comfortable dais or pulpit. These days, when we face a little suffering or persecution, we feel demoralized and do not want to serve Him.
I request you to read the biography of a great woman of God who lived and died for Christ in India. She, on her part, had filled up in her flesh the afflictions of Christ. She was an ordinary house-wife with no formal education. Please Click here to read her biography. Dear sister, God has a message for you.
-Job Anbalagan