KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

     Go back with me today to a very familiar story, one that almost the entire world has heard. The one about a small baby that was born in Bethlehem, in a stable. That baby was the Son of God, given to us to be our Saviour. The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about his childhood, except the time he worried his Mother by getting what she thought was "lost" from her and Joseph. He wasn't lost at all; he was in the Temple doing His Father's business. No, He was not drumming up business for Joseph's carpenter shop, but at the age of twelve He had started to amaze the elders and priests with His wisdom about the scriptures. I think even then they started to think maybe, just maybe, those stories they remembered from when He was born could be true. The Messiah??? The Son of God??? OR, Just Mary and Joseph's firstborn. Yes that's much better, just a mere boy of twelve, nothing to worry about, He seems very intelligent but still He's just the carpenter's kid.

     We don't have much more to go on about his youth, but I would like to think He did have a lot of the "little boy things" in His life, skinned knees, running and playing with the family pet, chores to do. But I know there was that ever present thought in His heart and mind, of what was to come...

     I wonder what Mary's thoughts were about her first born son? When she was told she was going to bare the Son of God, I wonder if she knew what was going to take place in His life? Did she see Him as the promised King? Did she know He was going to have to die to fulfill that prophecy? Did she think her wonderful first born son was going to die at the age of 33????

     Jesus started His ministry at the age of 30 years old. His first miracle was at a wedding, they ran out of wine and since there was no store to go run and buy more. They were going to be embarrassed by serving plain ole water. Here comes Mama, maybe she gives Jesus a nudge or maybe she whispers in His ear, "Son can't you help them out? I know you have the power to turn that water into wine. Somewhere in His life Mary had come in contact with the awesome power of God and she KNEW her son but most importantly God's Son could do this one tiny little thing. In John chapter 2 it tells this story and it seems in verse 4 Jesus was scolding Mary for her wanting Him to do this. But it was Mama asking, so He did it for her. I'm sure she told everyone in the house that would listen, that was my son who turned that water into the best wine you ever tasted!

     Fast forward to the day He came into Jerusalem, the shouts of praise, the people proclaiming Him king. What a day that was! Finally they were getting it! He had been preaching for about 3 1/2 years. He had been healing the sick, raising the dead; he even helped out those hard working fishermen by overflowing their boat with fish. And I'm sure some days He thought no one was really getting what He was telling them. But this day it seemed that maybe someone was listening. Maybe....

     Well it's the week of Passover, and back to those wonderful priests in the Temple. They have decided that Jesus had to go! Joseph's kid is causing way too much trouble. I wonder how they found that weakest link. How do you go about finding someone to betray their "Friend"? I guess Judas had shown his true colors to someone, and the priests knew he was the one they needed. How can anyone listen to Jesus teach and see all the miracles he had done, and still be blind to the fact this is the SON of GOD?

     The Last Supper is over; Judas has gone to finish up his part in what was going to take place. Jesus decides to go pray a while in the garden, He knows what is coming, and somehow I can't help but think it is almost too much. In Matthew 26:39 He is talking to His Father about not having to do this, but He KNEW it had to be done. He could have stopped right there and said "I want to come home, I don't want to die" but He loved us enough to say "not my will but thine". He took some of His friends with Him to help Him pray, but what good did that do??? They fell asleep, not once, not twice but THREE times. Here was our Lord groaning over what was to come and He couldn't even have a little support from His disciples. If only they would have known what was to come.

     Here comes good ole money bags himself, (Judas), who has the nerve to kiss Jesus on the cheek like nothing was wrong. Next comes the soldiers, I guess they were just doing their job. They seize Him, and now ole Peter has finally woken up, and he decides to cut off the ear of one of them. Here is our Lord, the King of Kings being carried off by Roman Soldiers and He takes the time to heal the guy's ear. Yep, Peter showed Jesus he had his back, but give him a couple of more hours and he will act like he has never seen Jesus before. Imagine how Jesus must have felt, here He is the Son of God, the true Messiah and all He has ever done was want to help these silly humans and now they want Him dead.

     Here come the priests again, they can't wait to get rid of this trouble maker. All night long our Lord was tortured, made fun of, spit on and beaten beyond what any man should have to bear. Any time He could have cried out STOP and I believe God would have sent angels to take care of the whole rotten bunch. But Jesus had made up His mind that regardless of what they did He would go through with what His Father ask of Him. Pilot tried to let Him off with just a horrible beating but those priests wouldn't let it go at that, HE HAD TO DIE. This man who had done nothing but good all his life, Had To Go!

     The Son of the Almighty, who left His throne in Heaven, who was now bruised, bleeding and half dead, had to drag a huge cross through the city. But the worse part was still to come. He would have to be nailed to this huge cross and stood up for the entire city to see. The Son of God dying the shameful death of a common thief or murderer. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords dying for you and me! Taking on the sins of every person that was born or ever would be. I can't imagine the horror of that. Have there been times in your life when you have sinned and do you remember how bad it made you feel? Like you had a weight crushing the life out of you. Well multiply that by millions and millions, and you can imagine a little of what Jesus felt hanging there on the cross that day taking on the sins of the world.

     You know what the worst thing had to be for Him? His own Father forsaking Him. Here He was doing the hardest thing in His life, for ungrateful sinners, and then His Father turns away because God cannot look on sin. Oh What Pain! Oh What Hurt! Here is Jesus providing Himself as a lamb for our sins and He is feeling like no one cares, not even His own Father, much less the wonderful religious leaders, or those wonderful followers that shouted Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Was that just a few days ago???

     He has taken all He can take, but yet in His last few moments of his life, He forgives the guy on one of the other crosses, the one who really deserved this punishment. Then He cries out again to His Father and tells Him I'm Done! I'm Coming Home! Right about now all the demons are having a blow out party. They have done it! They have gotten rid of the trouble maker. Boy were they in for a big surprise! Have you ever wondered what Jesus did those days before He arose? I would like to think He paid a little visit to the one who tried to get him to worship him, ole satan. Just when they thought they had pulled one over on God, just like He promised, Up From The Grave He Arose! Hallelujah Christ Arose! That should have been enough right then for satan to give up and admit defeat but no he is still trying to stamp out the name of Jesus. But I have read the back of the Book and Jesus wins!

     He Is The King of Kings and Lords of Lords and He Shall Reign Forevermore!

I hope no one thinks I was trying to bring Jesus down to our level with this but He did come down in human form. And I was trying to show how hard it would be to endure the things He did for us. He was the Son of God but He felt every stripe on His back, every slap on His face, every punch to His body, and yet He still endured it for us. No matter how long we could live we could never begin to thank Him or repay Him for what He did for us. Thank you Lord.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Easter
~Teresa