Presbyterian Devotions - Holy Week - Just Like Us

Proverbs 12:21           No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

Today’s verse from Proverbs expresses a religious idea that was prevalent in Old Testament times: the good are blessed by God; those who are evil befall all kinds of disaster.

During Holy Week, we are constantly reminded that this is not true. Christ, who was entirely good, was not protected from the pain and ignominy, suffering and shame that He endured. Instead, because He was all good, He was humiliated and wounded, abused and executed, tortured and sacrificed by people just like us. Had we been there in Jerusalem during Christ’s last week, we would have joined the mob and condemned Him.

On that day of infamy, all manner of harm befell the Righteous One. On that day, the wicked had more than their fill of bloodlust and anger, vengeance and hatred, fanaticism and bigotry.

The question we need to ask ourselves today is this: are we any different from Christ’s abusers, or does this most sacred and holiest of weeks in the year become life changing and truly meaningful to us?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to take time out from the busy-ness of our tight schedules and lay aside a worthy portion of our time to think about You, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter. Keep us from being distracted and enable us to remain focused on You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called “New Day” and is a Maundy Thursday/Easter sunrise picture. If you would like to see a larger version of this, please visit the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5622811365_440f59a85b_b.jpg

Presbyterian Easter Devotions: My Last Easter - Hebrews 3:10-11

Hebrews 3:10-11 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' 

If this was my last Easter, what would I preach?

That’s a question that has been on my heart for several days. After all these years of preaching the Gospel and celebrating Easters in my life, I wonder how different my words would be on Easter morning if I knew that this will be my last time to preach the Resurrection message?

I think I would have to begin with the Cross and tell it like it was and is. I would have to tell people that they take Jesus for granted and cheapen His grace. I would have to say that without coming to the Cross, there is no way of getting into heaven. We cannot bypass it. We cannot ignore it. We cannot set the Crucified Christ aside and depend upon our own good deeds, good thoughts and good words.

I would have to say that without repenting and changing our ways, we cannot be restored to God’s love. We may want the glory of heaven, but all that we will receive is the agony of hell. I would preach that Christians are not people who seek to be popular, but who are constantly in conflict with the world.

I would preach that we are sinners who are saved by grace, but that grace does not give us the divine right to do what we want. I would say that when Jesus calls us to love one another, He is not talking about tolerance but about a love that is deeper and infinitely more than that. Real love is having the courage to tell those we love dearest to change their ways or be estranged from God forever.

If this was my last Easter, I would preach that the Church is following a foolish path and that our leaders are taking the people, especially those who are young and impressionable, astray. I would prophetically preach that this generation will incur God’s wrath, as unpopular and as bigoted as that sounds to many people, and that if they continue to walk into the dark and desolate wilderness, they will never enter into God’s rest. I would preach all that and more besides, if I knew this was my last Easter.

But perhaps this may not be my last Easter; perhaps instead, this is your last Easter.

Prayer:             Lord Jesus, help us! Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is called “Easter Window.” It’s based upon four past Holy Week drawings that John has created. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4488477264_e51768963d_o.jpg

Good Friday Presbyterian Devotion: I Thirst - John 19 v 28

John 19:28     Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." NIV

If you were to ask about forty households over in Tazewell, just outside of Knoxville, what they would like for Easter, they would probably answer you with two words: clean water.

It seems so unreal to me that we have people living on our doorstep in the richest nation in the world who still do not have clean running tap water. You would think that with so many progressive technologies in the world that we would have solved this problem in East Tennessee long ago. And yet, despite having an amazing 21^st century technology corridor in Oakridge, there are still families within a forty minute drive of the ORNL who have water systems that belong to the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Clean water, more than anything else in this nation of ours, should be a human right. In fact, clean water should be a human right throughout the entire globe because more people die each year from dirty contaminated water than from any disease, sickness, war, or natural disaster. Water is a basic necessity for all of us. Without water, we cannot live.

When Christ is dying painfully on the Cross, He is losing blood at a remarkable rate. It is seeping out of His body and gravity is painfully pulling it down to the foot of the Cross. He is dying horribly in the noon day sun. The heat is intolerable and the pain is excruciating; Jesus has become badly dehydrated and so He thirsts.

But Christ is also aware that he is dying, so what is the point of expressing His thirst. Does He want to temporarily relieve His agony, or is this another subtle temptation from Satan to try to get Jesus to use His power to quench His thirst, just as the Devil had tried to get Him to make bread out of stones at the beginning of His ministry? What better time for Satan to tempt Christ as He is suffering terribly on the Cross. I can even hear the Devil whispering in Christ’s ear: if You are the Son of God, then turn your salty blood-stained tears into cool refreshing water.

But Jesus will not succumb to this temptation either. He thirsts, but not for a cool sip of cold water; Christ thirsts for God. He thirsts for that living water, that eternal relationship, that everlasting bond between Himself and His Father in heaven. The Cross will not break that bridge and death will not overwhelm His hope. When Christ says “I thirst” I believe He is actually saying to God: I want more – I want more of Your presence in my life – I want more of Your love – I want more of being with You beyond death.

One life with one death is not enough for Christ. He wants everlasting life, so this is the most amazing prayer in all of human history: when Christ says “I thirst” He is asking God to open up humanity to the promises and experience of everlasting life. And if God relents and gives this to His Only begotten Son, then how can God refuse to give it to Christ’s people? This is the moment when humanity breaks through into the realms of eternity. Because Christ thirsts and asks for more, we who believe in Him, are given the same glorious and eternal opportunity.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thirst for You and Your righteousness in our lives. We thank You for enduring the Cross and for providing us with the opportunity of everlasting life. We know that we do not deserve such amazing love. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully and humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Forsaken, but not Forgotten

Psalm 22:1      My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

There was a time in my life when I actually felt forsaken by God. It happened when I was a teenager. My Mom had just had another schizophrenic meltdown and the paramedics came to take her away in an ambulance. As usual, she was violently cursing and out of her mind. Our neighbors were at their windows – some praying inwardly while others were shaking their heads. I felt so embarrassed, angry, and saddened all at the same time. I feel to my knees and started to weep in front of my Dad and siblings.

“Why is this happening to us?” I wailed. “Why doesn’t God do something to stop it?” It was the lowest point in my teenage life and that despair set me off on a self-destructive course of alcoholism and addiction.

Decades later, I can still feel that pain but I also know that God was there in the midst of all my family’s distress. He heard the cry of my heart and I feel that because of the suffering our family endured, I can help people better in the middle of their own crises.

Perhaps you are going through some trouble today, or you feel isolated and vulnerable, or there is some pain in your life that is deeply affecting your relationships with others and God. From my experience, I believe that God is at the heart of your trouble, walking with you and willing to help you get through this.

We all can feel forsaken at times, just like Jesus on the Cross when He quoted these words, but we are never hopelessly abandoned by God. He is with us always, planning what lies ahead and preparing for better times.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You knew the depths of despair on the Cross at Calvary. The suffering and shame that You endured connected You to the painfulness, weakness, and fearfulness of humanity. We look to You to help us carry our crosses and bear our burdens. We need You to walk beside us and embrace us with love, patience, healing, and compassion. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions - Good Friday - Dying Faith

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

A lot of the divisions that we have in our churches today usually involve issues about how we live our lives as Christians. For some people, complete loyalty to the word of God is essential. For others, treating everyone as a child of God is of paramount importance. We battle each other constantly about how we interpret the scriptures by what we preach and practice. In other words, both groups use the Gospels as a means of showing us all how to live.

But in today’s scripture, we are not taught how to live. Instead, Jesus teaches us how to die. After enduring agony, suffering, and shame for hours, Jesus is ready to die. Mustering all of His remaining strength, He cries out loudly for everyone to hear: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” He completely surrenders Himself to God and unequivocally declares His faith in His Father. He does not mumble or mutter those words. He declares them openly, publicly, and loudly.

It is a complete validation of His life. He has lived it according to His Father’s will. Jesus now yields to death, but does not give Himself over to darkness or oblivion. He places His spirit into God’s hands. He confidently gives Himself over to God with His last dying breath.

One day, there will be an unavoidable moment in our own lives when we will take our last breath. It may be at home, in a hospital, or at a hospice. It could be unexpected, unintended, or accidental. Whatever the case or circumstances, Jesus has shown us how to die.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we don’t like thinking about death or dying. We live our lives fully, doing our best to survive each day by trying to be healthy and happy. But one day, death will come. Help us to be spiritually prepared for that expected or unexpected moment. Come to us at that mysterious time and enable us to surrender our spirit into Your hands. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Presbyterian Devotions - Maundy Thursday - Traitors Anonymous

Psalm 55: 20-21 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.

Every Maundy Thursday, I end up asking myself the same question: why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of his disciples? Couldn’t Christ, with all of His divine knowledge, have chosen a better person? After all, Judas was a weasel, who robbed from the ministry funds, disparaged other people, and whose name “Iscariot” – the dagger – aptly fits someone who will stab you in the back.

Jesus must have known what kind of unsavory character Judas was and yet He still picked him to be one of the Twelve. We know about how Jesus called the fishermen Peter and Andrew, James and John; we’ve heard about Matthew being called as he was gathering taxes for the Romans; we can read about Philip bringing Nathanael to Jesus in the Gospel of John; but what we don’t know is how Jesus called Judas personally, and what, where, when, and why were the circumstances.

It’s a puzzle and maybe because Judas turned out to be such a despicable traitor, his calling story wasn’t worth mentioning in the Gospels. But whatever happened, Jesus still called Judas to be one of the most important small religious groups ever to be established in the history of the world.

I don’t think that Jesus chose Judas because He needed someone to betray Him in order to be crucified. There had to be some sort of zeal, faith, and sincerity that Christ initially saw in Judas. He allowed him to be part of His ministry team for three years, so whatever Judas did before the last week of Christ’s life, it must have been valuable to Jesus.

In this country, when we think of traitors, the name “Benedict Arnold” usually springs to mind. We remember his deceit and disloyalty, his betrayal of Washington’s confidence and embarrassment to the cause for Independence. But we should also remember that before his treacherous act, Benedict Arnold was successful commander in Washington’s Army. He was a valued officer in the Continental Army.

So could Judas have been a worthy team member of Christ’s exclusive group? Was he a great teacher or preacher? Was Judas an organizer and administrator? Was he, in fact, dependable up until the last few weeks of Christ’s life? You would think that if Judas was such a low-down, lying and cheating, irredeemable rogue and scurrilous reprobate, Jesus would have thrown him off the team. After all, Christ wasn’t afraid to confront sinners with their sins, whether they were outsiders or a part of His entourage.

So what is happening here? Why does the Holy Son of God, anointed to become Savior of the world, healer of the nations, and King of all creation bother with such a louse as Judas? I think the answer can be summed up in one important word: grace. If Jesus could show such grace to an unworthy, unloving, disloyal traitor like Judas, then Christ can also show such grace to sinners like you and me.

Let’s be honest folks, the only reason that we feel sorry for Judas is because he represents every one of us. We all have betrayed Jesus in our lives. We all have done shameful things; we all are greedy and selfish, unfaithful and disloyal. In fact, if we were all to read these stories in the Gospel and replace the name “Judas” for our own, we know that we are quite capable of doing the same despicable things.

Hello. My name is John Stuart and I belong to a group called ‘Traitors Anonymous.’

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all are guilty of betraying You at times. Sometimes we are embarrassed to say that we are Christians. Sometimes we fail to speak out when we see things that are immoral or wrong. Sometimes we neglect to pray, read our bible, or even worship You each day. Forgive our treacherous hearts and allow us the healing power of Your grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Presbyterian Devotions: Blessed Boasting

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Blessed_Boasting.mp3

Each year, I have the privilege of taking a part in a lunchtime ecumenical service at the local Roman Catholic church on Good Friday. Seven pastors, ministers, and priests give short 4-5 minute homilies on the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. I’ve taken part in this service for about 11 years and it never ceases to amaze me how much the Holy Spirit inspires each speaker.

I love the fact that we all gather together in one sacred place, as one holy church. The Crucified figure of Christ looms above each speaker and adds a pictorial poignancy to what we express. The whole worship service is a solemn reminder of what Jesus endured to save us from our sins. It’s a miraculous moment of mystery when the speakers and worshippers alike sit in awe. The whole place and service makes me feel guilty and sorrowful, absolved and thankful all at the same time.

I love the Cross of Calvary, but I hate what happened to Jesus. I love the freedom He brings me, but I despise my sins which nailed Him to the Cross. Good Friday has a spiritual ambivalence and a bittersweet attachment to my soul. But it fully prepares me for the glorious goodness that I experience on Easter, when I am fully restored to God on Resurrection Sunday. The curse of the Cross is broken by the very first rays of the rising sun, given to us gladly by the grace of the Risen Son of God.

Prayer:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy. Amen. (John Bowring)

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.