In This Issue

• THE KING ON A CROSS

• “NO ROOM IN THE INN”

• HOW TO EVALUATE A CONGREGATION

• MORE INFORMATION...

THE KING ON A CROSS

The Jewish Sanhedrin condemned Jesus. The priest stirred up a mob who yelled, “Crucify Him!” Pilate the Roman governor gave the order, and the Roman soldiers carried out the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!’ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him” (Mark 15:25-32).

It was customary for the charge against a condemned man to be placed on the cross above him. The “charge” against Jesus was that He was “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” John tells us that the Jewish priests objected to the wording. “Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews,” but, “He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’" ' Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written’” (John 19:21-23). It is this writer’s opinion that in this matter, Pilate was intentionally embarrassing the Jewish authorities by identifying Jesus as their king.

Mark informs us that, not only the Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities, and the spectators in general participated in ridiculing Jesus as He hang dying on the cross, but that even the criminals who were being crucified with Him mocked Him also. But Luke informs us that as the day wore on, one of them came to believe in the innocence and the Lordship of Jesus. “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:39-43).

“Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Mark 15:33-34). These exact words of Jesus had been foretold by King David a thousand years before in Psalm 22:1. As Paul says in Gal. 3:13, Christ became “a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree).’” The Old Testament text is even more specific: “For he who is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:23). As Isaiah had predicted, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:5-6). 

-Clarence R. Johnson

“NO ROOM IN THE INN”

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem had been difficult. Mary was heavy with child. Her time of delivery was at hand. She and Joseph had undertaken the trip only because of August Caesar’s decree that all citizens register in their own town. Accommodations were limited, and so it happened that Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

In these few words the historian depicts the humble circumstances of the birth of God’s only Son. How incongruous that the Prince of Heaven should exchange a throne and glory for a feed trough and swaddling cloths. But then again, perhaps it was fitting that one who would have “nowhere to lay His head” while He lived and who would die in the shame of Calvary should be so born. 

Though the circumstances of His walk among men may have been humble, Jesus Christ alone offers eternal life in the glorious presence of God Almighty. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And the great tragedy is not that He was born so lowly, lived in such poverty, or died so shamefully, but that for great masses of humanity it was all in vain. Why? Because the inn was not the only place that had no room for Christ. Many of us have shut Him out as well. We have no room for Him in our lives because we have no room for Him in our hearts. Great numbers of people in this country would object strenuously to this assertion, but so many lives bear it out.

There is no room for Christ in the churches of today. The confusion of modern denominationalism portrays anything but the unity for which Jesus prayed in John 20. Churches are named for men, organization, ordinances, and methodology, but seldom are they named for Christ. And even when they do wear His name, their policies and actions betray it.

Churches ordain women as pastors when Paul, handpicked by Jesus to be an apostle (Acts 9, 22, 26), said, “Let your women keep silent in the churches” (1 Cor. 14:34).

Churches appoint avowed homosexuals to high offices when Scriptures teach that God gave such people “up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful” (Rom. 1:26-27).

Many churches have been in the forefront of the abortion movement, which has slain millions of unborn children since 1973. Jesus, on the other hand, kept perfectly a law which decreed, “You shall not murder,” and went further to condemn the malice behind murder (Matt. 5:21-26).

Many churches have either abandoned Scripture or divested it of its power and authority, while Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

If Christ were truly found in the churches of today, divisive names and doctrines would be cast aside; the above listed practices and others of their ilk would be denounced with shame and penitence.

If Christ finds no room in our churches today, what are we to say of public life? The present mindset in education, politics, the media, entertainment, etc., is doubly alarming. First, there’s the antipathy against Christ and His ideals, the aggressive and venomous assault on all things Christian; second, there’s the rapidity with which this spirit arose.

But saddest of all, my brothers and sisters, there may not be nearly as much room for Christ in our lives as we’d like to think. How intent are we on actually practicing the GOLDEN RULE in everyday life? Oh, we give plenty of lip service to it, but when it gets right down to the nitty gritty of it, don’t we usually just dish out to others what they dish out to us? How serious are we about turning the other cheek? Going the second mile? Giving up our cloak also? Would we rather let ourselves be cheated than take a brother to court?

How little time do we actually spend in Bible study? Are we zealous in trying to teach the gospel to our neighbors? It might help all of us just to jot down for one week how we use our time; it might be very revealing as to how much room we really have for Christ in our lives. (I shudder to think about my list). We might be saddened to see how little room we make for Him in our hearts, in our time, in our opportunities. Our families have time for soccer, football, baseball, basketball, scouts, band, television, hobbies, ad infinitum. Do we also have time for family devotionals, for prayer time, and Bible reading?

Why not begin this moment to make room for Christ in your life? He said to the Jews of His day that their adamant opposition to Him resulted because “My word hath not free course in you” (John 8:37, ASV). I hope we will let the word of Christ find FREE COURSE in us, so that we might have room and to spare for the Savior of the world.

–Jim Ward, Lost River church bulletin, Bowling Green, KY

HOW TO EVALUATE A CONGREGATION

How do you evaluate a congregation? We all do it. We decide that a particular church is "good", another is "so-so", and yet another is not what we like at all. While we understand that such judgments are natural and necessary, our concern is about the basis upon which we make these choices. We have heard Christians who make comments like:

· . "That church is not friendly."

· . "The preacher preaches too long."

· . "They keep the building too hot/cold." 

Or, on the positive side:

· . "They have activities for young folks

· . "They have a lot of get-togethers.

· . "We like to hear that song leader."

Would you like to know the true basis for determining a "good" church? Let Jesus show you. 

Read the letters to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2,3). Two of those seven churches (Smyrna and Philadelphia) receive high praise and no rebuke. Both of those churches were commended for their dedicated stand for the truth, even in the face of persecution. There's no hint of the superficial social activity that so many people are looking for. These were simply congregations that took a strong stand for the truth and demonstrated a die-hard conviction for what was right. 

Would you have been happy as a member at Smyrna or Philadelphia? We can't guarantee that the folks there were overtly "friendly" or that there were lots of "get-togethers" or that the singing was topnotch. They were just dedicated Christians doing there spiritual work.

Would this be enough for you? It was for Jesus!

-Greg Gwinn, Bible Talk, Vol. 24, number 4

Did you hear about the preacher who had to resign because of illness?

 The congregation got sick of him.

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