The poet says,
Behold the Man!
His crown of thorns,
instead a crown of gold.
Behold the Man!
Wearing a purple robe,
to cover His scourged body.
Behold the Man!
Holding a reed,
instead of the scepter of a king.
Whom will you follow?
Who will you run after?
Will you choose
the beautiful people?
Will you run after money,
grab for power,
or will you stand next to Jesus?
From where do you get your approval?
With whom do you seek affirmation?
Do you seek it among friends,
or from the stars?
Will you seek it from those who will use you -
or will you stand next to Jesus?
I seek to journey out of the desert to His abundance by standing with Jesus, where I belong.
Continued from last week…
Me: I will do this, it is so much easier now. I realize that if He could do this for me, I can do this for Him. I will do this for Him – I let go – reach in take this burden, this hurt, and fill me with your joy!
It’s done.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for carrying this for me. Lead me to Your Garden of Abundance.
Friend: They are done. They will now take Jesus back to Pilate.
“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Matt 27: 27-31
Me: Look at what they are doing to Him! He is the King! They mock and ridicule Him as if He was nothing. They are taking the King of Kings after His scourging and beating Him even more. How can anyone stand that?
Friend: The soldiers are mocking Him as King. But people are doing the exact same thing as you see now, even today.
Me: What do you mean?
Friend: Look how many are trying to recreate Him so that they may mock Him, and even try to destroy Him.
This has happened throughout history. They want to reduce Him to just a man, redefine Him, and make Jesus into their own image.
They use false stories, false gospels, and false histories.
They want to crown him in their own name, with their robe, and give Him a stick instead of a scepter. And then they beat Him and spit in His face.
Me: We must stand for Him!
Friend: There are those in the Church doing the same thing. They want to fit in with the age, so they try to make Jesus fit in by changing Him.
Me: What do you mean?
Friend: There are those in the Church who will not stand with Jesus in this age of shifting morality. Instead of bearing His reproach, they would rather have the affection of those who hate Him. So they try to change Jesus, to fit Him into this age of rebellion.
Me: I know that there are those who prefer to let the innocent die than to…
Friend: But there is more. Some in the Church use Him for their own gain.
Me: How do you use Jesus for your own gain?
Friend: They want Him to be the god of success, the god of the beautiful people, and the god of money. They want to use Jesus to follow these gods.
So they recreate Jesus to be the god of success, the god of the beautiful people, and the god of money. This way they can comfort themselves thinking that they are actually following Jesus.
Me: There are a lot of golden cows in the Body of Christ. I know, I have seen it…
Friend: You have done the same thing.
Me: I have done the same thing? What are you talking about?
Friend: You limit the extent of His lordship. You control your relationship with Jesus and yet take advantage of His blessings.
Me: I love Jesus! How could you say that?
Friend: You suppress His voice. You are afraid of what He may ask you to do. Instead of listening to His still small voice, you fill your life with the loud things. You simply are afraid to pay the price to do His will.
You want to use His glorious riches to finance your desires for your life, instead of what He may call you to do.
Me: Really, I mean, how could you say that to me? He is my Lord and my God. He is…
Friend: Oh, really? You fight His calling for you – you don’t want to surrender your own calling that you have decided for your own life.
Me: Calling for my own life? What a minute! You may not know, but I have followed the Lord’s leading. Do you realize what I have done…
Friend: Why have you permitted the loud things to control your life and stifle His still small voice?
Me: The loud things? What are you talking about?
Friend: The loud things that you have permitted to control your life. It is the urgent, the things that always call out the loudest, and take you away from His still small voice.
You run from Him by doing this.
Me: You are right, I have been running after the “urgent,” and letting circumstances control my life.
Friend: You must stop running from His still small voice. And you must stop running from your calling.
You have to make a decision.
Me: What do you mean – a decision?
Friend: Look! Here comes Jesus.
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” John 19:5.
Friend: Behold the Man! Behold your Lord wearing a Crown of Thorns instead of a crown of gold. He wears a robe given by another king. He stands alone, tired, His back torn to shreds, and blood is dripping down His face.
See Pilate! We see the allure of Pilate and the power and glory of Rome. They are the influential and the beautiful people – those who are connected and who will take you where you want to go.
Look at the ones who want to redefine Him so that they can destroy Him, calling for Him to be crucified.
And then there is the crowd: you can get lost among all the others, fit in, and never having to take a stand.
Where will you stand? Will you stand by earthly power, with those who want to crucify Him, or hide in the crowd? Or will you stand by your Lord who wears a Crown of Thorns?
He is the King of Kings and we are afraid to stand with Jesus – when He is wearing His Crown of Thorns – but we will follow Him when He wears the Crown of gold.
He stands alone. Will you stand alone with Him?
Me: Do you know what will happen to me if I go up and stand with Him before this crowd? Those people are crazy right now.
Friend: But still; you must make a decision. He stands alone. Will you stand alone with Him?
Me: Are you kidding me? You don’t know what you are asking! This could cost me everything!
Friend: It could cost you what? What did you say?
Me: It could cost me everything! What do you think I said? Don’t you get it? Look at these people!
Friend: So, may I say that you love other things more then Him? May I say He is not your first love?
Me: Not my first love? Are you saying He is not my first love? Am I afraid to face it? He may be not my first love. I do love other things that stop me from standing with Him in front of this shiftless crowd.
What do I do? You are asking me to leave everything behind and stand with the One who is wearing the Crown of Thorns.
I don’t know if I can do this.
Friend: It is your choice. Only you can decide. If you prefer to turn away…
Me: No ! I will not turn away! I can’t. I will stand with Him. I surrender. I have fought Him for so long – I have wanted to do what I have wanted to do. I am sorry for ignoring His still small voice and filling my life with the loud things.
Forgive me! I surrender! I will do whatever You want me to do.
I will stand with Jesus who is wearing the Crown of Thorns. I know this is where I belong. If they want to crucify me, well then, let’s go.
To be continued…
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