The Systematic Dismantling of America
John R. Petrilli
Someone has observed that while it can take years to build something up, it takes only minutes to tear it down. The experiment of “government of the people, by the people, for the people” took decades to found and two centuries to perfect. Sadly, with a few strokes of a pen, our sitting president is systematically tearing down the very foundations that have made our nation great and protected it from external and internal dissolution.
President Barak Obama is quickly dismantling the underpinnings of our country. He’s doing so at all levels, financial, economic, social, and military. His pork-loaded budgets with runaway spending of money we don’t have will tank the country; of this economists of all stripes agree. They call his direction an “unsustainable course”, pointing out that deficit spending will eventually intersect with federal bankruptcy to push the nation into financial collapse.
But we don’t have to wait for that projection twenty years down the road. Obama’s promise to override congressional inertia and legislate environmentally protective energy laws, policies and infrastructure will do us in long before those twenty years are up. Says who? Says the experts of the energy industry. California, under the questionable hands of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is heading down that path, and energy experts in that state say that rapid changeover will do nothing but send the energy companies away from the state, taking billions in revenue and thousands of jobs with them. And for the already overtaxed and beleaguered residents of California, it will mean astronomically high energy bills. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger has a like-minded friend in Washington named Obama. Obama’s energy overhaul plan is guaranteed to deliver the final blow to an already crippled economy by requiring rapid changeovers that neither the industries nor the economy can handle at this time. Did we mention the national health care plan? Even if universal health care was a good idea (which this writer rejects wholesale) how in the world will it be funded? By levying more taxes on a work force that is dwindling by the day and already anticipating huge tax hikes to fund all the pork in Obama’s economic plan that Congress so foolishly passed. Forget about squeezing blood out of a rock … this is equivalent to sucking air out of a cadaver!
In addition to disastrous financial and economic policies, we have the military dismantling of America. In a statement released to the national press last March, former President Dick Cheney publicly decried Obama’s decision to release the terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay over the next twelve (now eight) months. Are we to actually support such idiotic decisions that invite the certain return of terror to American soil? I say an emphatic “NO!!” Then we have the president’s announcement of his intentions to drastically reduce our nuclear arsenal, and this at a time when rogue states like North Korea and Iran are feverishly moving toward nuclear strike capability of our closest allies! In addition, during the early weeks of April Russia and China announced plans to conduct joint military tactics. Obama is also making headlines by “apologizing” to Islamic nations for the “strained relations” between the U.S. and them. Right, like America sent swat teams over to the capitals of Iran and other Islamic countries to knock down their buildings, kill thousands of their innocent citizens, and cripple their economy. What absolute NONSENSE! I prefer President Bush’s response of taking out the terrorists and dethroning tyrants who foment such acts. But, no, now we have a president who places blame on America and sides with the very nations who harbor and give sanctuary to the very Jihadists who are dead set on wiping us out! If I had a loved one killed on 9/11 I’d be screaming “treason”!!!
Last but by not by any means least, we are witnessing the quiet and deliberate dismantling of what’s left of America’s moral infrastructure. I don’t believe for one second that Obama is genuine in reaching out to the prolife majority of this land. His offers to “dialogue” are an insult to any thinking person. If he was sincere about finding middle ground, he would dialogue first, then decide how and what to do with legislation in this crucial but overlooked area. He is sold out to the pro-death movement, period. He made a public promise to Planned Parenthood in July, 2007 to quickly sign F.O.C.A. into law as soon as he was elected president. F.O.C.A. will totally undo all progress made by pro-lifers over the past 37 years!! Dialogue? About WHAT?! This President will also lead the push in driving our country into killing human embryos at an unprecedented rate. He is totally committed to advancing gay rights and same sex marriage as well. Any student of history knows that any nation that has officially sanctioned such unnatural behaviors has gone under. And let’s not forget that Obama is also dictating how we should think by pushing legislation to erase the conscience clause for medical professionals. This move will effectively force them to choose between killing the unborn to keep their jobs or losing all opportunities to practice their profession in a life-honoring manner. Does this sound like freedom to you? It sounds like the wholesale loss of freedom to me!
What troubles this writer most is the absence of any real outcry as this frighteningly dangerous president systematically and autocratically surrenders everything our ancestors worked, lived, and even died for! Radical Louis Farakhan succeeded in raising up a “one million man army” that marched on Washington, D.C. Let’s outdo him, and muster an army of one-hundred million men, women, and children to march on Washington and declare our decision to impeach and oust this worst of American presidents. Let’s do it NOW . . . before it’s too late!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Restoring Throw-Aways
Restoring Throw-Aways
John R. Petrilli
Did you ever find someone’s trash that turned into your treasure? I have. More times than I can count. My latest “find” was a neat little bookshelf. It was left for the trash heap inside the chute room of my apartment building. With a little sanding, a bit of priming, and a rich overcoat of espresso brown paint, a bookshelf that was apparently useless to someone else became very useful to me. It’s now the new home of my DVD collection!
Earlier this year I encountered a fellow resident in my complex sitting in the elevator lobby. He had an interesting and somewhat attractive floral vase in his hands. I asked him what he planned to do with the item. He replied that he was just waiting to give it away to anybody who wanted it. I gladly took it off of his hands and brought it to my apartment. I washed away the tobacco smell from the silk flowers. It had spots and surface scratches that seriously diminished its original beauty, so I proceeded to enhanced the surface of the vase with multiple layers of earth tone colors. It needed a “fresh coat of paint” as it were to restore it to something appealing to the eye. I had the joy of restoring the beauty an item that had become marred over time. In its place emerged a gorgeous centerpiece that graces my main living area.
These two occasions have something special in common. While I was restoring each item I got to thinking about the way in which God restores us. Ever notice how Jesus consistently reached out to the “throw away people” of His day? Prostitutes, thieves, rebels, and more. People that upstanding society had thrown away. People who had been disowned by their families and rejected by their peers. People who had a street value of next to nothing. Yet look how the Lord quietly worked His way into their lives, then their hearts, then their souls. By the time the Great Restorer was done with them, they had become honest, pure, productive, whole people. Like the old Bill Gaither tune , “The King Is Coming” says,
Happy faces line the hallways,Those whose lives have been redeemed.Broken homes that He has mended,Those from prison He has freed.Little children and the aged,Hand in hand stand all aglow,Who were crippled, broken, ruined,Clad in garments white as snow.
How do I know this is true? Because I’m one of the throw-aways whom Christ redeemed! I looked OK on the outside, but was nothing but marred and broken on the inside. I had no real friends, and felt so lonesome I could cry. Then I met the Savior, and let Him have what was left of the mess I’d made of my life. And just as I patiently and skillfully restored the throw away bookshelf and unwanted vase, Jesus went to work restoring me to a person of beauty. He changed my heart, clearing away all the nicks and scratches. Then He applied an undercoat of love, and finished the job with an overcoat of grace. Now my sad face has become bright with hope and joy! My life is truly useful in His hands. He’s taken me to places I never would have dreamed I’d go.
If you feel like a throw-away, don’t despair. There’s hope for you, just like there was for me! If you place your life back into the hands of your Maker, He’ll take it from there. He’s an expert at this kind of thing. He’s been at it for quite some time now. So you can trust Him to restore you to the great human being you were always meant to be!
John R. Petrilli
Did you ever find someone’s trash that turned into your treasure? I have. More times than I can count. My latest “find” was a neat little bookshelf. It was left for the trash heap inside the chute room of my apartment building. With a little sanding, a bit of priming, and a rich overcoat of espresso brown paint, a bookshelf that was apparently useless to someone else became very useful to me. It’s now the new home of my DVD collection!
Earlier this year I encountered a fellow resident in my complex sitting in the elevator lobby. He had an interesting and somewhat attractive floral vase in his hands. I asked him what he planned to do with the item. He replied that he was just waiting to give it away to anybody who wanted it. I gladly took it off of his hands and brought it to my apartment. I washed away the tobacco smell from the silk flowers. It had spots and surface scratches that seriously diminished its original beauty, so I proceeded to enhanced the surface of the vase with multiple layers of earth tone colors. It needed a “fresh coat of paint” as it were to restore it to something appealing to the eye. I had the joy of restoring the beauty an item that had become marred over time. In its place emerged a gorgeous centerpiece that graces my main living area.
These two occasions have something special in common. While I was restoring each item I got to thinking about the way in which God restores us. Ever notice how Jesus consistently reached out to the “throw away people” of His day? Prostitutes, thieves, rebels, and more. People that upstanding society had thrown away. People who had been disowned by their families and rejected by their peers. People who had a street value of next to nothing. Yet look how the Lord quietly worked His way into their lives, then their hearts, then their souls. By the time the Great Restorer was done with them, they had become honest, pure, productive, whole people. Like the old Bill Gaither tune , “The King Is Coming” says,
Happy faces line the hallways,Those whose lives have been redeemed.Broken homes that He has mended,Those from prison He has freed.Little children and the aged,Hand in hand stand all aglow,Who were crippled, broken, ruined,Clad in garments white as snow.
How do I know this is true? Because I’m one of the throw-aways whom Christ redeemed! I looked OK on the outside, but was nothing but marred and broken on the inside. I had no real friends, and felt so lonesome I could cry. Then I met the Savior, and let Him have what was left of the mess I’d made of my life. And just as I patiently and skillfully restored the throw away bookshelf and unwanted vase, Jesus went to work restoring me to a person of beauty. He changed my heart, clearing away all the nicks and scratches. Then He applied an undercoat of love, and finished the job with an overcoat of grace. Now my sad face has become bright with hope and joy! My life is truly useful in His hands. He’s taken me to places I never would have dreamed I’d go.
If you feel like a throw-away, don’t despair. There’s hope for you, just like there was for me! If you place your life back into the hands of your Maker, He’ll take it from there. He’s an expert at this kind of thing. He’s been at it for quite some time now. So you can trust Him to restore you to the great human being you were always meant to be!
Let It Rain!
Let It Rain!
John R. Petrilli
“Let it rain, let it RAIN, open the flood gates of heaven! Let it RAIN, let it RAIN, open the flood gates of heaven, Let it RAIN!” So Michael W. Smith sings out his revival plea to God along with thousands of worshippers on his WOW! Worship live concert CD. This is an earnest prayer for the rains of spiritual revival and renewal to shower down upon the Church of Jesus Christ. For decades God’s Spirit has been burdening His people with a deep longing for a fresh visitation from Him. Will it happen in our day? Only God knows. In the meantime we, the Church, can do our part in positioning ourselves for such a heaven-sent blessing. The minor prophet Hosea points the way (Hosea 6:3).
“Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
Like the spring rains that water the earth.”
For any passage of Scripture to be truly helpful, we must interpret it within its proper historical context. Hosea’s promise comes to a people who would soon be “going through the ringer”. They were guilty of cheating on God and consorting with pagan gods. Such disobedience wasn’t occasional but chronic in nature. The nation’s leadership couldn’t even be counted on to lead the people back to the Lord because they themselves were in on the whole corruption game (5:10). Only a trip to the woodshed would cure her of her sins. God had no choice but to personally and directly humble His erring people through economic ruin (9:2), invasion by foreign armies (8:14), and ultimate deportation into the pagan bondage of Assyrian and Babylonian captivity (5:14 ; 9:3). They sowed the wind and would, of consequence, reap the whirlwind (8:7). Verse one of chapter six informs us that God dealt severely with His people, mercilessly tearing them apart from limb to limb like a ravenous beast of prey. Such was the sad state of affairs in ancient Israel. But in the midst of such darkness and desolation, the Lord speaks of a future day when He’d favor them with spiritual renewal and glorious revival. Once the days of harsh discipline accomplished their purpose, the nation would return home to experience a wonderful season of rebirth and renewal that was as certain as the sunrise and as rejuvenating as the gentle spring rains.
The United States of America started out as a faithful wife to God. Her laws clearly reflected the precepts of His Word, and the vast majority of her people genuinely honored Him. Even when she slipped, God sent great and powerful revivals that swept over and reworked the entire cultural landscape. Conversions numbered in the tens of thousands. Bars shut down. Stores were shuttered on the Sabbath. Violent crime fell through the floor. Prayer and Bible study became an integral component of every child’s education. In the spiritual sense of the phrase, virtually no child was left behind when it came to being exposed to God’s Word, the gospel of Christ, and the joy of living for Him. So can it happen again in America? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God of mercy and grace surely longs to see our once Land of the Free return to Him in wholesale repentance. Nothing would make Him happier than for us to “press on to know the Lord”, to seek Him once again as a nation as we did two short centuries ago. To be sure, America has been spanked really hard in the past decade. Her sins are many, and she doesn’t seem to be willing or able to sustain any effort to forsake them and genuinely return to the Lord. Her laws increasingly fly in the face of God’s commands. Her culture is steeped in sins of a hundred different stripes. Like Israel of old, she appears to be spiritually debilitated, morally crippled and incapable of healing herself (5:4). She needs Divine rescue!
Like America, the nation of Israel needed a spiritual downpour that only God could engineer, and He did! The day finally came when her people had paid the price of their backslidings, learned their lessons about the cost of idolatry, and joyfully returned to their Lord and their homeland (14:4-9). God fell upon His people, not with a sword of judgment, but with the “dew” of divine mercy and grace (14:5a). This season of rebirth was festive and beautiful as Judah experienced growth like a pretty lily flower (14:5b), rooting as a strong Lebanese cedar tree (5:14c), and influence that permeated the international scene like a fruitful olive tree and a precious oriental fragrance (14:6). This happy reunion between God the Forgiving Husband and Israel the Rededicated Wife recurred at various time in Israel’s history. It began with her return to the land from foreign captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple under the capable leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 1-4). A subsequent 2,000 year deportation followed with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, followed by Israel’s return to statehood in 1948. Its ultimate fulfillment will be realized in the millennium when a restored Israel enjoys national resurrection and rebirth into a standing of permanent and perfect righteousness in a kingdom of perpetual peace (Hosea 6:2b ; Ezekiel 37:1-14 ; 39:21-29 ; Zechariah 12:10-13:1 ; Romans 11:15; Revelation 7:1-8).
So are renewal and revival a possibility for our beloved land of America? I believe they most certainly are … but ONLY if we meet the ageless requirement of true repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14 ;
1 Peter 4:17). Such an appropriate attitude will properly position us for the long-awaited spring rains of revival. “Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord!” And all God’s people said, “LET IT RAIN!”
John R. Petrilli
“Let it rain, let it RAIN, open the flood gates of heaven! Let it RAIN, let it RAIN, open the flood gates of heaven, Let it RAIN!” So Michael W. Smith sings out his revival plea to God along with thousands of worshippers on his WOW! Worship live concert CD. This is an earnest prayer for the rains of spiritual revival and renewal to shower down upon the Church of Jesus Christ. For decades God’s Spirit has been burdening His people with a deep longing for a fresh visitation from Him. Will it happen in our day? Only God knows. In the meantime we, the Church, can do our part in positioning ourselves for such a heaven-sent blessing. The minor prophet Hosea points the way (Hosea 6:3).
“Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
Like the spring rains that water the earth.”
For any passage of Scripture to be truly helpful, we must interpret it within its proper historical context. Hosea’s promise comes to a people who would soon be “going through the ringer”. They were guilty of cheating on God and consorting with pagan gods. Such disobedience wasn’t occasional but chronic in nature. The nation’s leadership couldn’t even be counted on to lead the people back to the Lord because they themselves were in on the whole corruption game (5:10). Only a trip to the woodshed would cure her of her sins. God had no choice but to personally and directly humble His erring people through economic ruin (9:2), invasion by foreign armies (8:14), and ultimate deportation into the pagan bondage of Assyrian and Babylonian captivity (5:14 ; 9:3). They sowed the wind and would, of consequence, reap the whirlwind (8:7). Verse one of chapter six informs us that God dealt severely with His people, mercilessly tearing them apart from limb to limb like a ravenous beast of prey. Such was the sad state of affairs in ancient Israel. But in the midst of such darkness and desolation, the Lord speaks of a future day when He’d favor them with spiritual renewal and glorious revival. Once the days of harsh discipline accomplished their purpose, the nation would return home to experience a wonderful season of rebirth and renewal that was as certain as the sunrise and as rejuvenating as the gentle spring rains.
The United States of America started out as a faithful wife to God. Her laws clearly reflected the precepts of His Word, and the vast majority of her people genuinely honored Him. Even when she slipped, God sent great and powerful revivals that swept over and reworked the entire cultural landscape. Conversions numbered in the tens of thousands. Bars shut down. Stores were shuttered on the Sabbath. Violent crime fell through the floor. Prayer and Bible study became an integral component of every child’s education. In the spiritual sense of the phrase, virtually no child was left behind when it came to being exposed to God’s Word, the gospel of Christ, and the joy of living for Him. So can it happen again in America? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God of mercy and grace surely longs to see our once Land of the Free return to Him in wholesale repentance. Nothing would make Him happier than for us to “press on to know the Lord”, to seek Him once again as a nation as we did two short centuries ago. To be sure, America has been spanked really hard in the past decade. Her sins are many, and she doesn’t seem to be willing or able to sustain any effort to forsake them and genuinely return to the Lord. Her laws increasingly fly in the face of God’s commands. Her culture is steeped in sins of a hundred different stripes. Like Israel of old, she appears to be spiritually debilitated, morally crippled and incapable of healing herself (5:4). She needs Divine rescue!
Like America, the nation of Israel needed a spiritual downpour that only God could engineer, and He did! The day finally came when her people had paid the price of their backslidings, learned their lessons about the cost of idolatry, and joyfully returned to their Lord and their homeland (14:4-9). God fell upon His people, not with a sword of judgment, but with the “dew” of divine mercy and grace (14:5a). This season of rebirth was festive and beautiful as Judah experienced growth like a pretty lily flower (14:5b), rooting as a strong Lebanese cedar tree (5:14c), and influence that permeated the international scene like a fruitful olive tree and a precious oriental fragrance (14:6). This happy reunion between God the Forgiving Husband and Israel the Rededicated Wife recurred at various time in Israel’s history. It began with her return to the land from foreign captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple under the capable leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 1-4). A subsequent 2,000 year deportation followed with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, followed by Israel’s return to statehood in 1948. Its ultimate fulfillment will be realized in the millennium when a restored Israel enjoys national resurrection and rebirth into a standing of permanent and perfect righteousness in a kingdom of perpetual peace (Hosea 6:2b ; Ezekiel 37:1-14 ; 39:21-29 ; Zechariah 12:10-13:1 ; Romans 11:15; Revelation 7:1-8).
So are renewal and revival a possibility for our beloved land of America? I believe they most certainly are … but ONLY if we meet the ageless requirement of true repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14 ;
1 Peter 4:17). Such an appropriate attitude will properly position us for the long-awaited spring rains of revival. “Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord!” And all God’s people said, “LET IT RAIN!”
Star Power VS. God’s Power
Star Power VS. God’s Power
John R. Petrilli
Star power has one again taken America by surprise and the world by storm. America’s recently elected President was heralded as a “Savior” around the globe as he entered the White House. And this with no track record of any real legislative or governmental accomplishments to speak of; merely a well worn campaign stump speech theme of “Yes We Can!”
It troubles me that so many millions of people are so ready to entrust everything they have into the hands of someone whom they don’t know, and someone who has no real record of leadership. This is what the media is dubbing “star power”. The ability to draw people to oneself by sheer personal magnetism. While such a phenomenon is fitting for the make-believe world of Hollywood, its place in the real world of qualified, proven leadership is doubtful at best.
The road of human history is cluttered with many such men who rose quickly to a position of fame and power, only to pass off of the stage in equally rapid fashion. Why are we so prone to blindly follow such leaders? President Obama’s radically leftist fiscal and social policies should come as no surprise to anyone. Before being elected he was ranked by the non-partisan National Journal as the most liberal Senator in the country (based purely on senatorial voting records). Was anyone using their eyes and their minds when they entered the voting booths? Or were they blinded by the sheer star power of the man?
As far as I’m concerned, his slogan of “Change we can believe in” is rapidly turning into, “Change we don’t want, don’t need, and certainly can’t afford”. Commentators and economists on both sides of the aisle agree that his out-of-control spending has already placed us on an unsustainable pathway that will lead to total financial collapse.
Truly great leaders don’t rely on star power … they rely on God’s power. Their decisions are sometimes decidedly unpopular among their contemporaries. But years, perhaps decades down the road, their wisdom is proved to be right on target. D.L. Moody was one of America’s greatest spiritual leaders in the last two centuries. I had the wonderful privilege of visiting his birthplace in Northfield, MA, and standing at his gravesite. Etched into his headstone are these words from the apostle John:
“The man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17b
That is leading by God’s power. John preceded these words with a description of worldly, “star power” leadership:
“All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; the world and its desires pass away.
1 John 2:16-17a
Charisma is a gift and there’s nothing wrong with having a magnetic personality, provided that the leader in question has the ability to lead by principle and precept. King David was one such leader. But star power alone is never a good bet when choosing a leader. Character and philosophy can only be determined by an individual’s past performance. If adequate evidence of such is unavailable, the prospective leader should be considered disqualified, as we have no real basis for determining who they are and where they’ll take us. In addition, where a prospective leader’s track record reveals a decided commitment to and preoccupation with positions that fly in the face of a society’s centrist majority, that candidate should be bypassed as well.
Our current administration is responsible not only for initiating and driving unsustainable spending programs, but also of playing God by dictating what medical professionals can and cannot believe when it comes to their conscience with regard to bedrock issues like the sanctity of life. This is change we can live without, an oppressive form of tyranny that will undermine the very freedoms our great land was founded upon. The existing American federal government is usurping God’s authority in unprecedented areas, and true patriots must resist all such incursions with everything within them.
John R. Petrilli
Star power has one again taken America by surprise and the world by storm. America’s recently elected President was heralded as a “Savior” around the globe as he entered the White House. And this with no track record of any real legislative or governmental accomplishments to speak of; merely a well worn campaign stump speech theme of “Yes We Can!”
It troubles me that so many millions of people are so ready to entrust everything they have into the hands of someone whom they don’t know, and someone who has no real record of leadership. This is what the media is dubbing “star power”. The ability to draw people to oneself by sheer personal magnetism. While such a phenomenon is fitting for the make-believe world of Hollywood, its place in the real world of qualified, proven leadership is doubtful at best.
The road of human history is cluttered with many such men who rose quickly to a position of fame and power, only to pass off of the stage in equally rapid fashion. Why are we so prone to blindly follow such leaders? President Obama’s radically leftist fiscal and social policies should come as no surprise to anyone. Before being elected he was ranked by the non-partisan National Journal as the most liberal Senator in the country (based purely on senatorial voting records). Was anyone using their eyes and their minds when they entered the voting booths? Or were they blinded by the sheer star power of the man?
As far as I’m concerned, his slogan of “Change we can believe in” is rapidly turning into, “Change we don’t want, don’t need, and certainly can’t afford”. Commentators and economists on both sides of the aisle agree that his out-of-control spending has already placed us on an unsustainable pathway that will lead to total financial collapse.
Truly great leaders don’t rely on star power … they rely on God’s power. Their decisions are sometimes decidedly unpopular among their contemporaries. But years, perhaps decades down the road, their wisdom is proved to be right on target. D.L. Moody was one of America’s greatest spiritual leaders in the last two centuries. I had the wonderful privilege of visiting his birthplace in Northfield, MA, and standing at his gravesite. Etched into his headstone are these words from the apostle John:
“The man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17b
That is leading by God’s power. John preceded these words with a description of worldly, “star power” leadership:
“All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; the world and its desires pass away.
1 John 2:16-17a
Charisma is a gift and there’s nothing wrong with having a magnetic personality, provided that the leader in question has the ability to lead by principle and precept. King David was one such leader. But star power alone is never a good bet when choosing a leader. Character and philosophy can only be determined by an individual’s past performance. If adequate evidence of such is unavailable, the prospective leader should be considered disqualified, as we have no real basis for determining who they are and where they’ll take us. In addition, where a prospective leader’s track record reveals a decided commitment to and preoccupation with positions that fly in the face of a society’s centrist majority, that candidate should be bypassed as well.
Our current administration is responsible not only for initiating and driving unsustainable spending programs, but also of playing God by dictating what medical professionals can and cannot believe when it comes to their conscience with regard to bedrock issues like the sanctity of life. This is change we can live without, an oppressive form of tyranny that will undermine the very freedoms our great land was founded upon. The existing American federal government is usurping God’s authority in unprecedented areas, and true patriots must resist all such incursions with everything within them.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Who Put Jesus On The Cross?
Who Put Jesus On The Cross?
John R. Petrilli
Murder mysteries are built around one burning question. “Who did it?” The deed is done, and the remaining storyline uncovers the identity of just who it was who committed the crime. Some questions in life go unanswered. Then there are some questions that simply demand a satisfying and categorical answer. Most of us are very familiar with the historical details of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We understand that He was nailed to a tree between two thieves, that He forgave His torturers and that He was pierced in the side by a spear. But just who was it that put Him there in the first place? The following considerations may hold some surprising answers for those of us who may have become a bit too familiar with the old, old story.
IN WISDOM, GOD THE FATHER PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
We’re so familiar with the words of John 3:16, but please, suspend that familiarity and zero-in on the middle phrase, “that He GAVE His only begotten Son”. It reaches back four thousand years earlier to a sunny morning when a father was told by God to GIVE his only beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. After enduring what must have been a torturous struggle, Abraham lifted the blade, only to be halted by an angelic command to forego the execution. God stopped Abraham once He’d seen that his obedience was unquestioned and unconditional. Fast-forward two thousand years to a hill in ancient Palestinia. The wind is howling and a mob is screaming bloody murder as spikes crash through a man’s wrists and feet, causing His entire body to writhe in pure agony. His Father could have stopped those crucifiers with a command from heaven as well. But He didn’t. This time it was for all the marbles. Salvation had to be secured, and no one else in the entire universe was qualified to die on that Cross but Jesus. And die He did. This was no “mistake”, no “plan B”, no “twist of fate”. Dark as it was, the Father had pre-planned this moment. From time immemorial He ordained for the Lamb to slain “from the foundations of the world” (Rev. 13:8). One father was willing to give his only son, but, in the end, didn’t HAVE to. Another Father was willing to give His only Son, and in the end, HAD to. Isaiah reveals that this was God’s design, and that it actually pleased the Father. “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him” (Isa. 53:10). God’s wrath upon our sin was fully poured out on His Son, and this once-for-all-time sacrifice satisfied God’s righteous demand that sin be punished with death. And in some completely mystifying sense, the Father Himself was there on that Cross suffering that death penalty. According to Paul, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? HIS FATHER DID!
IN LOVE, JESUS PUT HIMSELF ON THE CROSS.
“I lay down my life … NO ONE TAKES IT from Me, but I lay it down OF MY OWN ACCORD. I have authority to lay it down and to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father” John 10:17b-18.
Don’t think so? Well consider this. Did Jesus know His date with the cross was part of the package when He agreed to comply with His Father’s directive that He come to earth? According to His own words He most certainly did. One command from Jesus to heaven would have summoned an angelic arsenal big enough to wipe out the planet. But the dear Savior CHOSE to waive this option as well. Not a single lash would have fallen upon His back without Him yielding to it. Not one nail would have pierced His body without His permission. Not a single thorn would have punctured His brow apart from His approval. This was God, and no one forces God to do anything. Jesus was compliant from start to finish. Not because He sanctioned the criminal act itself, but because He was fully aware that it was something that was necessary if mankind was to be liberated from sin’s tyranny. And for what reason? Love. “The Son of God LOVED me, and GAVE HIMSELF for me (Galatians 2:20). What wondrous love is this, oh my soul? So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? JESUS DID!
IN HATRED, ANGRY MEN PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“You [Jewish leaders] with the help of wicked men PUT HIM TO DEATH by nailing Him to the cross”. Acts 2:23b
The Nuremburg trials are a testimony to the power of justice. There’s something empowering about meeting one’s assailants face to face and seeing them brought to justice. Imagine standing in front of his Jewish contemporaries on the first Pentecost Sunday and telling them straight to their faces that they had just killed the Messiah. But that’s precisely what Peter did! In case they hadn’t caught it the first time around (which is about as improbable as the sky falling), Peter restates his accusation a few breaths later, “Let ALL ISRAEL be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom YOU CRUCIFIED, both Lord and Christ!” (Acts 2:36) We see here that it wasn’t just the religious leadership who was liable for Christ’s death, it was the whole nation of Israel. It was all those Jewish visitors to and residents of Jerusalem who stood along the Via Dolorosa crying out for His blood. Imagine that! God’s chosen people blew it that badly! They took the life of their own Messiah! Then there’s some who would point the finger of blame at Rome. The wrath of man was evident here as well. Rome was plain sick and tired of all the upheaval going on in Israel. After all, wasn’t it in Pilate’s power to stop the proceedings? Surely it was his fault for not declaring a mistrial wasn’t it? There’s no way that a simple act of cleansing his hands in a basin of water absolved him of responsibility for allowing capital punishment to be dealt to an unconvicted man. So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? ANGRY MEN DID!
IN IGNORANCE, WE SINNERS PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“He Himself bore OUR SINS in His own body on the tree”. 1 Pet. 2:24
When the blame game is over, one sure fact remains …WE put Jesus on that cross. WE’RE the ones who have sinned, making His death a necessity in the first place. Says who? Says Peter, the once wavering but later stable man of God. If anyone is suited for this assessment, it’s Peter. He knew firsthand what it meant to sin against the Lord. When we sin, we can’t see the Lord physically, but Peter did when he publicly denied Jesus in plain view of the Savior! Although his repentance and restoration were complete, the fact remains, Peter sold out on Jesus in the hour of trial. Why do you think he wept so bitterly? His betrayal devastated him once he’d realized he had reneged on his best friend. I’ve never been in such a quagmire, but we can be sure, it was pure emotional and spiritual agony. In Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion”, Peter is depicted as being so ashamed that he could no longer even speak to the other followers of the Lord. He just ran away. So how do we react when we discover that our sins put Jesus on that cross? Do we take the path of denying any personal responsibility? Do we mutter a quick “Sorry ’bout that Lord”? Or do we finally grasp the gravity of our actions against Him? Something to mull over during this Lenten season. Perhaps in reading this article, you’ve realized that you’ve never come to the place in your life where you’ve owned up to your sins and failings. Never really stopped to seriously consider that awesome price that was paid for your forgiveness. Never really took advantage of receiving God’s pardon through Jesus Christ. Well, there’s no better time than the present. If you’ve yet to confess and turn from your sins, please do so today. So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? YOU AND I DID! My sins and your sins did! Let’s not repeat the mistake of crying for Jesus, as some did at the foot of the cross. Instead we should mourn over and repent of our own sins, and then receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Anything less will make His death for you in vain! As one hymn writer puts it: “Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee. ‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee: I crucified thee.”
The Good News doesn’t end on the note of a crucified man, but on a Risen Savior! It would be foolish to ask anyone to follow a dead man, but a Risen Saviour, now THAT’S Someone worth FOLLOWING! Three short days after Jesus’ lynching He rose from that borrowed tomb, and forty days after that He ascended into Heaven!
All who trust in Him will likewise rise and ascend to be with Him in glory forever!
John R. Petrilli
Murder mysteries are built around one burning question. “Who did it?” The deed is done, and the remaining storyline uncovers the identity of just who it was who committed the crime. Some questions in life go unanswered. Then there are some questions that simply demand a satisfying and categorical answer. Most of us are very familiar with the historical details of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We understand that He was nailed to a tree between two thieves, that He forgave His torturers and that He was pierced in the side by a spear. But just who was it that put Him there in the first place? The following considerations may hold some surprising answers for those of us who may have become a bit too familiar with the old, old story.
IN WISDOM, GOD THE FATHER PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
We’re so familiar with the words of John 3:16, but please, suspend that familiarity and zero-in on the middle phrase, “that He GAVE His only begotten Son”. It reaches back four thousand years earlier to a sunny morning when a father was told by God to GIVE his only beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. After enduring what must have been a torturous struggle, Abraham lifted the blade, only to be halted by an angelic command to forego the execution. God stopped Abraham once He’d seen that his obedience was unquestioned and unconditional. Fast-forward two thousand years to a hill in ancient Palestinia. The wind is howling and a mob is screaming bloody murder as spikes crash through a man’s wrists and feet, causing His entire body to writhe in pure agony. His Father could have stopped those crucifiers with a command from heaven as well. But He didn’t. This time it was for all the marbles. Salvation had to be secured, and no one else in the entire universe was qualified to die on that Cross but Jesus. And die He did. This was no “mistake”, no “plan B”, no “twist of fate”. Dark as it was, the Father had pre-planned this moment. From time immemorial He ordained for the Lamb to slain “from the foundations of the world” (Rev. 13:8). One father was willing to give his only son, but, in the end, didn’t HAVE to. Another Father was willing to give His only Son, and in the end, HAD to. Isaiah reveals that this was God’s design, and that it actually pleased the Father. “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him” (Isa. 53:10). God’s wrath upon our sin was fully poured out on His Son, and this once-for-all-time sacrifice satisfied God’s righteous demand that sin be punished with death. And in some completely mystifying sense, the Father Himself was there on that Cross suffering that death penalty. According to Paul, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? HIS FATHER DID!
IN LOVE, JESUS PUT HIMSELF ON THE CROSS.
“I lay down my life … NO ONE TAKES IT from Me, but I lay it down OF MY OWN ACCORD. I have authority to lay it down and to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father” John 10:17b-18.
Don’t think so? Well consider this. Did Jesus know His date with the cross was part of the package when He agreed to comply with His Father’s directive that He come to earth? According to His own words He most certainly did. One command from Jesus to heaven would have summoned an angelic arsenal big enough to wipe out the planet. But the dear Savior CHOSE to waive this option as well. Not a single lash would have fallen upon His back without Him yielding to it. Not one nail would have pierced His body without His permission. Not a single thorn would have punctured His brow apart from His approval. This was God, and no one forces God to do anything. Jesus was compliant from start to finish. Not because He sanctioned the criminal act itself, but because He was fully aware that it was something that was necessary if mankind was to be liberated from sin’s tyranny. And for what reason? Love. “The Son of God LOVED me, and GAVE HIMSELF for me (Galatians 2:20). What wondrous love is this, oh my soul? So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? JESUS DID!
IN HATRED, ANGRY MEN PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“You [Jewish leaders] with the help of wicked men PUT HIM TO DEATH by nailing Him to the cross”. Acts 2:23b
The Nuremburg trials are a testimony to the power of justice. There’s something empowering about meeting one’s assailants face to face and seeing them brought to justice. Imagine standing in front of his Jewish contemporaries on the first Pentecost Sunday and telling them straight to their faces that they had just killed the Messiah. But that’s precisely what Peter did! In case they hadn’t caught it the first time around (which is about as improbable as the sky falling), Peter restates his accusation a few breaths later, “Let ALL ISRAEL be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom YOU CRUCIFIED, both Lord and Christ!” (Acts 2:36) We see here that it wasn’t just the religious leadership who was liable for Christ’s death, it was the whole nation of Israel. It was all those Jewish visitors to and residents of Jerusalem who stood along the Via Dolorosa crying out for His blood. Imagine that! God’s chosen people blew it that badly! They took the life of their own Messiah! Then there’s some who would point the finger of blame at Rome. The wrath of man was evident here as well. Rome was plain sick and tired of all the upheaval going on in Israel. After all, wasn’t it in Pilate’s power to stop the proceedings? Surely it was his fault for not declaring a mistrial wasn’t it? There’s no way that a simple act of cleansing his hands in a basin of water absolved him of responsibility for allowing capital punishment to be dealt to an unconvicted man. So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? ANGRY MEN DID!
IN IGNORANCE, WE SINNERS PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS.
“He Himself bore OUR SINS in His own body on the tree”. 1 Pet. 2:24
When the blame game is over, one sure fact remains …WE put Jesus on that cross. WE’RE the ones who have sinned, making His death a necessity in the first place. Says who? Says Peter, the once wavering but later stable man of God. If anyone is suited for this assessment, it’s Peter. He knew firsthand what it meant to sin against the Lord. When we sin, we can’t see the Lord physically, but Peter did when he publicly denied Jesus in plain view of the Savior! Although his repentance and restoration were complete, the fact remains, Peter sold out on Jesus in the hour of trial. Why do you think he wept so bitterly? His betrayal devastated him once he’d realized he had reneged on his best friend. I’ve never been in such a quagmire, but we can be sure, it was pure emotional and spiritual agony. In Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion”, Peter is depicted as being so ashamed that he could no longer even speak to the other followers of the Lord. He just ran away. So how do we react when we discover that our sins put Jesus on that cross? Do we take the path of denying any personal responsibility? Do we mutter a quick “Sorry ’bout that Lord”? Or do we finally grasp the gravity of our actions against Him? Something to mull over during this Lenten season. Perhaps in reading this article, you’ve realized that you’ve never come to the place in your life where you’ve owned up to your sins and failings. Never really stopped to seriously consider that awesome price that was paid for your forgiveness. Never really took advantage of receiving God’s pardon through Jesus Christ. Well, there’s no better time than the present. If you’ve yet to confess and turn from your sins, please do so today. So just who was it that put Jesus on the Cross? YOU AND I DID! My sins and your sins did! Let’s not repeat the mistake of crying for Jesus, as some did at the foot of the cross. Instead we should mourn over and repent of our own sins, and then receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Anything less will make His death for you in vain! As one hymn writer puts it: “Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee. ‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee: I crucified thee.”
The Good News doesn’t end on the note of a crucified man, but on a Risen Savior! It would be foolish to ask anyone to follow a dead man, but a Risen Saviour, now THAT’S Someone worth FOLLOWING! Three short days after Jesus’ lynching He rose from that borrowed tomb, and forty days after that He ascended into Heaven!
All who trust in Him will likewise rise and ascend to be with Him in glory forever!
At The Crossroads Of The Cross
At The Crossroads Of The Cross
John R. Petrilli
Each year we welcome the Easter season with open arms anticipating the warmer temperatures and renewal that so fittingly parallel this holiday’s theme of resurrection to new life. As natural life revives in full bloom, we’re visually reminded of history’s defining moment, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I’ve noticed some reluctance in the church to spend much time on the bad day that preceded that great day. But can we ever fully enter into the joy of that glorious Sunday until we’ve passed through the grief of that notorious Friday? The cross of Jesus Christ was, in so many ways, a crossroads. It was the place where heaven intersected earth, the juncture where God met man, the location where judgment kissed mercy, the thoroughfare where the powers of good collided with the minions of hell and the spot where time touched eternity. Isaiah, God’s princely prophet, provides a blow-by-blow description of the passion, and then ends on the exhilarating note of ultimate and total resurrection victory. Come with me to a crossroad. Indeed, to THE crossroad of the Cross.
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENCOUNTERED THE EPITOME OF HUMAN CRUELTY. Isaiah 52:14
Abuse has unfortunately reached epidemic proportions in our culture. Whether it’s physical, social, or verbal, abuse leaves its victims wounded, crippled, and sometimes scarred for life. In the world of boxing sports commentators sometimes use the phrase “beaten beyond recognition” to describe the battered face of the losing fighter. Unpleasant as it may be, that is precisely how the prophet Isaiah described Jesus appearance as He hung on the cross. Contrary to most mild depictions, the Man of Sorrows was truly beaten beyond recognition. In his film, The Passion, Mel Gibson tried to correct this inaccurate picture by intentionally pulling out all the stops to show a much more true-to-life version of the bruised, beaten, broken and bloodied body of Jesus. Christ entered the ring against the devil’s clan, but elected to reserve His knockout punch for a later place and time. Instead He humbled Himself and took every blow that wicked crowd could land on Him that dreadful day (Philippians 2:8). Isaiah’s post-bout medical report states that Christ’s face was, “marred more than any man”. Now that’s quite a comparative statement when one considers that the culture of Jesus’ day was overtly brutal. Yet Isaiah says that no man had ever sustained the kind of pummeling that our Lord did. In short, the pre-cross beating Jesus sustained left Him looking like something other than a human being … shocking, but true! Isaiah says that the disfigurement was complete from head to toe. His visage (face) and His form (body) no longer resembled that of a human being! We tend to focus on the nails, the death by asphyxiation, the spear. But the whipping and pounding themselves were almost enough to take Him out. How much he suffered for us … for me … for YOU!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS EXPERIENCED THE ISOLATION OF TOTAL REJECTION. Isaiah 53:3-4
In his song, Alone Again, Naturally, singer/songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan communicates something of the depth of despair we feel when a friend or loved one seems to have slipped through our fingers like sand. Being alone was never God’s design (Gen. 2:18). We’re so made for fellowship and relationship that without it our lives quickly become empty and meaningless. Sometimes isolation is self-inflicted, while at other times it just enters our lives as an unwelcome guest. Jesus’ rejection was prefigured or at least previewed in the life of Job. This man of antiquity endured a loss so total it was palpable. Few of us will ever enter the dark valley that man travelled through. More amazing, he did so without the support or comfort of his family and friends (Job 19:14-19). Like Job, the Psalmist also experienced a period of isolated pain with no one to show him the milk of human kindness and empathy (Psalm 88:18). The reasons we sometimes suffer in solitary silence will someday be answered when we “know even as we are known” (1 Cor. 13:12b). Our text informs us that Jesus had to go it alone on that day in history when one man sustained the very worst abuse humanity could dish out. Perhaps He drew some relief from those on Golgotha’s Way who wept aloud (Luke 23:26-31), but even then He gave comfort instead of simply receiving it. Or maybe His sighting of those family members and friends at the base of the cross gave Him the strength He needed to see death through to its intended end (John 19:25-27). Other than that, there was nothing but mocking, spitting, raging and cursing for the condemned Man of Galilee. As Werner von Braun astutely observes, “When God became a man Himself, the experience proved to be nothing short of pure agony. In man’s time-honored fashion, they would unleash a whole arsenal of weapons against Him: misrepresentation, slander, and accusation of treason. The stage was set for a situation without parallel in the history of the earth. God would visit creatures and they would nail Him to the cross!” Anyone going through a time of rejection can come to Him for comfort today, right now, because rejection is something He knows all about.
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENTERED THE BLACK HOLE OF COMPLETE SPIRITUAL SEPARATION FROM THE FATHER. Isaiah 53:5-6
People who are forced by circumstance to part with a loved one for a time sometimes undergo what has been called “separation anxiety”. It’s a condition of great stress mingled with a very real sense of grief and loss. Sometimes we experience complete parting from another that can cause the onset of a most extreme form of separation anxiety. That’s what the cross really boils down to. Not only did Jesus suffer immeasurable physical abuse, but, more importantly, He sustained the unbearable pain of total spiritual separation from the Father. That’s what sin’s penalty of death really is. Death is separation. Physical death separates body from spirit and soul. Spiritual death separates spirit and soul from God forever. Jesus’ separation from the Father was real and total (Mark 15:34). Our sins sent Him into a black hole of absolute spiritual darkness (2 Cor. 5:21). He passed through the darkest night of the soul ever ventured upon. Think about that! Jesus experienced a total spiritual blackout that left Him completely shut out from God’s presence. On that cross He heroically and willingly bore the indescribable pain of eternal separation from God that each of us deserves. On that cross he also absorbed the aggregate penalty of all sinners who’ve ever lived! He accepted the death penalty of eternal separation from God for all men for all time (Heb. 2:9). Jesus took our hell so we could enjoy His heaven! At Calvary Jesus changed forever our status with God from arch enemies to intimate friends (Romans 5:10). Hallelujah! What a Savior!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENDURED THE HEIGHT OF PERSONAL INJUSTICE. Isaiah 53:7-9
Our news programs frequently report stories of how convicted criminals who’ve already served-out decades of jail time are proven innocent as a result of DNA evidence. We lament over the unintentional yet very real injustice of it all. That inmate lost the prime of their life! No career, no children. Unjust as that may be, it pales in comparison to the injustice endured by Jesus on Good Friday. Sometimes we get all bent out of shape when the driver ahead of us cuts us off or the driver behind us won’t let us change lanes. We cry “FOUL!” But our “injustices” seem trivial when compared to the trial, sentencing, and execution of Jesus Christ. Now THAT was injustice! He was illegally arrested, yet offered no resistance. His rights were ignored, yet He made no protest. He was tried under false charges, yet made no self-defense. He was accused by false witnesses, yet remained silent. As Peter would later reflect, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats; instead He entrusted Himself to Him Who Judges JUSTLY” (1 Peter 2:23). If ever there was the lynching of an innocent man, it was the capital execution carried out on Jesus Christ. Indeed, even a non-believing, idol-worshipping Roman governor declared Him free from any culpability. Bottom line? They killed an innocent man!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS SMASHED THE GATES OF HELL AND FLUNG OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN! Isaiah 53:10-12 ; 52:13
Two monumental things occurred the very second Jesus died. First, Satan and the spiritual tyrants of the universe were exposed, neutralized, disabled and destroyed (Colossians 2:13-15, Message). Secondly, the veil of the Temple was ripped in two, fully exposing the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelt (Matthew 27:51). This was a symbolic sign from Heaven that Christ’s death had secured unprecedented, direct access to God for every one who believes … forever (Hebrews 10:19-22). Up until this point, we’ve worked through some of the necessary yet unpleasant and gruesome aspects of the crucifixion of Christ. Now it’s time to turn the corner and look at the splendid outcome of all that pain, suffering and injustice. The great news is that all that darkness was broken by the daylight the following morning. In the soft light of daybreak that same Jesus came back to life! He exited that cold, damp tomb, official government seal and crack Roman troops notwithstanding. Isaiah says that this was God’s plan all along. With the death penalty for our sins spoken for, Jesus rose triumphant from that grave! It gets even better. Isaiah indicates that God’s wrath against sin was satisfied as He looked upon His crucified Son: “He [the Father] will see the travail of His [the Son’s] soul, and will be satisfied.” Perhaps when Jesus watches each new soul step across the threshold into glory He says, “All that I suffered was worth it!” How will we ever be able to express our thanks to Him for such a sacrifice on our behalf? One way is to win others to the Lord, thus making His sacrifice effectual. Count Zinzendorf, leader of the legendary nineteenth-century Moravian Missionary movement, used his own take on Isaiah 53:11 to describe the Great Commission: “To win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His suffering.” The fact of the matter is, all eternity won’t even come close to being long enough to exhaust our “Thank You’s” to Him! Have YOU thanked Him by telling others what He did on their behalf?
Life has its share of crossroads. When we come to a crossroad it’s decision time. Do we continue straight ahead, turn to the left, turn to the right, or entirely reverse our direction? At the crossroads of the cross we find ourselves faced with the decision of a lifetime. There’s no neutral ground here. A decision is necessary. Do we say “Yes” to God’s offer of forgiveness, or turn and head our own way? We here at the Good News Paper hope you’ll choose the former because we KNOW that when you let Him enter your life, He’ll make you into the great person you were created to be. What better time than Easter to make that life-changing decision! Happy and blessed Easter to all!
John R. Petrilli
Each year we welcome the Easter season with open arms anticipating the warmer temperatures and renewal that so fittingly parallel this holiday’s theme of resurrection to new life. As natural life revives in full bloom, we’re visually reminded of history’s defining moment, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I’ve noticed some reluctance in the church to spend much time on the bad day that preceded that great day. But can we ever fully enter into the joy of that glorious Sunday until we’ve passed through the grief of that notorious Friday? The cross of Jesus Christ was, in so many ways, a crossroads. It was the place where heaven intersected earth, the juncture where God met man, the location where judgment kissed mercy, the thoroughfare where the powers of good collided with the minions of hell and the spot where time touched eternity. Isaiah, God’s princely prophet, provides a blow-by-blow description of the passion, and then ends on the exhilarating note of ultimate and total resurrection victory. Come with me to a crossroad. Indeed, to THE crossroad of the Cross.
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENCOUNTERED THE EPITOME OF HUMAN CRUELTY. Isaiah 52:14
Abuse has unfortunately reached epidemic proportions in our culture. Whether it’s physical, social, or verbal, abuse leaves its victims wounded, crippled, and sometimes scarred for life. In the world of boxing sports commentators sometimes use the phrase “beaten beyond recognition” to describe the battered face of the losing fighter. Unpleasant as it may be, that is precisely how the prophet Isaiah described Jesus appearance as He hung on the cross. Contrary to most mild depictions, the Man of Sorrows was truly beaten beyond recognition. In his film, The Passion, Mel Gibson tried to correct this inaccurate picture by intentionally pulling out all the stops to show a much more true-to-life version of the bruised, beaten, broken and bloodied body of Jesus. Christ entered the ring against the devil’s clan, but elected to reserve His knockout punch for a later place and time. Instead He humbled Himself and took every blow that wicked crowd could land on Him that dreadful day (Philippians 2:8). Isaiah’s post-bout medical report states that Christ’s face was, “marred more than any man”. Now that’s quite a comparative statement when one considers that the culture of Jesus’ day was overtly brutal. Yet Isaiah says that no man had ever sustained the kind of pummeling that our Lord did. In short, the pre-cross beating Jesus sustained left Him looking like something other than a human being … shocking, but true! Isaiah says that the disfigurement was complete from head to toe. His visage (face) and His form (body) no longer resembled that of a human being! We tend to focus on the nails, the death by asphyxiation, the spear. But the whipping and pounding themselves were almost enough to take Him out. How much he suffered for us … for me … for YOU!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS EXPERIENCED THE ISOLATION OF TOTAL REJECTION. Isaiah 53:3-4
In his song, Alone Again, Naturally, singer/songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan communicates something of the depth of despair we feel when a friend or loved one seems to have slipped through our fingers like sand. Being alone was never God’s design (Gen. 2:18). We’re so made for fellowship and relationship that without it our lives quickly become empty and meaningless. Sometimes isolation is self-inflicted, while at other times it just enters our lives as an unwelcome guest. Jesus’ rejection was prefigured or at least previewed in the life of Job. This man of antiquity endured a loss so total it was palpable. Few of us will ever enter the dark valley that man travelled through. More amazing, he did so without the support or comfort of his family and friends (Job 19:14-19). Like Job, the Psalmist also experienced a period of isolated pain with no one to show him the milk of human kindness and empathy (Psalm 88:18). The reasons we sometimes suffer in solitary silence will someday be answered when we “know even as we are known” (1 Cor. 13:12b). Our text informs us that Jesus had to go it alone on that day in history when one man sustained the very worst abuse humanity could dish out. Perhaps He drew some relief from those on Golgotha’s Way who wept aloud (Luke 23:26-31), but even then He gave comfort instead of simply receiving it. Or maybe His sighting of those family members and friends at the base of the cross gave Him the strength He needed to see death through to its intended end (John 19:25-27). Other than that, there was nothing but mocking, spitting, raging and cursing for the condemned Man of Galilee. As Werner von Braun astutely observes, “When God became a man Himself, the experience proved to be nothing short of pure agony. In man’s time-honored fashion, they would unleash a whole arsenal of weapons against Him: misrepresentation, slander, and accusation of treason. The stage was set for a situation without parallel in the history of the earth. God would visit creatures and they would nail Him to the cross!” Anyone going through a time of rejection can come to Him for comfort today, right now, because rejection is something He knows all about.
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENTERED THE BLACK HOLE OF COMPLETE SPIRITUAL SEPARATION FROM THE FATHER. Isaiah 53:5-6
People who are forced by circumstance to part with a loved one for a time sometimes undergo what has been called “separation anxiety”. It’s a condition of great stress mingled with a very real sense of grief and loss. Sometimes we experience complete parting from another that can cause the onset of a most extreme form of separation anxiety. That’s what the cross really boils down to. Not only did Jesus suffer immeasurable physical abuse, but, more importantly, He sustained the unbearable pain of total spiritual separation from the Father. That’s what sin’s penalty of death really is. Death is separation. Physical death separates body from spirit and soul. Spiritual death separates spirit and soul from God forever. Jesus’ separation from the Father was real and total (Mark 15:34). Our sins sent Him into a black hole of absolute spiritual darkness (2 Cor. 5:21). He passed through the darkest night of the soul ever ventured upon. Think about that! Jesus experienced a total spiritual blackout that left Him completely shut out from God’s presence. On that cross He heroically and willingly bore the indescribable pain of eternal separation from God that each of us deserves. On that cross he also absorbed the aggregate penalty of all sinners who’ve ever lived! He accepted the death penalty of eternal separation from God for all men for all time (Heb. 2:9). Jesus took our hell so we could enjoy His heaven! At Calvary Jesus changed forever our status with God from arch enemies to intimate friends (Romans 5:10). Hallelujah! What a Savior!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS ENDURED THE HEIGHT OF PERSONAL INJUSTICE. Isaiah 53:7-9
Our news programs frequently report stories of how convicted criminals who’ve already served-out decades of jail time are proven innocent as a result of DNA evidence. We lament over the unintentional yet very real injustice of it all. That inmate lost the prime of their life! No career, no children. Unjust as that may be, it pales in comparison to the injustice endured by Jesus on Good Friday. Sometimes we get all bent out of shape when the driver ahead of us cuts us off or the driver behind us won’t let us change lanes. We cry “FOUL!” But our “injustices” seem trivial when compared to the trial, sentencing, and execution of Jesus Christ. Now THAT was injustice! He was illegally arrested, yet offered no resistance. His rights were ignored, yet He made no protest. He was tried under false charges, yet made no self-defense. He was accused by false witnesses, yet remained silent. As Peter would later reflect, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats; instead He entrusted Himself to Him Who Judges JUSTLY” (1 Peter 2:23). If ever there was the lynching of an innocent man, it was the capital execution carried out on Jesus Christ. Indeed, even a non-believing, idol-worshipping Roman governor declared Him free from any culpability. Bottom line? They killed an innocent man!
AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE CROSS JESUS SMASHED THE GATES OF HELL AND FLUNG OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN! Isaiah 53:10-12 ; 52:13
Two monumental things occurred the very second Jesus died. First, Satan and the spiritual tyrants of the universe were exposed, neutralized, disabled and destroyed (Colossians 2:13-15, Message). Secondly, the veil of the Temple was ripped in two, fully exposing the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelt (Matthew 27:51). This was a symbolic sign from Heaven that Christ’s death had secured unprecedented, direct access to God for every one who believes … forever (Hebrews 10:19-22). Up until this point, we’ve worked through some of the necessary yet unpleasant and gruesome aspects of the crucifixion of Christ. Now it’s time to turn the corner and look at the splendid outcome of all that pain, suffering and injustice. The great news is that all that darkness was broken by the daylight the following morning. In the soft light of daybreak that same Jesus came back to life! He exited that cold, damp tomb, official government seal and crack Roman troops notwithstanding. Isaiah says that this was God’s plan all along. With the death penalty for our sins spoken for, Jesus rose triumphant from that grave! It gets even better. Isaiah indicates that God’s wrath against sin was satisfied as He looked upon His crucified Son: “He [the Father] will see the travail of His [the Son’s] soul, and will be satisfied.” Perhaps when Jesus watches each new soul step across the threshold into glory He says, “All that I suffered was worth it!” How will we ever be able to express our thanks to Him for such a sacrifice on our behalf? One way is to win others to the Lord, thus making His sacrifice effectual. Count Zinzendorf, leader of the legendary nineteenth-century Moravian Missionary movement, used his own take on Isaiah 53:11 to describe the Great Commission: “To win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His suffering.” The fact of the matter is, all eternity won’t even come close to being long enough to exhaust our “Thank You’s” to Him! Have YOU thanked Him by telling others what He did on their behalf?
Life has its share of crossroads. When we come to a crossroad it’s decision time. Do we continue straight ahead, turn to the left, turn to the right, or entirely reverse our direction? At the crossroads of the cross we find ourselves faced with the decision of a lifetime. There’s no neutral ground here. A decision is necessary. Do we say “Yes” to God’s offer of forgiveness, or turn and head our own way? We here at the Good News Paper hope you’ll choose the former because we KNOW that when you let Him enter your life, He’ll make you into the great person you were created to be. What better time than Easter to make that life-changing decision! Happy and blessed Easter to all!
Centurion’s Cross
Centurion’s Cross
John R. Petrilli
Beaten beyond measure,
Heaven-sent treasure,
Hung on a tree,
For folks like you and me.
Suspended from earth,
Disconnected from heaven,
Entered black darkness,
Totally forsaken.
Cries, “It is finished!”,
Surrenders in peace,
The pain’s all over,
Just quiet release.
Foot soldier’s frightened,
Can’t believe what he’s seen,
Was this really happening,
Or was it a dream?
He stands at the cross,
Where the Son of God dies,
Scarcely able to process,
What he’s seen with his eyes.
He searches for words,
As he gropes for the truth,
Then spontaneously acknowledges,
God just visited earth!
John R. Petrilli
Beaten beyond measure,
Heaven-sent treasure,
Hung on a tree,
For folks like you and me.
Suspended from earth,
Disconnected from heaven,
Entered black darkness,
Totally forsaken.
Cries, “It is finished!”,
Surrenders in peace,
The pain’s all over,
Just quiet release.
Foot soldier’s frightened,
Can’t believe what he’s seen,
Was this really happening,
Or was it a dream?
He stands at the cross,
Where the Son of God dies,
Scarcely able to process,
What he’s seen with his eyes.
He searches for words,
As he gropes for the truth,
Then spontaneously acknowledges,
God just visited earth!
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