Dr. John Reddy

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Jesus Christ died for our sins...and three days later he was raised to life

“My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say. He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say. Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After this, he appeared to more than five hundred other followers.
Most of them are still alive, but some have died. He also appeared to James, and then to all of the apostles. Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle...” [1 Corinthians 15: 1-8]

Jesus Christ died for our sins...and three days later he was raised to life

Paul reminds them of the good news which he had preached. This was not a new doctrine for the Corinthians, but it was necessary that they should be reminded of it at this critical time. It was this gospel by which the Corinthians had been saved. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don’t, your faith was all for nothing.
To Paul, the resurrection was fundamental. Without it there was no Christianity. Paul had delivered to the Corinthians the message which he had also received by divine revelation.
The first cardinal doctrine of that message was that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He died for our sins. He died to pay the penalty that our sins deserved.
Dear friend, do you believe with all your heart that Christ Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again on the third day? Confess your sins to Him and accept Him as your personal Savior and you will be saved.

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?"

“Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, "Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death....But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. ” [Luke 24:12]

Empty Tomb

" Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
    waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

    Up from the grave he arose;
    with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
    he arose a victor from the dark domain,
    and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
    He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!" .

Friday, April 6, 2012

Pilate's Verdict: “NOT GUILTY, still Condemned”

“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” [John 19:7-11]

Pilate's Verdict: “NOT GUILTY, still Condemned”

The religious trial was ended, and the civil trial is about to begin. The scene is the hall of judgment or the place of the governor. The Jews did not want to go into the palace of a Gentile. They felt that they would have been defiled and would thus be prevented from eating the Passover. It did not seem to bother them that they were plotting the death of the Son of God. It would have been a tragedy for them to enter a Gentile house, but murder was a mere trifle.

Pilate, the Roman Governor, gave in to the religious scruples of the Jews by going out to where they were. He began the trail by asking them to state the charge against this Prisoner.

Their answer was bold and rude. They said, in effect, that they had already tried the case and found Him guilty. All they wanted Pilate to do was to pronounce the sentence.

Pilate tried to evade responsibility and throw it back on the Jews. If they had already tried Jesus and found Him guilty, then why did they not sentence Him according to their law? The answer of the Jews was very significant. They said, in so many words: “We are not an independent nation. We have been taken over by the Roman power. Civil government has been taken from our hands, and we no longer have the authority to put anyone to death.” Jesus had predicted (Matt. 20:19) that He would be delivered up to the Gentiles to be killed. Here the Jews were doing the very thing to Him. In many places, the Lord said that He would be “lifted up” (John 3:14, 8:28; 12:32,34). This referred to death by crucifixion. The Jews used stoning in cases of capital punishment; whereas crucifixion was the Roman method. Thus, by their refusal to carry out the death penalty, the Jews unknowingly fulfilled these two prophecies concerning the Messiah.

Pilate now took Jesus into the Praetorium for a private interview and asked Him point blank—“Are You the King of the Jews?” After the interview, Pilate now hurried to the Jews with the admission that he could find no fault in Jesus at all. It was the custom among the Jews at the Passover to request the release of some Jewish prisoner from the Romans. Pilate seized upon this custom in an effort to please the Jews and at the same time release Jesus.

The scheme failed. The Jews did not want Jesus; they wanted Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber. The wicked heart of man preferred a bandit to the Creator.

It was most unjust for Pilate to scourge an innocent Person. Perhaps he hoped that this punishment would satisfy the Jews and that they would not demand the death of Jesus. Scourging was a Roman form of punishment. The prisoner was beaten with a whip or a rod. The whip had pieces of metal or bone in it, and these cut deep gashes in the flesh.

Pilate then went out again to the mob and announced that he was about to bring Jesus out to them, but He was innocent. Thus Pilate condemned himself by his own words. He found no fault in Christ, yet he would not let Him go.

Pilate was willing to please the Jews, and so he turned Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified. He loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

"I have heard them crying out...."

"I have heard them crying out...." 

Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

In tending the flock of Jethro, Moses learned valuable lessons about leading God's people. When he went to Horeb (Mount Sinai), the Lord appeared to him in a bush that burned with fire but was not consumed.
Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

God reassures Moses that He is the God of his forefathers--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The Lord promised Moses that He would deliver His people from Egypt and bring them into a land of abundance--that is, Canaan--inhabited by the six heather nations.

God was not oblivious to the plight of His people. God heard and remembered and looked upon the children of Israel and acknowledged their condition. God's response was to bring His servant Moses back to Egypt to lead His people out of that land in the mightiest display of power since the creation of the world.

He is the same God, who listens to His children when they cry to Him.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." 

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Since our Father knows the things we have need of, even before we ask Him, then it is reasonable to ask,"Why pray at all?" The reason is that, in prayer we acknowledge our need and dependence on Him. It is the basis of our communicating with God. Also God does things in answer to prayer that He would not have done otherwise.

"You do not have, because you do not ask God." [James 4:2]

“This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

     “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus 

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
What kind of attitude did Jesus Christ exhibit? What characterized His behavior toward others? The mind of Lord Jesus can be described as 1) The selfless mind; 2) The sacrificial mind; 3) The serving mind.
The Lord Jesus consistently thought of others.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
This is marvelous in our eyes! He obeyed even though it cost Him His life. Obedient to the point of death means He obeyed to the end. Truly He was the Merchant who went and sold all that He had to buy the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:46).
Even the death of the cross. Death by crucifixion was the most shameful form of execution. And that was the form of death reserved for heaven’s Best when He came into this world. He did all this for you and me.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When the Savior humbled Himself, God also has highly exalted Him. When He did not see a name for Himself, God has given Him the name which is above every name. When He bent His knees in service to others, God has decreed that every knee shall bow to Him.
We should not exalt ourselves but be the servants of others, that God may exalt us in due time.
Those who do not willingly bow the knee to Him now will one day be compelled to do so. Those who will not be reconciled in the day of His grace will be subjugated in the day of His judgment.

Monday, April 2, 2012

The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

The Triumphal Entry 

Jesus had drawn near to the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives en route to Jerusalem. When he came near to Bethphage and Bethany, He sent two of His disciples into a village to get a colt for His entrance into Jerusalem. He told them exactly where they would find the animal and what the owners would say. After the disciples had explained their mission, the owners seemed quite willing to release their colt for use by Jesus. Perhaps they had been blessed previously by the ministry of the Lord and had offered to be of assistance to Him any time He needed it.

The disciples made a cushion or saddle for the Lord with their own cloths. Many spread their clothes on the road before Him as He ascended from the western base of the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Then with one accord the followers of Jesus burst out in praise for all the mighty works they had seen Him do. They hailed Him as God’s King, and chanted that the effect of His coming was peace in heaven and glory in the highest. It is significant that they cried “Peace in heaven” rather than “Peace on earth.” There could not be peace on earth because the Prince of Peace had been rejected and was on to be slain. But there would be peace in heaven as a result of the impending death of Christ on Calvary’s cross and His ascension to heaven.

The Pharisees were indignant that Jesus should be publicly honored in this way. They suggested that He should rebuke His disciples. But Jesus answered that such acclamation was inevitable. If the disciples wouldn’t do it, the stones would! He thus rebuked the Pharisees for being more hard and unresponsive than the inanimate stones.
Dear friend, do you recognize Jesus Christ as your Savior, who only can save you from eternal damnation?

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” [Luke 19 :37-40]

Jesus rides on a donkey

Sunday, April 1, 2012

"...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done..."

"...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done..." 

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

An additional obligation of the Christian disciple is that he be ready for every good work. Not all job are honorable-some businesses sell products that are harmful to man's spiritual, mental, and physical health. In all good conscience, these occupations should be avoided.

A Christian should speak evil of no one. What oceans of grief and trouble could be avoided if Christians would obey this simple truth to speak evil of no one! We should be peaceable and avoid quarreling. It takes two to generate a dispute.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

God's goodness and loving kindness appeared to us when we were saved. It was a manifestation of these attributes that He would send His beloved Son to die for a world of rebellious sinners.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

The Lord Jesus is also called God our Savior because He paid the necessary penalty in order that we might be pardoned and forgiven. He saved us from the guilt and penalty of all our sings--past, present, and future. They were all future when the Savior died, and His death covered them all.

One of the simplest, clearest truths of the gospel is the most difficult for man to receive. It is the salvation is not based on good works; one doesn't become a Christian by living a Christian life. The consistent testimony of the Bible is that man cannot earn or merit salvation. Man cannot save himself by good works; all his righteous deeds are like filthy rags in God's sight. It is not good people who go to heaven; it is sinners who have been saved by God's grace!

Dear reader, do you trust in your own good works for your salvation, or do you trust in Christ's redemptive work for you on the cross? Are you washed in His precious blood?

Saturday, March 31, 2012

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

"For many are invited, but few are chosen." 

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The man without a wedding garment is one who professes to be ready for the kingdom but who has never been clothed in the righteousness of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Christ, he is speechless when challenged as to his right to enter the kingdom.

Friday, March 30, 2012

"...but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us"

"...but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us" 

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Before Gideon went into battle, he desired a pledge of victory from God.