SIFTED LIKE WHEAT

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I can't help but wonder who it was who was arguing over who the greatest might be among the disciples. If Peter was involved, then this next scene may be a most appropriate one to get him back on track.

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

 NOTE Jesus uses the plural here at first when describing the sifting process. He is saying, "Simon, Satan has asked to sift y'all like wheat. The sifting is about to happen to all of the disciples. Sifting was a familiar process of separating the wheat kernel from its shell, using a sieve. No doubt Jesus is strongly implying a painful process of being shaken spiritually that these disciples will face.

I think the next statement is so interesting. Jesus says, "But I have prayed for you." You can almost hear Peter's thoughts saying, "Pray for me? Can't you protect me from this sifting?" This, in itself, is an interesting principle. I summarized it for years by saying THE BEST WAY OUT IS THROUGH. The Lord normally doesn't protect us by baling us out of some trouble, but enables us to get through it-and come out the other end of this tunnel of trials better for it.

NOTE what Jesus prayed: That your faith may not fail. This literally means "that your faith may not totally eclipse" as you go through this upcoming sifting-that you will not be destroyed through it all.

When Peter was told that he was going to deny Jesus, he immediately rejected this prediction. He said, "Jesus, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." But Jesus specifies more clearly that Peter would actually deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows today.

Remember, Peter has been at the top and at the bottom so many times. Now, after he and the disciples were blessed by Jesus as He conferred the Kingdom on them, it is time for maybe the toughest of all times. Jesus predicted Peter's denial and it actually happened in the way He said it would. This was unthinkable to Peter!

Even though Jesus predicts Peter's denial of Him, He doesn't leave him at the bottom. He has a confidence that Peter will come back and get his life back together. Jesus says, "When you have turned back, then you will be able to strengthen your brothers." Jesus is not speaking to all of the disciples with a ya'll here, but is now talking to Peter only.

ONE MORE THING: Whatever else is meant and understood by Satan demanding to sift the disciples like wheat, there is a definite warning for us today. The devil's desire is to shake you up and take you through so much pain and trouble that your faith will totally eclipse or fade out. But Jesus' intent is two-fold when this happens: FIRST-That you might turn to God through this difficult time. SECOND-That through this experience you will learn to strengthen your brothers.

"Demon-possession" in the Scriptures is an unfortunate translation. It is better rendered demonized. To demonize a person is when the devil directly affects your life. There seem to be three progressive levels of demonization. FIRST-HARASSMENT. This usually happens through shooting lies or destructive thoughts into your mind. Have you ever had a thought pop into your mind that is so evil, so destructive, so way out that you have never thought before? I think this is a good illustration of harassment from evil.

SECOND-INFLUENCE. When you buy into the negative and destructive thoughts that are fired into you mind, you are then ready to be influenced by this evil. This is what I believe Jesus is describing with "sifting like wheat."

THIRD-CONTROL. If you buy into the harassment, allow yourself to be influenced in your thinking and behavior, then you tend to be controlled by this evil.

The most insidious thing about this process of demonization of believers and non-believers is how the devil attempts to deceive us. He plants these horrible, destructive thoughts in your mind, tries to move you along in their grip, even to the point of control, and then accuses you for having these thoughts and behaviors. So many of these lies and thoughts are set in a counterfeit motif. For instance, the devil rarely appears in a red suit with horns, long tale and a spear. However, the devil shows up as something or someone good.

So, how can you resist the process of demonization in your own life? The only thing I've been able come to is summarized in this statement and is worthy for your consideration: THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THE COUNTERFEIT IS TO KNOW THE GENUINE VERY WELL. And, I would say that all that you need to know about the genuine is found in Jesus, personally. Hang on to Jesus and hang out with those who are following Him. There's no better defense, anywhere!

WHO IS THE GREATEST

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Remember earlier in the gospel of Luke after the disciples had been on a field trip where they participated in healings, saw a leper healed, distributed the food the day Jesus fed 5000 and some of them saw Jesus in all of His glory at the transfiguration, and THEN they began to grumble among themselves on who was the greatest? Well, in this passage during Jesus' last week of ministry on earth, they are up to it again.
 
A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials.

Now think about this. This time the disciples are in a most grave dinner scene where Jesus has just revealed to them at the Passover meal that one of them is about to betray Him. And in the midst of this tension and seriousness, a conflict breaks out again about who of the disciples is the greatest.

The human disease continues to run rampant today. It's the disease of self-centeredness and selfishness. It's all about positioning and competition around the wrong thing for the wrong reason.
 
And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus then says that He is giving these disciples the responsibility of living and carrying out the Kingdom lifestyle to the world. You see, the Kingdom lifestyle is inside out and upside down. Instead of finding greatness by pushing and positioning yourself as a leader, try being a servant. Leadership and greatness emerge out of serving others. We call it servant leadership. That's the Kingdom way!

NOTE one more thing here that's most encouraging. Here are these disciples participating in all of these embarrassing conflicts with one another to become greater than the other in the Kingdom, yet it's this very week that Jesus promotes them in an interesting way. In Jesus' prayer to the Father, the real Lord's prayer in John 17, Jesus pronounces these stumble bums as passing the test of faith. He says that they have come to believe, have accepted and have learned to obey the message the Father sent through Jesus. This is what Jesus reported to the Father in this prayer. These who, when they have time on their hands, in the most inopportune time still let their self-centeredness and immaturity show. Do you know what this means? It means that there is a lot of hope for you-and for me. Jesus sees through our weaknesses and idiosyncrasies and sees our potential of being faithful, obedient followers of Him. When I look in the mirror and see myself, I tend to become a little depressed. But when Jesus looks at me, He sees me in the most positive light ever. I think I'll go with His viewpoint. That feels so much better. How about you?

THE COVENANT SUPPER

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We finally come to the Passover meal Jesus is going to eat with His disciples.
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there."  
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
 
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

NOTE what Jesus says about the Kingdom. Remember, according to Jesus the Kingdom is already present. However, this presence of the Kingdom now is gradually coming upon the earth. Now, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom fulfillment in the future. Clearly, the Kingdom is gradual and later when Jesus returns, the Kingdom will be in its fullest form.
 
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!" They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

The Passover dinner that Jesus is eating with His disciples has special significance. Since the miraculous event in Egypt when the death angel "passed over" the Jewish homes that were covered by the blood of a lamb, the Jews faithfully observed this Passover feast.

This is possibly the most prominent of the Jewish feasts that has kept the Jewish people going throughout the centuries. It's a dinner of instruction for the children to be told of the freedom God brought upon the Jewish people and removed them from their oppressive captivity.

This dinner is actually a telling of the story of that freedom with a future look toward ultimate freedom through the Messiah someday. In the 31st chapter of Jeremiah God promised that He would someday make a new covenant with His people with a Law that is written, not on stones, but on their hearts. And God was to do this by providing His special lamb for the world.

The entire dinner speaks of the history of the Jewish people and looks forward to the Messiah's coming, the Holy One. At one point in the dinner the youngest is sent to the door to see if Elijah has come to sit at his place of honor at the table. You see, when Elijah shows, he will be introducing the coming of the Messiah.

The Passover celebration is a picture of the Messiah. Now, Jesus presents Himself as the One they have been celebrating all along through the Passover feast.

What's interesting is that the Christians have taken the Passover celebration and changed its name and purpose. They use terms such as the "last supper" or "communion"-neither designation is Biblical. A better term might be the "covenant" supper or simply call it the Passover. It is filled with great meaning and is indeed a beautiful picture of freedom from all slavery and ultimate freedom through God's Messiah.

Jesus so desired to eat this Passover with His disciples so that He, the Passover Lamb, might make a covenant with them. That covenant was to bind Him to them and they to Him until He was to return. And today, the covenant supper binds us to one another and to Him until He returns. This is why we are told, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, we are to do it in remembrance of Him, UNTIL HE RETURNS." This is our covenant. This is our hope.

NOTE one more thing here. This covenant was made with the disciples just before the saddest days of their lives. This is precisely why they needed this special covenant with their Lord. And, you know what, this is why we desperately need to be in covenant with Jesus and with one another today. This covenant is the only protection we have and the only protection you'll ever need as you face the difficult days ahead. I like the way Paul expressed this to the Corinthians: "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." I urge you to take the time to celebrate this feast of freedom. It will mark you. God will mark your hearts with His covenant until He returns.

JESUS AGREES TO BETRAY JESUS

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Judas has to be one of the most enigmatic characters you'll ever observe. He chose to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus chose him to be a follower. He was involved in, at least, two missions of healing and performing miracles. He was on the inside of the inner 12 and had been chosen to be the group's treasurer. Then at the Passover season, when the opportunity presented itself for him to deliver Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leadership, he seized upon the moment with the promise of being handsomely paid for it. Let's look at it:
 
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

No doubt Judas was following Jesus as were the others with a political motive, but he seems to embrace that image more than the others. He was watching the money bag and he knew all of the inner workings of the group. He probably had many thoughts as to how this movement was going to go and grow. 

However, when he saw that the movement was not gaining the proper endorsements from the Jewish leadership and the tide of opinion of those who could make the decisions for the nation was all going against Jesus, Judas was wide open to a better deal.

It was a little thing at first. But then when we come to the story of John 12 where Mary was "wasting" the expensive perfume on Jesus, that seems to be the straw that changed everything. Think of it this way:

Sow a thought and reap a deed; Sow a deed and reap a character; Sow a character and reap a destiny.

It was a little seed that was sown in Judas, but it grew. Judas became a traitor the same way any of us may become a traitor to Jesus-by compromising secretly in the mind just that one time too many. It's also difficult to know how his background played into this. Judas was the only one of the Twelve who was not from Galilee. He was from the south near Jerusalem.

NOTE that in John 13 Jesus washed the feet of Judas as He did the others. He didn't discriminate against him. In fact, theoretically, Judas might have changed his mind after this dramatic act of love and servitude Jesus displayed.

NOTE a few observations: FIRST-You can take comfort in the fact that when you choose someone to come alongside, you may lose this person as did Jesus.

SECOND-Theoretically, anyone of the disciples might have played the role of Judas. But for the grace of God, right? I am convinced that any one of us is capable of doing almost anything at any time. No one is exempt.

THIRD-There are always two ways to go-your way and Jesus' way. When Judas no longer trusted in Jesus' way, he was vulnerable to whatever opportunity presented itself.

You see, Jesus was on a mission no matter how impractical that mission seemed to be. Jesus' ways are not our ways. And no matter how much evidence seems to stack up against what Jesus says to be and to do, His way is the best. Or, to put it more succinctly, HE IS THE WAY. It's not what you believe or what you think is best; it's all about the person of Jesus, the great I AM.

Judas ended his life in a pile of depression. He made the fatal mistake of trying to make something of his life without Jesus, therefore he lost his way and his self-esteem was obliterated. When he stopped following Jesus, he lost his way and his identity. This reminds me of a most profound saying, "You cannot know who you are, until you know whose you are."

PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

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NOW, Jesus seems to move toward the subject of the end of the world. NOTE the cataclysmic nature of the signs:
 
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
 
He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree. He is saying that just as leaves on a fig tree signify that summer is near, so, too, when you see these signs happening, you can know that the Kingdom of God in all its fullness is near.

As we have been discussing, most everything Jesus teaches and is concerned about is about the Kingdom. We have come to believe that Jesus introduced the Kingdom when He came saying, "The Kingdom is here, near and among you." He instructed His disciples to pray, "Thy Kingdom come." However, even though the Kingdom is present through Jesus, the King of kings, we are seeing the Kingdom and its effects emerging gradually. And, someday we will experience the Kingdom in its fullness. This is what Jesus is referring to here.
 
"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

What does Jesus mean "this generation" will not pass away until all of these signs have happened? Well, "generation" could mean several things. It could mean simply descendants, a group of people born at the same time, or a period of time. So, "this generation" could mean the people living in Jesus' day and they will see the fulfillment of the tragic fall of Jerusalem. Another popular view is that "this generation" means the Jewish people will not be destroyed and will exist right to the end.

The answer to "this generation" is certainly not clear. I tend to think Jesus is saying that the generation that sees these cataclysmic signs will also see the end of the world. And, He goes on to point out that the heavens and the earth will pass away but His word would endure forever.
 
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
 
Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

Jesus ends His remarks about the signs of the destruction of the Temple and the signs of the end of the world. He warns BE CAREFUL. It's so easy to slip into the world system and have no thought that this will all come to an end. And, if you do, you will not be ready for the coming of the King and His Kingdom in all of its fullness. All of a sudden these events could come upon us and we get caught by surprise. I'm reminded about 9/11 and how quickly all commerce and virtually all of life in the USA came to a screeching halt.

The application here for us is that no one knows when the end of the world will come. It will come like a thief in the night and many will be shocked and surprised. So, He says, be prayerful that you will be able to escape all of these disasters and you will be able to stand before the Son of Man when He comes.

It seems to me to be watchful and prayerful means to be aware of what God is doing among us in this world. Through this awareness we will be ready for whatever may come at the end of the world. This is why it's so critical for us to continue walking with Jesus and with one another as we learn what it means to love one another and to walk the Kingdom lifestyle. So, how about you? How's it going? Would you say that you are ready-watching and praying?