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The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered. – Matthew 26:62-65

Jesus here seems to seal his fate. He knew that the moment he admits he is the Son of God, he is a dead man. He goes a step beyond the “yes” answer and tells them they will see him at the right hand of God. Done deal.

So what was it that made Jesus decide in that moment to seal his future? He knew that once the words had been spoken, his future was determined. What made him decide in that moment?

Nothing. He had already decided it.

Just prior to this Jesus was in the garden and had wrestled with God. It was there that the decision had been made.

2 things I see here:

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When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. – I Cor 2:1-5

Paul is giving instruction to a church. Among other things, there seems to have been some division on who the church was following. Some were saying they were better than others because the were baptized by this person or that. They were influenced by a certain person, so they must be better. They must be right.

Paul just lays it down. The messengers are nothing, the wisdom is nothing. The real deal is Jesus. Period. Nothing more.

The recent stuff with Ted Haggard has hit me pretty hard. I have met Ted, read a book he wrote, been to his church, even talked briefly one afternoon with one of his staff.

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 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Mark 4:18

Jesus had just told a story to the disciples. Some people will hear about God and totally embrace it. Some will embrace it for a short season, and others not at all. What gives? Here Jesus says that three things come in direct conflict with the growth of the kingdom in our lives.

1. Worries of life.
2. Thinking money can solve everything.
3. Desiring other things.

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I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. Acts 26:19

Paul is in the middle of a trial. After two years in prison, he is before King Agrippa, recounting his story and his defense. As he spoke, he mentioned that he told people they should prove their commitment by the things they do.

It’s easy to make a decision and not follow through. I wonder if we make it too easy to be a follower of Jesus. Come on, pray this prayer and get this thing done. It’s the most important decision you will ever make. I know you just stopped by for a cheeseburger, but how about you accept Christ right now, with little thought? The result is a life with no deeds. I mean, what if I proposed marriage with such little thought. Shouldn’t it be a well thought-out decision? When I meet people who have wrestled with the decision and made a commitment to Christ, I usually don’t have to ask them if they are a follower. It shows by what they do. There entire life is wrapped around the thought out commitment that they made. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

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this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. – Ezra 7:6

Ezra is about to set out on a mission from the king. Because the hand of God was on Ezra, the king gave him everything he asked for. But he had to ask.

I find myself praying that God would give me favor. Sometimes that’s as far as my actions go.

“God, give me favor here or there.”

“God, I really think you might be leading me here, so show me favor by making something happen.”

Then I sit. I wait. And nothing happens. Then I figure that it is not in God’s plans. Must not be in his interest to favor me in this way. But I never ask. I don’t take any action. I don’t move ahead to see if the favor is there, I just stop and wait for some . . . some something to happen. Life wastes away.

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