The
Passed Over
Lamb

Teachings from John 18:37-19:37

The Passed Over Lamb. How many times have you read the account of the arrest and death of Jesus? On this crisp morning the Holy Spirit showed my heart some new “nuggets” in this passage. ThoughtI would share them with you…………….

Look at John 18:37:
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Wow! Jesus is talking about me there. But yet, do I always listen to Him? It was like He was “taking up” for His followers. It is true, as spoken earlier in this same book: Jesus said, if you love Me, you will obey Me. John14:15. Now that sounds like the same thing.

So listen means obey. Do I obey Jesus? My immediate answer is why yes of course I do. Yet the more intently I look into the very Words of our Lord, I find I obey less. It is a startling thing. However, knowing Him more and more allows Him to change you. So might I encourage, admonish, challenge you to listen to Jesus by reading His Word and obey it’s Truths. All of His Truths IN CONTEXT. So you too will be on the “Side of Truth”.

Then the very next verse spoke of the “Untruths” I might say.
Verse 38 says: "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

What stuck out to me so staunchly was that Pilate did not stay to listen for the answer to his question! It just showed inquiry, curiousity, but no heart to really hear The Truth and without the “listen” you can not be on the side of Truth. This is so true today. How many times have I heard a minister/pastor say: Well I got to keep the sermon to 20 or the people won’t listen. Hum………makes ya wonder. I love to hear Truth. I do not have trouble sitting for a long time hearing Truth speaking! That is also the whole thing behind seeker services, programs to draw a crowd, magicians, dances, plays, performances, etc, etc, etc, is to get peoples attention because the simple, unadulterated, undazzled, unplugged, untimed, unboxed, Truth will not keep the attention of the audience that is prefers a performance over The Person.

So the opposite of those who “listen” to Him, which are on the side of Truth. Are t hose who don’t listen and walk away. They may even have curiosity. Perhaps they are on committees at your church. Maybe even teach a Sunday School class, sing in the Choir, maybe even be the pastor, are those who hear but do not Listen! There is a difference.

Verse 39 Points out that the Lamb is right there, but the people pass Him over. They do not even see Him, the Lamb for the very occasion in which they are to celebrate. This is even more depicted to me in verse 31 of chapter 19


In the one simple phrase on thing that jumped out at me. The phrase "the day of Preparation."

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

I thought Oh My, yes, it was a day of Preparation. The Jews were preparing to celebrate the “Pass over”. Yet they sought the “wrong” Lamb! Even after they had tortured Christ and nail pieced His hands and feet. And earth shaking, darkness, dead people rising from the dead and so on………………they were busy getting everything in order for the festivities to come. Thus they wanted to get this killing over with so they could finish their day of preparation! So that everything would be perfect for the festival.

Yet on the same day of Preparation Jesus Christ was preparing for the occasion too. He prepared to be The Lamb but was passed over by those preparing the lamb. Oh how sad that the very occasion that they celebrated the saving of life back when the death angel had passed over them with the blood of a lamb on the door frames, would now condemn those who did not seek The Lamb that would give them eternal life!! They passed over The Lamb at Passover that would make everyone perfect!!

I ask you, do you celebrate what you do not know?

If so, you will be passed over, when The Passover Lamb calls your name at the day of Judgment, because only those on “The Side of Truth” listen to Him!

L.D.W.

The “Lazyboy” Christian

What is the Lazyboy Christian? For many decades the pioneer, and very successful chair maker I might add, has been making extremely comfortable chairs for those of us who like to take life easy. I am sure since these reclining chairs have been in existence many other makers and styles and improvements have been made.

I have one of these chairs. And I love to sink into it and just relax. But I often find myself in an area of sin do to my “laziness” while in the “Lazyboy”. And it most recently occurred to me, how perfect the name of the most comfortable chair is-------a lazyboy. Conviction laid heavy on my heart. It was not that I did a lot of evil in the chair but it was what I wasn’t doing. Many times I have sat there tired and weary so with “true reason” I excused my lazy tendencies. With such clarity God showed me just how much this concept is also a part of the modern day churches today. Here is how:

What one often does while in a “lazyboy”:
à watch TV and/or movies (many times in which they would not watch if Jesus were right there with them--- unfortunately they forget that He is!)
à watch the news --- those who profess “not” to watch TV just watch the news and discovery channel. Just organized/publicized garbage!
à Serf through the TV channels since they feel guilty about stopping at any one station too long. Even the commercials are filthy!
à Read the newspaper--- mostly printed garbage with perhaps a few good things happening (?maybe)
à Read a book, perhaps a good one or perhaps not so good, then no one really knows what you are putting in your mind---the eye to the heart!
à Sleeping when it is not bed time

Whatever your doing - - Does it past the test--

Philipians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

What one does NOT do while in a “lazyboy”:

à These will be different for the man than the
woman. But the chores in which one should be doing. For the man it may mean fixing something in the house or yard work. For the wife it may mean any number of household chores.
à Serving others instead - - we have the tendency to
want to be waited on. We are here to serve others.
à Listen & participate with those around you.
à Be the leader or helpmeet of your family. Many times you won’t because of your self focus/self indulgence.
à Perhaps not get the needed fresh air and exercise
à Get the sweet “floor” time with little ones


These lists really just scratch the surface and are different for each person. However, the comparison I really wanted to make here is this: So very often a man or woman attends a church regularly perhaps two times on Sunday, once on Wednesday, sings in the choir, works once a month in the Nursery, one a few committees and that is their “Christianity”. But then when they get home……………they plop down in the “lazyboy”. They have fulfilled their “duty”. Done with their “Christian Service” they spend the rest of their day and week however they want to. To include a worldly secular version of Christianity is to accept materialism, lust of the eyes, immodesty of many kinds, allowing lowers standards as long as it is rated less than X for movies and many other unrighteous actions are deemed OK. Self Centeredness and indulgences are the food they feast upon instead of the Will of The Father.

No, if the lazyboy keeps you men away from your job as the Spiritual leader in your homes, away from doing what is right in the sight of God (who is watching!!) get rid of it. I challenge you to at least examine yourselves----------are you in sin as you sit and relax in the privacy of your home? Your children are watching you. They will do what they see you do!

No, if the lazyboy keeps you ladies from your duties at home. Though maybe for a short reset period, may be OK. But so often the time slips away. There is so much to do, time can not be afforded spent being lazy. How much time do you spend there in fornt of the TV yourself or reading junk (or even good stuff if you are to be doing something else!) There maybe times to sit and cuddle with little ones or read to them which perhaps can be done in the comfort of such luxuries. However, if you have any tendency to become lazy----- stay out of the lazyboy!! God is not pleased with the sin of laziness.

By all means, realize that your “churchianity” is NOT Christianity! None of those above things really amount to a hill of beans. God wants your heart! He wants an undivided heart that will obey the whole counsel of The Word no matter the cost. A lazyboy does not equal to a godly man or woman!