GOD'S JOY REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Jack and Judy Hartman
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 Jack and Judy Hartman
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Read what people are saying about publications from Lamplight Ministries
Jack and Judy Hartman have written over twenty books that have been sold or distributed around the world. You are invited to take a look at the impact Lamplight Ministries has had and continues to have on people who have read the books. Visit lamplight.net to read these incredible testimonies.
Dedication
Merlin Carothers is the author of many best sellers on the subject of praising God. More than 19 million copies of his books have been printed. These books have been translated into 58 languages. Merlin and his wife, Mary, operate their ministry, the Foundation of Praise, which was established in 1970 in California. Their website is foundationofpraise.org.
Merlin and Mary bring joy to every situation. Judy had the high privilege of being a children’s church leader at their church in San Marcos, California in the 1970s. Merlin and Mary live and breathe joy, regardless of the circumstances. They are two of the most joy-filled and peace-filled people on earth. Their lives are dedicated to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Merlin and Mary do everything possible to get free books into every state and federal prison in America and into as many city and county jails as possible. They also distribute their publications to military personnel, hospital patients, crisis centers and missionary projects around the world.
Thank you, Merlin and Mary, for bringing praise, thanksgiving and worship of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, into the lives of millions of people all over the world. We love you.
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We each began studying the Bible in the King James Version. If we could write this entire book with the King James Version, we would. However, we want to present the reader with the best possible explanation of each verse of Scripture.
We have reviewed each verse of Scripture in this book to prayerfully select the Bible version that we believe will help you to best understand what God is saying to you. In some cases we have used The New International Version (NIV) when we believe the language in this particular passage of Scripture will give you more comprehension. In other cases we have used The Amplified Bible (AMP) when we believe the amplification will explain more to you.
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible received its name from King James who was the king of England from 1603 to 1625. King James is considered to have been one of the most intellectual and learned kings in the history of Great Britain. He is primarily remembered for authorizing the production of the King James Version of the Bible. This English translation from Greek and Hebrew is the most printed book in the history of the world with more than one billion copies in print.
The New International Version (NIV) is the result of the study of a group of approximately one hundred Hebrew and Greek scholars representing more than twenty denominations. This team of scholars devoted ten years to complete the NIV translation. The goal of this committee was to faithfully translate the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic biblical text into clearly understandable English. The NIV is the most widely purchased contemporary Bible today.
The Amplified Bible is the result of the study of a group of Bible scholars who spent a total of more than twenty thousand hours amplifying the Bible. They believe that traditional word-by-word translation often fails to reveal the shades of meaning that are part of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic biblical texts.
Any amplification of the original text uses brackets for words that clarify the meaning and parentheses for words that contain additional phrases included in the original language. Through this amplification the reader will gain a better understanding of what Hebrew and Greek listeners instinctively understood.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament, copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids Michigan, or The Amplified Bible, New Testament, copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation, LaHabra, California. Used by permission.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Jesus Christ Came from Heaven to Earth for You
2. Jesus Went through an Enormous Ordeal
3. Jesus Died to Pay the Price for Your Sins
5. Your Heart Should Be Filled with Gratitude
6. Rejoice Because You Will Live Eternally in Heaven
7. Rejoice in the Victory That Jesus Christ Won for You
8. Enjoy an Intimate Relationship with the Lord
9. The Joy of the Lord Is within You
10. Rejoice Because God Is Always with You
11. God’s Word Will Fill Your Heart with Joy
13. Focus Continually on the Lord
14. Laugh Because Your Heart Is Filled with Joy
15. Rejoice in the Lord at All Times
16. Joy in the Face of Adversity
17. Thank God Instead of Complaining
18. Praise the Lord Continually
20. How Excited Are You about the Lord?
21. Rejoice in the Presence of the Lord
22. Do Not Allow Satan to Steal Your Joy
23. Refuse to Give Up Your Joy
24. Do Not Look for Joy in the World
25. Joy Does Not Come from Wealth
26. Joy Comes from God’s Will for Your Life
29. Joy from Yielding to the Holy Spirit
30. The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength
Books by Jack and Judy Hartman
Introduction
The Bible is filled with many facts about the joy of the Lord. The words “joy,” “enjoy,” “joyful,” “joyous,” “rejoice,” “rejoices” and “rejoicing” are used more than 450 times in the Bible. There is no question that God created you to live a happy life that is filled with joy. Parents want their children to be happy. Your Father’s plan is for you to be happy and filled with joy, regardless of the circumstances you face.
Most people would like to be filled with joy, but very few people know exactly how to receive this tremendous blessing from God. This book contains 551 verses of Scripture that tell you exactly and specifically how joy should, can and will come into your heart.
As we begin this book we want to make it very clear that we will give you many instructions that may not make sense to you. Some of the things that we will say in this book may seem almost ridiculous to you. Will you make up your mind at the beginning of this book that you will do exactly what the Bible instructs you to do, whether or not these instructions make sense to the limitations of your human understanding?
We recommend that you read this book with a highlighter or a pen. Highlight or underline scriptural facts that are meaningful to you. Write notes in the margins and at the top and bottom of pages pertaining to information that you desire to retain.
You will see the phrase “please highlight or underline” used many times throughout this book. We use this phrase to recommend key words from whatever passage of Scripture we are studying.
When you decide to highlight or underline words and to write notes in the margins, you are studying the Bible. You then will be prepared for Scripture meditation.
God has instructed you to renew your mind by studying the Bible daily (see II Corinthians 4:6 and Ephesians 4:22-24). God also has instructed you to meditate day and night on His Word (see Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2-3).
By highlighting or underlining and making notes as you study this Scripture, you will tailor-make this book for yourself. You will know exactly where to go to meditate so that you will experience the joy of the Lord in your life. You will have everything you need from God’s supernatural living Word right in front of you, so that you will not lose the precious joy that Jesus has given you.
We also want to emphasize that we know there is some repetition in this book and that portions overlap with what we have written in other books. Our model is the Bible. God’s Word is filled with repetition because God emphasizes through repetition. There is a great deal of overlapping in the Bible. Many times a passage of Scripture in one Book of the Bible is virtually identical to Scripture from another Book of the Bible.
We do not attempt to be commercially correct in our writing. Our goal is to give you hundreds of specific facts from God’s holy Bible that will help you when and if you face severe adversity. Difficult times are coming upon the world. We believe that the solid scriptural content of our books will help many people.
God’s ways are very different from and very much higher than the ways of the world (see Isaiah 55:8-9). The scriptural instructions in this book will show you exactly what to do to live in supernatural joy, regardless of the circumstances you face.
We are more excited about this book on joy than we have been about any other book we have written. We pray that you will read this book with a completely open mind and that you will be determined to obey the specific instructions your Father has given you so that you will receive His supernatural joy in your life.
We recommend that you read the first four chapters of this book at one time, if possible. We believe that these chapters will change the lives of many people.
Chapter 1
Jesus Christ Came from Heaven to
Earth for You
When you read the first four chapters of this book, you may wonder what all of these scriptural facts have to do with the topic of joy. As these chapters proceed, you will clearly see that the foundation for deep joy in the Lord is a profound sense of gratitude to Jesus Christ for the enormous price that He paid for you. This price will enable you to live in the joy of the Lord throughout the remainder of your life on earth and, after that, to live in joy throughout eternity in heaven.
People who do not receive Jesus Christ as their Savior will live eternally in hell. The Bible says that the inhabitants of hell will suffer eternally in a furnace of fire (see Psalm 11:6, Matthew 25:41 and Luke 16:23-24). They will have no rest day or night and they will suffer constantly (see Revelation 14:11). The inhabitants of hell will weep and wail and gnash their teeth throughout eternity (see Matthew 13:42).
What exactly determines whether you will suffer throughout eternity in hell or you will live in eternal joy in the glory of heaven? “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15 NIV)
Please highlight or underline the words “anyone” in this verse of Scripture. This word includes you. The words “the book of life” in this verse of Scripture refer to the Lamb’s Book of Life. The name of every person who has received Jesus Christ as his or her Savior is entered into the Lamb’s Book of Life (see Revelation 21:27). Anyone whose name is not in this book will suffer eternally in “the lake of fire” which also is called hell.
No matter how good a person may seem, the truth is that no person who has ever lived on earth (except for Jesus Christ) has lived a good enough life to live eternally in the glory of heaven. “…None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “none” and “no, not one” in this verse of Scripture. Every person, with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has ever lived on earth is born with a sin nature and deserves to live eternally in hell. There are no exceptions to this statement. “…all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.” (Romans 3:23 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “all have sinned” in this verse of Scripture. These words include you. You were born separated from God because of Adam and Eve’s decision to defy God. If you only commit a few seemingly minor sins in your life, you are just as much of a sinner before God as someone who has sinned grievously on many occasions. “…whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it.” (James 2:10 AMP)
In the Old Testament God required a blood sacrifice every year for sins. Animals often were slaughtered to pay the price for the sins of human beings. The New Testament explains that the only way the price for the sins of human beings could be paid is for Jesus Christ, Who is God Himself, to become flesh and blood like these human beings. Only then could He pay the full price for your sins and for the sins of all human beings. “…it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins.” (Hebrews 2:17 AMP)
This verse of Scripture speaks of Jesus being “made like His brethren in every respect.” This means that He had to pay the price for the sins of all human beings by becoming a flesh and blood human being.
The Bible teaches that an angel came to a young virgin woman named Mary and said, “…Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God. And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband? Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35 AMP)
The name of Jesus is a holy name. Jesus was not the name that Mary decided to name her son. The name of Jesus came directly from heaven. Mary was directed by this angel to name her son Jesus.
You also must understand the importance of Jesus Christ being born of a virgin. If Jesus was born from a human father and mother, He would be a descendant of Adam. He would inherit the sin of Adam as every person who has lived since Adam has done.
Jesus could only redeem you from your sins if He was a flesh and blood human being who was not a descendant of Adam. The only way that this unique goal could be accomplished was to have Mary’s pregnancy caused by the Holy Spirit.
Because Mary was a virgin, Jesus is the only person Who has ever lived who was not a descendant of Adam. Therefore, Jesus was able to be the Messiah that the Jewish people had been expecting.
Jesus was a Jew sent by God to save His people from their sins. “…you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins …” (Matthew 1:21 AMP)
Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven to come to earth to be your Savior. God loves you so much that He sent His only Son to pay the full price for every sin you have ever committed so that you can live eternally with Him in heaven. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV)
You must know and believe that Jesus Christ has paid the full price for your sins. There is no other way to eternal salvation. Jesus said, “…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)
Please highlight or underline the words “no one” in this verse of Scripture. The only way that you can live eternally in the joy of heaven is to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Adam and Eve were created by Jesus Christ and given the ability to have children. “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “In the beginning [before all time]” in this passage of Scripture. Jesus Christ has always existed. Jesus Christ is “God Himself.” Jesus created all living things; they were created with the ability to reproduce themselves.
This statement is almost inconceivable. Just think that the same Jesus Christ Who created every person on earth came to this earth as a human being. Jesus Christ, God Himself, humbled Himself to be born in a lowly manger surrounded by animals to pay the full price for your sin.
You should be humbled by your awareness of the price that Jesus paid for you. “Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “being essentially one with God” and “equality with God” in this passage of Scripture. Jesus Christ is one with God. He is equal to God. Jesus humbled Himself from being one with God to become a “servant (slave)” so that you can live eternally with Him in heaven.
Jesus willingly left heaven to be born on earth as a baby. In heaven, Jesus was known and recognized as God. On earth He was considered a mere man until He began to exercise His tremendous anointing.
Jesus took upon Himself the form of a slave because He willingly gave up His life to pay the full price for your sin. He enslaved Himself so that you can be completely set free from sin.
If you are not absolutely certain that you will live eternally in heaven, please stop reading this chapter now and turn to the Appendix on page 225. Read the Scripture in the Appendix carefully. Do exactly what the holy Bible instructs you to do so that you will be absolutely certain that you will live eternally in heaven. Welcome to the family of God!
Salvation and redemption are a gift from God that you must choose to receive. God gave you a free will. You must willingly choose to become His child through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
In this chapter we have established a scriptural foundation to show you clearly Who Jesus Christ is and that He willingly humbled Himself to come to earth to pay for your sin. Is your heart filled with gratitude to Jesus based on these undeniable truths that you have just read? If your heart is filled with gratitude now, you will be even more grateful when you read additional truths in the next three chapters about the supreme sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you.
Chapter 2
Jesus Went
through an Enormous Ordeal
We now are ready to look at what the Bible teaches about how much Jesus Christ was willing to humble Himself to pay the full price for every sin you have ever committed. Throughout the next three chapters you will read many truths about the final days of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus and His disciples ate a Passover dinner in an upper room in Jerusalem shortly before Jesus was to be crucified. After this dinner Jesus and His disciples climbed the Mount of Olives to a garden on the side of the mountain that is called the Garden of Gethsemane. “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’” (Mark 14:32-34 NIV)
Know that Jesus Christ Who is equal to God and one with God was “deeply distressed and troubled” regarding the price He was about to pay for you. Jesus said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”
Think of the enormity of what Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane. “And going a little farther, He fell on the ground and kept praying that if it were possible the [fatal] hour might pass from Him. And He was saying, Abba, [which means] Father, everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You [will].” (Mark 14:35-36 AMP)
Jesus Christ is referred to many times in the Bible as the “Son of man.” Jesus still was the Son of God, but He came to earth as a human being with the same ability to think and feel that you have.
As Jesus fully understood from His human perspective the magnitude of the price that He was about to pay for you, He threw Himself on the ground. He fell on the ground in prayer, asking God if He would take this enormous price away from Him. Is your heart becoming more and more filled with gratitude as you begin to understand the enormous price that Jesus Christ paid for you?
In spite of His realization of the price that He would have to pay, Jesus said, “not what I will, but what You [will].” Even though Jesus asked God if this price could be removed, He asserted that He still desired to do what God wanted, even though in His humanity He was suffering with the weight of the heavy burden that He was about to carry for you.
Jesus asked Peter, James and John, the three disciples who went with Him to Gethsemane, to stay awake and watch with Him. In spite of this request, the disciples fell asleep. “…He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Have you not the strength to keep awake and watch [with Me for] one hour? Keep awake and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came back and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what answer to give Him.” (Mark 14:37-40 AMP)
We receive additional insight into what Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane in the Book of Luke. After going off by Himself three different times and throwing Himself on the ground, Jesus agonized so much that His sweat became like blood. “And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit. And being in an agony [of mind], He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:43-44 AMP)
God sent an angel to help Jesus because He was going through such agony. Jesus agonized so much that “His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground.”
Sweating blood is called haematidrosis which is a condition where the stress is so great that a person’s blood vessels break and blood is secreted through the sweat glands. Try to understand how much Jesus agonized over the price that He was about to pay for you.
After all of this agonizing Jesus was ready to pay the supreme price that will enable you to live in joy throughout the remainder of your life on earth and throughout eternity in heaven. “And He came back a third time and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough [of that]! The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinful men (men whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God). Get up, let us be going! See, My betrayer is at hand!” (Mark 14:41-42 AMP)
Jesus had been betrayed by one of His beloved disciples, Judas Iscariot. After going through this tremendous ordeal in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus saw that Judas had arrived with a crowd of armed men. “And at once, while He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve [apostles], and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, [who came] from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders [of the Sanhedrin].” (Mark 14:43 AMP)
Jesus then was brought before a Jewish high priest named Annas who questioned Jesus about the things that He had been teaching. Annas and his followers did not like the answers that Jesus gave. “…one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded.” (John 18:22 NIV)
Can you imagine Jesus Christ, Creator of the heavens and the earth, being hit in the face because He answered questions truthfully? This is just one more example of the enormous price Jesus paid so that you can live eternally with Him in the glory of heaven.
Jesus then was sent before the Sanhedrin which was the Jewish Supreme Court. This meeting was held at approximately 4:00 a.m. The goal of this court was to find people who would tell lies in order to justify the execution of Jesus. “Now the chief priests and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death; but they found none, though many witnesses came forward [to testify]…” (Matthew 26:59-60 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “false witnesses to testify against Jesus” in this passage of Scripture. The corrupt Jewish Supreme Court “found none.” They could not even find one witness to lie about Jesus.
The Sanhedrin continued to question Jesus. When they asked Him whether He was the Son of God, Jesus said that He was. “Then the high priest tore his clothes and exclaimed, He has uttered blasphemy! What need have we of further evidence? You have now heard His blasphemy. What do you think now? They answered, He deserves to be put to death. Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face” (Matthew 26:65-67 AMP)
The high priest was so infuriated with the answer that Jesus gave that he actually “tore his clothes.” He worked himself into a frenzy. His associates “spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face.” Once again you can clearly see the ordeal that Jesus experienced so that you can live eternally with Him in heaven.
This trial before the Sanhedrin was a travesty. There were no witnesses for the defense. There was no cross examination. Jesus was exhausted. He had been awake all night after going through the severe ordeal of sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Sanhedrin found Jesus to be guilty of blasphemy because He said that He was the Son of God. Jesus was sentenced to death because He told the truth.
The Sanhedrin then had Jesus put in chains. They took Him to the Roman governor because the Sanhedrin could not carry out a death sentence without the approval of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate happened to be visiting in Jerusalem, so the Jews took Jesus to him at the royal palace. Pilate questioned Jesus. Pilate then sent Jesus to Herod who was the leader of the Jews.
Jesus must have been exhausted by this time. He had not had any sleep. People had spit on Him, beaten Him and shackled Him with chains as they dragged Him back and forth across Jerusalem throughout the night.
Herod was a foolish and fickle man who asked Jesus many absurd questions. Herod, like Pilate, did not find Jesus guilty. He sent Jesus back across town to Pilate. “…Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him; then, dressing Him up in bright and gorgeous apparel, he sent Him back to Pilate.” (Luke 23:11 AMP)
The travesty continued. “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, You brought this Man before me as One Who was perverting and misleading and turning away and corrupting the people; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have not found any offense (crime or guilt) in this Man in regard to your accusations against Him; no, nor indeed did Herod, for he sent Him back to us; behold, He has done nothing deserving of death. I will therefore chastise Him and deliver Him amended (reformed, taught His lesson) and release Him.” (Luke 23:13-16 AMP)
No one found Jesus guilty of anything. Pilate said that he was going to release Jesus. The Jewish people who surrounded Pilate were in a frenzy. They wanted Jesus to be killed. They were not willing to settle for anything less. “…the Jews kept shrieking, If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anybody who makes himself [out to be] a king sets himself up against Caesar [is a rebel against the emperor]!” (John 19:12 AMP)
Pilate apparently was afraid that the Jewish leaders would complain to Caesar and that he would lose his job. He did not want to kill a man who was not guilty. Pilate’s custom was to release one Jewish prisoner each year at the Passover. He proposed that Jesus be set free on this basis.
The mob in the courtyard was indignant. They said that Pilate should release a prisoner, but that he should release a prisoner named Barabbas. “…the chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas, and put Jesus to death. Again the governor said to them, Which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas! Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ? They all replied, Let Him be crucified! And he said, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted all the louder, Let Him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:20 AMP)
You can see how unjustly Jesus was treated throughout the travesty of His questioning by various government officials. Pilate was completely frustrated. He finally gave in. “…when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was about to break out, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, I am not guilty of nor responsible for this righteous Man’s blood; see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, Let His blood be on us and on our children! So he set free for them Barabbas; and he [had] Jesus whipped, and delivered Him up to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:24-26 AMP)
Pilate attempted to absolve himself of blame. Now that you have seen what Jesus went through for you during His “trials,” we are ready to look in detail at the tremendous price that Jesus Christ paid for you as He was whipped, beaten and crucified.
Chapter 3
Jesus Died to
Pay the Price for Your Sins
Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged with a leaded whip. This type of whipping is called scourging which means to whip the bare back of a person with a lash containing several leather thongs that are weighted with lead pellets and sharp pieces of bone. Scourging was such a severe form of punishment that Roman law limited it to a maximum of 39 strokes with a whip. Even so, most people fainted because of the pain. Some people died because of scourging.
Jesus was stripped of His clothes before He was flogged by Roman soldiers. His hands were tied to an upright post. His back, buttocks and legs were flogged by the soldiers. Jesus undoubtedly lost a great deal of blood because of this whipping. He may have become unconscious.
How badly was the Son of God whipped for you? “[For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man’s, and His form beyond that of the sons of men…” (Isaiah 52:14 AMP)
Jesus was whipped so badly that He “became an object of horror.” He took whip lashes across His face for you. Onlookers were “astonished” at how badly Jesus had been whipped.
This terrible whipping was only the beginning of the price that Jesus was about to pay. “Then the soldiers led Him away to the courtyard inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they called the entire detachment of soldiers together. And they dressed Him in [a] purple [robe], and, weaving together a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him. And they began to salute Him, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), King of the Jews! And they struck His head with a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and spat on Him and kept bowing their knees in homage to Him. And when they had [finished] making sport of Him, they took the purple [robe] off of Him and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him.” (Mark 15:16-20 AMP)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was ridiculed. He then was beaten on the head with a piece of wood. The Roman soldiers spat on Him. They then led Him on an excruciating journey through the streets of Jerusalem.
Consider how weary Jesus must have been. He had agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had been arrested and went through several unfair trials before Jewish and Roman authorities. He suffered through a horrible whipping. He was mocked, insulted, beaten and spat upon. He went through all of this ordeal with absolutely no sleep. He was exhausted, weary, beaten, bloodied and disfigured.
The Son of God then was forced to walk through the streets of Jerusalem carrying the transverse beam of the cross that would be used to crucify Him. The Romans kept the upright part of the cross as a permanent fixture at the place of crucifixion. Each prisoner had to carry the crosspiece to the place of his crucifixion.
The crosspiece had to be heavy enough to support the weight of a man. It was probably about six feet long and weighed approximately one hundred pounds. The heavy crosspiece probably was placed across the neck and shoulders of Jesus. His arms and His body were tied to this piece of the cross that would be used for His crucifixion.
The Roman soldiers normally took people who were about to crucified through the busiest streets of Jerusalem to serve as an example to the people. After everything He had been through, Jesus must have had a problem just walking, let alone attempting to carry a heavy piece of wood. He probably stumbled and fell.
We do not know for certain, but the Bible says that a man was requested to follow behind Jesus, carrying the crosspiece of His cross for Him. “…as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.” (Luke 23:26 KJV)
This procession of people arrived late in the morning at the place of execution. “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him…” (Luke 23:33 KJV)
The Book of Mark used another name for the place where Jesus was to be crucified. “And they led Him to Golgotha [in Latin: Calvary], meaning The Place of a Skull.” (Mark 15:22 AMP)
Golgotha was the Hebrew word for the place where Jesus was crucified. Calvary was the Latin word for the place of His crucifixion. The words Golgotha and Calvary refer to the same place. No one knows exactly where the crucifixion took place, but many Bible scholars believe that Jesus was crucified on a hill outside of Jerusalem that is shaped like a skull.
When they reached the place of crucifixion, Jesus was offered some medicated wine to deaden the excruciating pain that He soon would experience. Jesus refused this wine. He chose to suffer with His mind clear and fully conscious. “There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.” (Matthew 27:34 NIV)
Jesus was thrown to the ground, lying on His back with His arms stretched out across the crossbeam that He and Simon had carried across Jerusalem. Large spikes that were approximately seven inches long were driven into His wrists. Then Bible says that nails were driven into His hands, but studies have shown that nails driven into the ligaments and bones of a person’s hand could not possibly support the weight of the body during crucifixion. In ancient terminology, the wrist was considered part of the hand.
When Jesus was thrown to the ground, the wounds that He suffered from scourging probably were torn open and contaminated with dirt. Jesus must have been perspiring. These open wounds undoubtedly were extremely uncomfortable.
After His wrists were nailed to the crossbar, Jesus and the crossbar then were lifted onto the permanent upright portion of the cross. Probably three or four soldiers were required to do this. These soldiers then nailed His ankles to the cross with more large spikes.
Crucifixion was such a severe method of punishment that caused such excruciating pain and suffering that Roman citizens could not be crucified. Only slaves and the lowest type of criminals could be crucified. When people were crucified, insects often fed on the open wounds from the flogging that always preceded a crucifixion.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was crucified, the psalmist David prophesied about the scene that would take place at this time. “…[like a pack of] dogs they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; [the evildoers] gaze at me.” (Psalm 22:16-17 AMP)
Jesus Christ paid this horrible price for you. “…Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 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. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:21-24 NIV)
Even though Jesus suffered horribly on the cross, He did not complain. He did not respond to the people who insulted Him. Jesus thought of others instead of thinking of Himself.
He thought of His mother who stood next to the cross weeping. He asked His disciple, John, to take care of her. “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27 NIV)
When one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus accepted Him as Lord, Jesus told this thief that he would be with Him in Paradise that day. “One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [from death]! But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty? And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable]. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory! And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 AMP)
As Jesus Christ, the Son of God, hung on the cross, He looked down at the Roman soldiers who had put Him there. They were dividing His clothing into equal portions.
The soldiers gambled to see who would get His seamless robe. “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, one share for each soldier, and also the tunic (the long shirtlike undergarment). But the tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout. So they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots to decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture, They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things.” (John 19:23-24 AMP)
When Jesus was crucified, He did not rant and rave at the soldiers who crucified Him the way that many people who were crucified did. Instead, Jesus looked down at the soldiers who crucified Him and said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 KJV)
The entire world was covered with darkness during the three hours that Jesus was on the cross. “Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (three o’clock).” (Matthew 27:45 AMP)
You can see the mighty hand of God in both the birth and death of Jesus Christ. The birth of Jesus was proclaimed by a bright star that drew wise men to Jerusalem to worship Him (see Matthew 2:1-2). There was no light in the entire world when Jesus died.
Jesus was separated from His Father as this three hour period drew to a close. “And about the ninth hour (three o’clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? – that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]?” (Matthew 27:46 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “abandoned” and “leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need” in this verse of Scripture and the amplification. These words were fulfillment of a prophecy that was made many years before by the psalmist David who said, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1 AMP)
Jesus experienced the worst agony of all when the sins of the world separated Him from His Father. In addition to the excruciating pain and overwhelming fatigue, Jesus knew that He had been completely abandoned by His beloved Father.
Why did God turn His back on Jesus at this time? God turned His back on Jesus because, in addition to the horrible physical ordeal of crucifixion, Jesus Christ actually became sin. When He was crucified, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Corinthians 5:21 NIV)
Please highlight or underline the words “to be sin for us” in this verse of Scripture. Even though Jesus lived a perfect life and never sinned, He actually became sin. He took your sin upon Himself and the sins of every other person who would ever live from that point forward. Doing this caused separation from God Who cannot look upon sin. Jesus suffered this separation from God so that you would never be separated from God.
Jesus died voluntarily. God gave Him the authority to die and also the authority to be raised from the dead. He was not killed against His will. Jesus said, “…I lay down My [own] life – to take it back again. No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.” (John 10:17-18 AMP)
Jesus did exactly what His Father had instructed Him to do. He then said three glorious and triumphant words in the final moments before He died. He said, “…It is finished…” (John 19:30 KJV)
His mission was accomplished. Jesus Christ died as a Victor. “…Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired.” (Luke 23:46 AMP)
Please note that Jesus cried out “with a loud voice.” Even though He had been through such an excruciating ordeal since the Garden of Gethsemane the night before, the loud voice that Jesus spoke with indicates that His inner man was strong right up to the end. He spoke with power and authority.
When Jesus committed His spirit to God, He and His Father were back together. The price for your redemption had been paid in full. At this precise moment a miracle took place at the curtain of the temple in Jerusalem. A large and strong curtain covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies which was the innermost portion of the Temple.
When Jesus dismissed His spirit, the curtain was split wide open. “And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood facing Him saw Him expire this way, he said, Really, this Man was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:38-39 AMP)
When this curtain was split, the Old Testament had ended and a new era had begun. Elaborate ceremonies no longer would be necessary to approach God. From this moment on, every person who accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior receives personal access to God.
In addition to splitting the curtain from top to bottom, God also shook the hills around Jerusalem with an earthquake. Rocks split in two. Graves opened. Believers who had died rose out of their graves. “The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised [to life]” (Matthew 27:52 AMP)
People being raised from the dead was a preview of what would be available from this point forward to you and to every person who received Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. Know that every aspect of the supreme price that Jesus paid that you have read about in this chapter was paid for you. Your heart should overflow with gratitude because of the tremendous price that Jesus Christ paid for you.
Chapter 4
Jesus Won a
Total Victory
This is the final chapter that is filled with specific facts that tell you exactly why your heart should overflow with joy because of your deep gratitude for the enormous price that Jesus Christ paid for you.
After the death of Jesus one of His followers asked for and received permission to put His body into a tomb. “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.” (Matthew 27:57-61 NIV)
Both the Jewish leaders and the Pharisees were concerned that some trick would be played with the body of Jesus. They insisted that the tomb must be sealed. Guards were posted around it. “The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’ ‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.” (Matthew 27:62-66 NIV)
Jesus was placed in the tomb on Friday afternoon. On the Sunday morning when we today celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, two women went to the tomb.
These women saw the greatest miracle of all time. “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (Matthew 28:1-7 NIV)
This passage of Scripture contains the essence of the facts pertaining to the victory that Jesus won for you. Jesus rose from the dead just as He said He would. When He rose from the dead, this supernatural act sealed the total victory that Jesus won for you throughout your life on earth, when you die and throughout eternity in heaven.
This angel brought a magnificent message from God. By raising Jesus from the dead, God proved that Jesus Christ is His Son just as Jesus said He was. “…[as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” (Romans 1:4 AMP)
Please highlight or underline the words “by His resurrection from the dead” in this verse of Scripture. When Jesus rose from the dead, His victory was total, complete and absolute. He had achieved everything His Father had sent Him to earth to accomplish.
Jesus won a glorious victory. He passed this victory on to you. “…if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17 NIV)
Please highlight or underline the words “by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man” in this verse of Scripture. These words refer to the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden which gave the death of a human being power that never before existed. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, men and women no longer lived without sin. Death became part of human existence.
Please highlight or underline the words “reign in life” in this verse of Scripture. Jesus Christ won a total victory over death. He also enabled you to reign in life and to live continually in His joy because of the blood He shed for you. You reign in life over every circumstance because Jesus lives inside of you.
Even though you have just read about the victory that Jesus won, Mary Magdalene and His disciples did not yet understand what had taken place. They were still mourning Jesus. “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’” (John 20:1-2 NIV)
Mary Magdalene and the disciples were startled. They did not know what had happened. “…Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)” (John 20:3-9 NIV)
The disciples had no conception of the enormous victory that had been won by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene did not understand either. “…Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’” (John 20:10-13 NIV)
Mary’s tears soon would be turned to joy. “’They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. ‘Woman,’ he said, ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:14-17 NIV)
For the first time Mary understood that Jesus actually had risen from the dead just as He said He would. “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:18-20 NIV)
Please highlight or underline the words “with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them” in this passage of Scripture. How was Jesus able to come to the disciples and talk with them when all of the doors were locked?
He was able to do this because of the supernatural victory He won when He rose from the dead. Nothing on earth, locked doors or anything else, can override the power of this supernatural victory that Jesus Christ won for you.
One of the disciples, Thomas, was not there. Have you ever heard the term “Doubting Thomas?” The following passage of Scripture explains the reason for this expression. “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’” (John 20:24-25 NIV)