No More Holding Back
Why do we so often fall short of achieving our final destination? This is a question that has been on my heart since our season ended one step short of our desired destination.
Scribes asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded in Mark 12:29, “You should love the Lord your God with ALL your Heart, Mind, and Strength!” If you want to be a disciple, then you must sacrifice everything. Take up cross. deny self and follow Jesus!
We were one of only two teams in the entire country playing on NAIA Championship Tuesday. We had overcome impossible odds as a 7-Seed to make it within steps of the finish line. Traveling over 20 hours in 11 days going into hostile territory taking out giant after giant. A 3-Seed, 2-Seed, and two 1-Seeds all went down. We were told nobody below an 8 RPI power ranking had ever made the Fab Four in the current NAIA playoff setting. Our 39 RPI was laughable, but they did laugh at Jesus once in the Bible and we all know how that turned out.
Both anointed and led by the Holy Spirit, David and Jesus both had the same finish line, the City of Jerusalem. It was the final destination of the Promised Land for David and where he would have the temple built to house the Presence of God. Jesus was given the ultimate mission of making a way where there was no way for each of us to reach our Promised Land.
Luke writes ten times about Jesus passionate focus on reaching His destination. “Jesus like a flint was pointed towards Jerusalem” refers to the biblical account in Luke 9:51 where it says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This phrase is often interpreted as symbolizing Jesus’ unwavering determination and resolve to fulfill his destiny, even in the face of opposition and suffering.
David at age 15 after killing Goliath, runs 45 miles with the giant’s skull and sword to Jerusalem the Bible prophetically says, because it was still the city of Jebus at the time. Outside the city wall David declared Jerusalem will be the City of David. Fifteen years later at 30, David and his mighty men, finally took Jerusalem. The exact location David took Goliath of Gath’s skull and sword is believed to be the same exact spot Jesus was crucified. Jesus was crucified at Golgotha (Goliath of Gath), also known as the place of the Skull!
How was David and ultimately Jesus able to reach their final destination? Both were willingly led and empowered by the Holy Spirit no matter the cost! They held back nothing, committing everything, while running their race to the finish! David boldly risked it all defeated a 6 cubit tall Giant with 6 fingers and 6 toes. 666. Jesus conquered death, Hell, and the grave, and will some day soon take out the Anti-Christ 666.
David, a man after God’s own heart, and Jesus, God’s only son, gave us the game plan and were living examples of what it takes to overcome and reach our Final Destination!
Our Jerusalem is spending eternity with our Savior! We must be willing to die daily to our flesh, while serving and being image bearers of our Savior Jesus Christ so others will be drawn to Him! Taking souls with us by leading them to Christ Jesus must be our commission!
Today is Nissan 17 on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the Day of Jesus resurrection! Nissan is known as the month of Miracles. It is the first month on God’s spiritual calendar. It is the Month that God created the earth and because of Jesus and the price He paid for each of us, it is also known as a month of new beginnings.
There is no bargain salvation. Jesus held back nothing while paying the ultimate price for you. It is time we all stop holding back and give everything to our Savior. The result of giving everything and not holding anything back will more be than you can dream or imagine!
Jesus was not captured in the Garden of Gethsemane. John 18:4-6 explains how it went down After Jesus received Judas’ kiss of betrayal, Jesus faced the cohort of 300 plus soldiers asking them, Who are you looking for?” They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth”. Jesus responded, “ego eimi” which should be translated, “I AM!” The soldiers were all knocked backward, and fell to the ground”!
It was not the first time Jesus used this phrase to identify Himself; He also used it in John 8:58 and John 13:19. When the hearers of that day heard those words ego eimi, they immediately recognized them as the very words God used to identify Himself when He spoke to Moses on Mount Horeb in Exodus 3:14.
But let’s look at the two additional examples of the word ego eimi in the Gospel of John. In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Those final words in the verse, “I am,” are the Greek words ego eimi and should be translated, “I AM!”
In John 13:19, Jesus said, “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” If you read the King James Version, you will notice the word “he” is italicized, meaning it was supplied by the King James translators and is not in the original. The Greek simply says, “…Ye may believe that I AM!” In both of these cited texts, Jesus strongly and boldly affirmed that He was the Great “I AM” of the Old Testament.
Now in John 18:5 and 6, Jesus uses the words ego eimi again. The soldiers wanted to know, “Who are you?” They probably expected him to answer, “Jesus of Nazareth” — but instead, He answered, “I AM!”
The words “went backward” come from the Greek word aperchomai. In this case, the words depict the soldiers and temple police staggering and stumbling backward, as if some force has hit them and is pushing them backward. The word “fell” is the Greek word pipto, which means to fall. It was used often to depict a person who fell so hard, it appeared that he fell dead or fell like a corpse.
The members of this militia that came to arrest Jesus were knocked flat by some kind of force! In fact, the verse says they went backward and fell “to the ground.” The words “to the ground” are taken from the Greek word chamai, which depicts these soldiers falling abruptly and hitting the ground hard. Some force unexpectedly, suddenly, and forcefully knocked these troops and temple police flat!
Think of it — 300 to 600 Roman soldiers and a large number of trained temple police had all come laden with weapons, swords, and clubs to help them capture Jesus. After they announced that they were searching for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus answered them with the words, “I AM” — thus identifying Himself as the “I AM” of the Old Testament. And when Jesus spoke those words, a great blast of God’s power was unleashed — so strong that it literally thrust the troops and police backward, causing them to stagger, wobble, and stumble as they hit the ground hard.
After Jesus proved He couldn’t be taken by force, He willfully surrendered to them, knowing that it was all a part of the Father’s plan for the redemption of mankind. But it’s important to understand that no one took Him. It was Jesus’ voluntary choice to go like a lamb without a fight with the troops.
From the Garden to the Cross was both brutal and beautiful. Because behind the scenes God was turning a Graveyard to a Garden. First Adam had made a mistake in the Garden. The Second and Last Adam would make a Garden out of a Grave!