Lent day 36 – The sign
Lent Devotions
Lent Week Six started March 19
Lent Week Seven started with Palm Sunday, March 25.
These will be updated as the blogs are posted.

I’m so sorry for the delay – thank you for your patience with me as we prepare to move!

Music
King of Glory – Third Day

Scripture

John 19:19-22 King James Version (KJV)
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Luke 23:38

Devotion
King of the Jews….and on Palm Sunday – it seemed as though he was! Riding into town on a donkey, as a victorious King.

Just a few days later, and the crowd has turned against him.

Sounds like a news story from our time!

• One day, thrilled the police are protecting us, then turn on them as the media spreads stories of varying degrees of truth.
• One Day, believing that we should live by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s comment that we do not want to be judged by the color of our skin, and then, the violent aspects of Black Lives matter occur, because they want to be treated differently because of the color of their skin.
• One Day, we are screaming about wanting police to do their jobs to protect our children from people/children with guns, and then next minute screaming that we want everyone to have no guns.

This isn’t a political post.
Yet, if you see anything on the news, or on facebook, or any other sort of newsy sort of media, one day everyone is saying YAY to something, and it can change in 24 hours…because the media tells us what to think. I don’t want to be told what to think!

This is what happened the last week of Jesus’ life.
Why did they turn on him?
It was politically incorrect to believe in him…to point out the illegality of his trial and judgement…to call into question the choices of the political and religious elite.

Peter denied him, to save his own skin!
Other’s ran away.
Even Pontius Pilate knew it was wrong, though he bent to the political correctness of the day! a Quote from the wikipedia page says:

“In all four gospel accounts, Pilate lobbies for Jesus to be spared his eventual fate of execution, and acquiesces only when the crowd refuses to relent. He thus seeks to avoid personal responsibility for the death of Jesus.”

Because of the throngs of people…and the inevitable cry of the Jews:”we have no king but Ceasar…” John 19:15…Pilate had to keep the peace.

I think his writing on the sign over Jesus’ head was his own attempt to state that he was guiltless in this.

Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.

Another great thing was that it was written in Latin, Hebrew and Greek – all of the major languages of the day.
On THAT day – there were Jews from all over – Passover in Jerusalem…and sellers that wanted to make money on the Jews that were attending Passover. PILATE DECLARED JESUS’ TITLE TO ALL OF THE WORLD!

Did he believe? No, I don’t think so. Yet, he was an instrument in God’s hand!

In researching this sign in order to paint it for this cross, I sought out several resources.
Wikipedea has a great basic explanation of the Sign over Jesus on the Cross.

I also found this image:

Which comes from a blog by Mark Lambert, De Omnibus Dibutandum Est.

I cannot say anymore than this man has said – and the break out of the sign, and the implications and the meanings are nothing more than intensely amazing and worshipful.

I humbly suggest that you read this blog as well!
Another image from Mr Lambert’s blog, just to whet your appetite:

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus is the King of the Jews, and the gentiles!
Jesus is worthy of being Lord of All!
God used Pontius Pilate to declare that, as dear sweet Jesus gave His life for the sins of all mankind!

Jesus asks : Whom do you say that I am?
I want to say with Peter – You are the Christ – the Son of the Living God!
Matthew 16:15-16, Mark 8:28-29, Luke 19:20-21, John 6:68-69

I ask you, Whom do YOU say that HE is?
If you don’t know the King of Kings – please take time to check out the following links.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Music – worship and Prayer
King of My Heart – Sarah McMillan
He’s a Wonder – CeCe Winans

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

• Naomi’s Heart Ministries
• Obed’s House Ministries
• Project Based Missions, Global
• The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
• Compassion