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Charles H. Spurgeon April 14th

“All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head.” — Psalms 22:7

Mockery was a great ingredient in our Lord’s woe. Judas mocked him in the garden; the chief priests and scribes laughed him to scorn; Herod set him at nought; the servants and the soldiers jeered at him, and brutally insulted him; Pilate and his guards ridiculed his royalty; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous taunts were hurled at him. Ridicule is always hard to bear, but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, that it cuts us to the quick. Imagine the Saviour crucified, racked with anguish far beyond all mortal guess, and then picture that motley multitude, all wagging their heads or thrusting out the lip in bitterest contempt of one poor suffering victim! Surely there must have been something more in the crucified One than they could see, or else such a great and mingled crowd would not unanimously have honoured him with such contempt. Was it not evil confessing, in the very moment of its greatest apparent triumph, that after all it could do no more than mock at that victorious goodness which was then reigning on the cross? O Jesus, “despised and rejected of men,” how couldst thou die for men who treated thee so ill? Herein is love amazing, love divine, yea, love beyond degree. We, too, have despised thee in the days of our unregeneracy, and even since our new birth we have set the world on high in our hearts, and yet thou bleedest to heal our wounds, and diest to give us life. O that we could set thee on a glorious high throne in all men’s hearts! We would ring out thy praises over land and sea till men should as universally adore as once they did unanimously reject.

"Thy creatures wrong thee, O thou sovereign Good!
Thou art not loved, because not understood:
This grieves me most, that vain pursuits beguile 
Ungrateful men, regardless of thy smile."
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Daily Memory Verse April 14th

1Peter 2:24  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 

Write this verse down on a 3×5 card and carry it with you. Throughout the day, pull the card out and try to memorize it. Think about these questions as you meditate on the verse. What does this verse teach me? How does this verse apply to my Life? 

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Charles H. Spurgeon April 13th

“A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.” Song of Solomon 1:13

Myrrh may well be chosen as the type of Jesus on account of its preciousness, it’s perfume, it’s pleasantness, it’s healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice. But why is He compared to “a bundle of myrrh”? First, for plenty. He is not a drop of it; He is a casket. He is not a sprig or flower of it, but a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my necessities; let me not be slow to avail myself of Him. Our well-beloved is compared to a” bundle” again, for variety: for there is in Christ not only the one thing needful but in “him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” everything needful is in Him. Take Jesus in his different characters, and you will see a marvelous variety prophet, priest, king, husband, friend, Shepherd. Consider Him in His life, death, resurrection, ascension, second advent; view Him in his virtue, gentleness, courage, self-denial, love, faithfulness, truth, righteousness everywhere He is a bundle of preciousness. He is a “bundle of myrrh” for preservation not loose myrrh to be dropped on the floor or trodden on, but myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored in a casket. We must value him as our best treasure; We must praise His words and His ordinances; and we must keep our thoughts of Him and knowledge of Him as under lock and key, lest the devil should steal anything from us. Moreover, Jesus is a “bundle of myrrh” for specialty. The emblem of suggests the idea of distinguishing, discriminating grace. From before the foundation of the world, He was set apart for his people; and He gives forth His perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with Him, to have close dealings with Him. Oh! blessed people whom the Lord has admitted into his secrets, and for whom he set Himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, “a bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.”

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Daily Memory Verse April 13th

Romans 5:6-8  “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Write this verse down on a 3×5 card and carry it with you. Throughout the day, pull the card out and try to memorize it. Think about these questions as you meditate on the verse. What does this verse teach me? How does this verse apply to my Life? 

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Charles H. Spurgeon April 10th

“The place which is called Calvary.” Luke 23:33

The hill of comfort is the hill of Calvary; the house of consolation is built with the wood of the cross; the temple of heavenly blessing is founded upon the riven rock- riven by the spear which pierced his side. No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like Calvary’s tragedy.

“Is it not strange, the darkest hour

that ever dawned on sinful earth,

should touch the heart with softer power,  for comfort, then an angel’s Mirth? That to the Cross the mourner’s eye should turn, sooner than where the stars of Bethlehem burn?”

Light springs from the midday- midnight of Golgotha and every herb of the field blooms sweetly beneath the shadow of the once accursed tree. In that place of thirst, grace hath dug a fountain which ever gushes with waters pure as crystal, each drop capable of alleviating the woes of humankind. You who have had your seasons of conflict will confess that it was not at Olivet that you ever found comfort, not on the hill of Sinai, nor on Tabor, but Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha Have been a means of comfort to you. The bitter herbs of Gethsemane have often taken away the bitters of your life; the scourged of Gabbatha has often scourged away your cares, and the groans of Calvary yields us comfort rare and rich. We should never have known Christ’s love in all its heights and depths if he had not died, nor could we guess the Father’s deep affection if he had not given His Son to die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing of love, just as the sea-shell when we put it to our ears, whispers of the deep sea whence it came; but if we desire to hear the ocean itself, we must not look at everyday blessings, but at the transactions of the crucifixion. He Who would know love, let him retire to Calvary, and see the Man of sorrows die.

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Daily Memory Verse April 10th

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” 

Write this verse down on a 3×5 card and carry it with you. Throughout the day, pull the card out and try to memorize it. Think about these questions as you meditate on the verse. What does this verse teach me? How does this verse apply to my Life? 

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And Jesus Washed Their Feet Part 2

“Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” (John 13:6-7) 

Peter finds this very uncomfortable. He does not want his teacher to wash his feet. Perhaps he realized that one of them should have taken to the task first. Now, the master had grown frustrated with them and done it himself. Peter, knowing his place was too proud to let Jesus serve him in this manner. There is a part of humility that requires one to receive a humble service. One who always serves others but refuses to be served can have a pride issue as much as the person that will not serve others. It is two sides to the same coin. 

“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.” (John 13:8-11)

Peter was stubborn, determined to get his way. In verse seven, Jesus kindly tells him just let me do this, and you will understand why in a few minutes, you do not want to miss out on this, you’re going to regret it. Imagen how Peter would have felt the rest of his life if he had gotten his way. 

We tend to look at Peter and say, look how foolish he is. I would never do that. But how often do we do the very same thing? Jesus is asking us to submit to his will, and we stand and say no. He says to us, Go there, speak now, help them, but we say not me, Lord. The first submission we must learn in our Christian walk is yielding to the will of God.

It is interesting to see how Jesus flips the conversation from the present into a spiritual discussion about salvation. They are no longer talking about the washing of feet. This event is being used to picture what Jesus does for us in cleansing us from all unrighteousness. We must understand that we are unclean and in need of spiritual cleansing, a cleansing that can only be done by Christ.

Peter says, then clean me all over, but this was a picture of spiritual cleansing. The physical washing would do nothing for him. He had already taken two baths in preparation for this evening. The foot-washing was necessary because of the walk to the house. It is symbolizing the fact that each one of them had already believed that Jesus was the Messiah, except one. The washing of feet does nothing for the salvation of the soul; the foot-washing could not change the heart of Judas. The same is true of church membership, communion, baptism, or walking down an aisle. Salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. 

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Daily Memory Verse April 9th

Romans 5:10  “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” 

Write this verse down on a 3×5 card and carry it with you. Throughout the day, pull the card out and try to memorize it. Think about these questions as you meditate on the verse. What does this verse teach me? How does this verse apply to my Life? 

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And Jesus Washed Their Feet Part 1

Just a few days after the triumphal entry, Jesus and His disciples met in an upper room to eat the Passover meal. Passover is a feast that commemorates God delivering the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It included the death of a spotless lamb, a picture of Christ’s future work on the cross. 

“And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.” (Luke 22:8-13)

Jesus sent Peter and John to find the upper room and prepare the meal for them. The house they found after following Jesus’ instructions seems to have been that of a believer. Perhaps even a secret believer. One who had great respect for Christ and his disciples but was not an open follower. 

After the necessary arrangements are made, Jesus and the twelve meet together in the upper room for the meal. As they sat around the table, getting ready to eat. The Apostles got into a discussion about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. 

 “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” (Luke 22:24) 

“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” (John 13:3-5)

Jesus got up from the table and prepared himself to wash the feet of his disciples. As a custom, this was always done by the person of the lowest status in a group. A son would wash the feet of his father, a servant, his master, and so on. Jesus takes on this task himself to do it for his disciples. In this simple task, Jesus acts out a parable for them, one that they, I am sure, never forgot. 

Let’s think about the details of the task. The creator of all things, “ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3) lays aside his outer garments and pours water into a basin, uses a towel as an apron, and wipes their feet clean. The men are lying down on pillows, ready to eat with their feet behind them. These men have been walking outside in the dust and dirt. Their feet were visibly dirty. One by one, He gently takes their dirty feet, pours water on them, and wipes them clean and dry. He washed the feet of the men who would preach the gospel to the world, and lead the early church. He knew what the future held for each one of the men. In doing this, Jesus was doing the most menial task in their society.

He also washed the feet of Judas, the betrayer. The feet of his enemy. Jesus lives out the example of loving your enemies for us. He knew what Judas was planing. Some think he washed Judas’ feet first to melt his heart and turn him from the actions he was about to do. We know that Christ cultivated close friendships. There is no reason to think it was any difference with Judas. He loved him as much as the rest, but it did not change what Judas had already determined to do. He had rejected Christ so entirely that he was willing to betray him. 

Washing the feet of Jesus is something that all of them would have been willing to do. However, they would have had to wash the feet of the others as well. Not one of them wanted to place themselves in that position. They were too busy arguing about who was the greatest among them. They still did not understand what Jesus was going to do. That he would be taken, tried, and killed on a cross. They were thinking that they would be ruling with him in a kingdom. 

What was Jesus teaching? First that they should be willing to serve each other in the most humble of tasks. Jesus was not just their teacher by words but examples. He showed them how to put others first, that the follower of Christ is one who is willing to do any task. 

“So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” (John 13:12-16)   

The necessity of this lesson is made evident by their discussion of who would be the greatest. Greatness, superiority, dominance is what the natural man wants to achieve. If they still had this idea in their heads when Christ was gone, it would destroy them and the work they were left to do. Christ wants them to understand that the spiritual man thinks first on how he can serve others. 

“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:25-30)

Christ’s kingdom is not built upon the assertion of greatness and dominance. Its principle is kindness, love, and humility. Jesus wants us to change from desiring authority and fame to being a servant.