September 2
________________________________________THE TORMENTORS OF JESUS
Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. 4 Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” 6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.” 8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9 and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” – John 19:1-12
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In this gospel account of John, the main characters are those who dirtied their hands in contributing to Jesus’ crucifixion. The soldiers also did their part in tormenting the Lord as they scourged Jesus, put on Him a crown of thorns. They gave Him a purple robe so that they can ridicule Him and make fun of Him claiming to be king. Another character in this story is Pilate, who had no backbone to really prevent Jesus’ crucifixion because of the threat of the Jews. When he reminded Jesus that it was in his hands that his life is dependent on. Jesus answered Pilate in truth and corrected him with regards to who is the only one who has the authority over Him. He reminded Pilate that the only reason why he has authority is because God has given him such and told him that those who brought this all about are the ones who are really the sinners. Pilate must have been touched in his heart because in verse 12, it says that he made all the efforts to release Jesus. He had no idea that he had a role to play in the big plan of man’s salvation.
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REFLECTION
• How can we become a tormentor of the Lord in our lives now?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
KING OF THE JEWS ILMA’S VLOG
September 1
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KING OF THE JEWS
33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber. – John 18:33-40
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In this account of John’s gospel, we hear the conversation between Jesus and Pilate. When Pilate asked Jesus if he was king of the Jews, Jesus asked him if he was speaking on his own. We hear at the start that Pilate is a man who do not want to be caught politically incorrect. When Pilate asked Jesus what He had done, the Lord gave him a more complete answer, but it was an answer that only those in the Spirit will comprehend. We hear Jesus only speak the truth and never beat around the bush. Interestingly, Pilate asked Jesus what is truth in verse 38. That gives us a glimpse of his ignorance to the truth. The ensuring verses further gives us a clearer character sketch of this person. He was a very careful man, ensuring that he doesn’t make a mistake or get blamed for a wrong verdict that he will give to Jesus. So, he washes his hands from this responsibility and find a way to release Jesus. He baited the Jewish leaders with Barabbas, who was a real criminal.
We can reflect on the cowardice and lack of accountability of Pilate in this story. Don’t we also have a tendency to wash our hands of any decision that may put us in trouble? We like to ensure that we are protected and free from being blamed. Despite the truth that is presented right in front of us, we still do not do the righteous and true action.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for believers to be in truth and stand up for it?
MORE DENIALS BY PETER ILMA’S VLOG
August 31
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MORE DENIALS BY PETER
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” 31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” 32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die. – John 18:25-32
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This account is the beginning of Jesus’ presentation to Pilate. What was interesting in this story is how Simon Peter kept on following where they were bringing Jesus. He didn’t want to take his eyes off his Master and yet, as soon as he is being questioned about his identity, he denied two more times his association with the Lord. Aside from the truth that Jesus prophesied about Peter denying Him three times, what must have led him to do so? Let us take a look why Peter actually resorted to two more occasions of denying the Master whom he used to boast about: that He will always be loyal and follow Him. I surmise that he kept on following Jesus, curious how Jesus was going to handle the process of crucifixion. He probably is wondering how his Master could just let Jesus allow all these suffering He is going through to happen. He may have been wishing that Jesus prove all these people that He is God after all. He didn’t understand the concept that God’s will have to be done and even the Son of God had no desire to change it.
The moment Peter was recognized by someone who was in the group of soldiers who arrested Jesus in the garden, he feared for his life. He didn’t want end up like Jesus, unable to help Himself and die on the cross. He resorted to self-protect. We all do it: we automatically preserve our own lives for our own sake. We deny the Lord when we do not stand up for truth or when we do not totally become his slaves. When we cater to our own interest, we forget that we are supposed to sacrifice our own lives for him.
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REFLECTION
• Despite Peter’s denials, why was he still chosen by God to build His chu
JESUS’ ARREST & PETER’S FIRST DENIAL ILMA’S VLOG
August 30
________________________________________JESUS’ ARREST & PETER’S FIRST DENIAL
12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21 Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.” 22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” 24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. – John 18:12-24
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In this account, the saga of the suffering of Jesus begins. He was arrested by the Roman officers to be presented to Annas who was the father in law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Peter, followed them and was watching what they were going to do to his Master. Jesus was interrogated about his disciples and what He had been teaching them. When Peter was recognized by a slave girl of the high priest, he automatically denied that He was with Jesus. What an interesting way to show his loyalty to Jesus! Self-protection is second nature to us all when we feel threatened. But it is not Jesus’ requirement for his followers. We see how God loves his disciples so much and how he understands their fears and struggles. It is in this scene that soldier first struck Jesus when He answered his question.
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REFLECTION
• Why do we automatically protect ourselves and deny the Lord at times?
SANCTIFIED BY TRUTH ILMA’S VLOG
August 27
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SANCTIFIED BY TRUTH
13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. – John 17:13-21
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This account is still a part of Jesus’ prayer to the heavenly Father for the sake of His disciples. He was concerned for them because He knows that they will still be in the world while He is joining His Father soon. He pleads His Father to keep His disciple holy because they will be surrounded by corruption and evil. As He asks His Father, we hear much affection in His words in verses 14-19. He intimately knows his disciples very well and recognizes their challenges if He goes to join His Father. What a wonderful thing to know that every need of these disciples will be met! Jesus knows their suffering and how they will be marinated in persecution, evil and attacks. This is why He was interceding for them so that His Father can sanctify them in truth. In verse 20, Jesus wants the disciples to be protected by the truth which comes only from God’s word. He wants to ensures that they are kept pure by Scriptures. The aim for such sanctity is so that they will be united with the Father and Himself as well.
Jesus mentions also that this is not only the case for His disciples, but also for anyone who believes in Him through Scriptures.
The main reason why all believers need to be sanctified is because they will be witnesses for the Father and the Son. It will bring glory to them both. It will lead others to believe and want to know Jesus and the Father more.
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REFLECTION
• Why do we need to be sanctified when we become followers of Jesus?
• What happens when Christians do not keep pure for the Lord?
• Why is it important to worship the Lord in truth?
JESUS’ PRAYERS FOR HIS DISCIPLES ILMA’S VLOG
August 26
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JESUS’ PRAYERS FOR HIS DISCIPLES
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
– John 17:1-12
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This prayer of Jesus to His Father is exemplary. I think that Jesus shared this prayer to His disciples openly so that they can follow it themselves. He wants to model to them what a true prayer is. In this prayer, we get a glimpse of how much love Jesus had for those who love Him. He was reminding His Father that it was Him who gave them to Him to teach and lead. He endorses His disciples’ faithfulness and belief in the Son, who came from the Father Himself.
Can you imagine, a true God Himself, prays on your behalf? How humble Jesus was to recognize that God the Father is still the source of everything when He Himself is a God?
The prayer is all about asking the Father to give these faithful followers what He has. In other words, He wants them to have all the blessings and privileges He has because they loved Him. Do we pray for our loved ones like Jesus did?
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REFLECTION
• How can we learn to pray like Jesus did?
GRIEF TURNED TO JOY ILMA’S VLOG
August 23
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GRIEF TURNED TO JOY
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. – John 16:12-22
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In this account, John tells us what the Lord shared with His disciples before He fulfilled the promise of God to save mankind. He is appeasing their grief over what is going to happen to them when He is gone. He likens their grief to a woman in labor pains. A woman’s labor pain is excruciatingly unbearable; but the pain turns into joy when she gives birth to her child. The pain is replaced by the joy that comes from knowing that her baby has come to life.
Jesus tells His disciples that It may be painful to think that He is going to leave them soon, but the promise of a Helper is going to ease their pain. When He comes back again, there will be overwhelming joy to all those who love Him. It will make their pain of losing Him worthwhile.
When we go through grief, we can easily become discouraged or hopeless, but those who believe in Jesus will always have hope because He will never forsake those who love Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can your grief be turned to joy when you lose something or someone?
KEEP MY COMMAND AND YOU’LL ABIDE IN MY LOVE ILMA’S VLOG
August 19
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KEEP MY COMMAND AND YOU’LL ABIDE IN MY LOVE
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. – John 15:1-11
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In this verse, Jesus explains to his disciples and compares Himself as the true vine and the Father as the vinedresser. It is a picture of how the Father cares for all the branches of the vine and prunes each branch so it can bear fruit. I love gardening and as a gardener, we want to ensure growth of the plant or tree we sowed or planted so that it can bear fruits. Pruning is one of the most important things a gardener does because it is like disciplining the branch to propagate and train it to follow, which direction he wants the branches he will cut to grow. God is the gardener and Jesus is the main vine and we are the branches. He prunes all the dead twigs so that new growth may come out of the vine. He does this so we can bear fruits of the Spirit. There is a condition for bearing fruits mentioned in verse 7 and that is to abide in Jesus. He says that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we will be able to bear much fruit so it will glorify God. By abiding, He meant to obey his commandments and to stay in His truth which only comes from the word of God. Jesus is also called the word in John 1. Abiding in Him, means that we obey His word as well. It is the only guarantee to bear fruits. Without Jesus, we can’t produce any fruit at all.
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REFLECTION
• Why is obedience to God’s word essential to produce the Spirit’s fruits?
THE GREATEST TEACHER LIVING INSIDE YOU ILMA’S VLOG
August 18
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THE GREATEST TEACHER LIVING INSIDE YOU
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has
nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. – John 14:25-31
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In this discourse of Jesus with His disciples, He points to the role of the Holy Spirit who is going to be their Helper. During the three years that Jesus was with His disciples, He taught them many things. Jesus reassured His disciples that though He isn’t going to be there physically to teach them, the Holy Spirit will live inside each one of them and will be the greatest teacher living inside each one of them. The Holy Spirit will remind them of all the things that He has taught them already during the time He was with them. He will also bring to memory all the lessons that He already told them.
Jesus also commanded them to receive the peace that He is giving them. He told them to never allow fear or troubles defeat them but instead, they must choose the peace that only comes from Him. He said that the world can never be able to bring them such peace. He declares to them that obedience to His Father’s will is the gauge for the world to know that He loves His Father.
In this account, Jesus explains to His disciples some of the roles that the Holy Spirit is going to play in their lives once He is physically gone. The Spirit of God will be the one to bring to memory all that He has taught them and also teach them how to apply them in their lives. Peace was emphasized also in these last words from Jesus. He declares that only from Him will they be able to experience peace. The world will never be able to give it to them. Jesus prepared His followers what was going to happen even before it happened. Only the one true God can see what will happen and only He knows everything.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some Christians forget that the Holy Spirit is the only source of Truth and wisdom? Why isn’t it easy to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us?
THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH ILMA’S VLOG
August 17
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THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, who sent Me.– John 14:16-24
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These are some of the last words of Jesus during the upper room supper He had with His disciples before he was crucified. He was alleviating the fears of His disciple for He knows that He will soon go and they will feel deserted without Him. He told them that He will ask His Father to give them another Helper when He is not with them anymore. He calls the Helper as the Spirit of truth who can only be granted to those who belong to Him. Unbelievers and the world cannot have it because it only comes when one believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that they are inseparable. God is in Him and He is also in God. He reassures them in verse 18, that they will not be orphans because He will never really leave them. He explains to them in verse 19 that even though His body will be dead physically, He will still be with them in Spirit. It is also in this verse that He explains that His body will soon be resurrected again soon.
In verse 21, he gives them the pre-requisite to loving Him: to follow all His commandments. If they do so, He will live in them and His Father will love them as well. On the other hand, those who don’t keep His commands do not love him. Though He was God, Jesus does not claim God’s word as His. We have the perfect example of someone who knows how to exercise boundaries and respect for His Father who He acknowledges as greater than Him and the source of all things.
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REFLECTION
• Why can’t an unbeliever receive or accept truth?