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Bible teaching
ministry of
Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Tuesday,
March 26, 2024
We
prepared this
message last
evening so
when we opened
our page this
morning and
saw the bridge
our thoughts
and prayers
were
immediately
lifted for
those affected
by the
collapse of
the Francis
Scott Key
bridge in
Baltimore, MD.
We pray for
family members
whose loved
ones perished
in the
collapse and
for the rescue
workers who
are looking
for those who
may still be
alive.
Click
to enlarge
Daily prayer:
Father, we
know that
Jesus of
Nazareth was
the Son of man
ordained by
You for a
miraculous
birth, along
with many
signs and
wonders that
You performed
through Him.
He was handed
over to wicked
men and
gruesomely
crucified by
the nails that
bore Him to
the
cross.
This was done
by Your set
purpose and in
Your
foreknowledge.
But God, You
raised Him
from the dead,
freeing Him
from the
permanence of
death, because
it was
impossible for
death to keep
its hold on
Him. And now
He is exalted
to Your right
hand making
intercession
for us. "What
wondrous love
is this that
caused the
Lord of bliss
to bear the
dreadful curse
for my soul!"
Amen.
"Nailed
To The Cross"
Message
summary:
We
give thanks
for the nails
knowing that
"He was
pierced for
our
transgressions;
He was bruised
for our
iniquities.
Surely He bore
our sorrows
and by His
stripes we are
healed."
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
So the other disciples told him (Thomas), 'We have seen the Lord'. But He said to them, 'Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe'" (John 20:25). "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross" (Acts 2:23). "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:13-15).
So the other disciples told him (Thomas), 'We have seen the Lord'. But He said to them, 'Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe'" (John 20:25). "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross" (Acts 2:23). "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:13-15).
We
replaced a 30
year old
wooden fence
that enclosed
our back yard.
Several
sections had
to be removed
for our home
addition and
when replacing
those sections
we noticed
that much of
the fence,
although still
functional,
was rotting.
Finding
clearance
panels at
Lowes I
replaced the
entire fence
with a vinyl
picket fence.
But
first the old
fence had to
be removed and
it was
attached using
lots of nails.
Many were
removed but we
ended up
burning a lot
of pieces of
wood that
still had
nails in them.
I used a large
magnet to
remove them
from the
ashes.
Wherever you
live you
likely have
nails used in
various places
all around
your house.
The
first use of
the word nail
in the Bible
in the sense
of attaching
is when King
David provided
"a large
amount of iron
to make nails
for the doors
of the
gateways and
for the
fittings"
of the Temple
(1 Chronicles
22:3). Until
the end of the
18th century
(late 1700's),
nails were
made by hand;
an artisan
known as a
"Nailer"
providing them
with a head
and point.
The
Tremont Nail
Company in
Massachusetts,
is the oldest
continuously
operating nail
manufacturer
in the United
States,
forging nails
since the
early 1800's
and they're
still stamping
them out! When
we lived in
New England we
would
periodically
drive by the
company and,
although they
didn’t have
plant tours, I
recall
curiously
stopping and
looking
through the
windows to
watch the
employees at
work.
The
Tremont Nail
Company in
Massachusetts,
is the oldest
continuously
operating nail
manufacturer
in the United
States,
forging nails
since the
early 1800's
and they're
still stamping
them out! When
we lived in
New England we
would
periodically
drive by the
company and,
although they
didn’t have
plant tours, I
recall
curiously
stopping and
looking
through the
windows to
watch the
employees at
work.The
nails they
manufacture
are not the
round kind we
typically see,
but square,
peg-like
nails. They
are in demand
for those
desiring an
historic,
restoration
look. At the
little country
gift store
across the
street from
the nail
company I
bought three
of the longest
ones I could
find. Holding
these nails,
rubbing my
fingers across
their coarse
surface, and
considering
their lethal
purpose in
Christ's
crucifixion
illustrates
more vividly
the price
Jesus paid for
our
redemption.
We of course have no photographs nor are any details given regarding the nails that affixed our Savior to the cross, but they were likely iron spikes five to seven inches long. In the daily text the action of nailing our Lord to the cross is taken from the Greek word "prospegnumi” and literally means “to impale.” Did you notice that the English word "peg" is in the middle of the Greek word? How indescribably horrible this form of death was.
Certainly
Christ felt
the physical
agony of those
long, thick
spikes driven
into His hands
and feet, in
addition to
the other
horrible
wounds He
received.
Almost anyone
who has ever
done carpentry
work at some
point has
snagged a nail
or stepped on
one. That
hurts, but how
much more to
have one
nailed into
the Lord's
hands
(wrists), and
then to have
His entire
body weight
hanging from
those wounded
sights!
But surely He also felt another type of pain or "nail" as He hung on that Cross for our sins:
Tragically, the majority of people continue to respond to the claims of Christ either by blasphemy, rejection, denial, indifference or unbelief. But we who look upon and embrace Jesus' nail-pierced hands respond by crying out with believing Thomas: "My Lord and my God".
We give thanks for those nails knowing that "He was pierced for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. Surely He bore our sorrows and by His stripes we are healed".
We of course have no photographs nor are any details given regarding the nails that affixed our Savior to the cross, but they were likely iron spikes five to seven inches long. In the daily text the action of nailing our Lord to the cross is taken from the Greek word "prospegnumi” and literally means “to impale.” Did you notice that the English word "peg" is in the middle of the Greek word? How indescribably horrible this form of death was.
Certainly
Christ felt
the physical
agony of those
long, thick
spikes driven
into His hands
and feet, in
addition to
the other
horrible
wounds He
received.
Almost anyone
who has ever
done carpentry
work at some
point has
snagged a nail
or stepped on
one. That
hurts, but how
much more to
have one
nailed into
the Lord's
hands
(wrists), and
then to have
His entire
body weight
hanging from
those wounded
sights!But surely He also felt another type of pain or "nail" as He hung on that Cross for our sins:
1.
He felt the
"nails" of
blasphemy.
This was
demonstrated
by the
soldiers, the
thieves
crucified
beside Him,
the religious
officials and
the onlookers
as recorded in
Matthew
27:27-44. They
mocked and
hurled insults
at Him,
blaspheming
the very One
who willingly
laid down His
life for their
sins. The
opposite of
blasphemy is
worship and we
are called to
worship the
Lord. In the
wonderful song
by Stuart
Townend, "How
Deep The
Father's Love
For Us" has
this probing
line,
"Ashamed, I
hear my
mocking voice,
call out among
the scoffers."
2. He felt the "nails" of rejection. This was demonstrated by the “other” unrepentant crucified criminal who hung on a cross beside Christ as recorded in Luke 23:39. He rejected Christ to his dying breath. The opposite of rejection is acceptance as taught in John 1:12.
3. He felt the "nails" of denial. This was demonstrated by Peter and is recorded in Mark 16:66-72. The opposite of denial is confession and Romans 10:8-10 calls us to confess with our mouth that, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.
4. He felt the "nails" of indifference. This was demonstrated by the soldiers playing games at the foot of the Cross as recorded in John 19:23,24. The opposite of indifference is attentiveness and is taught in Hebrews 12:1-3.
5. He felt the "nails" of unbelief. This was demonstrated by so many: those who stood watching from a distance; those who participated in the sordid events leading up to the crucifixion; those who carried out the crucifixion and this was most famously exemplified by the disciple, Thomas, in John 20:25. The opposite of unbelief of course is belief and as Christ reached out to Thomas he fully believed, declaring, "My Lord and my God!" as recorded in John 20:27-29.
2. He felt the "nails" of rejection. This was demonstrated by the “other” unrepentant crucified criminal who hung on a cross beside Christ as recorded in Luke 23:39. He rejected Christ to his dying breath. The opposite of rejection is acceptance as taught in John 1:12.
3. He felt the "nails" of denial. This was demonstrated by Peter and is recorded in Mark 16:66-72. The opposite of denial is confession and Romans 10:8-10 calls us to confess with our mouth that, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.
4. He felt the "nails" of indifference. This was demonstrated by the soldiers playing games at the foot of the Cross as recorded in John 19:23,24. The opposite of indifference is attentiveness and is taught in Hebrews 12:1-3.
5. He felt the "nails" of unbelief. This was demonstrated by so many: those who stood watching from a distance; those who participated in the sordid events leading up to the crucifixion; those who carried out the crucifixion and this was most famously exemplified by the disciple, Thomas, in John 20:25. The opposite of unbelief of course is belief and as Christ reached out to Thomas he fully believed, declaring, "My Lord and my God!" as recorded in John 20:27-29.
Tragically, the majority of people continue to respond to the claims of Christ either by blasphemy, rejection, denial, indifference or unbelief. But we who look upon and embrace Jesus' nail-pierced hands respond by crying out with believing Thomas: "My Lord and my God".
We give thanks for those nails knowing that "He was pierced for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. Surely He bore our sorrows and by His stripes we are healed".
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we
know that
Jesus of
Nazareth was
the Son of man
ordained by
You for a
miraculous
birth, along
with many
signs and
wonders that
You performed
through Him.
He was handed
over to wicked
men and
gruesomely
crucified by
the nails that
bore Him to
the
cross.
This was done
by Your set
purpose and in
Your
foreknowledge.
But God, You
raised Him
from the dead,
freeing Him
from the
permanence of
death, because
it was
impossible for
death to keep
its hold on
Him. And now
He is exalted
to Your right
hand making
intercession
for us. "What
wondrous love
is this that
caused the
Lord of bliss
to bear the
dreadful curse
for my soul!"
Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"By
the Mark"
Watch
on YouTube
Dailey
& Vincent
"Nailed
To The Cross"
Watch
on YouTube
Dallas
Christian
Adult Concert
Choir
"He
Was Nailed to
the Cross for
Me"
Watch
on YouTube
Mark Brown
"You
Took the
Nails"
Watch
on YouTube
VaShawn
Mitchell
Yesterday
I rode my bike
on the
Susquehanna
river trail 30
miles (round
trip) from
Columbia to
Falmouth. It
was my first
river trail
ride of the
season. One of
the most
enjoyable
sights all
along the
trail were the
yellow dots
seen from a
distance that
turned into
bright
daffodils
gracing the
landscape as I
approached
those spring
beauties one
after the
other.
The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. Most of this material deals with the 3˝ year period of His ministry. However an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels deal with the period from Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life! In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of material dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
Sunday
Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
Monday
Jesus Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46
Tuesday/Wednesday
Jesus' authority challenged in the temple: Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6
Thursday
The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: John 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
Friday
Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark 14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16
Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
Sunday
The glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18
(This material is developed from an outline in the Life Application Bible)
Click
to enlarge
Chiques
Creek flowing
into the
Susquehanna
River
Click
to enlarge
An
old railroad
tunnel
Early
in the spring
I (Stephen)
either ride by
self or with
friends. It
need to be
over 60
degrees before
I can get
Brooksyne out!
Click
to enlarge
"Major
Events of the
Holy Week"
The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. Most of this material deals with the 3˝ year period of His ministry. However an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels deal with the period from Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life! In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of material dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
Sunday
Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
Monday
Jesus Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46
Tuesday/Wednesday
Jesus' authority challenged in the temple: Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6
Thursday
The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: John 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
Friday
Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark 14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16
Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
Sunday
The glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18
(This material is developed from an outline in the Life Application Bible)
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Weber
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To
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(This will
open to a page
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designates the
offering to:
Stephen and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
serving in
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chaplaincy
(Daily
Encouragement
is our
endorsed
special
chaplaincy
ministry).Thank
you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
offerings YTD:
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA