lifedevotions.com
Pierced, Branded,
United
An
extensive Bible study – a great tool for use at your youth group!
Pierced for
Love…
What would
be the ultimate sign of love? A precious gift? A
love letter, filled with words of kindness and affection? An entire day with the person you love? Or maybe taking time to help with things that
need to be done? All of these are great
signs of love.
But Jesus
said “There is no greater love a man has than to lay down his life for a
friend.”
Make a list of people that you know.
Take 5 minutes and write down everyone
you can think of: friends, enemies, family, relatives, acquaintances,
classmates, co-workers, neighbors.
Now, circle the people on that list
that you would honestly give your life for.
Compared to the number of people you
actually know, the number of names circled is probably only a few. Write down why you think this is so.
Most people
believe that only a fool would give their life-the most precious thing we
have-for just anybody. That person would
have to be pretty important or mean an awful lot to us in order to die for
them. As Romans 5:7-8 says...“Very
rarely will someone die for a good man, though for a righteous man someone
might dare to die. But God demonstrated
His love for us in this: that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
For one will hardly die for a
righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to
die. But God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (NAS)
So maybe if
we we’re pretty good people someone might give their life up so that we could
live, right? That makes sense. If we were pretty important - the president,
a world-famous athlete or a rock star, someone would probably give their life
for us.
But God did
what he did while we were sinners.
God is
totally holy - separate and set apart from sinfulness. He can’t stand sin. It’s not a part of his nature. The Bible says that God cannot even tolerate
sin in his presence. It took an
incredible act of love on God’s part because we have within us the very thing
that he cannot stand… Sin.
One step
further, our sin was the motivation for God to do the unthinkable: to give up
his son.
Ask any
parent and they will say that things are not easier with a child in their
life. There’s a lot of responsibility in
being a parent. It is hard work, and
very often painful. A parent whose child
is living a destructive lifestyle will feel great sadness and pain in their own
heart. But most parents will also tell
you that they wouldn’t give up that child for all the
world.
Yet God
did. He gave up His only Son,
Jesus...for all the world. Now that’s love.
Take some
time in prayer to thank God for the gift of Jesus, and for the price Jesus paid
on the cross.
Pierced and
Wounded…
Psalm 22 is
a psalm that was written by David. While
it was a song written about 1,000 years before Jesus came, it foretold of the
suffering he would go through when he died on the cross. Amazing, isn’t it? The fact that God put in the
heart of a man the exact feelings and thoughts that his only son, Jesus, would
go through when he died on the cross?
Listen to the fear and doubt in the words from Psalm 22.
Verses 1-2
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far
from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not
answer, by night, and am not silent.
Verses 6-8
[But] I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised
by the people. All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver
him, since he delights in him."
Verses 12-13
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of
Wow. Even Jesus felt abandoned. Alone. Hurt. Betrayed.
Write about a time when you felt
abandoned. What were the
circumstances? How did you handle
them? How were things between you and
the Lord at that time?
Answer the same questions about a
time when you felt alone, or lonely.
What about a time that you were hurt
by someone?
How about when you were betrayed?
It is hard
enough to go through times of doubt and fear.
At least when you are walking closely with God, no circumstance should
seem impossible, right? Still in this Psalm Jesus feels forsaken and
abandoned. Not because God the Father
doesn’t love him. Not because God the
Father doesn’t care. But
because God the Father doesn’t act.
It seemed like he wasn’t doing anything.
God is not
acting like we think He should.
Have you
ever heard someone say, “If God loves me, why did he let my mom die when I was
so young” or “why is my brother in a wheelchair for life” or why was I abused
when I was 7?” Sure you have. You’ve probably even asked it yourself. But one of the hardest things to do is to
trust God when He’s not acting like we want him to.
Jesus felt
abandoned, hurt, alone and betrayed as he hung on the
cross. After all, God could have spared
him. He could have stopped the pain and
suffering of His only son in some incredibly miraculous way. And then Jesus wouldn’t have felt any of
those things. But that was not what God
the Father had planned. And Jesus
trusted Him.
Spend some
prayer time focusing on the times that you felt abandoned, hurt, alone or betrayed.
Ask God to help you understand His plan in it. Also ask for strength to help you to trust
him when it seems he is not acting.
Pierced Like
Jesus…
Consider this question: what does it
mean to follow Jesus?
How far are you willing to go to be
known as his follower?
Let’s
rewind a little bit to a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. In Luke 9 Jesus is telling his closest friends
what it will take to truly follow him.
Verses 22‑24
And he
said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the
elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the
third day be raised to life." Then
he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for me will save it.”
Jesus did a
very interesting thing here. He told the disciples what the cost of
following him would be. Now, they didn’t
totally get it. They didn’t understand
exactly what Jesus meant. But in his death on the cross, Jesus showed them.
For us to
understand the cost of following Jesus, we need to look back at his death. It
was not easy at all. Crucifixion was one
of the most torturous deaths imaginable.
It was slow and exhausting. The
victim needed to fight for his or her life on that cross for hours, knowing
that the only real hope was for someone to take them off of the cross. And that was not going to happen. So even while the victim
would struggle and fight for life, death was the only way out of the pain.
When Jesus
was on the cross, his body was beaten beyond recognition. He had been whipped with straps of leather
that contained metal shards which tore his flesh and muscle. He had nails through his hands and feet. He couldn’t breathe unless he pushed himself
up to get air. And every time he raised
himself up to breathe, the wood from the cross and the
pull of the nails tore deeper into his body.
Psalm 22 captures some of the physical
torture that Jesus endured.
Verses 14-18
I am poured
out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me. My
strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my
mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have
pierced my hands and my feet. I can
count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast
lots for my clothing.
There’s a
scene in “The Emperor’s New Groove” where David Spade’s character (the llama)
and John Goodman’s character are floating down the river tied to a log. They are facing an incredible fall into
jagged rocks at the bottom of a waterfall that will most likely lead to death.
The llama gives an incredibly bold response: “Bring it on!”
Now, in the
cartoon business he can say that because the writers know he is going to
survive the fall. But in Jesus’ case, he
knew he would not survive the cross. He
was destined to die. And so are you, if
you are truly pierced like Jesus.
When you
look back at Jesus’ death, you see what it means to take up your cross. Are you following Jesus? Are you taking up your cross? Not just the metal one on the necklace you
wear. Not just the sticker on your
folder or your car. Not the cross on
your t-shirt. But the cross that Jesus
bore.
Are you
taking up the cross that leads to death?
Jesus said
each of his followers must take up their cross.
He did not say they must be willing
to take it up. Taking up your cross is
not an option - it’s part of the package of being his
follower. Are you following Jesus so passionately that it is costing you your
life? Are you so bold with your faith
that you are certain you will face pain and suffering? Are you living a life that is so consumed
following Christ that when the world comes against you, you can say lovingly
“bring it on?”
Jesus said
the world would hate those who followed him because it hated him first, and
that his followers would be persecuted for following him. Is your life so committed to Jesus that you
also are being pierced?
Take a few minutes and evaluate your
commitment to Christ; not the commitment to a “moral Christian lifestyle,” but
the wholehearted pursuit of Jesus. Spend
some time in prayer, asking God to show you the truth of your devotion to
Jesus, and write down anything he reveals to you.
Pray for God to give you his power
to stand firm in your faith...no matter the cost.
How many
people do you know that have tattoos?
No, not those tattoos you never see because they are covered by
clothing, but the ones that are in really obvious places. Do you know anyone with a tattoo on their
arm, hand, ankle, or neck? Those tattoos
stand out, don’t they?
Tattoos are
worn for a number of reasons. They might
be a reminder of a loved one, a significant event, or just a cool picture. But most of the time, the
tattoo makes a kind of statement that the person is not afraid to show others. It says, “Hey! I love so-and-so!” Or, “I stand for this!” It is a mark which identifies that person,
and points them out.
What are the things that are most
important to you? Why? Make a list of the top 5 things that you can
think of.
Take a look
at Luke 22:54-62.
Luke 22:54‑62
Then
seizing him, they led him [Jesus] away and took him into the house of the high
priest. Peter followed at a distance.
But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had
sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely
at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know
him," he said. A little later someone
else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am
not!" Peter replied. About an hour
later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a
Galilean." Peter replied,
"Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was
speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord
turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord
had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me
three times." And he went outside
and wept bitterly. (NIV)
The most
obvious lessons from this passage are drawn from Peter’s denial of Jesus, and
that he wept bitterly at what he had done.
But there’s something else here.
People could tell that Peter knew Jesus.
It was obvious to them.
“You were with Jesus,” the servant girl said.
“You are one of them!” said someone else
“You definitely were with Jesus the
Galilean...your accent gives you away!” was a third person’s observation.
All that
time spent with Jesus had obviously rubbed off on him, and people took
notice. They saw that Peter sat at
Jesus’ feet while he was teaching. They
saw Peter travel wherever Jesus went.
And even after Jesus was arrested, they knew who Peter was.
Now even
though he didn’t have a tattoo, Peter was branded.
In what ways is your relationship
with Jesus obvious to the people around you?
List as many ways as you can think of.
If you
think about it, it was almost as if Peter had a spiritual tattoo...one that
said he was a follower of Jesus. His relationship to Jesus was
unmistakable. And even though Peter
denied knowing Jesus, those around him were not about
to let him off the hook. He could not
escape the fact that he was among the followers of Jesus.
In the same
way, we cannot escape the fact that we belong to him. We can’t hide it. It is too obvious.
Have you
ever been ‘confronted’ by someone who was not a Christian? Maybe they said something like, “I wouldn’t
have ever expected you to do something like that!” or “I thought you were a
Christian!” It’s like they are saying,
“You, too, were with him.” And they are
right.
Describe a time in your life where
you blew it like Peter, and those around you let you know about it. What did you do after they pointed you out?
It’s pretty
tough when that happens. You feel like a
failure. You feel like there’s no hope
for you. You may even get mad at God, or want to throw away your faith. When we mess up like Peter did, it is just
plain hard to deal with. We have to turn
back to God, ask for His forgiveness, and trust that His forgiveness is enough.
You know
what the main difference between Peter, who denied Jesus, and Judas, who
betrayed Jesus, really was? The response to their sin.
Judas gave up and took his own life, but Peter wept bitterly and turned
back to Jesus. Even though Peter messed
up in a big-time way, it was Peter - and all of the other messed-up disciples -
that Jesus used to build his church. So
don’t think for a second that messing up means the end of your relationship
with Jesus. Turn back to him right away,
because turning back could be the start of something great.
Take time to spend with God in
prayer; talk to Him about anything that’s on your heart.
United
What is your favorite cartoon or
cartoon series of all time?
You may
think that is an odd question, and you are right. But...it is time for another cartoon
story. Did you ever see the Smurfs? If you’re in junior or
senior high, probably not. So
here’s a little bit about them.
The Smurfs
were these little blue creatures who were only 3 apples tall. They were led by Papa Smurf, the wisest Smurf
in the village. They lived in the woods
in mushroom houses, and always had to combat the plot of a man named Gargamel and his cat Azrael. In almost every episode a few of the Smurfs
were captured by this evil duo, and Papa Smurf led all the other Smurfs to the
rescue. They all had to work together to
free the Smurfs and foil the plot of Gargamel. And - surprise, surprise - it always worked.
Alright, enough with the cartoon stories.
Here’s the point.
Even though
Gargamel was no match for a few Smurfs individually,
he could never stand up to the entire Smurf village. There were just too many of them. And when they stuck together, they could
survive just about anything.
Sound
familiar?
That is
totally true when it comes to the followers of Jesus. We have a pretty strong enemy in Satan. We really do.
There are a lot of distractions that can pull us off of the narrow path
that we are called to follow. But like
the Smurfs, we must do two important things.
First of
all, as Jesus’ followers we must encourage and support one another. Take a few minutes to look over and think
about the following verses.
1Thes
Therefore
encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.(NAS)
Heb 10:23‑25
Let us hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful;
and let
us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking
our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one
another} and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (NAS)
Heb 3:13
But
encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (NIV)
Everyone
has faced a time in life where a task, assignment, or challenge seemed nearly
impossible to you. You were having a
hard time with it, and felt like giving up.
But somebody kept on encouraging you, cheering you on, and eventually
you succeeded. If it weren’t for that
person or people who encouraged you, you probably would have given up. The same is true in our walk with Jesus. We need encouragement to keep going when
things get tough, or when the battle against the enemy seems too difficult to
handle.
Describe a time in your life when
you needed the help of others to make it through, or to accomplish a task or
assignment.
Describe a time that you needed
encouragement as you struggled to follow Jesus faithfully. Did anyone reach out to you?
Describe a time where you saw
someone else who needed encouragement in their walk with Jesus. How did you respond?
The second
thing we need to do in our battle against the enemy is to keep our eyes on Papa. Of course that does not mean Papa Smurf or
our earthly dad. It means our heavenly
father - God.
Jude 1:24‑25
To him who
is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious
presence without fault and with great joy‑‑to the only God our
Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)
There is a
lot of good stuff in this passage, but the first part says that God is able to
keep us from falling. He is “the one”
who is able. That means “the only one.” If you try to rely on your own strength to
stand against temptation and sin, you will fall. No question about it.
But God is
able to pull you through. He is strong
enough. But we have to turn to Him to
find that strength. When we do it on our
own, we will probably fail. Maybe not the first time.
Maybe not the second time. But eventually our own strength will not be
enough.
Describe a time where you turned to
God and He gave you the strength to keep from falling. Maybe it was pressure from a friend to do something wrong, or a time that you
were alone and faced a struggle to be faithful to him.
Pierced, but Pure…
(How he turned the other cheek and
was led to slaughter shows his righteousness)
Luke 23 shows some of Jesus’ last moments
before he died.
Verses 34‑37
Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And
they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They
said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God,
the Chosen One." The soldiers also
came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you
are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
Verses 46‑48
Jesus
called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened,
praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." When all the people who had gathered to
witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.
Pierced with
Hope…
(The hope is the Lord, and the
destiny is eternity)
Yet you are
enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of
Yet you
brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's
breast. From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Do not be
far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
But you, O
LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword, my precious
life from the power of the dogs. Rescue
me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my brothers; in
the congregation I will praise you.
You who
fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob,
honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of
The poor
will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him‑‑
may your hearts live forever! All the
ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of
the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he
rules over the nations. All the rich of
the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before
him‑‑ those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve
him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a
people yet unborn‑‑ for he has done it. (NIV)
© Life Promotions,
Inc., 2003 • http://www.lifepromotions.com, http://www.lifedevotions.com
Written by Eric Leverence for Life Promotions