The Desire of Ages--75--Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas

[Beacon]

All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. Jesus knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord.

Today as we see the mile posts of Biblical Prophecy fly by at faster and faster speeds Are we sleeping when we should be in earnest prayer pleading with Jesus for His power in our lives so that we will not deny Jesus when it comes our turn to stand tall for "Truth" There will be No Crown if we are unwilling/unprepared to lay down our lives for Jesus.

Once again the HAUNTING words come back to me....."HE WHO FAILS TO PREPARE -- PREPARES TO FAIL. Would it not be tragic, if we like Peter, deny our Lord and Savior because our focus had been on the things of this world. I'm sure Peter thought it would be impossible for him to Swear and Curse, denying that he "DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE MAN "...BUT HE DID!!

In the Word of God we find this poignant counsel Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Lets make sure our priorities are correct and not let the temporary things of this life to distract us.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!

Jesus' character shines forth the brighter amid greater and greater tribulation. Jesus was never more scorned, mocked and rejected than when the chosen people of God refused the grace He so freely offered and would not let the love He had for them melt their hearts. But the grace of God is so powerful, that even among some who were unwilling to initially respond, others would take up the ranks to carry God's work forward with power, love and a sound mind.

"When the council had assembled in the judgment hall, Caiaphas took his seat as presiding officer. On either side were the judges, and those specially interested in the trial. The Roman soldiers were stationed on the platform below the throne. At the foot of the throne stood Jesus. Upon Him the gaze of the whole multitude was fixed. The excitement was intense. Of all the throng He alone was calm and serene. The very atmosphere surrounding Him seemed pervaded by a holy influence." {The Desire of Ages, page 703, paragraph 3}

As we behold the holy influence of Jesus, we will realize the power of renewal in our hearts and minds. His calm serenity under trial is that which He freely bestows upon us at this moment by a full surrender to Him. By beholding we become changed, and Christ Himself is able to shape us in His will.

[Richard Myers]

     The Jews were looking for a Messiah to be revealed in outward show. They expected Him, by one flash of overmastering will, to change the current of men's thoughts, and force from them an acknowledgment of His supremacy. Thus, they believed, He was to secure His own exaltation, and gratify their ambitious hopes. Thus when Christ was treated with contempt, there came to Him a strong temptation to manifest His divine character. By a word, by a look, He could compel His persecutors to confess that He was Lord above kings and rulers, priests and temple. But it was His difficult task to keep to the position He had chosen as one with humanity.

He used His power to heal the sick and raise the dead, but never did He use His power for Himself. He had chosen to be one with us. Such condescension!! What a God that we serve!!

[Beacon]

"Christ suffered keenly under abuse and insult. At the hands of the beings whom He had created, and for whom He was making an infinite sacrifice, He received every indignity. And He suffered in proportion to the perfection of His holiness and His hatred of sin. His trial by men who acted as fiends was to Him a perpetual sacrifice. To be surrounded by human beings under the control of Satan was revolting to Him. And He knew that in a moment, by the flashing forth of His divine power, He could lay His cruel tormentors in the dust. This made the trial the harder to bear. "


"His love for His Father, and His pledge, made from the foundation of the world, to become the Sin Bearer, led Him to endure uncomplainingly the coarse treatment of those He came to save. It was a part of His mission to bear, in His humanity, all the taunts and abuse that men could heap upon Him. The only hope of humanity was in this submission of Christ to all that He could endure from the hands and hearts of men."

This chapter reminds me of these words penned by George Mattheson ( 1882 )
 
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Light that foll’west all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.


All I can say once more is: THANK YOU JESUS FOR LOVING ME THAT MUCH!!  PLEASE HELP ME TO ALWAYS STAND FIRM FOR YOU.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!

Happy Sabbath! We need time with Jesus. Spending time with Him changes us, encourages us, and helps us to remember His character in trial. As we learn day by day to arise with Jesus as He awakens us and behold Him, we will become changed. This miracle of transformation is what makes life so meaningful, for we were created for God's pleasure and His glory!

"It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord. Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross. They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith." {The Desire of Ages, page 713, paragraph 4}

Let us day by day lay up in our hearts the words that will give us courage and strength in trial so we may go forward into the final moments of earth's history with the abiding presence of Jesus in our hearts and minds bringing forth all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as a witness of what His grace can do!

[Dorine]

....While in the guardroom, awaiting His legal trial, He was not protected. The ignorant rabble had seen the cruelty with which He was treated before the council, and from this they took license to manifest all the satanic elements of their nature. Christ's very nobility and godlike bearing goaded them to madness. His meekness, His innocence, His majestic patience, filled them with hatred born of Satan. Mercy and justice were trampled upon. Never was criminal treated in so inhuman a manner as was the Son of God.     

.....But a keener anguish rent the heart of Jesus; the blow that inflicted the deepest pain no enemy's hand could have dealt. While He was undergoing the mockery of an examination before Caiaphas, Christ had been denied by one of His own disciples.

....While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter's lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter's eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there.

This is a description of love that grips my heart this morning. When we deny our Lord by our sin it rips the heart of Jesus. He experiences the same anguish of heart that He did when Peter denied Him. If we could keep the picture of Jesus' reaction in our minds eye we would not run from Him in guilt but with our guilt look into those eyes of sorrow and love and fall at the feet of Jesus in agonizing confession and repentance. Do we really appreciate how deeply we are loved? Do we have wrong conceptions that need to be changed? He never condones sin but oh how freely and instantly He extends forgiveness to the repentant sinner. 

[Richard Myers]

Amen dear sister. We who have been beholding Jesus continually, daily, understand His great love for us. My problem is during the day I get so busy I forget my Savior. What a shameful thought! But, it is true. Thankfully the Holy Spirit is always working on my heart to remember my Savior. I'm better today than I was yesterday. And better yesterday than the year before. Praise God for His long-suffering toward us fallen humans.

   The angels of heaven witnessed every movement made against their loved Commander. They longed to deliver Christ. Under God the angels are all-powerful. On one occasion, in obedience to the command of Christ, they slew of the Assyrian army in one night one hundred and eighty-five thousand men. How easily could the angels, beholding the shameful scene of the trial of Christ, have testified their indignation by consuming the adversaries of God! But they were not commanded to do this. He who could have doomed His enemies to death bore with their cruelty. His love for His Father, and His pledge, made from the foundation of the world, to become the Sin Bearer, led Him to endure uncomplainingly the coarse treatment of those He came to save. It was a part of His mission to bear, in His humanity, all the taunts and abuse that men could heap upon Him. The only hope of humanity was in this submission of Christ to all that He could endure from the hands and hearts of men. 

What a God we serve! God help us to bear with the sins against us in this world.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Everything that was heaped upon Jesus in His trial was not what He deserved--but what we deserved. We deserve to be condemned for our sins, but Christ, the innocent Savior, bore uncomplainingly all that cruel men could heap upon Him. He loved His enemies. Yet all will reap what they have sown, and nothing that took place in Jesus' trial will be forgotten, for the angels record all we do as evidence to the universe as to what decision we make as to how we treat Jesus. Will we open our hearts to the One who left heaven because He wants to save us? Will we allow Jesus to transform our characters into His image? I pray that we will allow Him in, for Christ loves to save His people from their sins.

"The angels of God faithfully recorded every insulting look, word, and act against their beloved Commander. One day the base men who scorned and spat upon the calm, pale face of Christ will look upon it in its glory, shining brighter than the sun." {The Desire of Ages, page 715, paragraph 4}

Though Jesus was sorely tried and His pale face was witnessed after He passed through the mock trials before Annas and Caiaphas, we know the end of the story--He will return in power and great glory and His face will shine brighter than sunshine, for He is the King of the universe. When we remember that in surrendering fully to Christ we are only acknowledging what is REALLY TRUE--that Jesus Christ is Lord, then we can have joy and patience in trials like He faced by abiding in Him, loving our enemies, praying for those who despitefully use us, and desiring all to come to the knowledge and love of the truth, that they may be saved, even as Christ's desires become our desires by abiding in Him!

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean!  Our lives may  be one victory after another when we love Jesus with the whole heart. Sin will become hateful to us when we see what it did to our Savior and our heavenly Father.

[Beacon]

"...Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord..."

What a "STRONG WARNING" this should be to each of us! How much time do we spend " In Watching & Prayer" ?  Are God's people of this generation ( you & I ) going to be prepared? or will we deny Jesus when our turn comes to stand trial for our faith? How much time are we spending with Jesus every day?  Once Again this small but very important principle come into focus.."HE WHO FAILS TO PREPARE - PREPARES TO FAIL".  Peter failed!  The Choice is Ours. What will our choice be?

[Richard Myers]

Amen brother Beacon. I too was impressed with this sad truth. We may think that one sin will not cause so much pain and suffering to not only us, but to our Savior! Here we understand that it was because Peter had slept when Jesus had asked him to watch and pray that caused his problem. If we fail to maintain our connection with Christ, we open ourselves to hurting our savior in the same manner. One sin can cause so much trouble for us and for God's cause. Let us watch and pray today that we might not sin against our God.

[Beacon]

"He who could have doomed His enemies to death bore with their cruelty. His love for His Father, and His pledge, made from the foundation of the world, to become the Sin Bearer, led Him to endure uncomplainingly the coarse treatment of those He came to save. It was a part of His mission to bear, in His humanity, all the taunts and abuse that men could heap upon Him.

"The only hope of humanity was in this submission of Christ to all that He could endure from the hands and hearts of men."

The words of this song below reflect what I think should be our personal response of thanksgiving and praise.

#76 – SDA Hymnal --- "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go"

1
O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths
its flow may richer, fuller be.

2
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
my heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine’s blaze
its day may brighter, fairer be.

3
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.

4
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
and from the ground there blossoms
red life that shall endless be.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR LOVING US SOO MUCH AND MAKING OUR SALVATION POSSIBLE.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon! Love is the ground of our salvation and we see the loveliness of Jesus shining so clearly in how He endured excruciating suffering and humiliation to save us from our sins! What wondrous love is this!!

"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38). Oh, let us realize our continual need of Jesus and why He desires us to be wide awake to behold Him in His sufferings so we can be prepared to face temptation--not alone, but with Him abiding in our hearts!

"It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord. Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross. They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith." {The Desire of Ages, page 713, paragraph 4} 

As we approach the time of trouble such as never was, we can learn from the experience of the disciples who slept in the Garden of Gethsemane that now is the time to be wide awake to look upon Jesus and the promises of His word! As we behold Jesus' loveliness and appreciate His character, knowing how much He suffered for us to make salvation possible, we will consider it a privilege to suffer for His dear name and be His witnesses to a world soon to perish! As we allow Christ to reign on the throne of our hearts by a continual surrender of our will to Him, He will signify His presence in and through us by manifesting all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing in our lives, leading us to gladly obey the Ten Commandments which are a transcript of His character!

[Richard Myers]

Amen!  Israel is an ensample for those whom the ends of the world is come upon. We ought not continue to follow in the path of their mistakes as God's chosen people. There is a lesson for us in the sin of Peter.

     While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter's lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter's eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there.
     The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused. Memory was active. Peter called to mind his promise of a few short hours before that he would go with his Lord to prison and to death. He remembered his grief when the Saviour told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Lord thrice that same night. Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself.   

Peter did not understand his continual need of Jesus in order to live a godly life. He did not understand that Jesus had to die for His sins. He wandered in and out of conversion. How is it that Peter could be converted without understanding the gospel? He beheld Jesus and when he kept His eyes on Jesus, his love was strong. But, when he let his mind wander away, he would fall just as he ended up in the water as he looked back at the boat instead of keeping his eyes and mind on Jesus. So it will be with all who let their minds wander away from Jesus. There is no protection from self and sin unless we remain united with Christ.

[Beacon]

"It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord..

Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross..

They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith."

Jesus did everything possible to help His disciples be prepared for their upcoming faith shaking experience and He is doing the same for each one of us. The key to a successful steadfast experience is found in The Word as recorded in...

Matthew 26:40-42

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

[Dorine]

"The disciple of Christ who in our day disguises his faith through dread of suffering or reproach denies his Lord as really as did Peter in the judgment hall."

If we are watching and praying we will not be concerned with what people think of us but what Christ thinks of us.  We are faced with daily decisions as to whether we will be loyal and true to Christ or deny Him.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

May we remember that we have nothing to fear as we serve Jesus without seeking to hide our identity. We can be open and clear that we are followers of Christ, and seek to be as close to Him as possible!

"The disciple John, upon entering the judgment hall, did not try to conceal the fact that he was a follower of Jesus. He did not mingle with the rough company who were reviling his Master. He was not questioned, for he did not assume a false character, and thus lay himself liable to suspicion. He sought a retired corner secure from the notice of the mob, but as near Jesus as it was possible for him to be. Here he could see and hear all that took place at the trial of his Lord." {The Desire of Ages, page 711, paragraph 1}

May the Lord give us a willingness of heart to be as near to Jesus as possible. When we yield the whole heart to Christ, He comes to abide in us and reveal through us all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing. We can learn to be like John and have a living experience of sanctification even in the most trying times.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean, and we are entering that arena now. Satan is at work more than ever before. We are seeing all of the trouble in the world, he is at the center of it all. And yes Sister Dorine, you are so right. Every day we are being tested. Satan takes pleasure, and God allows that we might understand how weak we are when not intimately connected with our Savior. I had a big one today. Praise God, through His grace, I kept from doing something that would have come back to get me at a later date. He so very clever, but greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been eft to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord..

Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross..

They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith."

Jesus did everything possible to help His disciples be prepared for their upcoming faith shaking experience and He is doing the same for each one of us.

Amen Brother Beacon!!  Satan is doing all he can to keep us from spending time with Jesus!

[Dorine]

He who could have doomed His enemies to death bore with their cruelty. His love for His Father, and His pledge, made from the foundation of the world, to become the Sin Bearer, led Him to endure uncomplainingly the coarse treatment of those He came to save. It was a part of His mission to bear, in His humanity, all the taunts and abuse that men could heap upon Him. The only hope of humanity was in this submission of Christ to all that He could endure from the hands and hearts of men.
Again my heart is touched deeply with the reminder of what Jesus suffered for you and me. It's too easy to take it for granted which leads to the condition we see in the church today. It mentions the pledge that Jesus made to His Father to become the sin bearer which made it possible to endure the cruel treatment. In thinking about that I remembered the pledge I made at the time of my baptism; by the grace of God I would love and obey my Saviour through any and every situation. I have failed many times but because Jesus NEVER failed salvation is open to everyone who accepts it and daily abides in His love. And we have the opportunity to renew our pledge each time we fall.

[Beacon]

It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord..

Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross..

They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith."

We all have most likely sung the song " Sweet Hour of Prayer" But are we practicing that in our daily living? We cannot draw support for our trials and temptation when we are not putting into practice the counsel give to us as recorded in Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."