Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded (John 13:1-5).

You know, forgiving someone after they have done something to us is hard enough. Jesus forgave, knowing the terrible things that people would do, before they carried out the offenses. Consider this when reading about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.

Jesus was, and is the Lord of all. Yet He picked up a towel, filled up a basin and washed the disciples’ feet. This very act was performed by servants- not the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In itself this is enough to amaze us. However, there is so much more to consider.

Judas Iscariot- the betrayer of Christ- was in the room. Satan had already convinced him to betray Jesus. Even while Jesus was washing his feet, Judas was contemplating how he would sell Jesus out. Judas had not completed the act, but Jesus forgave Him before it was done.

The rest of the disciples proved to be deserters when Jesus needed them most. However, He still washed their feet. They hadn’t deserted Him yet, but He forgave them before they checked out on Him.

Then there were His tormentors- the ones who took part in ending His life. In Luke 23:34, Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Again, they hadn’t completed the act, but He forgave them before it was finished.

What about our sins? They are offensive to our Savior. We hurt Him when we do our own thing with total disregard for the price He paid for us. There is not a sin we have ever committed that He didn’t shed blood to provide forgiveness. This is why we have full confidence that when we ask Him to forgive us- it is done.

This is real forgiveness! It isn’t, “Yes, I forgive you, but I will throw it up to you later.” His forgiveness is, “I forgive you and I forget what you have done. Your slate is completely clean”

Truly this is great to consider. However, there is a condition regarding God’s forgiveness. Note the Scriptures below:

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).

Really we should see it this way. God forgives us. Since God forgives us, we practice His forgiveness by willingly forgiving others. This is real forgiveness.

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself(John 20:1-7)

Jesus came to this earth with purpose. He truly was on a mission. He Himself said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” His whole life fulfilled the prophecies concerning Him. As we consider Good Friday, we see the following verse fulfilled:

But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed(Isaiah 53:5).

Notice that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities- providing forgiveness and healing us spiritually. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him- providing peace and healing for the mental and emotional part of us. The stripes on His back were for the healing of our bodies. Every need we have is provided for through the sacrifice that Jesus made- all in fulfillment of the prophecies given in Scripture.

As we consider Easter, John 20 provides an indication of a great guarantee. Scripture says the linen clothes were left lying- probably crumpled and in disarray. The napkin that had covered His face was wrapped together- separate from the clothing. This is very significant when we consider the culture of the day.

The Jewish custom of the time was very detailed regarding meal times. After the food was set out on the table, the servants were to wait for the master of the house to finish eating. They did not dare to bother anything on the table until they were sure he was finished. How did they know? It was all about the napkin!

When the master of the house was completely finished eating, he simply just threw the napkin down. If he had to get up from the table before finishing, he carefully folded the napkin and left it neatly on the table. The message was clear, “I am not finished, I guarantee I am coming back.”

By leaving the napkin neatly folded, Jesus sent us a message. He was saying, “I am not finished. I continue to forgive sin, lift up the downtrodden and radically change lives. By the way- I guarantee you- I am coming back.”

This Holy week is so important to the Christian faith, Good Friday represents Scripture being fulfilled. Easter Sunday represents Scripture being fulfilled and a great guarantee given. Let us consider these things as we observe this year’s Easter holiday.

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

Have you ever really thought about the two sides of our Savior? Consider that on one side He is the Lamb and on the other side He is the Lion.

As the Lamb of God, He allowed Himself to be sacrificed on the cross for our sins. He will never be sacrificed again.

From now on, He is the Lion of Judah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will return triumphantly for His Church and eventually He will judge all of mankind and pronounce eternal sentence upon Satan himself.

Our Jesus is not weak. He has been given all authority and all power. Truly He reigns! His authority is without question.

Consider the authority of His teaching. Jesus said, “”My doctrine is not mine, but His who sent Me.” Scripture says the people of His day were astonished by His teaching. He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:29).

Jesus has complete authority over all the power of Satan.When He met the demoniac of the Gadarenes, the demon spirits knew His name and literally begged Him not to torture them. They did not stand a chance in His presence. Again, the people said, “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Then there is the authority of His Name. The following Scriptures describe this authority very well:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2: 5-11).

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).

And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:17-18).

His Word, His power and His Name make us victorious. Surely He is the one with all authority.

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart (II Corinthians 3:1-3).

A friend’s post read, “Page 1 of my 365 days of 2015 has almost been totally written.” Each day represents a page of our lives.

Each day people read our lives. What do the pages say? Our words and our actions confirm our commitment to Jesus or our lack of commitment to Jesus.

At home, at work, at school, at church and throughout the community we need to shine for Jesus. People are reading our pages. Again, what do the pages say?

Do the pages say, “We have been with Jesus?” Notice the account given in Acts 4:8-14:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel; If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

If we have been with Jesus, we will declare Him as the source of salvation. We will also be able to touch others with the Gospel despite opposition. At Thessalonica, the disciples were accused of turning the world upside down. Likewise, our witness should at least shake things up a little.

Do the pages say, “We are worshipers?” Again, we see Cornelius’ description in Acts 10:1-2:

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Cornelius was known as a worshiper. We know this because:

He was devout. He feared God.
He was generous. He prayed constantly.

Being an instrument of worship can influence people throughout generations. Matthew 26:6-13 gives us a beautiful illustration:

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble this woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told as a memorial to her.”

Real worship says, “Lord, you are worth more than anything.” Real worship says, “I will not give you something that costs me nothing.”

Do the pages say, “I am a doer of His Word?” James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” His Word is the authority we live by. As doers of the Word, we desire the house of God. As doers of the Word, we support the work of God and the leaders God gives to us. As doers of the Word, we really want others to know the Lord.

It has been said, “We may be the only Bible that others read.” We may not be Bibles, but we certainly want the pages people read to be pages that glorify God.

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.